The Denver star., 1917-05-19
THE ONENESS OF MANKIND.
Gene From Professor William Pieksns'
New York Address, April %.

cOnQuCIeO In Greater New 1Ork under
the auspices of the National League
on Urban Conditions Among Colored
People was brought to successful
close on Sunday. April %. Professor
William Pickens, dean of Morgan col
lege, Baltimore, was the orator of the
day. Dean Iickens' subject was THE
Negro and HEALTH and he said In
part:
The American Negro has been so often
discussed as If he differed from other men
In his relation to the laws Of society. that
some have grown bold enough to imply
that he differs from other men even in his
relation to the laws of nature. That ef
fort to be consistent is natural. The ques
ton Of the Negro's health, however, Is
not so much race question as it is a
question of environment. 1t may be called
a class question. for it is closely connected
with his economic and social status. In
brief. the Negro is not sick or well be-
>cause of the color of his skin or because
of the shape OF his nose feet. There
may be certain diseases which more read
lily attack his constitution. but that Is
true of all races in reference to some dis
ease or other. and perhaps the explana-
tion Is historical
Man was scattered over the earth and
lived in mere or less isolated groups for a
fore, that one group had to battle with a
certain disease more than did the others.
This group developed a constitutional re-
sistance to this disease. we might say
that the disease weeded out from this
group those clements which were peculiar
ly subject 10 Its attack. 1t may be that
the white man OF the past was more sub
3ected to tuberculosis and became in a
degree tmmunized SO that now tubercular
bacilli attack the Nesro's constitution
more readily, and it may be that the Ne
gro OF the past suffered from hookworrn.
10 that now hookworms attack the white
man more successfully
But, he that it may, IT is plain that
environment is the chief factor and is the
point OF attack for science For these
evils are preventable. tuberculosis may
be worse for the Negro when he has It.
but 1t is not necessary for him to have
IL. Hookworn may be worse for the white
man when he has it. but 1t is not neces-
sary for him TO have it. The black man
cannot escape tuberculosis by becoming
white; the white man cannot escape
hookworm by becoming black. The race
question cannot help either, but an i'm
provement Of economic conditions will
help both. II the black man can have a
better job so that he can have better food
and more rest and air and sanitary
house he will have less tuberculosis. II
tho poor white man can have better pay
and instruction so that he will possess
the means and the knowledge to simply
shun the hookworm he need not have
that disease at all.
Tho Negro's death rate under present
| conditions is often spoken of as II 1t indi-
Gated that he is not human like other
men. but on the contrary 1t proves that
he 10 exactly human like other men. If
| the Negro. living as he now lives, died no
| faster than the white man living as the
white man now lives. it would prove that
the Negro is not human like the white
man. Another thinx-the psychology OF
| the matter. We have learned that the
/ mind helps TO kill or to make alive. Wor-
ry II more wearing than work" The
| lower economic status bears on the Negro
the harder and Injuries him the faster IN
| proportion As he feels and knows that II
! 10 chiefly the result of social injustice
rather than of natural causes The jim
| crow" car kills him not only with its NTH
| and eerms. but also with the state OF mind
| which 1t ind I'm him.
| The Negro is often spoken of as a happy
! go lucky race that never worries. This Il
| half truth. He may be SUMMER in ma
ture and inclination than the white race
and for that very reason period OF ds-
: preston may have more terrible euecta
/ on him A more phlegmatic temperament
| might be loas affected by either Joy OF
! sorrow. The Negro who can laugh most
loudly In the sun may also weep most
bitterly In the shadow Of despair. In .
I where the slums arc thrust at his very
| door and the saloon is placed under the
very caves Of the schoolhouse OF his chill
F, dren. he will be gradually done to death
! not only by the filthy streets the &C
| cumulating garbage and tho Jack OF ssw'
| ers but also by the mental and moral de-
preston which his normally sunny dis
| position Is compelled to support.
The more Intelligent he is tho more he
| will suffer. The man who does not kno"
that disease germs exist does not worry
| about them. Does this not partly explain
| the fact that the more intelligent Negro
of today will die quicker under conditions
| in which the less intelligent Negro OF Two
generations ago lived? Another indication
| that the cause is environmentai rather
than racial Is the testimony OF the ms,
| sionaries TO the remarkable physical wei
being of the African Negro And Eu-
ropean scientists say that the physically
| most perfect type of man is the Zulu Ne
| gro.
Since the principal cause is the environ
ment the remedy is science and social
justice Let us consider how closely bound
| up is the question of health with the oues-
| tion OF wealth, They are mutually cause
| and effect. The better health, the better
business success and economic progress
and tho more success in business the bet
| ter advantages for preserving health ana
especially for eudowing the succeeding
| generation with health. The United States
| census department found out that the
Negros death rate figure grows sinaiier
as his home ownership figure grows larger
The reason is evident. The man VINO
| owns a house will be prouder OF 1t lie
will keep 1t in better repair and cleaner,
he will cut a new window for light ana
air, he will put In panes promptis' ne
win engage the plumber without delay
he will install sanitary fixtures and con-
veniences, and, being freed from the BOND
age of rent. he will have more money for
recreation, decent amusement and needed
medical care. This is what makes the Ma
tional League on Urban Conditions Among
Negroes one of the most useful organiza-
,ions in the whole land. They realize tina,
the question of physical. intellectual and
moral health is closely connected with the
question of Industrial opportunity ana
economic condition. The league endea'ors
70 got n man into a better job and his