The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1918-08-16
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Midget THEATR
SUNDAY SEPT. 1s7
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encouraged, but the solemn duty OF
every Negro is always to assert ms
personal and racial dignity as man,
m;tb all the possibilities and poten-
It;aiities latent in the human species.
rh;s difference alluded to has been
seized upon by white citizens, ana by
stuaied artifice and industrious pro-
oaeanda and has been made wider
and wider to the detriment and dis
comfort of every Negro citizen. Ihis
difference is caused by arrogance of
The white man on the one hand ana
| .owardice of the Negro on the otner
| Now this detrimental difference can
30 wiped out only by every individual
i this community and every other
community changing radically ms
aarrow. limited purely Negro ana
mack views Of life, and adopting m
.oto the views of the progressive
White citizens in everything.
| Already circumstances compel hlih
u adopt the white citizens justice;
ae labors. or better, is made to labor
Is realize their economic plans, ne
ives IN homes of their architecture,
he sustains himself on food cooked
after their recipe, he wears garments
ut after their style and fashion, ne
preserves his health according 70
heir medical direction, his lie -
surrounded and punctuated by their
Industry, their skill, their Invention,
i heir art. and their amusements, ana
he enioys much of their philanthropy
land learns much from their prog
ress. In only one item, it seems 70
me. IS he somewhat independent, his
mode of worshipping God. And
highly advanced people shake their
heads depreciatingly at that TOO
, cnde, too crude" they say, arao
rate it little higher than they do that
; Of the bowling deryishes. OF what
], use IS it to send your boys and giris
!; to high schools and colleges and uni
|, versities where they are taught
E among many things how to think
c wisely. how to act wisely, how not
0 10 subordinate reason to mere feel
ing; places where they are taught
1 calm and sober judgment and refine
] ment of expression; and then expose
e them to the crudities that obtain IN
q most Negro worship Here, then, N
! his church, the Negro must begin te
!. Law the foundation of change. Change
/ radical and thorough! He must clear
j the church of all incompetents whs
! fill his pulpits, and SO lead him. III
|. must sweep it clean Of men lli-pre
: pared to lead this onward march to
d day, march to equality in ever.
! thoughtful phase of life. He mus
J. change his obsolescent theology an.
: conception of God, while still regard
II ing him as Supreme, the Father o
Ie mankind, and the Maker of all things
i He must change his conception 0
le Jesus Christ as meek and weak an
he soft somebody; he must look upol
It Jesus as a strong. virile and Wide
d awake Personality, whose love an
10 iivinity did not hinder Him from
smptying His vial Of wrath and ange
d in scathing rebuke upon hypocrites
is and call those fools who would no
d recognize the change of the times an
i act likewise. The Negro must no
a lend support to every pious appear
Is ing man or woman who claims tn
n all to preach. To do this is to en-
# courage incompetence. 1t is TO lowe
d the dignity of the sacred calling.
n is to place premium upon the re
1 ligious adventurer. This to rewar'
ignorance. Let him be trained in /
is reputable school; trained thoroughly
IS Grained widely. The better he
$, trained the better leader will he be.
e. Then, too, the Negro must trai
a limself as individual, to understan
st and do what is best and highest i
life, every day life. must say tha
is in one thing the Negro generally
y. most perfect-scandal and tale-beal
ID ing. Nearly every Negro home j
se this city is fitted up with huma
v, wireless outfit, and it is used NOR
as often for carrying scandal. espes
IS cially where it is very wicked or bass
il less. The only other vice which
vs. about equal to this is fear Of whit
IS men and cowardice to his arroganc
m This, my dear friends, we mu'
re eradicate from our hearts and mind
n We must be bold, courageous, stron
70 and true. We must feel in our bloc
as and our thought must ever be flu
.e Of self-esteem. self-knowsedge. sci
{. control. We must talk respectful
j, Ito every Han with aasE eyes in Il