The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1918-03-22
THE SOUTHERN PUBLICITY CON-
MITTEE; AN ADVENTURE IN
ADVERTISING.

All Southerners believe that the
South is the Negroes best friend; yet
few Of us realize how many present
day facts support our belief.
Lawlessness in the South is de-
creasing. The better classes of Ne
groes are growing; and there is in
creasipg cooperation between the best
elements of both races for the better
ment of the poorer and less efficient
Negroes.
Yet at the first opportunity numbers
Of them, variously estimated at from
$50, 900 to 100000, have left the South
for an uncongenial climate, unaccus-
toned kinds of labor, and strage sur
roundings; and their roing is pro-
foundly in fiuencing our life in more
ways than one.
Leading Negroes all over the South
have been asked for the causes of this
migration. The Southern University
Commission talked with number of
them at their meeting last summer;
the Conference on Race Relations
which followed the meeting of the
Southern Sociological Congress in
August did the same; and in Atlanta
and a number of other cities groups
of prominent business men took the
question up with local colored leaders.
In every case the Negroes replies
were about the same. They showed,
among other things, a need, both
among the Negroes and the poorer
classes of white people, for better
understanding of the attitude of the
educated Christian South toward the
colored race; a knowledge Of the
things being done by individuals, by
groups, and by state authority, to
help the Negroes to better, more etti-
cient and more prosperous living,
Few even of those engaged in these
enterprise know how much others are
doing. Law-breaking belongs to the
spectacular, and thus commands pub
licity; but constructive workers are
too busy to use megaphones.
So a group of Southern folks have
organized Southern Publicity Com
mittee to advertise among ourselves
some of the Souths constructive work
in racial matters. They propose to fur
nish Southern daily papers with brie
and accurate accounts of things
actually being done in definite place
by given persons or groups of states
in the South, for or in cooperation
with Negroes for Negro betterment
and to make the South better place
llxv
3 races to live in,
| The chairman of the committee i
g DR.. ]. H. billiard, director of the Jean
y and Slater Funds, Virginian, and al
< LII. DI of three Southern universities
n including his alma mater, washington
+ and Lee. The other members are Dl
: Thomas Jesse Jones, specialist OF tn
t U. S. Bureau of Education; Mrs. Perc
d V. Pennybacker of the National Fec
: Grafton of Women's Clubs; the RI
Rev. Theodore D. Bratton, D. D., Q
e the Diocese of Mississippi; Messr
8 Clark Howell of the Atlanta Constitr
0 ton; Arthur B. Krock, of the Louis
|. vile Courier-Journal; d. P. TommeI
j. of the Dallas News, c. P. j. Moone
/. of the Memphis Commercial-Appeal
e. E. Britton, formerly of the Raleig
Observer, private secretary to Seer
A tary Daniels; Jackson Davis of Ricl
q mond, general field agent of the Gel
q eral Education Board; Walter Par
e err, general manager of the Ne
a Orleans Association of Commerce
- the Rev. ]. w. Lee, D. D., of st. Loui
= the well-known Southern Methods
, minister, author and lecturer; DR.. V
n S. Currell, president of the Sout
II Carolina state university; DR.. Cha
\. l.. Grow, of the state university
d Florida; DR.. W. D. Weatherford'
Nashville, Tenn. secretary of the l
ternational Y. M. c. A; and MI
John d. Hammond of Georgia, wi
=, will act as secretary for the col
y. mittee.
>, a The Committee undertakes publici
y work in behalf of the best aspects
le our inter-racial relation in no spir
y of boastfulness or of self-satisfactit
- - as Southerners. They are aware
i, i, the shadows, the back eddies, the sim
~ ter influences in the lives of bo
races. But they believe the good OIL
weighs the evil, and deserves at lea
It, as wide a hearing; and that to gi
N publicity to successful construct
H. work done by our own people W
is encourage others to similar effor
ID and will further the interests OF DO
- races. They ask a hearing from t
OF Southern public for these aspects
III Southern life,