The independent. [volume] (Elizabeth City, N.C.) 1908-1936, 1919-04-04

YEAR NAMERICA
Colored People Hold Celebra-
ton Monday-Bickett
To Speak

The colored people of Elizabeth City
and vicinity will celebrate the three
hundredth anniversary of the trans
planting of their race from Africa to
America, in this city Monday, April Z.
The principal speaker of the occasion
will be Governor T. W. Beckett Other
speakers will be Prof. Kelly Miller, of
Howard University; DR.. M. D. w. Nor
IAN, of Washington, D. c. and DIR. Chas.
S. Morris, of Norfolk.
The principal exercises will be held
at Mt. Lebanon NJ. E. Church. The
Chamber of Commerce Of Elizabeth |
City will cooperate with the colored |
people in making their celebration
success.
This celebration means much to the
Negroes; more perhaps than white
man realizes. Three hundred years ago
this race was peacefully pursuing its
life in the wilds of Africa. Africa at
that time wasn't more wild than good
many more continents, including Amer
lea. And not all black men on that
continent were wild men. The black
races of Africa had developed re-
ligion and believed in God. They were
ingenious and Industrious and had
learned to work in iron. In fact the
Africans were centuries ahead ofSEu-
ropeans in the. discovery and appl1ca-
ton of iron ore to the manufacture OF
implements of war fare and agriculture.
They fell into slavery because they
were a genial. kindly, hopeful non-re-
| sistant sort of people. They were easy
i prev to brutal white traders with their
strong drink, shot guns and priests
Transplanted to America, the Negro
es were placed upon the cotton and
tobacco plantation of the South and
on the farms and in the shops of the
North. It was in the South that they
best thrived The climate and the
open air employment best suited them:
Here under the lash, they toiled for
more than two centuries The CaVa1er
class of the South thrived upon their
toll They were housed in shantles
that cost little to build and nothing to
furnish. They were content with the
coarsest and cheapest food. In east
ern North Carolina they were fed upon
Diamond Back Terrepin until hu-
name legislature passed law prom
biting the feeding of Diamond BACK
Terrapin to slaves more than once a
week.
| Diamond Back Terrapin was common
food in those days and no self respect
ing person would eat it. Ep1cures
made it famous only when it became
scarce. A few years ago the fisher
men threw away the roe of the tner
bountiful sturgeon. Now they call Il
| a
And then came the war between the
= states and the emancipation of the
Negro. Lincoln struck the shackles OF
slavery from the black mans wrist:
! and ankles. But the Negro found him
self in much the same fix or a "hle'
man who, imprisoned in the heart O.
Africa. might be freed and turned loos'
there to shift for himself. The Neer'
was emancipated in name only. III
was still a slave to his strange environ
ment and absolutely at the mercy
= those who had been his masters. I
snlendid testimonial to the humanltar
ianism of the white people is the fac
that the Negro did not fare worse tha1
he did after the Civil War. 1t was
had predicament for the unlettere
Negro. 1t was a bad predicament TO
for the lordly Cavaliers of the Sout
to live on terms of political equaht
with blacks who had been their form
err slaves.
Rut somehow or other the blacks an
the whites have lived on together. In
- Negro has made himself generally
- eood and useful citizen. He has &C
knowledged the education, social an
~ financial superiority of the white rae
and shrewdly submits to it. BY thrl1
and industry millions of them have ae
- - ouired property. They have embarR
=, ed in every profession and in ever
=. business and have developed wise leac
~ ers. They haven't had the opportun
-: ties of white men to advance In tf
- arts of civilization, but they have mac
~ astounding progress in their time.
And now the Negroes come upon
great milestone in the history OF the
- race in America. They embark upc
~ 'another century and no one knows WIN
if holds in store for them. Some Sc
- they can not go on living side by s1t
W with the whites; that clash OF II
. terests is inevitable and there is tro'
- BILE ahead. The experience of the pa
~ and the factse of the present do
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