The Ocala evening star. [volume] (Ocala, Fla.) 1895-1943, 1919-04-24
CONVENTION OF NEGRO
UPLIFT ASSOCIATION

n convention OF negroes from all
parts of Florida is now in session at
the Metropolitan theater. having
opened yesterday morning for a two
days session. The declared purpose
of this convention as given In the Of
fetal call is to formulate some plan
and agree upon some workable pro-
gram whereby we may secure to our
selves and our children the enjoyment
in larger measure Of the rights and
privileges which are ours by right"
The convention is representative of
the best In the thought and life of the
negroes Of Florida and the delegation
represents all phases of race leader
ship. Many professional and business
men as well as ministers are present.
The deliberations are characterized by
serious thoughtfulness. There is evil
dence that the gathering is in the
language of President w. B. Young
of the F. e. A. M. College, thinking
convention" as distinguished from a
talking convention.
The morning session was given over
to work of organization. The officers
chosen are 1t. r. z. s. Toomey of Mi
ami, chairman; S. II. Savage, secre-
tary; Jas. S. LaRoche, treasurer.
Three sessions are being held,
morning, afternoon and evening. The
principal features Of the afternoon
session were an address on the "Prev-
alence and Prevention of Crime" by
Rev. Jno. A. Gregg, president of Ed
ward Waters College, Jacksonville,
and an address from Rev. A. l..
James, secretary for Y. M. G. A. work
for negroes of Florida, and an open
discussion of President Gregg's ad-
dress by the delegates. DR.. Gregg
advocated education and industry as
a means to prevent crime.
The evening session was featured
by keynote address on education by
President N. B. Young of the F. & A.
M. College, and addresses of welcome
from Col. R. F. Rogers, who spoke for
Mayor Chace, Judge McConigle and
Mr.. Hardiman, and DR.. w. P. Wilson,
who welcomed the convention in be-
half of the Marion County Welfare
League. President Young's address
was a plea for the rehabilitation of
the common school which, he said,
with but few exceptions, is failure
and does not function as a real edu-
eating agency. He attributed the de-
terioration of the schools to two
causes: the indifference of the negro
toward the public school. "Many op-
portunities came to us as a result Of
emancipation" said he, "but we lost
the full value of most of them. We
talked them to death, but thank God
this is to be a thinking convention, a
program-making convention. And so
/ rejoice in the privilege of talking to
you, to think with you upon a question
which / regard of vital Importance, a
subject which transcends narrow race
and state bounds. We are to think
Of the welfare of Florida. Florida's
welfare is our welfare. AS we go up
Florida goes UP. 1t is time for white
people and colored people to get to-
gether. In no better cause could they
get together and cooperate than IN
the cause of education. Public schools
In the South, with few exceptions as
N Marion county for instance. are a
failure and seventy-five per cent Of
the money spent for them is wasted.
They are a failure most largely be-
caues we negroes lack interest in
them. If we had anything like the
interest In them that we devote to our
lodges and churches, we should re-