Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1919-01-11
LUCIkN B. WATKINS
Continued From Fourth Page)
charge it to me. Charge 1t to my
Creator, because
GOD MADE ME BLACK.

GOD MADE ME BLACK.
God made mo black. 1t is to Him l owe
Wnate'cr my mission III the Mighty
The Trinity resolved in making man.
White, Yellow, Red, and Brown
God made them so,-
io made me Black, and toilcrs all,
wc go
Each to his task. Though robed in
white or tan,
"r.s but tho service Of tho soul that
Mako known tho measure of the Man
below.
We prize tho cleaning glory OF
the day.
No less wc lovo the beauty Of the
night;
We pause to hear the songbird' 8
roundelay,
And praise its coat of color or of
white;
Fer deeper than tho reach of mortal
uiRlt
God hath ordained and marked His
men of clay.
Emerson once wrote:
"Of what avail the pillow or sail
Or Land or Lifo, IL Freedom fail?"
Today, We ask the same question.
MUST BE FOUNDED
ON PRINCIPLES
It seems to me that n just Democra-
cy must be founded on the principles
that: Legally, there arc but two class
cs OF peoples in the world-those who
hchsvc themselves and those who do
not. Morally, there arc but two
those who loiI others and those VIA
love themselves only. Spiritually,
there are but two--thosc who love
God and those who love the Devil.
Surely, good behavior, good Will to
wards ones fellowmcn and devotion
to God deserve the highest reward on
carth--as in Heaven. Whoever discrim
mates because of the color OF mans
skin disgraccs the very name or De
mocracy and bellies the great claim
Of National Liberty.
NOTHING PERSONALLY
or course, Mr. Bissell you hold
nothing against me-personally. since
we have never mot. You doubtless
feel that you must bar "colorcd men"
from your college purely in tho inter
est OF your business, the other stu
dents, etc. When one caters to base
prejudice one bcOmes Il part of that
evil and maintain the deplorablc con
dition that makes such q thing posi-
BILE.
A DEPARTMENTAL APOLOGY
Sir, should anything I have written
seem, in your Judgment, as unjust or
unreasonable, please consider the fact
that yours is hut another door Of OPP
portunity that has been slammed in
another black face-and l resent it.
I would forever despisc myself did [
not resent this thing that I believe,
moclts the American flag | love and
did my utmost to serve faithfully for
nearly seventeen years. / resent it.
not sclfishly, but for the outraged
race 70 which I bclong- and to wAom
owe the last breath OF my DEVOTION
A RINGING RESENTMENT.
7 resent it in the name of Demo-
cracy N the name of Liberty-.n
TIE name of Bro.herly Lovc-in the
name Of the crhcified Chri&t--:n tie
name Of the Living God. I reSen. it
III the name o. the unborn genera
TONS Of back babcs-that they may
be born free. [ resent Il because
Heaven gives me strength to res cit
it---and | must. / resent it-because
my tcart 'lncds the blind blood 1T
All inward i, jury that no human eye
can see ] resent i.--hecauSe my sp'r
it groans with the travail of the truth
That must be born again and again
till this war-rent earth and its bat
tlc-maimcd millions are saved from
that insufferable hell Of Race Preju-
dice.
"And the star-spangled banner in tri-
umph shall wave
Ger the land OF the free and the home
Of the brave"
Sincerely yours,
IUCIAN 3. WATKINS.
Formerly, Sergeant First Class, Medi-
cal d0nno 1T N, Ant IT a A