Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1921-12-03
LYNCHBURG STIRRED ,Y SOCIAL
EQUALITY.
Southcrncr Darcs to Discus IS Taboocd
Question.

QuSSt1Ons
Lynchburg, Va, Nov. 21.-The sensa-
ton of the Sixth Annual Conference
of the Association for the Study Of
Negro Life and History which conven-
ell in Lynchburg last week, proved to
be the address Of DR.. Il. iB. Crooks,
Presidsnt of Randolph.Macon College.
a white institution located near Lynch
burg. In his address, DR.. Crooks used
the Presidents speech at Birmingham
and endorsed the stand OH the ques-
tion of social equality and racial ANAL
gamation recently taken by President
Harding. DR.. Crooks advised the
audience Of nearly one thousand OF
tire leading colored citizens Of Lynch
burg to "develop u self-respect' and to
recognize the '"impossible gulf that
forever separates the Negro from the
whites" EVERY cosored man or wo-
man who cultivates Il little flower gar
den and paints the fsnce in front OF
his home is helping the race by this
visible evidence of se:f-respect," con-.
tinued the worthy Doctor. ASK your
leaders, If am not right on this score.
Ask DR.. Motion. am sure that he WIZ
agree with me-"
At the conclusion of the address DR..
G. G. Woodson, Director OF the Aasc-
citation rose to make reply as n breath
less silence fell upon the great gather
ing. Speaking clearly, slowly and in
a mott emphRtic manner, the Director
opened his remarks by stating first
that he wanted to give DR.. Crooks a
little information on the Negro ques-
ton. He then proceeded to enlighten
the. worthy Doctor TO the effect that
President Harding nor any other white
man could not speak for Negroes be
cauS they did not know what Negro
es were thinking about; secondly, he
stated very decidedly that neither was
Robert Russo Motion in n position to
speak for Negroes because his so-called
leadership had long SINCE been repu.
dated by all intelligent and self-re-
/ speeding Negroes. IN ydear Sir, con-
tinued DR.. Woodson, "you land all
white men have the wrong conception
, Of what Negroes mean by social equal
ity. We are not seeking to marry
/ white women, red women, yellow wo.
, men. or any other COLOR OF women:
but we do want to ride decemt1y In a
railroad train or street car when we
come into your State Of Virginia. We
do want the right to go to the pc IS
and exercise our constitutional RICH:
to vote and to hold office; we do want
! the privilege of sitting where we
, please In the aters, railroad stations
: and other places Of public assembly.
! And for these rights the Negro intends
| to fignt-until he dies"
According to officials of the Associ.
! alton, the Conference which has just
been concluded has been the most sue
cessful in the annals of the Associa,,
| ion. Fully three thousand persons Mt
| tended the various sessions during
the two days Of the Conference. Schol
| ars and students Of history, white and
| colored. assembled from all parts Of
the country to take part in tho pro
| ceedings. Several prominent white
Southerners including Col. Robert IT.
| Kerlin, were present. Among those
| who contributed to tire program were:
Prof. Chas. II. Wesley, Howard Univer
| sity; Prof. John r. Hawkins. Finan.
| cial Secretary Of thea. M. e. church ;
Prof. Ivan e. McDougle Sweet Br'ar
College; DR.. Carter G. Woodson, Edi.
| tor journal of Negro History; Victor
r. Daily, Business Manager, Journa.
| OF Negro History; DR.. r. G. Woods.
Va. Seminary and College: Prof. r
w. Tyren, Va Theol. Seminary and
College, DR.. Wmt II. Stokes, Richmond
Va. DR.. Frank Trigg. Bennett College
and Rev. Vernon Johns.