The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-07-09
PER SONAL IMPRESSIONS OF THE
N. a. A. C. =. CONVENTION.

BY Frederick G. Detweiler.
Special CORRESPONDENT.

Special Correspondent.
I entered the Tabernacle on North
Woodward avenue as the choir was
leading the audience in the Colored
Peoples National Hymn, Lift Every
Voice and Sing" written by James
Weldon Johnson and set to music by
his brother. Both music and poetry
are of the genuine sort, not to be
sung thoughtlessly. and I could not
but be stirred. The first person
| met was Mr.. Walter F. White, tre-
mendously busy in making the con-
vention success and in demand
everywhere. 1 looked about the room
trying to locate others of the pale
faced group besides myself but could
observe only three-Maurer, Pres of
the Pennsylvania Federation of Labor,
who made a capital speech entirely free
from the white mans prejudice, then
Miss Mary White Ovington, Chairman
lastly Professor Robert T. Kerlin of
Virginia Military Institute, who is fol-
lowing up with his personal presence
the appeal of his book, The. Voice of
the NegrO' There are very few white
people who have been induced to come
into the mass meetings in Detroit
although the general attitude is fair
and the Detroit Free Press, with other
papers, may be said to give a fair
amount of space to the publicity. The
meetings / attended were all Negro
gatherings, This has It's good side
Negroes do not want other people to
come III anu upllll anu al
though the white members on the Of
fetal roster are most deeply loved
and honored, the Colored people are
doing their own work in their ad-
vancement. They know full well that
the organization would not have been
launched without the white leaders
and they would not have i otherwise
Indeed not the least of the, favor
through individual contact with the
officials. both white and Colored. 1t
is not necessary to agree with ~ the
policies of each of these people in
the assurance of a vital. human en-
thusiasm in the atmosphere about
and it has a heart as well.
Colored people enjoy a great, deal of
Thursday night, I heard two men give
facts and figures out Of their practical
experience with the Negro in in
dHstry-2;nd, the D,a aud iiSnt WAS vas
in and out of the hall. A fiery
piece of oratory then woke up the
audience and held it until the, final
speech came, which succeeded by its
emotional intensity The other mass
meeting I attended wa held in quie-
ter surroundings and better. hall.
Here there was steady unanimity OF
attention to the imprisoned recital of
theme is not a new one any more:
but it grips the people, almost as If
part of their religion.
The conferences held during the day
were experience meetings very large
ly, being accounts of successful prose-
cutions of deiverances which could
be attributed to the organization. Nor
ton from Mobile, who was Jailed and
threatened with death simply for be-
ing an officer in the local body, told
very simply and effectively his tale
of oppression and escape. II got
ready a prayer to say,"-so he de-
scribed his feelings when the mob
had been admitted into the pale and
surrounded him there
My own reception was very cordial.
The members of the Chicago Branch
stood by until ] could meet personally
a large number of the. delegates, Who
We're very eager to help me when they
found that / was making a study of
the Negro press. Thisis a matter very
dear to this great people, and the
responses to my inquiries were all I
could desire The Negro press. with
somewhere near four hundred and
fifty papers, is doing Moses worl,
way own in Egyptland," and telling
the old Pharoahs down there, "let
my people 60" JudEing by thunders
of applause occasionally coming from
the audiences, that Egyptland IS not
only the South, hut also Washington,
the seat of federal power, or anywhere
else in the county where Negro rights
are yet to be vindicated.