The Dallas express. [volume] (Dallas, Tex.) 1893-1970, 1921-02-26
Welcome Address on Behalf
Of Citizens Committee as
Delivered by Chairman R. I.
Hamilton at the Bishops
Council.

Mr.. Master of Ceremonies, Rt Rev.
Bishops. Visiting Friends and Eel
low Citizens:
In the name Of the Citizens Com
mittee. which represent the $4,000 Me-
gro population OF the city OF Dallas
I greet you and bid you welcome In
our midst for your deliberations.
These $4,000 people Of our group for
whom l sneak are more than delight
ed and pleased to have you meet here
for the high purposes for which you
are assembled, which we know to be
for the perpetnation and extension
Of the great religious and educational
work in which you are engaged-for
the uplift of fallen humanity in gen
eral and of our Race On particular.
You will find our group here In the
main, and largely in the main, as
progressive, intelligent. Industrious,
religious, patriotic and race loving as
can be found in any city OF equal
size within the confines OF our great
Country. They have demonstrated,
through the Citizens Committee, in
making preparation for your coming,
and on other occasions, that they can
get together and work as unit for
any cause that has for its purpose
the advancement of the interest Of
the Race along sane and intelligent
lines.
The last few years have shown u
great awakening OF our people here
in the interest of themselves as in
dividuals and Of the Race as dis
tinct group in our local and national
life. They are acquiring more homes
and better homes. They are contend
ing for and are obtaining better edu-
cational facilities and purer environ
ments under which to live and rear
their children. You will find that
they are casting down their buckets
right where they are, here in Dallas
the State of Texas, which place, the
immortal Theodore Roosevelt once
called, "The garden spot Of the Lord"
and are making noteworthy progress
along all lines of creditable human
endeavor.
You will find the city in which you
meet and to which we welcome you
to be the hub of the commercial,
farming and industrial life of our
great section. 1t has been aptly
termed, "The sun city of the great
southwest the city with heart and
a conscience" The officials who gov
ern our municipality are usually
broad and fairminded men-men with
good visions, high purpose and sound
Judgment, in whose selection part
politics play but minor part. AS
consequence, more and more as
the years come and go, our group are
included In civic improvements and
in movements that tend to better the
welfare of the people and to make
living here worth while. We would
not have you believe that we regard
Dallas as a perfect city, OF that VIC
are pleased with all conditions that
exist here, not at all, but it is better,
much better in these respects than
great many cities that we know
And besides, where is the perfect
city. where is the city IN which all
inter-racial conditions are all tina
can be desired? Utopia is still 9
dream and the melenium is too far
off to find such place.
We are delighted to welcome you
here because Of who you are and
what you represent; because of
what your connection has done and
is doing for the Negro race in this
country and elsewhere. 1t has de-
monstrated the fact that the Negro
can initiate and organize something
of his own for tie uplift of himself
and humanity, and can hold it to-
gether unbroken for more than
century ever going forward from on
degree OF success to another. 1t has
been said by the enemies and ira
ducers of the Race that the Negro
could not do these thihgs-rthat he
had not the capacity Of ability to do
them-that he was not sufficiently CO.
hesive as group to hold together
for any length Of time to accomplish
any great good. But your church has
proved this to be untrue. It has
shown that the Negro can 'nitiaf
that he can organic and stick to-
gether for the common good.
And more, away back yonder, in
1887. In the Getty of Brotherly Love"
where rests the Liberty Bell that pro-
claimed independence to the fore
fathers of this country, the foundation
Of your church was laid by the inn
mortal Richard Allen, was as a pro-
test against prejudice. discrimination
and prescriptions in religious matters.
This Is the first record that have
been able to find where the Negro
made such a protest for himself. and
started out to organize, and did or
ganize IN religious affairs something
Of his own where he could be sole
director. And how well that fbun-
dalton was laid is attested by the fact
that your church has lived contin-
uously AL of these years most po-
tent force in religion aGd education
that dts churches and schools today
are found In almost every city anc
hamlet where our people dweii anc
foreign climes. its communicate
number into the hundreds OF thous-
ands, and its property values into
the millions Of dollars.
And again. we welcome you ane
are glad to do so. because your con.
nection established the first anstitl.
tion of learning in this country con.
trolled solely b, the Race for the
higher education of the Negro. Elever
years before the martyred Abraham
Lincoln assured the Emancipation
Proclamation that freed 100000
bondmen. and while our own Fred
erick Douglas and others were in
Weighing against human slavery, Bish'
OF Payne, that Nestor cf African Meth
odism, with 6. vision far beyond his
time. established Wherefore Uniyer.
sity in the great state of Ohio for ths
education of Negro youths. And thai
great institution has lived from thai
day t, this. sending out annually pre-