The Brandon news. (Brandon, Miss.) 1892-1961, 1922-11-09
THE NEGRO OF THE NEW SOUTH
Ii nlnA


Sixty years ago North and South
crossed swords over the PROSTATE
form of the negro slave Today
North and South singing songs OF
peace and union, welcome the free
negro to participate in the industrial
and educational development of our
country. Sixty years ago my people
were slaves, and were responsible
to their masters. Today we are free
men. responsible to our God and to
our country for what we do with
our freedom. Sixty years ago l could
have brought to you the prayers OF
only a few negroes who could read
scattered here and there over the
nation Today l bring to you the
greetings of thousands of educated,
refined, and cultured negroes en-
gagged in all the professions of life.
Think of the change that has taken
place in such a short while. Only
few years ago, negro children were
taken out Of school in New England
and their teachers were mobbed be-
cause they were teaching negro chill
dren. Garrison was mobbed IN
Boston under the shaGOw of Bunker
Hill. because of his attitude with ref
erence to the abolition of slavery
Southern states had a law on their
statute books. prohibiting any one
from teaching negro children. Max
ing il n crime for negroes to read
and write. Today nearly every
southern state has a law on its
statute book making it compulsory
that every negro be educated. Every
black boy and girl in the South today
can get an education. Slave planta-
tons have been turned into industrial
schools and colleges. And the chill
dren of slaves are learning to read
and write.
The South being the place of my
nativity. | feel free to discuss it
with any one What l owe | owe 1t
10 the South Ny ambition, my in
SEPARATION the directing energies of my
destiny are all Southern, breathed In
to me by Southern men. For this
reason, if none other, l feel that 1t
is my duty to let people know what
| stand for in the world, and what
my opportunities are as well as my
handicapS.
The question of today is, What
shall become of the negro? The true
American is saying educate him.
They know that we have no Caste
system as in India. Every man In
our country can be in the Brahama
class ii they so desire. For this rea-
sou the white man who has the in
terest of his country wrapped up In
his heart is saying educate the negro.
Give him chance to stand up and
succeed or fail as other men. No
negro has ever struck down Presl-
dent of these United States. No ne
gro has ever insulted the flag. NO
negro ever ran under fire, or lost
an opportunity to serve, fight, bleed,
and TO die in the republics cause.
No man can point to single instance
of his disloyalty. Every man with
the least philosophy about him,
knows that the black mans success
is the white mans success, and the
black man failure is the white mans
failure. | can hear every true hearted
white man of the South saying that,
the negro criminal comes from the
most illiterate, stupid and besotted
element. From among that class
which has not yet been reached by
the process of education and true
civilization.
Although being a negro, | speak
with all sincerity, that the South can
have no sorrow that l do not share.
She can have no prosperity that | do
not rejoice in. She can commit no
error that l do not deplore. She can
take no step forward that | do not