The broad ax. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1895-19??, 1922-04-08
ARE WE TO HAVE A NEGRO
LITERATURE?
By DR.. M. A. Majors

There is some question relative to
our literary possibilities. AS to our
literary adaptation and acquisitive-
ness, there is not any doubt in the
minds even of our very worst enc
mics. We have read everything,
translated about all that had to be,
and analysed, differentiated and de-
fined the last tracts of intellectual life
on this little hemisphere.
Literature of any people denotes
not merely history, it embraces a
larger life than the American Negro
has ever experienced.
The works of Dumas, and Ruskin,
as well as many other great Negro
authors and writers of Europe,
abound in historical facts, drama,
comedy with something akin to a
spirit of defiance. There was no evil
dence of Negro life so they portrayed
the life of humanity on the colossal
scale, not diminished by separate and
distinct rings, races or cliques.
We might supply the world with
here and there a splash of patriotism,
fash of genius; we might even sup
ply a gorgeous panorama without a
plantation of cotton and the mule
forgotten; without also the manner
isms of the old-time uncles and aunt
les, tied to remembrances. that reek
with hell, but sugar-coated with that
internal anxiety to forever be inferior
to something white.
Held in subjugation and showered
for we'll nigh three centuries with the
infamy of the damned, most of what
our books would treat would be a
recounting of the unfit and persist
ence of one race to degrade another
race.
There is music and song, some
prancing and dancing that possibly
would lend dignity for time at least
until the Blues" ragtime and jazz
fermented and dubbed over from the
underworld, then the ugly touches of
ignorance worse than blasphemy it.
self would maraud the glorious pros
pect of Negro literature.
Some very remarkable efforts have
been recorded and there is already
some evidence that the mind of the
race will bear transcription and be-
ieweled with imagery and localities
may reflect a sober philosophy OF
worthwhile life.
A literature of romance, poetry,
art and history may be in the max
ing. Many, no doubt who have never
given the matter a thought would
take the affirmative side Of the sub
ject If the question was brought up
for debate.
As far back as recorded literary
data there are traces of Negro genius,
achievements in art
There is much beauty that needs
the honest brush of the Negro artist
ELOQUENT truths that need the bold
strokes of the Negro pen
Songs and music dripping with the
soul timed rhapsody that need the
duIcit notes of the Negro. Romance
richer than the Italian and Spanish
stories of Straparola-
When it is known that intellectually
our race suffers by comparison with
anv other race, our only excuse OBJ
tains in the acknowledgment Of our
own humiliation. We have got to
bark back to the devil days before
the white race caught religious gaze
upon the white line of truth in the
dark face of the black man, then Lin
coin. Douglass, John Brown and the
res, Of them giIded truth with the
gold of human nature
Albert Whitman wrote The Rape
of Lucreee." Paul Laurence Dunbar
wrote THE Uncalled" Frances Har-
oer wrote shadows Uplifted" Anna
III Coope wrote "A Voice from the
South" y. A Rogers wrote From
IMAM to Superman." W. E Dubois
wrote ~Soul Of Black Folks" and
l@Dark Water" While DR.. Alexander
icummell Frederick Douglass, Phyi-
LIS WhestIey, Bishop Daniel A
- w c Searboroueh. DR.. Book