The northwestern bulletin., 1923-07-28
Timely Topics
BY George w. Holbert

throughout the country were de-
lighted to learn of the establishment
of Negro Veterans hospital at Tus-
kegee. Along with this announce
ment was the information that the
major portion of the operating forces,
including executive heads, physi-
clans, nurses ,eetc., would be compos-
ed of Negroes This was most pleas
ing news indeed and all of us were
looking towards the completion OF the
hospital with a great deal of inter
est. Well, it's finished and opened,
but none of the important places are
held by Negroes. up to this date. A
most determined opposition has been
inaugurated by the powers that be-
in the South and there's nothing do
ing. There have been so many con-
fiicting reports that it is rather diff
cult at this distance to determine
just what the real conditions are.
However, we know there are no Ne
groes there in any executive or Off
cial capacity whatever beyond a few
nurses. Many demonstrations of dis
approval of anything of this sort has
been staged by the whites. They
have even gone so far as to have a
parade of the Ku Kiux Klan. held in
protest of any Negro appointees and
the n. A. A. C. p. has sent out re-
ports, purported by them to be reli-
able to the effect that many of the
robes worn in this parade were sheets
and linens from this hospital and aft
er the parade was over many of the
leaders and Klansmen were enter
tanned at banquet held in the hos
pital and given by those in charge
there. Shades of Booker T." Can
you beat it? We have a score of So
called leaders, but none of them seem
to be able to locate anybody in au-
thority, upon whom the responsible
ties for the present state of affairs
may be placed. 1t is conditions like
this that awakens US to realization
of the fact that we have no real Ne
gro leaders.
No real big man that stands out
and measures up to the requirements
of leadership. No Douglas or Wash
ington to present our cause, even the
church which used to be a potent
factor in matters of this kind seems
to be sadly deficient in the caliber
of it's leaders of today and the race
has no pulpit champions of the type
of Bishop Turner and Grant It's
true, of course, that nearly every
city or community has men of high
caliber and more than the average in
teiligence, but their influence as a
rule does not extend beyond their
own immediate locality. With the
possible exception of Prof. Du Bois,
we haven't single Negro with a
national reputation. Most of those
who pose as, or are accepted as race
leaders, are politicians, pure and Sim
pie; mostly simple and they fear to
make themselves too aggressive In
regards to the mixup at the Tuskegee
hospital because 1t might disturb
their political job or prospects and
as result of these peculiar condi-
tions and for the lack of some strong
man to go to the front for the race,
what at first looked to be splendid
opportunity for capable and efficient
men and women Of the race to dem
onstrate their abilities in important
and responsible positions, looks at
the present time to be a dismal fail
ure. Let us hope that some adjust
ment may be made. whereby some
portion Of the original plan, at least,
may be carried out. I had intended
in this weeks article to call attention
to some editorials that were of more
than passing interest to us, but II
seems as though the minds of the
editor Of the Bulletin and this writer
ran in parallel lines and they appear
ed in last weeks Bulletin. However,
/ wish to quote. one that appeared in
the Minnesota Daily Star, the next
day after the one from the Tribune,
which reads as follows: There Is
increasing concern over the north
ward migration of the Negroes, ac-
cording to a recent Bulletin issued
by the Research Department of the
Federal Council of the Churches of
Christ Of America. Agricultural life
on the whole, in the South, is being
seriously affected by the large move
ment Of Negro tenants and farm
hands, says report from the Depart
ment of Agriculture. The report es-
timates that 13 per cent OF the Ne
gro farm labor 6f Georgia, 8 per cent
of that in Alabama and South Caro-
lima. 2 per cent Of that in Florida