The monitor., 1928-01-27


tory. The new year is just ushering
in. Nineteen twenty-seven has been
an annus non, SO far as striking ac-
complishments are concerned. The
racial achievements of the year are
commendable but without much com
prehensive significance.
The supreme court reaffirmed its
previous decisions affecting the fif
teenth amendment and the Negroes
right to buy and occuy property with
out restrictions on account of race
or color. These decisions settle in
principle, the involved issues for all
time. But unfortunately they have
little or no relation to actual prac-
tice in experience. On the other hand
this same supreme court decided, by
unanimous concurrence, that the
states have the right to segregate the
races for scholastic purposes, which
also includes the right to group the
Chinese and presumably all other va
rites of non-whites for school assign
ment This decision at the same time
goes out of the way to apply the
same principle to jim-crow cars. The
only practical effect of this decision
will be to weaken the force of agi-
tation for civil equality in the North.
The states of Virginia and Georgia
have enacted laws defining a white
person as one without any traceable
admixture of Negro or non-white
blood. To the Negro, this definition
has only a curious interest. After
the lords and masters have determined
those whom they will treat as white.
the residue, l suppose, will be assign
ed to and aligned with the Negro
race.
The important question that can
not long wait for judicial detrmina
ton is what is a Negro, and how is
his identity to be determined" There
have been held during the year the
Pan African and the Durham confer
ences. But the findings of the for
mer, though interesting in themselves,
evoke no warm feelings or vital in
terests of the normal Negro; while
the fact finding outcome of Durham
has not as yet been sufficiently prom
ulgated to be Incorporated into a
practical program.
The January issue of Opportunity
contains an excellent summary of oc-
currences during 1927. On the whole
the debit seems to outbalance the
credit side of the ledger. The Mis-
sissippi flood constitutes disaster
which has not been offset by any
economic or industrial occurrence.
The loss of Florence Mills was Sc
rious loss to the artistic side of racial
attainment. The Punishment of Gar
vey was epochal in it's significance.
1t is the first time in American his
tory that the federal government has
paid a Negro the compliment of BAN
ishment on account of his ideas or his
initiative and enterprise. Mr.. Gar
vey is the only Negro in the history
of the race in America who has form
ulated policy apart from white di-
rection, control or influence and has
impressed it upon a large following
with something like fanatic devotion.
The Garvey movement was wholly in
dependent of the white mans origin
alton and support. 1t was calculated
TO give a Negro a sense of self-res-
pect in his own personality, and not
merely as carbon copy of the white
lord and master. The idea is dis
tasteful to the psychology of the Ar
yan mind. The movement never did
seem to me to be feasible, but it's
squelching by technical application of
law is deeply significant of the white
mans attitude on matters of purely
Negro initiation and self direction.
1t is needless to recite the various
incidents of the past year which in
the main consisted in the ordinary at
tainments and achievements of stated
activities, each affecting it's modicum
of advantage and advancement.
The new year opens up without
any very promising prospects. The
civil rights of the race are being chal-