The Omaha guide., 1932-10-15

tory and the status of the Negro,
however, men Of other races cannot
function efficiently because they do
not think black.
IN this case | am saying no MOI
than a professor of Columbia unnsr
sity, VINO Is 10y working out a series
ca reauers to show the contributions
VI the various elements OF our pUpu-
latlon to the making of this country.
he Is insisting thar each co~nIrIoutlun
be evaluated by a member of the race
thus treated. The reader concerning
the Italians in America must be writ
ten by an Italian; that concerning the
Greek by a Greek; and that concern
ing the Negro by a Negro. This
white educator takes the position h a
IN the final analysis only the Negro
AN properly set forth his history and
status. For a few dollars, however,
Negroes have been and still are assist
ing whites who work to the contrary
and make our lot harder and harder
as the years go by.
This is precisely what our leading
Negroes are doing in the case of the
so-called encyclopedias Of the Negro
The step was taken by Arson Phelps
Stokes and Thomas Jesse Jones IN
April OF last year at a meeting of the
Fhelps Stokes Fund, which finances
Jones as the spokesman for the Ne
gro behind closed doors. They called
q meeting Of all Negro scholars and
educators of Consequence" last No
Vemoer to confer with certain whites
interested in the Negro. | was not
considered the proper sort of man to
De invited. At the meeting in Novem-
Der, however, one Of those invited who
complained that I had not been asked
70 cooperate made a motion hat 7 II
called to the next meeting. Of course
! couid not accept any such cleft
handed" invitation which did NOT
originate with those who started The
movement, and especially so since GER
tam operations of both Jones and
otoke have done the Negroes much
harm- | set forth this fact in rom
municatlns which I addressed to each
membe of this conference and III
formed them that the Associated puh
nShers' drawing upon the data col
lected for this purpose since 1929 hv
the Association for the Study of Ne
T Life and History, will publish an
encyclopaedia Africana" in 1899
For the prospect Of a few thousand
dollars each, however, Negro "schol-
ars" have been rushing to Stokes and
Jones IN hungryfashion to get on their
editorial staff. They have also an
peaied to me again and again to ioin
them, but | never accept the. gifts Of
the Greeks" If Stokes and Jones are
sincere why do they not turn this fund
over 70 a well established Negro agen-
cy already prepared to do the work
rather than set up a corporation n
nire Negroes to do what they want
doneg This has been the white mans
policy in dealing with the Negro ever
since 1919; and because of it the Ne
gro IS IN the bread line today.
1 am not surprised at some Of these
hungry Negroes, but Du Bois's action
startles and discourages me. We have
always looked upon him as a man who
VIII not sell out, and as such he has
een the moving spirit of the N. A. A
2. z. We lost a little Of our faith II
MIN when ne was willing to give up
the night for democracy for such j
gewgaw or toy as a captains uniform
during the World War; and now for
me prospect Of money he goes over
TO eat crow" from the hands If
Stoke and Jones whose chicanerv
and Vaccinations he has hitherto de-
nounced as Of that "evil genus of the
Negro race" When will the Negro
race n honest and sincere leader
snip? 1t is clear to me-, then, that
mere IN 1882 the Negro must start all
~
over again We have been betrayed
long enough.
c. G. WOODSoN.