The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1939-07-21
I RACIN G
HISTORY OF THE
NEGRO PEOPLE
By EUGENE GORDON
(Feature Writer, CNA)

sCUOWltix GNiGGuIe Vi p1tfstt3s~'tts
research and .ntelllg mt selection
material, Elizabeth LaWson's I0l
page retoglaphed Study Outli.e.
History Of the American Negro
People, l6I9-i918 (Workers Book
shop, New York, 40 cents) sets out
to sketch the story Of the Negro III
this country from his landing as az
indentured servant at jamestown,
Va, in 1919, to his participation IL
the imperialst World War Of 1914
i8. The outline was prepared on
tn. basis OF series of lectures de-
livercd by Miss Lawson as chairman
of the history department q the
New York Workers School.
Of slavery on this continent; shows
The booklet covers the beginning
the Negroes relation to the Ameii-
can Revolution: describes the slave
system of the United States: lists
some Of the main events of United
States history lin relation to slav-
ery). discusses insurrertions and the
Abolition movement; describes the
principal forces lined up against
one another in the Civil War; glves
some little known and imporean
facts about the Reconstruction "a
iod: tells about the Negro both ~
relation to and exclusive of the =
Dor movement; and analyses t!'s
imrerialist World War in relatiot
to the Negro people of the Unit
States.
From the death Of Crispus A
tueks, Negro patriot and irst amo Z
American sto die for tie C9loi I
rights to self determination, t
struggle Of the Aner can Negro
people has been on the size
progress. To-day the Negro reop.e
by and large, form one Of tn M
politically advanced minoilnes q
the United State While youtaf
caritalism in the North and IN ne
territories elsewhere outside !
South was fighting to defeat slavcfN
the slaves were themselves stfug
Cling to break their chains. Ru
ming away from slavery was also
form Of Struggle, Just as were 'Ae
nsurrections led by Denmark, MAJ
Turner. and hundreds Of uanohle
Negro heroes. Miss Lawson mi q
have added that the Negroes service
ia the Confederate Army, even, was
designed py yiF', alt outsh u ~
visedly, as Iattering ram 10 c1asll
through to freedom.
The victorious close Of the wal
meant the crushing of the afmeo
counter-revolution but II lett nhm
Der Of tasks UT to be fuifiltea.
These tasks, including contiscatien
of landed estates and their d1st1lbu-
ton among the former slaves an
poor whites would power Of the eS-
siayeowners. But the bourgeols.e
turned from its revolutionary pain.
never comnleting some of its task
These remain today as tasks Of IN
democratic and peoples front, tise
progressive forces in North an
South.
Shortcomings of Miss Law on's
Study Outline can readily ie oVer
ccne in the course Of lectures ~
the future. One of these IS th@
author's neglect to TO MT out I'M
cauivecallv in the ca II pages why
African civilization, denied lnser
course with civ lizat,ors on ct
continents throug'' conhinati !
circumstances. we've retarded. She
should make II clear al9o soW, lack
ing certain nhysical re CO alFlens
.,,., historic prerequisites for euf'a-
raj nrogress. certain African peo,
ples were easy rrcv for the s'7Vf
r.i'ar,. Clarifica Ct this kind =
necessary today more thar ever
before.
At time when rubbish about t1is
swhite mans country End t1S
.swhits mans civilization IS being
taken seriously BY too many persan'
who need simply t. have their lg'
norance displaced with knowleage
il i most important for US contlnu,
ally to show the I'VE =
the various na y io'ss
they have played IS h:siil ,ers S civ
aassaslsa IN the United States. Eliza