davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
THE WEEKLY DIGEST

Detroit and other cities. II was
years before the riot in Harlem.
Armies OF men and women went
up and down all the streets Of Hsr-
lem that July evening. breaking
open every store. footing all the
shelves of merchandise, smashing
windows.
But not one unit of Friendship
House was entered by the rioters.
Not a window was shattered. Not
a door had even so much as a
scratch on it.
met Anne not long ago in New
York and again we spoke OF Har-
lem and is Madonna.
Thank you for sending me to
the baroness" | said. Il was fas-
cinated by the world. fell in love
with il. I fell in love with dirty,
noisy. smelly. glamorous Harlem.
and Anne's eyes frightened.
And with its Madonna she
guessed
Yes" said, "Oh, yes With
her especially
And don't tell me you let her
get away from your"
Not So" / said. Not so.
married her. Anne. So now, God
love you. I'm part of Friendship
House, too"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
WHITE ONLY


BY d. VI. r.
Exceeding sinful. in need Of much
grace
! resolved among the saints TO
show my face.
To the nearest temple straight
way went.
Which was thronged-the day was
during Lent.
Why should | there have felt so
strange and lonely
III tell you why-twas a sign
White Only"
The cowled priest with the curtest
nod
Out from the courts OF the white
faced God.
Sent me. sans faith. sans love, sans
hope.
To hate forever God and priest and
Pope.
Richmond, Va.
The Afro-American
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

rights and restrictive cove
-nants." The cause of such in
activity is charged to lack of
Leadership on the part of the
committees director, Mr.. Har-
old Thompson. He is described
as untitled for the task, hav-
ing no experience, and no
background"
s,' Regarding the truth of these
allegations this column knows
nothing. All we know is what
we read. Neither Mr.. Thomp-
son nor the committee men,
bers have ever generously in
formed us of committee activ-
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
Women Workers
After The War
COnfab Til EN- e

Employment problems facing
Women Workers After the War"
will be investigated from many
angles at dinner conference spon-
stored by the Business and Indus
trial departments Of the Detroit
Y.WC-A-. to be- held at Central
Branch, 1880 Witherell street, on
Friday. December I, from 6 to 10
pm. The public is invited, with
special welcome for both en-
ployers and employees.
A dozen community groups &C.
tive in civic affairs, legislation and
education for women. labor re-
lations and religion have been in
vited to participate. Mrs. Kathleen
Lowrie, of the United States Wom-
ans Bureau and chairman OF the
business and industrial committee
OF Central Branch Y.W.C.A, will
preside.
Round-table discussion will CEN
ter on adequate peacetime en-
ployment, wages and hours stand
ards in industries unaffected by
federal controls, training oppor-
tunities for advancement. and al
lied topics. Among leaders Of the
discussion will be:
Edward L. Cushman, Michigan
director. War Manpower Commits
sion; James Wishart, director Of re-
search department. UAW-CIO;
Mrs Geraldine Bledsoe. minorities
division. War Manpower Commits
sion: Mrs. Pauline Bradford. Hotel
and Restaurant Employees AL
lance. ALL: Rabbi Leon Fran:
Mrs. Mildred Jeffry. director of
Women's Bureau. War Policy di-
vision. UAW-CIO; Mrs. Donald S.
MCGUIRE. president. League of
Women Voters: and Miss Charlotte
Townsend. business and industrial
secretary, YWCA.
Reservations for the dinner, from
6 to Z pm. must be made by Tues
day. November %, and may be
! phoned to Cadillac 1920.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

dishwasher, in a cheap restaurant,
saleswoman. lecturer. They told
me how she came 10 establish
Friendship House in Harlem, on ST
Valentines Day. 1888.
SLEPT ON FLOOR
She had So and typewriter A
charitable organization rented her
flat in Harlem She moved in.
She had no furniture. She slept
on the floor, with newspapers be-
meath her and above her. and
reaches and rats all around her.
Everybody thought she was either
crazy or immoral Some thought
! she was both.
Today she conducts Ave con-
verted stores on l35th street She
has this library. the clothing room
where poor woman can get de-
cent gown, good pair of shoes, a
pretty hat. underwear for the chill
dren, or maybe a good thick over
coat for her husband. and the play
rooms for the children.
She takes care of 800 children
or more and juvenile delinquency
has decreased IA per cent since
she came. She teacheJ them games
She teaches them crafts. She teach
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

one secure in an advantage he hap
pens to hold.
What is said here is not merely
an appeal for the adoption of in
dividual attitudes. II Is call to
timely action. II Is an appeal to
the clear-thinking ones among us
TO be as vigorous in the dissemina-
ton OF understanding as others are
in the spreading Of hate. to be as
active in building up wholesome
attitudes as others are in creating
wild-eyed fears. Sane attitudes
drilled into the common conscious
ness is one means Of keeping with
in manag eable limits vast prob
lem that can always break out OF
bounds.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
CONDENSED from the Peoples World)


nFSPlTE ArtIc Shaw'S noble attempts TO
~ channel discussion into an analysis OF pop
ular lnusics place IN contemporary NE speakers
on the panel Jar. Swing and the Popular song
hold at the Musicians Congress Institute mere
concentrated on Iall-to the apparent disap-
proval Of large and cNpcctant audience
Dave Dexter Jr. affiliated with Capital Rec
ords IN Hollywood and former associate ol J"hh
Hammond noted authority on Negro music
claimed that people dcflc Jazz because inc! are
unaware that It is real and pure ART FORM
On tho o,hor hand It's biased followers beHtue
the classics
Education il needed 10 eliminate these con.
p;o,s and examinations like the Musicians Con-
oress can and should do much In Tins orechoh'
After telling how Ja2z, born IN ana arouhu
Now Orleans from the spiritual needs OF the
working Negro. was nurturcd IN slave MONIES
cotton fields. and pleasure houses OIL the SOUTH
Dexter stated that Europeans recognize dS.'h
voice of a minority bat "snobblSh Americans
don't Hitler banned IT because II ledii%'u nv
social barriers. Mussolini and the Japanese did
lLou.isc and great American Jazz musicians ike
Drkc Ellington Count Basic. LOUIS Armstrong
and others are idolilcd everywhere in the world
except at home, he SAID.
KING OF CORN
Dexter accused Paul Whcman of assuming
Che title of King of Jazz and offering only
ensaudo-s vnpbonic concerts of real JAZZ Gersh-
-Iyin too was rakcd over the Goals HIS 'Porgy
and Bess' is not true Negro music. HIS Rhap-
sodv IN Blue is cheapest erSatz; rigid ana
studied. Played straight, his music is average
Tin-Pan trivia-only an artistic Jazz instrument
talist can make il great
Al this point the audience Kissed and ehsir'
man Shaw fastened 10 clarity the situation by
explaining that jazz being young experiment.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

ton.
South Africa's Prime Minister
Jan Christian SmUtS has also tried
for years 20 temper the countrr's
harsh arti-lndlan color laws. The
lates. o. them. which has caused
South Airica's voteless indians 10
hum like a swarming hive. is
Natal ordinance dividing the whole
province into Jim Crow residential
zones. Shuts was in England when
this ordinance was passed.
The loudeSt reverbrations came
from India. Cried Sir Syed Raza
Ali. who spent a term in South
Africa as midas Agent General
"RepresSiVc. offensive. objection
able" Said Dr. Narayan Bhaskar
Khare. member Of the ViceroN 5
Council in New Delhi; Il wish In
dia was in position 10 declare war
on South Africa here and now II
I had been able 10 do 50. | would
have lost no time in taking an army
there
Last week the government OF
India imposed residential restrlc-
lions on white South Africans liv-
ing in India ,about 100 people,
The Indian Central Legislature As
sembly resolved 20 apply economic
sanctions. thus threatening South
Africa with jute-bag famine.
At weeks end. Prime Minister
SHUTS was taking long walks on
the weld around his farm near Pre-
toria. For him the question was
whether 70 veto Na.a,S ordinance
bv an Act Of Parliament and rock
his government, or LEI the audience
stand and perhaps rock the En-
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

degree from the good work
which has been done by lead
Ing Catholic clergynen and
lsymen. Catholics have at
tempted TO put their own house
In order on the race question.
They have not always ac-
compllshcd al they might have
wished, bat they have kept
trying and they have made
some notable gains.
II was not very many years
ago that the undergraduate
school OF Fordham. university
was closed 10 Negroes, II Is
roK omen along with the
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
CAB DRIVERS JOKE

Manhattan cab drivers are taking
to heart the signs posted In their
takes that read something like
this: Relax and sit back hold
onto the strap. etc"
Yesterday. cabbie. driving
alongside 4 large truck. lunged
into the truck rs II made n left
turn without warning. His pas
Senger. q girl. landed on the floor
Of the cab. badly shaken up and
bruised.
When he made sure there vere
no cuts. no serious looking injuries.
the cabbie turned back to the dam
age. snarling over his shoulder:
Why didn't YOU sit back and
hang on e. like II says
pm
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
THE Negroes PLEA FOR UNDERSTANDING


move forward at the same rate.
Greatest progress at the moment
seems to be in the area Of public
education. which in several Sec
tons is marked by increasing State
appropriations. better facilities and
higher pay for Negro teachers. AL
though coming in turbulence, it
appears now that increased polit-
ical participation by Negroes in
many parts Of the South is definite
ly on the way. Noteworthy. too. is
the steady growth OF more liberal
Southern thinking. especially the
quiet growth of realistic, dispas-
sionate view Of things racial,
which is at once the CONSERVATION
of old-line demagogues and the
sign of the more progressive South.
Nothing illustrates this better
than the recent Philadelphia trans
portation strike. Here defeated
group in labor conflict DELHI
erately used race hatred to strike
back at the victorious group. Sure
~ the promotion Of eight men to
higher positions. some OF whom
had worked faithfully for years.
was in no sense threat to any
thing.
Yet handful Of men. assuming
the right TO deny eight colored fell
| low-workers admission to higher
| trades, were able TO throw 6,0O(
persons out Of work. paralyze |
city Of 1000. 900 people. cause los
Of millions to trade and industry
defy their Government and threat
en- the security Of their country Il
the crucial time of war. No mai
or men have the right to sucl
destructive authority. nor can the.
attain such power save through
the manipulation Of abnormall,
distorted emotions.
ATTITUDES NOT ENOUGH
In facing a great national issu,
such as the race problem. tn,
limitations of an appeal for under
standing are obvious. Understand
ing is not action: attitudes alon,
cannot solve problems. Progress
in race relations comes in respons'
10 what people do. People act IL
response to what they think. II
inveigh against anti-social activit.
when underlying attitudes are bat
is futile. Attitudes and understand
ing are not solutions. but they ar,
the first step to that end.
There are today in every Ameri
lean community sufficient guaran
tees legal. moral and religious 4
assure each member OF commu
nifty security and freedom and
chance 10 gain the necessities o
life. Their functioning is entirel
dependent upon the kind Of atti
tudes that prevail Fortunately. i
American thinking we have
wholesome attitude at hand. Simr
~ phrased il is: No man inhabit
the earth 10 himself We live o.
il together II by chance a perso
happens TO hold some advantag,
he hasn't the right to lord il owe
his fellows nor 20 keep them fror
attaining the same for themselve.
Only as all have opportunity I
attain similar advantages is any
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
NO MAIL FOR NEGROES

The University Of Alabama Is on
the War Departments list Of APP
proved schools giving correspond
ence courses to men in the armed
forces. A Negro soldier in the Pa
cific applied for enrolment In .
course that was not offered by any
other school on the list. but the
university refused to accept . Ne
gro student even nv mail.
The Nation
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
VISITATION

In Columbia, Pa. though Mrs.
Althia Donley claimed she was
only carrying out the orders OF
the Lord" when she broke into
Harry's Draude's house early one
SUNDAY morning and climbed into
bed with Harry and Mrs. Draude,
the Judge gave her 30 DAYS.
Time
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

public would share in developing musical tastes,
the Jazz performer would get more adult mu-
seal education and musicians generally would
become less lSolationiSt.
Regarding the bobby socks brigade. Shaw de-
Tended them: Kids like musie-sll music. It's
the musicians fault not theirs. IL they don't gel
the riahi kind"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
The Why And How Of Jazz
al form. should not be confused with popular
music. but that the contribution of popular music
could not be questioned.

al form, should moi be confused win popular
music. but that the contribution of popular music
could not be questioned.
Shaw's remarks went UNDECIDED by the next
speaker Gene Norman of KFWB. who saw fit to
bias, the works of Gcrshwin Carmichael Kern.
and others as cultural prostitution Taking an
extremists point OF view, Norman quoted from
psychologists, philosophers, and academicians in
general to subsantlate his arguments.
TRUTH ESSENTIAL
JAYS intrinsic worth he said. lies in the
fact that il is truthful and possesses high serious
Ii is the only musical form peculiar TO and
Indigenous TO American life-and ii is pathetic
ally honest"
Reiferaiing Dexter's historical approach.
Norman said that jaIz stems from the Negroes
pitiful plighi-and continues TO exist because the
Negro suffers from group inferioriiY. But Jazz
is not exclusively Negro art. Any race. living
under the same environmenial conditions. might
have given rise 10 the same form. 1T makes him
understand his problems" he continued. and his
relations TO them. II represents an instrument
TO be shared by all. device for the excavation
of the sub-conscious and unresfrained expires
sion. As such. il is magic therapeutic agent
In the heated discussion that followed, the
audience criticized the rationalizatonS on the
Importance of JAZZ. A Flrnchman pointed out
that in France only handful who could afford
TO buy recordings appreciated this art form.
Because the audience rejected the comments
Of Dexter, Carmichael and Norman Artc Shaw
was asked to contribute his own ideas
There is no such thing as absolute good and
bad in music he said. III depends on the in
dividuars tastes. Music is classical only wher
il is written so well that il becomes a classic
Popular music has great deal 10 offer-ihe pub
lie likes il and the public is all important
The main problem lies in providing the com
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

poser with economic security as an incentive TO
write. The problem is the same in the field Of
classical or popular music.
Shaw suggested that successful musicians sup
port foundation fer composers, enlist the aid
of prominent leaders 10 perform their works, and
let the public express its opinions. Thus the
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

One evening a group OF Negroes
passed by the door, laughing. Lis
ten TO them" the baroness said.
The old woman. the one with
the red feather in her hat, was
told yesterday that she has cancer.
Her husband speaks three lam
guages and won a Ph.D. at Har-
ward, but lost his job because a
white man applied for il. He
works in a lavatory in Brooklyn
for SIP a week The pretty wom-
an without a hat came home from
Harlem hospital yesterday. She
fell down the steps in the dark
hallway Of her home. and lost her
baby. But they laugh. They laugh
10 hide such anguish they are too
proud TO show. They laugh when
they're hungry, whey they can't
get jobs. when they can't borrow
money when they can't move out
Of their crumbling. damp. fire-trap
prisons. Their laughter is born OF
despair. and defiance. and nobil-
ity Of soul hard for us to under
stand"
! This was long before the riots in
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
LECTURES BROUGHT
IN MONEY

Sometimes the baroness was not
there. She was in CHICAGO or st.
Paul. or Schenectady. or Ypsilanti.
or What Cheer, Iowa: lecturing.
II was her lectures mostly. that
supported Friendship House. She
made $1,000 a year lecturins II
cost her $4,000 10 run the place
She wrote begging letters that
brought in a little money. She
published a newspaper that sold
for SOC year and added suostan-
tally 10 her revenues. And there
were people all over the country
who sent in donations now and
then.
The place had cheerful atnos-
phere even in her absence There
we're always members Of the staff
10 talk TO. They worked without
pay. They ate al common table
in fiat across the street from
the library. a cockroach merrv-so-
round known as Madonna flat"
They were college graduates.
nearly every one of them. There
| were one or two who didn't have
a B.A. or an MA. Most of their
had given up good jobs 10 worl
in Friendship House without sal
ary. without security of any kind
without any of the comforts theii
ages and abilities and background:
mi CHIT have demanded
They told me many stories OF the
baroness. her life as a nurse in the
first world war. her wandering:
as a fugitive from the bolsheviki
her career in u. s. and Canada a:
laundress, waitress. maid. cook
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
UNFINISHED BUSINESS
BY CLARENCE ANDERSON

sRECENT ATTACKS upon the personnel of the
- Detroit lnterracial committee raise interest
Ing questions
49, 1t is alleged that the committee has Do
snothing policy" and that it has maintained
.-stony silence on housing, employment civil
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25

OUR GOOD CATHOLIC FRIENDS who have
- been trying sincerely To improve relations
between the races must have red faces over the
policy and behavior Of Notre Dame the most
famous Catholic college in the nations Nothing
said hero is intended 70 detract in the slightest
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
LOOK OUT

I'm Tulsa. a Let's Swap column
listed. Exchange. Unused engage
mcnt and Wedding rings. Want au-
tomato shotgun
Time
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
DRIzzIE DEFINED

Kenny What's a driTIle:"
Helen: Il don't know"
Kenny: Two drips going
steady"
Los Angeles Tribune
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
jim CROW IN SOUTH AFRICA
Reprinted from Time)

There are as many Indians (200,0OO) in the South
African province in the Indian city of Bernares
Some 35 wears ago Mohandas n Gandhi, then fully
clothed Natal attorney used passive resistance in
defending the Natal Indians against repressve egsa
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
The Madonna OF Harlem

Her voice thrilled me, not only
then but many times afterwards. 1t
was sweet, but husky; and an echo
of the thunder and anger OF God
was in il.
Harlem doesn't wish TO be
wicked" she told me. Neither
does it wish TO be dirty. Nor poor.
Nor eaten up with disease. Who
created this Harlem? Not the Ne
groes. They were herded into this
squalid, over-crowded, insect-rid-
den, pestilential brick jungle. And
they can't get out. They are kept
in want and misery and degrade
ton and sin by circumstances they
are powerless TO fight
You think Harlem is wicked be-
cause two sins are prevalent here
adultery and murder. II may say
so. these are honest sins, natural
sins. And perhaps God Almighty
will not punish them so severely
as He will the :hill. small, calcu-
lated sins Of Park avenue.
Every man. woman, and child
who comes in that door" the
baroness interrupted me. lis sent
by God Almighty. Why should
ask whether he is or is not a
worthy object of charity Why
should inquire into his birth,
parentage. race nationality, reli-
gion. capabilities, and wants, be-
fore determining whether or not TO
serve him? What we have. we
give. What we haven't, we beg
without shame"
went back again and again 10
Friendship House and the Harlem
Madonna. and a new world was
opened TO me. not all at once. but
gradually.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
LAUGHTER HIDES ANGUISH

es them dances. She teaches ther
a thousand things.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
(The story OF a Baroness who lives In
poverty In order to help the
people OF Harlem)


(The story of a Baroness who lives In
poverty In order to help the
people OF Harlem)
Condensed from The Womsn)
It was. of course. an accident
that Anne dropped in to see me
on that particular day.
What are you working on now?'
she asked And without hesitation
| told her though. like every other
magazine writer, am extremely
secretive about my work until 1t
has appeared in print.
Harlem" | said, the wickedest
city in the world. The colored dis
trict in New York that contains a
little less than half a million peo-
lie in a little more than so square
blocks. the land Of muggings and
murders and mad gayiety and mi
crobes, the neighborhood that
never goes to sleep, the place a
white girl would be afraid to walk
the streets alone
Well" said Anne. Il know a
white woman who lives in Harlem
and loves il. She doesn't think
Harlem is wicked or dangerous.
And if you don't see her you won't
get the real low-down on Harlem.
She's sort of missionary, Rus
sian baroness. but she lives as the
Negroes live. in poverty"
You don't think that's a story
she demanded. Listen. In Russia
this woman had everything. Her
father was a Colonel in one OF the
Cars crack regiments She was
married TO a baron whose family
owned all the cotton mills in Holy
Russia. During the last war she
was a nurse and was decorated
several times for bravery under
! fire.
The revolution took away from
her everything she had. She es-
capped. after being starved for
weeks. and came 10 America. Al
one time she managed a lecture
/ bureau in New York and made
a lot of money Now she lives in
filthy tenement in Harlem,
wears clothes given her by people
who think they are noble when
they throw away their WORKOUT
rags. and spends every waking
moment irving 10 ease the lot OF
The Negro"
Peace, cried, What's her
name. where does she live. and
when is the best time 10 see herr
MADONNA OF HARLEM
Anne reached for her hat She's
the Baroness Catherine De Hueck
ard anybody in Harlem will tell
YOU where she lives. They may
not know her name Just ask for
the Madonna Of Harlem
( found the baroness a few days
later. She was al her desk ir
Martin de PORES library. one OF
several places in l35th street be
J tween Lenox and Fifth avenues
which constitute her Friendship
House.
She was a big woman. pleasant
faced. happy. Her blonde braide'
hair was piled into corone'
Combs peered out Of the Soldel
mass, threatening any instant Z
fall. A torn blue sweater covered
; her wide shoulders. but the fraye'
edges were held together by an ex
, qusite antique brooch.
Come in she urged. "Welcom
10 Friendship House"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-25
MADONNA OF HARLEM

Anne reached for her hat She's
the Baroness Catherine De Hueck.
ard anybody in Harlem will tell
you where she lives They may
no, know her name Just ask for
the Madonna Of Harlem.