The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1954-05-08
BOSTON
BAKED
BY MABE KouNTzE


Honor thy Father and Mo-
Their that thy days may be long
and that it may go well with
thee in the land.'
The BIBLE
SAILING SHIPS of bondage
bucking the waves from Africa
to the Americas, carried ca
pacity cargoeS of humanity.
There were chained men and
children. And there we're Afri-
can mothers, too. Somewhere
among that desperate desolate
band of people there had to
be a firm, if Pickering, lamp of
hope for the future. And there
was hope. 1t came mostly from
the mothers in a mothers hope
for her children.
THE SOUTH, hOurishing in a
false economy of slave labor
las vicious as anything in Rus
Sia) saw cOlOred mothers en-
during more torture than the
daily toll. oIOred men fought !
conditions much more than
has ever been told in history.
And there was propaganda and
laws denying freedom, deny
ing even that a cOIoredman had
a soul. And cOlored parents en-
dured even this for their child
zen.
THE FAMILY of color was
separated and scattered to the
four winds during those dark
days of U. S. History. 1t is
question whether Mother At
tuckS ever heard of her sons
martyrdom for American In
depenence. And from some far
off place, Mother Scott pro-
badly never heard the in
famous court decision against
her son, declaring that Colored
Americans had no rights to be
respected whatsoever.
TO SURRENDER all hopes
of human equality was the
prevailing propaganda of those
early days. Literature, and even
some learned men and clergy,
upheld the master" philosophy
Cater adoped by Hitler and
Malan.) To oppose such teach
ing was called subversive, RAJ
dical behavior. And man who
finally abolished slavery was
aSSasSinated as he knew he
would be.
ABE LINCOLN was a great
man influenced by his mothers
Christian teachings. He said as
much. He knew he was born
for a great task. When Lincoln
discussed the plan of re-settling
colOred people in their home
land, he was sincere. But only
a few returned. The kinfOIk of
the majority had fought Ameri-
can wars of freedom and decided
to become Americans. They
were warned the way would be
hard. They decided to endure
the risks. They have.
THE RISKS saw the victorious
were sung with new fervor. The
tually sell out to the former
Dixie Slavemaster. The risks saw
the emergence of the Khan and
waves of intolerance through
out the land. The risks saw new
legislated Civil Rights torn from
the books. The risks saw new
social and economic hardshipS
forced upon the colored race.
The risks saw even Tan Yanks
in uniform treated like an
enemy and sometimes even
worse.
THE PRAYERS for deliverance
had now erased all fears. Even
the Khan and kindred bigOtS
were viewed as passing night
mares without substance. The
lord had answered the prayer
to bring forth an Abraham. The
Lord had delivered a people
from bondage. A people had
found truth and comfort in
the Bible. The famous Spirituals
were sung with new ferver. The
faith of the parents was COM
ing. 1t Las come a long way
since 1919 on ships.
MOTHERS DAY, 1854 is in
deed a long way from the seven
teenth century. And 1t is q
long way from the early days
of mental toll and meager saw
ings and stifled opportunities
for colored children. Those days
of past sacrifice should never
be forgotten. Those enjoying
the benefits from the sacrifices
of the past owe it to their par
ents and kinfolk of the past
to carry on the final goal OF
100 percent citizenship.