(COPY)

April 17, 1932.

Dr. W.E.B. DuBois
Editor of "The Crisis"
69 Fifth Avenue
New York, New York

My dear Dr. DuBois:

I have your letter of the 12th enclosing me the list of books, eligible for the DuBois prize, as sent out. This list does not include all of the books eligible for the prize, that is, it does not include all of the novels written during the years 1929-1930 and up to January 1, 1932. At least three quite important books are omitted:

Nella Larsen *Passing* Alfred A. Knopf 1929
Lengston Hughes *Not Without Laughter* Alfred A. Knopf 1930
George S. Schuyler *Black No More* The Macaulay Company 1931

A revised list of eligible books should at once be sent out to the members of the Nominating Committee before they make their choice of the four novels to be submitted to the judges.

JWJ:hb

January 13, 1931

Dear Du Bois:

How would it do to present the
Spingarn Medal to Harrison here in New
York at the Mansfield Theatre, on a
Sunday night? We could get Lieutenant-
Governor Lehman to present it, Mayor
Walker and Marc Connelly to make brief
talks, and have you deliver an address.

Of course, this would take away
one of the great features of the Con-
ference, but that might be balanced by
the great publicity that the New York
presentation would be sure to receive.

I don't think any admission should
be charged, but a certain number of tickets
should be sent to certain persons whom we
wished to have reserved seats. The rest
of the house could be thrown open to the
public. I think we would have a jamb of
four or five thousand people.

The theatre would, of course, be
given; so the expenses would practically
be nothing. A special piece of litera-
ture could be prepared for the occasion
and distributed. From this there might
come some financial returns.

Sincerely,

C
O
P
Y

Editorial Rooms of

THE CRISIS

69 Fifth Avenue
New York, N.Y.

National Association
For The
Advancement of Colored People

W.E. Burghardt Du Bois

Rockefeller Hall
Spelman College, Atlanta, Ga.

May 18, 1933

Mr. James Weldon Johnson
Fisk University
Nashville, Tennessee

My dear Johnson:

I agree with you perfectly concerning Mr. Spingarn's resignation.
Of course, it is quite possible that his reasons are such that they cannot be
entirely changed, but it seems to me that it would be fair to ask, first, if
he will not re-consider his resignation? Secondly, if that is impossible, if
he will word it so that it will become effective December 31, 1933. That will
give us a chance to reorientate ourselves and decide just what the future of
the Association and of THE CRISIS is going to be.

WEBD:DW

EDITORIAL ROOMS OF
THE CRISIS

69 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION
FOR THE
ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE

W. E. BURGHARDT DU BOIS

May 23, 1933.

Messrs Johnson, La Farge, Gannett and Braithwaite:

Gentlemen:

Of the books eligible for the Du Bois Prize, it rather seems to me that Johnson's "Negro in American Civilization" is out because it is in the nature of an editorial compilation. On the other hand, I am very much impressed with Carolyn Bond Day's "Negro-White Families in the United States", which I think is an extraordinary piece of scientific work and well-written. Walter H. Mazyck's "George Washington and the Negro" is a good book but a bit too slight for our purposes. Lilly's book does not rank high, and I am afraid that the life of Robeson by his wife was published too early for our purposes, but I'm not sure.

WEBD/DW

W. E. B. Du Bois
Editor-in-Chief

Published Monthly by
**THE CRISIS**
Publishing Co., Inc.

Subscription:
15 cents a Copy
$1.50 the Year
$1.75 Foreign

THE
CRISIS

A Record of the Darker Races
69 FIFTH AVENUE
NEW YORK, N. Y.

Telephone: ALGONQUIN 4-3024

Board of Directors:

Dr. L. T. Wright, President
W. E. B. Du Bois, Vice President
Walter White, Secretary
Mrs. E. R. Alexander, Treasurer
Dr. Clayton Powell
James Marshall

December 7th, 1933.

Mr. James Weldon Johnson,
Fisk University,
Nashville, Tenn.

My dear Mr. Johnson:-

I am so sorry that I will not be able
to be here when you come. I am leaving to-day for
Atlanta and cannot get back until December 24th.
If you will write me there, I shall be glad to co-
operate in any way possible.

WEBD/HFB.

Official Monthly Organ of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People

SCOPE OF PROPOSED ENCYCLOPAEDIA

It is proposed that the Encyclopaedia be devoted mainly to the Ameri-
can Negro, but that it should include important related topics regarding the
Negro in Africa and elsewhere. It is believed that an Encyclopaedia of
about four volumes of the general type of the "Encyclopaedia of the
Social Sciences," each volume containing about 500,000 words, would be suitable.
It should include all important phases of Negro Life and History—anthropo-
logical, ethnographical, biographical, historical, educational, industrial, eco-
nomic, political, religious, psychological (including race relations), artistic, etc.

There has been in recent years a remarkable increase of scholarly writing on the subject of the Negro, especially in America, and now there are many conferences, institutes, and associations, which stress cooperative scholarship on themes related to the Negro. Prior to the beginning of this century such scholarly work as had been done on the Negro in America and abroad was almost entirely the result of individual effort and initiative. There were almost no groups giving themselves to Negro research. The initiative in this matter in the United States was taken by Dr. Du Bois through his "Atlanta University Studies of the Negro Problem" which appeared from 1897 to 1911. These stood almost alone for many years. These publications were supplemented by the establishment of the "Department of Records and Research" at Tuskegee Institution in 1908, and the editing under its auspices by Mr. Monroe Work since 1912 of the various editions of the "Negro Year Book." Later years have seen the establishment by Dr. Woodson of the "Association for the Study of Negro Life and History" in 1915, and the publication of its "Journal of Negro History" since 1916. This publication has made available many important documents and has greatly increased the interest in Negro History. In the last decade we have also seen at three Negro Universities — Howard, Fisk and Atlanta — the beginning of graduate study, as well as the development of Faculty and student groups interested in inter-racial studies at many of our leading Universities of early foundation, both North and South, the "Research Institute" at the University of North Carolina being a conspicuous example. Various national associations not primarily devoted to research have also developed important research departments or activities in the field of Negro history or Negro life. Such are the Urban League, the Federal Council of Churches, and the Commission on Race Relations.

These movements and the publication of "Histories" of the Negro, and histories of various phases of Negro Art, Literature, etc., have greatly stimulated individual scholars. As a result probably more scholarly monographs and articles regarding the Negro have appeared from the representative presses of Europe, America and Africa since the World War than in all the previous period. These deal with the African background of the American Negro, the early Slave trade, Negro Anthropology, Negro Slavery in the United States, Economic Status of the Negro, etc. They have brought to the fore the work of a group of scholars, many of them young men, whose published material, although scattered, is now available as Monroe Work's "Bibliography of the Negro," 1928, indicates.

The recent establishment in Europe of the "International Institute of African Languages and Cultures" should also prove most helpful, as well as the development of departments for the Study of Native Culture at the Universities of South Africa. Practically all of these movements have developed in the past decade.

It is believed that the body of factual data which such an encyclopaedia
would make available as a result of the work of the Editors and various col-
laborating groups and individuals would be invaluable to scholars and all
others who may seek authoritative information regarding any important phase
of Negro life or history.

CHARACTER OF ARTICLES

It is proposed that articles should be relatively brief, with full bibliogra-
phies, the method of treatment combining high scholarship, judicial fairness
and readableness. It is believed that contributors should be chosen from
the standpoint of expert knowledge and competence; that all articles should
be paid for, probably at the customary rate of two cents a word; and they
should be signed by initials, the full names and positions held being duly
recorded in a contributors' list. Contributors should aim to give facts
authoritatively and objectively with such interpretations as may be necessary,
clearly stating divergent views on important controversial matters. It is
believed that the main purpose of the Encyclopaedia as a book of reference
will be best served if the plan of a large number of relatively brief alphabeti-
cally arranged articles is adopted, and if the last volume contains a complete
index, as well as an arrangement of major articles by subjects, to facilitate
systematic study.

413 West 148th Street
New York City

October 22, 1935

Dear Dr. Du Bois:

In reply to your letter of September 16, which
has just been forwarded to me here from Fisk University,
I wish to say:

I believe that the time has come when there
should be some authoritative collection of articles con-
cerning the Negro race, in the form of an encyclopedia.

I should be very glad to contribute an short
article, or articles, to such a work.

The subjects on which I feel best fitted to
write would be on the Negro in literature or in such
kindred arts as the stage and music.

Sincerely yours,

Dr. W. E. B. Du Bois
Atlanta University
Atlanta, Georgia

PLEASE RESERVE PLATE (S) AT $2.50 EACH FOR THE

DuBOIS BIRTHDAY BANQUET

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY TWENTY-THIRD, NINETEEN HUNDRED and THIRTY-EIGHT

IN THESE NAMES

I ENCLOSE $250.00 IN PAYMENT THEREOF.

NAME James Willard Johnson

ADDRESS Fisk University, Nashville, Tenn.

RESERVATIONS MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE SATURDAY, FEBRUARY NINETEENTH

December 8, 1922

MEMORANDUM FROM MR. JOHNSON TO DR. DU BOIS:

RE: CRISIS EDITORIAL

## Paragraph I - INTENTIONS

I should not say "The Republicans did not intend to pass the Dyer Bill." I think they would have been glad to pass it, and they had more than enough votes to do so. The fact is, they were not willing to put up the fight necessary to overcome the Democratic opposition. You could say, "The Republicans did not try to pass the Dyer Bill." Another consideration is, if we knew the Republicans never intended to pass the Bill, we are guilty in some degree of buncoing the people by urging them to believe we could make the Republicans pass it.

If I should name any senators in connection with "chestnuts,"
I should name Lodge and Nelson, the two men who as leader of the
majority and chairman of the Judiciary Committee should have been
the main champions of the Bill on the floor, as were Mondell and
Volstead in the House; but they hardly lifted a finger. McCormick
was in Europe, but he had helped a little, and Wadsworth was merely
disinterested.

## Paragraph II - POWER

I think "a great political party filled with men who
despised us, hated us," too strong. I do not believe the majority
of the men on the Republican side hate and despise us - if they do,
there are no words left for the sentiments of the majority of men
on the Democratic side. The Republicans are disinterested, they

Memorandum to Dr. Du Bois - 2

want to keep the Negro in the Republican Party, but his insistence
upon recognition embarrasses them. I think "wished to ignore us"
expresses more exactly the attitude."Cowardice & Politicians" were
the main characteristics of the Republicans.

## Paragraph V - TRAITORS

I believe "dishonest politician" is libellous. I would
suggest "office holding politician."

I do not believe Howard's letter had the slightest effect
on the fate of the Bill, and I would not give him credit for having
any such powerful influence. His letter caused several senators
with whom I talked to be a little acrid about the work done by the
N.A.A.C.P. for the defeat of certain Republican candidates; but each
of them finally admitted that the colored people were justified in
each instance; even Lodge admitted as much in his talk with me.
I might say that Howard's letter, actually, did do us some good. As
a paid henchman of the Party he attests the power of our organiza-
tion. Many of the senators had never heard of Perry Howard. I
do not think we ought in the least stress the fact that he had any
influence, but rather his selfish, traitorous, slavish action.

I do not think it has been stated that Howard gave
Pat Harrison the "information" re the Liberian Loan. Emmett Scott,
in his letter to Senator Curtis said, "colored politicians from
your own state." This would only give Howard opportunity to declare
on this one point that what we say is absolutely false. I think a
clause like this would cover the whole matter - " Mr. Howard is a
close friend of Senator Pat Harrison of Mississippi who helped to
defeat the Liberian Loan Bill through stating he had "information"

Memorandum to Dr. Du Bois - 3

that certain colored men, etc., etc.

Paragraph VI - DEMOCRATS

I should not refer to Harding as a "jelly-fish." I make
this suggestion not because of any admiration for Harding or any
particular reverence for the Presidential chair. I think it is
merely calling names, and that is for the _Crisis_ somewhat infr dig.
Can't you think up some adjective that would carry the same thought?

I don't think the advice to "vote the socialist ticket" is,
under all the circumstances, wise at this time.