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at this time, to join hands with
the ultra radical elements in any
part of the world.
“This American Negro Garvey,’’
he said recently, has got hold of
the wrong end of this matter.
We are at that stage of our race
development where we are obliged
to join hands with some one, I ad
mit; But we should be very care
ful whom we pick as our ally in
this effort we all have an abiding
interest. No French Negro can
affoad to leave the French. The
French are modern in spirit.
And I will admit the African Pol
icy of the French Government
has not always been wise. Rene-
Maran’s story however, has open
ed French eyes to the necessity of
bringing about a change of policy
in that section of the French
world. There are many reasons
that point to the Negroid ele
ments of the human family as
the next dominant factor in the
upholding of genuine principles of
Civilization. We have the be
nign nature, and we have the poe
tic vision if we will use it to the
highest advantage, I see no rea
son at present, to join with such
visionaries as Garvey or anyone
•Ise to try to get control of Afri
ca now. The future will take
good care that we get all we de
serve in this particular. Let us
make ample preparation ana then
talk about, controlling the Fath
erland.
Braise Diagne, the West Coast
African delegate voiced the opini
ons of Candace. “We will talk
of the African situation in due
time, ”he said. “M. Candace
haa expressed my view of the
matter.”
Both Candace and Diagne en
dorsed the Pan African Congress.
They each declared that it was
TH E ATHENS REPUBLIQUE
the right movement because its
membership advocated the high
development of the brawn and
brain of the Negroes before there
was any kind of talk about an at
tempt to control the African bran
ch of the race. It is likely that
the Pan African congress will
meet again next year.
RAZZ
BY ROBERT LEE HEISTER
Here is an object lesson. It
makes no difference what the col
or of your skin is. You can be
black, white, red, or yellow but
you will have to agree that Razz
was a wonderful bit of humanity.
Her white father and black
mother brought her into the
world and left her in a position
where neither black or white
would claim her socially. Her
battle against these conditions
proves to be the most interesting
st ry that I have ever been called
upon to write. Let us ponder
deeply over the fact that such a
cruel world exists. Razz is para
ding through the wor das an ob
ject lesson to both the black and
white races.
‘‘Razz’’, the most interesting
bit of humanity that ever trod
tee face of the earth. Stained
with the mixed blood of two ra
ces, but imbued with the spirit
that makes real men and women
regardless of color.
She kept her vpw for eighteen
years, never to walk or wear wo
man’s cloths unless she learned
who her father was. Crushed
and humiliated by both unthink
ing whites and blacks, she bowed
her head to fate, donned a wom
an’s clothes, and - disappeared
from the sleepy little town of
Lakeland.
Lakeland is a small village on
the W. B. and A. about one mile
Northwest of Westport, Mary
land. Like all other American
villages on the railway routes it
is composed mostly of the general
store, dusty roads, cultivated
fields, farmers, and the little
school house on the hill.
Always there are plenty of
children in these villages, and the
little ones of Lakeland knew Razz
Lett r then the grown folks Now
that she is gone, some of them
have complained that they miss
her.
To the people of the village
Razz was a great mystery. More
still, she was a thorn in their sid
es. Between Razz and the resi
dents oi Lakeland there was that
great difference, that is greater
still on the border line of the
Southland than it is North of the
Mason-Dixon line. She was a
haif breed--but was she? Ah, there
was the mystery. The white peo
ple are not quite satisfied that
they have not been mistreating
of their own--poor Razz. The
wonder is that her wonderful spii
it did not batter down the obsta
cles in her way.
On the stieets, besides a man’s
clothes, wore a smile. A big good
numored smile—unless, some one
hinted at one or the other of the
twu facts, that she was a girl and
her blood w ? as mixed. Then she
would show the tiger in her soul
by barking a row of white, oven
t eth, and pulling her eye lids to
gether until the spark of light in.
her eye balls turned yellow be-1
tween the narrow slits. And]
then, how she could fight. Fair,]
square fighting that both the!
white and the colored man admil
December 9, 192 2