The Athens republique. (Athens, Ga.) 1919-????, December 09, 1922, Page 2, Image 2

Below is the OCR text representation for this newspapers page.

2 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