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The Campus Mirror 3 Extracts from the Program of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History Dr. John Hope President of the Association International Status of the Negro /hi Professor Rayford W. Logan Professor Logan of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, in keeping with the program of the Association, lectured before more than 1,500 students and teachers on the importance of the Negro’s status inter nationally on Tuesday, November 15, in Sis ters Chapel. Think what any international affair can mean to us and we think at once of the as sassination of an archduke on the streets of Sarajevo in Austria which precipitated a world war. In reckoning about the international af fairs of the Negro, we must bear these ma jor considerations in mind. First, there are some who feel no interest in international af fairs. This must never lx*. Second, we must recognize the material evidences of the prog ress of the Negro. Our buildings for institu tions stand as a monument to this fact. The African Negro, who is just beginning a civi lization, has a better advantage than whites have had before; in that he is starting off with large numbers of modern conveniences already invented for him. Things which people have been hundreds of years in devel oping are his to begin with in Africa, and the ability of the African is not to be doubted. In respect to the crisis with which we are faced with regard to our Negro Republics— Liberia and Haiti, we must be liberal minded in our thinking. Will Liberia submit to in vestigation by the Ix*ague of Nations? She now refuses to do so on the basis that other countries that are more subject to investiga tion are let alone. She must realize, however, that she must either accept help of the League of Nations or uni-lateral intervention (Continued on Page 4) The annual meeting of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History was held in Atlanta, November 13 to 16. On this page are given reports of a few of the lec tures that were given at Spelman College. Other outstanding speakers during the meet ing were: Dr. Carter G. Woodson, of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History; Dr. John Hope, Prof. Clarence A. Bacote, and Prof. J. B. Blayton, of Atlanta University; Dean James Hugo Johnston, of Virginia State College; Mr. Forrester B. Washington, of the Atlanta School of Social Work; Prof. Hugh H. Harris, of Emory University; Dr. A. B. Jackson, of the How ard University Medical School and Attorney T. W. Holmes, of the Atlanta Bar. Is the Negro any Better off Today Than in 1868? Professor Bertram W. Doyle of Fisk University Has the Negro advanced since the civil war? Not only has this question been asked in a number of ways, but likewise it has been answered in many ways. Dr. Doyle did not attempt to give a dicisive answer. Rather he outlined the status of the slave and the freed- man or the status of the Negro before and after the Civil war. We were asked to be our own judges and with our own idea of what progress is, say for ourselves Avhether there has been progress in the Negro race since 1865. There was harmonious action, up to 1860, between the slaves and the whites. Although there was sometimes discord and sometimes benevolence with bitterness, the slave formu lated certain attitudes toward the whites. He made adjustment to existing situations with only occasional attempts to resist slavery. The whites reciprocated to acts of Negroes in their action toward the latter. Even during the war, the slave did not rebel openly, be cause his control under slave etiquette was too great. He even went so far as to pray for Confederate victory, when inwardly he was saying, “Lord, you know wliat I mean.” Then came emancipation — what did it bring? It brought a change in relationships. Slaves moved everywhere to test their free dom; however some remained on the master’s plots of land. Association of whites with the Negro became less common, ceasing, as in Mississippi, when a law was passed against social mingling of the two groups. Then we find that in 1868 conditions were worse. Between 1868-1877 the radical gov ernment fell and separation widened as in churches and on cars and the breach became Gill greater when the Negro lined up with the Republican party. Disillusionment came to the freedman. Kicks and rebuffs were substituted for the milk and honey which he had anticipated. However, this disillusionment led to the de velopment of a keen race pride. The first step in achieving this pride was the acquisi tion of family names and given names, which Carter G. Woodson Director of the Association Dr. Carter G. Woodson kindled our am bition when he brought to us, ou November 14, some of the large ideas to which he has attained. Dr. Woodson fears that as a race, the Ne gro has not yet put off childish things. He has this youthful attitude toward himself which, if he is not careful, will result in mis- education rather than education. Our edu cation must lead us out from within. The Negro is too much concerned with capacitating himself for a job which he will never get — the white man’s job. Also, he must not forget, when he is censoring Negro religion, for example, that he will have more contact with the rural preacher than with any other type. Therefore, he must know not only the rural preacher, but the rural teacher and farmer . We must enlarge our souls making room for service and respect for all people. Dr. Woodson left with us a helpful quota tion from Horace Mann. “Be ashamed to die until you have won a victory for humanity.” were more dignified than merely Hatcher’s John. The Negro became John S. Sherman, and wore a hat. Today there is a distinct resemblance be tween the freedman’s code and the etiquette of slavery. The whites still regard the Negro with familiarity; while the latter regards the white man with respect. In other words, there is super-ordination for the whites and sub-ordination for the blacks. The code might have been worked out on the basis of the natural experience of the Negro and the changes in the s<x*ial status. As it now stands, the South presents a spectacle of society divided in half Negroes on one side and whites on the other. We have a bi-raeial society. This has caused the de velopment of a true race solidarity, but busi ness relations have boon jeopardized.