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THE MAROON TIGER
separation, but a vertical one. He would not have dis
crimination. No, not that, but just separate schools
and separate railroad coaches, though of the same kind.
Isn’t that lovely? If this were anywhere within the sphere
of possibility it would suit the Negro as well as the
white man. Even mention of it is foolish and absurd.
A moron can sense the improbability of this dream. The
bombastic advocator of white supremacy points to the
South as the experimental laboratory of this idea today.
If this is so, surely not in the sense in which he uses the
word bi-racialism. There may be bi-racialism socially
i that is probably the desirable feature of it), but owing
to the numerous indignities heaped upon the Colored
man in the South, one cannot call it even the beginning
of a system by which two races are to exist side by
side, both enjoying equal opportunities for devlopment.
In his argument with Dr. Alaine Locke (Forum—
October, 1927), the essence of Mr. Stoddard’s presen
tations are as follows: since Negroes are different from
whites and since the white man founded America and
evolved institutions, ideals and cultural manifestations
and tendencies, America is white and will always be so,
because self-preservation is the first law of nature. This
idea is not consistent with his advocating the same ad
vantages for Negroes as for whites. He persists in at
tacking biological disadvantages resulting from cross
breeding of the two races. If there be any disadvantages
resulting from this the white man is the one at whom to
point the finger. However this is irrevelant to the big
arguments of the average Negro.
There are two different ways in which the Negro is
attempting to smash the color line. One of these is
through his arts, and the other through his economic
life. Some stress one entirely and neglect the other,
while there are those who find both of them indispens
able in accomplishing the much talked about end. Re
gardless of which is used, it will be a slow, sure proc
ess. One writer lias succinctly expressed that by say
ing that “No mere alteration of external conditions, no
mere emancipation by proclamation; nothing but the
slow and silent evolution of the latent potentialities of
the people can effect a permanent change in the con
dition of their life.”
COLLEGE FRATERNITIES
H N 1907 Cornell University the first Negro college
fraternity was organized. At present, there are
four Negro college fraternities of national con
sequence. This in itself shows that the idea has
grown rapidly since its birth; but if we look at the offi
cial organ of the fraternities and note how their chap
ters spread over the length and breadth of our country
like a huge net, we are further convinced of the phenom
enal growth and development of Negro college fraterni
ties during their short life. They are still developing;
they are neither stable nor static. This is fortunate be
cause it is only through constant movement, constant ex
perimentation that we attain perfection in any line. So,
as to our fraternities, it is only through broad, serious,
and unselfish thought coupled with scientific experimen
tation that we can attain the goal for which we are stri
ving.
Some may ask, “what is the goal of fraternities, what
is their aim?”
This is a very good question and one to which many
fraternity men could not answer intelligently. I would
venture to say, that the picture generally conveyed to
the outsider by the attitude of members of different
fraternities to each other presents a pretty poor picture
of the “common aim” of which we boast. (I might
pause here to say that while the inter-fraternal situation
on our campus is far from ideal, I think, we come nearer
having the right aim than does the average campus com
munity.)
We say, that we are striving for Racial uplift and
development, that the college fraternity is a means by
which the Negro college men through out the country
are tied together in bonds of brotherly love which create
a strong spirit of unity and co-operation among the
most highly educated and most progressive men in the
Race. It is not hard to conceive of the tremendous
force which such a group could exert in promoting Racial
uplift, and development of the highest type. From the
above rehersal, you can see that the aim of Negro college
fraternities, is indeed, a noble one. Then, why do many
college presidents after years of experience consider
them a liability rather than an asset? Why has a goodly
number of colleges after observing the fraternity situa
tion at another college failed to recognize them?
In my estimation there are two reasons. In the first
place, I think, we are losing sight of our prime objective
in order to hold some strategic position of power in our
immediate college community. Secondly, we lack unity
without which we cannot realize our goal.
By over emphasizing the importance and prominence
of our particular little group with reference to the other
groups, we are liable to narrow ourselves into a pro
vincial train of mind which will shut out the larger
and broader view point. The caliber of a group is de
pendent upon the caliber of the individual members.
Therefore, it behooves all of us to pick broad-minded
men for our fraternities. Men who can see the worth
in all of the groups, not those that seek to gain favor with
one group by ridiculing the others. In this way, I think,
fraternities can regain their lost objective.
Now as to the lack of unity existing between fraterni
ties, I think, this will be overcome as the fraternity idea
develops, provided we keep our common objective ever
before us. At the beginning of the movement, integra
tion was necessary because one organization would have
been bulky and hard to manage.
Further, without rivalry the spirit might have died
before it could develop. With a widely different local
situation in various parts of the country, the type of
organization and leadership has to differ in some de
gree. For this reason, it was necessary to have a num
ber of distinct fraternities with their varied methods of
attack. But after several years of activity it is appar
ent that they have grown to maturity now, and they
have done good work so far. But in my estimation,
as separate and distinct organizations with their narrow
scope they are now working at their highest point of
efficiency.
This is the parting of the ways. Whether Negro col
lege fraternities will effect a great merger of spirit and
of intellect which will furnish the necessary unity to
drive them on to undreamed of fields of service to the
Race, or whether they will shun the co-operative spirit
of the age and keep to thei r narrow channels only to
outlive their usefulness and fade into insignificance, is
the question. I think, the time is now ripe for the “great
push.” so to speak. The time has come when the frater
nities must broaden their scope and unify their purpose
or slowly but surely go into decline.
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