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THE MAROON TIGER
The Voice of the Students of Morehouse College
Volume VIII JANUARY, 1933 Number 4
THE STAFF
MANAGERIAL STAFF
William N. Jackson, ’33....
L. Raymond Bailey, ’34 Y
Charles C. Gaines, ’34 J
A. B. Henderson, ’33
John Epps, ’35
Luke A. Murphy, ’33
Thomas Kii.core, ’35
Nathaniel A. Harrison, ’33
James A. Hulbert, ’33
Harold J. Breazeal, ’34...
Richard G. Martin, ’34
Prof. G. Lewis Chandler
Prof. C. J. Gresham .....
Editor-in-chief
... Associate Editors
Athletic Editor
Assistant Athletic Editor
News Editor
.....Assistant News Editor
Exchange Editor
Literary Editor
....Wit and Humor Editor
Secretary to Editor
Critic
Alumni and Faculty Editor
Thomas A. Dawson, ’33 Business Manager
Ralph C. Reynolds, ’33 Assistant Business Manager
Marion I. Cabaniss, ’33 Circulation Manager
Eusibus M. Barron, ’34 ... Subscription Manager
Bernard W. Smith, ’34 ... .. Advertising Manager
THE MAROON TIGER
Published Monthly By The Students Of Morehouse College
Per Year, In Advance $1.00
Single Copy .15
NEMO SOLIS SATIS SAPIT.
Editorials
AMALGAMATION
The word “amalgamation” has great connotative pow
er. We often think of it as meaning a union of ele
ments to form a whole, but this union is really so loose
that it is a mere mixture or blending. We shall soon
observe another Negro History Weeek in which the heroes
of our race will he lauded. We shall extol the vir
tues of those who first gave fire and color to America’s
amalgam.
What does it mean to us that Nino piloted Colum
bus’ flagship; that Crispus Attucks shed the first blood
for American independence; that Benjamin Banneker
aided in planning the national capitol; that Matthew
Henson was first at the North Pole? Mr. Schomberg
exhausts world literature to find instances of Negro
achievement in all parts of the world. Do we appreciate
his efforts? Immensely! We are proud of our identity
as an achieving race and we desire to keep our identity
as such! As all other races are, so are we . . . selfish.
The Negro race is often compared and contrasted with
those Palestinian nations which have lost their identi
ties as nations. Jews, as a race, don’t exist. Do they
extol the virtues of their scientists, artists, and philan
thropists in all countries? Their achievements are
such that the world recognizes them regardless of their
race. What people has been driven more than this peo
ple? In the face of all difficulties they have tried to
become integral parts of the nations in which they lived.
America has set forth an ideal that has been a target
since it sought to rise above the narrow perspective of
human nature. An American is that peculiar individual
which comes from the great Melting Pot in order to
render service to her who bore him. No other nation
has attempted such a colossal feat and thus, America
is faced with “menaces”, problems, etc. We are ele
ments in this great mixture and little by little we should
be able to achieve such universally desired things that
the world will disregard our colors and acclaim us, for
world improvement. Is reaching for such an ideal worth
while?
Negro History Week is a significant annual feature.
It is significant if it does no more than stir our con
sciousnesses to the fact that Negroes don't offer a “prob
lem ” hut a challenge to American civilization! Rapid
assimilation can’t deny the fact that the American civili
zation is an amalgamation. Annually, we need some
thing to raise our eyes above “problems” and ascer
tain how we color the amalgam. Black Florentine dukes,
brown Spanish pilots, brown Spanish and Russian poet-
laureates!—ghosts—driving us on to show that the rec
ord of Negro achievement proves that he still is a chal
lenge rather than a “problem”, a challenge to the in
tellectual superiority of the Caucasian. Bronze bodies
balance the metabolism of the amalgam of America.
—C. C. G.
LANGSTON HUGHES
As a result of a recent poem entitled Good-bye Christ,
Langston Hughes has been the target for critics who
have released a stream of scathing denunciations and
verbal fire-works — against the author, rather than
the condition that was pictured in the poem. A very
prominent minister devoted an entire sermon to denounc
ing it. But what is the cause of all the excitement? It
is simply the fact that the work has been miserably mis
interpreted. Mr. Hughes has written numbers of poems
in which he has endeavored to portray the life and phil
osophy of our people in different stations. He gives
us the song of the Harlem blues singer, the jazz-crazy,
reveals the heart and soul of the African, and other
sketches ranging from the college president to the ditch-
digger, from the queen to the harlot—without neces
sarily giving his personal reactions to them. And now
that he has written the philosophy of the Negro com
munists as he found them we fail to take the attendant
circumstances into consideration and hurl bricks at the
author because we are hurt by what it reveals. It is
just as ridiculous as it would be to shoot the night watch
man because he reported a theft. Therefore we do
Mr. Hughes a grave injustice by placing the blame on
him. As far as his religion or personal beliefs are
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