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Pa f, e 4
THE MAROON TIGER
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| : Southern Students-^acuity Conference * j
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By H. J. Battle, ’34
During the last four days of 1932 a group of students
of various races and nationalities met in the “Southern
Student-Faculty Conference” at the Congregational Chris
tian Church of this city. The conference was sponsored
by the Atlanta Intercollegiate Council. Among the
group of speakers and discussion leaders were: Dr. W.
A. Smart of Emory University; Dr. W. W. Alexander,
Acting President of Dillard University; Mr. H. A. Hunt,
President of Fort Valley Normal Industrial School: Dr.
M. H. Bryan of the University of Georgia: Mr. B. E.
Mays of Chicago University; Mr. Francis P. Miller,
Chairman of the World Student Christian Federation,
and Mr. Howard Thurman and President Mordecai John
son of Howard University. The general theme of the
conference was The Responsibility of the Forces oj Re
ligion in Building the South oj Tomorrow. I shall give
a brief synopsis of what I consider the success of the
conference in the development of this theme.
The widespread unemployment and poverty, the lack
of sufficient emphasis on education, the political cor-
ruption, the racial and class discrimination, and the
lethargy in religion which characterize the South today
were some of the problems to which solutions were
sought.
The objective toward which religion is working is
the “Kingdom of God” on earth. Dr. Mordecai John
son assumed that poverty is the fundamental hindrance
to the approach of this ideal society. If people knew
that their children would not have to suffer for ma
terial needs, there would be much less graft and selfish
ness in our society. The need of marriage for eco
nomic gain being removed, love would be the only
basis for marriage. Favorable racial relations could
be easily realized with assured economic security for
all. Similarly, Dr. Johnson showed how numerous evils
in our society would rapidly disappear should poverty
be eliminated. According to this assumption, religion
can best realize its ideal by removing poverty. I he
speaker declared that the South already has sufficient
power and intellect to provide economic welfare for all.
Mr. Mays gave a little different approach to the prob
lem. He contends that all values rightly interpreted
are spiritual values. A dynamic religion grows out of
man’s struggle to get necessary material goods. Since
the beginning of the 18th century human interests have
been increasingly separated and isolated. Today science,
art, business, politics, and religion are distinct fields
of human interest. As long as their situation exists the
“Kingdom of God” cannot appear. According to this
analysis, then, the first task of religion is to take the
initiative in bringing about a synthesis of the various
interests. It must give a dynamic spiritual tone to all
of them. Religion, secondly, must take the initiative
in redefining what a social order is for. It must em
phasize the necessity of the change of self-interest to
mutual interest, competition to cooperation, and profit
to sharing, finally, Mr. Mays contends that religion
must create in people the spirit of adventure. Men
need more courage to do what they know ought to be
done. Dr. Johnson suggested the same idea in his state
ment that the South has sufficient power and intellect to
remove poverty. There are many things that we know
should and can be done, but we don’t have sufficient drive
to do them. We prefer rationalization rather than ac
tion. We make one scientific study after another, ap
parently only to postpone action. Religion must sup
ply power to act.
Mr. Hunt believes that many of our evils in the South
are traceable to ignorance. The South does not have
sufficient educational facilities. For example, he stat
ed that Harvard has more books than all southern uni
versities together. I suppose he would say that re
ligion might approach its objective through education.
He wouldn’t consider education, however, merely as the
transmission of knowledge, but rather as a generator of
change.
Mr. Thurman feels that the contribution that reli
gion might make to the present situation is through poetic
insight. He made the following suggestions in one of
his addresses: “Love always presupposes and assumes
and acts on basis of knowledge both of beloved and
lover. I do not love that which I do not understand.
There must be contact. A segregated church cannot
bring the “Kingdom of God” into the world. Contact
with fellowship must express itself in an understanding
that is sympathetic and creative. An understanding that
is sympathetic expresses itself in a will that is good,
and good-will acted intelligently is love dramatized in
personality.” He also suggested that we recognize in
all our efforts the absolute primacy of the individual.
Mr. Kester, of the Fellowship of Reconciliation, sug
gested that Christians encourage Socialism and give it
a chance to make possible the advent of the ideal society.
I don’t think any one of these proposals can serve
as a panacea for all the evils in the South. I am fairly
well convinced, however, that each, if properly empha
sized and performed, can contribute to a move toward
the objective. We as Christians face a tremendous task.
There is no easy way out, nor is there a single way.
I somewhat agree with Mr. Alexander that we must find
a way suitable to ourselves, work on it, and be tolerant
to others.
What can students do about the situation? Mr. Alex
ander would say that the biggest things that students
can do is to prepare for the fight. This does not seem
largely true. If we can get a comprehensive under
standing of the situation, create a sympathetic atti
tude toward it, work out some definite procedure, and
develop a dynamic inner power while in college, we
will have accomplished much. I don’t think, however,
that we would quite do justice to society by spending
all our time making preparation. We can use our in
fluence as a group to properly guide sentiment. Such
organizations as the “World’s Student Christian Federa
tion” seem to produce some effect on the creation of
good-will among various nationalities. In this organi
zation, according to Mr. Miller, German, French, Chinese,
and Japanese students work together quite harmoniously
in an effort to make the world better. Students can
demonstrate to the world what can be done.