The guardian. [volume], February 11, 1939, Image 1

About The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960

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HE GUARDIAN
VOL. 38, NO. 15
BIRTH OF NATION" NOT TO SHOW
Hearing NAACP Bill Tues. at State House
Valter White, F. Crosswaith, Feb. 12 —Jas. Ford, Jas: Dawson, Feb 22
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B Mir 1
Douglass Statue in Rochester, the
great Colored Abolitionist will be
honored, Tuesday Feb. 14, when an
nual commemorative exercises will be
held at Douglass Sq., Tremont St.,
South End, under auspices Equal
Rights League.
TO HONOR DOUGLASS
I he National Equal Rights League
oite you to their Douglass Exercises.
Douglass Square. Tremont St., Boston.
February llth. at 12 noon. Also in
the evening at G.A.R. Hall, 46 Joy St.,
they will have a Lincoln-Douglass
Meeting with an interesting program
of speakers and will give a report of
their work in conjunction with the New
England Congress for Equal Opportu
nities that stopped showing of the pic
ture. “Birth of a Nation" at the News
Reel Iheatre. Monday, February 6th.
ALBERT G. WOLFF. President.
FRED DOUGLASS
HOME MADE
FITTING SHRINE
WASHINGTON. D. C.—Valuable
papers and other documents
-nedding more light on the life and
times of Frederick Douglass are being
assembled, classified and filed for pub
pic use by a Historical Records Survey
I reject of the Works Progress Ad
ministration. Seven Colored research
workers are employed on the project.
Ine work is being done at the Freder-
Douglass Memorial Home at Cedar
Hill, Anacostia, D. C.
Many little known facts concerning
the anti-slavery movement, the Civil
\ ai and the Reconstruction Period are
being brought to public attention.
I here is a letter from Abraham Lin-
T ” ere ' s a l so a series of letters
that passed between Frederick Doug
lass and the War Department during
P r j , lv " War days. These documents
had formerly been stored in dust-laden
boxes in the attic of the Frederick
Douglass Home. All these valuable
papers and many rare books, objects
oi art, are being catalogued among
, 'ai'e books now out of print. One
ot these is a first edition of “Ellicott’s
Journal-1803.” The books in the
ouglass Home are valued at between
fifteen and twenty thousand dollars.
furniture, paintings, statuary,
china, silverware and art objects,
which have a historic relationship to
the era of Abolitionist agitation, are
so being catalogued. A set of spoons
bearing the mace of the British throne
was presented by Queen Victoria to
f redenck Douglass in 1886 during his
tour of England in recognition of his
t 0 the cause of Emancipation.
A walking stick belonging to Abraham
i-inco n was given to Douglass by Mrs.
Lincoln after the death of the Great
lancipator. A torn American flag,
(Continued on Page 5)
DePriest Garage
255 NORTHAMPTON ST.
Oil . Gas • Repairing - Storage
Now Maintaining the
Ford Service
T * L KENmor. S3JB H. Thomp.o., Prop.
HUB STOPS "BIRTH OF NATION"
An attempt this week to bring back
to Boston the infamous, strife-breed
ing “Birth of the Nation” was foiled
when, in response to protest by a
delegation of alarmed citizens, the
Mayor ordered the film withdrawn.
Among organizations represented in
the delegation which called on Mayor
Tobin were Congress for Equal Op
portunities, Attorney John R. Bourne,
Dr. R. A. Simmons; N.A.A.C.P., Atty.
Irwin T. Dorth; Dr. and Mrs. John B.
Hall; National Equal Rights League,
Atty. Albert G. Wolff, Ralph Banks;
Cape Verdean Club, Atty. Roy F.
Teixeira, Federation of Women’s
Clubs, Mrs. M. Cravath Simpson;
Women’s Democratic League, Miss
Myrtle Worthy; Courts of Calanthe,
Mrs. Catherine Manning; Knights of
Pythias, Grand Chancellor, Theo. N.
Nunes; Elks, Miss E. Williams; Wil
liam E. Carter Post, V.F.W., William
B. Reid; Joseph R. Nelson and Wil
liam B. Sexton.
When advertisements of the films
made known the attempt to show the
film here beginning Monday, February
6, Atty. Bourne, chairman of the Con
gress for Equal Opportunities at once
gathered his forces and sent a letter
of protest to our Mayor. This was
followed up next day, Sunday, by rep
resentatives of several of our organi
zations meeting at Dr. R. A. Simmons’
office, and thence proceeded to the
theatre and registered a protest with
its management against the showing
of the film, but without success. The
other members of the Board of Cen
sors, in addition to the Mayor, were
written to also.
Next morning, Monday, the group
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W. MONROE TROTTER
Late Editor of The Guardian who led
the fight against showing of "The
Birth of a Nation" film in 1912.
NAACP PARTY
TO BE BROADCAST
The Columbia Broadcasting System,
has agreed to broadcast thirty minutes
of music from the thirtieth anniver
sary party of the N.A.A.C.P. in Har
lem, on Saturday night, February 11,
from 11:30 to 12:00, Eastern Standard
Time.
Boston is one of the ten cities in the
country through which the music of
Duke Ellington will be heard on that
night.
G
Irwh Artmw ipara
3al|twon a
Henry .Johnson and his American
Folk Singers furnished the theme of a
column article, headed “Folk-Song Re
hearsal”, by Horace Reynolds, writing
in the Christian Science Monitor’ re
cently. He accompanied Miss Sara
Allgood, the Irish actress appearing
here in “Shadow and Substance”, to a
morning rehearsal of the group and
in his article describes her emotional
enthusiasm as she listened to the mu
sic. He also comments at great length
on the various spirituals. Highest
praise, by actress and writer was paid
to conductor Johnson and his singers.
To quote . . . “The group we were to
hear is one of mixed voices, eight
women and nine men. Varied arrange
(Continued on Page 5)
GUARDIAN, BOSTON, MASS., FEBRUARY 11, 1939
waited on Mayor Tobin at City Hall,
and the result was that the play was
not shown. Atty. Albert G. Wolff was
the spokesman.
Later in the week Mr. Lieberman,
the owner of the theatre called on
Atty. Bourne on the matter, stated he
was away from the city at the time,
that he regretted the incident, did not
intend to insult the colored group, and
meant no harm, and asked that this
be made known.
In his letter to the Mayor, Atty.
Irwin T. Dorch, President, Boston
Branch, N.A.A.C.P., wrote:
“We thought that after our hard
fight twenty-five years ago to prevent
the showing of this play, there would
be no repetition of this same produc
tion. This play can only serve one
purpose, and that is to destroy the
good feeling and better racial under
standing that we are striving so hard
to bring about in this city and state.
It is not only harmful to the colored
people, but to all of the citizens that
are decent and forward-looking.
“We have faith in you, and fully
believe that you will use your good
office to stop this scandalous exhibi
tion before it gets underway.”
Atty. Bourne stated: “This picture
combed the dregs of the lowest scale
of humanity and represented those
dregs as the colored man while por
traying the best that the white group
had ever attained as the representa
tion of the average white group—a
falsity of course.
Not alone that. But certain aspects
of the film were productive of actual
mob violence by reason of the worst
(Continued on Page 5)
PROTEST TEXAS
GOV OR S ACT
Mr. Otis A. Hood, State Chairman,
Communist Party of Massachusetts,
md Mr. Phil Frankfeld, State Secre
ary of the Communist Party of
Massachusetts, on Feb. 3., sent the
■oilowing telegram to Governor W.
Cee O’Daniel of Texas:
“In the name of 2,000 New England
members of our organization we wish
to vigorously protest your dastardly,
barbaric, un-American and revolting
action and statement in the case of
Winzel Williams. Your action and
statement deserve the condemnation
of all lovers of Democracy and Liberty
in America.
“We are sincerely gratified in noting
that in your own state of Texas there
is a growing revulsion against your
inhumanity.
“You should immediately be im
oeached as Governor of Texas. Hit
er has a place for creatures like you
- PS nno o f his hirelings.”
IMMIm , I *
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"Lincoln and Slave"—statue at Park Sq.—Exercises honoring the memory of
Lincoln in conjunction with Douglass will be held at 46 Joy St., Tuesday
Evening, Feb. 14, in G.A.R. Hall.
NAACP BILL UP
FOR HEARING
TUES., FEB. 14
The bill introduced by the Greater
Boston branch of the NAACP, House
638, to prevent public service corpora
tions from making descrimination in
employment on account of race, color,
or religion, has been listed for hearing
before the Labor and Industries Com
mittee at 10:30 Tuesday, Feb. 14th,
probably in Room 427 at the State
House.
It is vitally important that as many
as possible be present at the hearing,
not only members of the NAACP, but
of other organizations willing to en
dorse the bill, to go on record in favor
of it.
Letters in favor of the bill should be
written to Sen. Cole of Lynn, chairman
of the Labor and Industries Commit
tee, and Repres. Haskeyy of Lynnfield,
clerk of the Labor and Industries Com
mittee. This is imperative to progress
in getting the bill passed.
ALFRED BAKER LEWIS.
See.—NAACP.
G
N. Y. TIMES ON
LITTLE GRAY SHOP
NEW YORK, (C) —Once again race
business in Harlem is given a big lift
in prestige by the celebration of the
eighth anniversary of Gray Shop, No.
3. 266 West 145th Street, noted as one
of the smartest dining rooms in uptown
Manhattan. As though crowning its
eight years of successful catering to
the discriminating taste of New York
food lovers, the New York Times
Magazine section of its Sunday edition
carried recently a scholarly article on
the fine art of cooking as is practiced
among colored, and all the information,
including a photo of a chef illustrating
the proper way to prepare genuine
Southern fried chicken, came from
Gray Shop No. 3.
While people throughout the coun
try were reading this article on how
the tradition of fine food and service
is being preserved in Harlem, the
Gray Shop staff was feeling that this
service which was praised so highly
was only routine work with them.
It was back in 1929 that the first
Gray Shop was opened in Harlem.
Shortly after this beginning, a second
shop was opened, and in 1931, the Gray
Shop fever having taken a firm hold on
Harlem, the largest shop of all, No. 3,
in West 145th street, was opened, with
(Continued on Page 5)
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FRANK R. CROSSWAITH
Leading Colored Socialist and Labor
Leader who speaks Sunday, Feb. 12,
7.45 P.M. at St. Mark Congrega
tional Church on "Jobs for Colored
People." Mr. Crosswaith is a regular
Guardian contributor, writing weekly
the column "Looking Around and Be
yond."
COLORED PRIEST
VISITS BOSTON
Father Robert I. Johnson of St.
Cyprian’s Episcopal Church, Newport,
North Carolina, is now here for a brief
visit in connection with the missionary
work of the Episcopal Church.
He is the head of the General Mis
sion of the Diocese of North Carolina
and has direction of the Colored Hospi
tal there which was built during the
last year.
He has spoken at St. Paul’s Episco
pal Church in Brookline, the Episcopal
Church in Wollaston, Trinity in Copley
Square and Christ Church in Cam
bridge. The main purpose of these
talks is to explain the working of the
mission in the colored field. After leav
ing Massachusetts he will leave for
Connecticut to fulfill engagements.
He is a native of Christianberg, Va.,
and while a young boy he migrated to
Brooklyn where he received his early
education. On finishing High School
he entered the Methodist Seminary to
prepare for the Methodist Clergy but
later changed to the Episcopal Church
under Bishop Talbot.
He has been established in East
Carolina for the past 29 years; is mar
ried and the proud father of five chil
dren.
G
Race Relations On
Air to Europe
On Saturday, Feb. 11, at 4:15 p.m.
over radio stations Wl-XAL and
WCOP an Inter-Racial group of stu
dents from the New England Student
Christian Movement will broadcast a
panel discussion on the significant
position in American democracy of the
Colored American, with emphasis on
the world-wide implications of Race
Relations. This program, prepared in
observance of Lincoln’s Birthday will
be transmitted via short wave across
the Atlantic and will be heard in most
of the countries of Europe. It is one
of a series of International exchanges
known as “World Youth Speaks.” The
group will be under the direction of
Prof. Wheeler of Tufts College, and
will include representatives of the Col
ored, white and Chinese races. The
(Continued on Page 5)
G
Leigh Whipper Gives
Guardian Interview
By Janice Mapp Dingwall
“Of Mice and Men” has departed
from the boards of Boston’s Plymouth
Theatre but to those who saw it, a
lasting impression remains and for
the colored group the superb acting
of Leigh Whipper, as Crooks, a stable
swipe, is a noteworthy example.
Whipper, a veteran performer, hav
ing started out forty years ago, ad
(Continued on Page 5)
PRICE FIVE CENTS
NAACP SEC Y.
SPEAKS AT
COMMUNITY CH.
Walter White, Executive Secretary
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People, will
give an address at the morning service
of the Community Church of Boston
at Symphony Hall on Sunday, Feb. 12,
at 10:30, on the “Cultural Contribu
tions of Colored People to American
Civilization.”
Mr. White is the author of two
novels, “Fire in the Flint”, and “Rope
and Faggot: A Biography of Judge
Lynch.” He has studied the data of
persecution of Colored people in the
cases of forty-one lynchings and eight
race riots. Mr. White was appointed
by President Roosevelt as a member
of the Advisory Council for the Gov
ernment of the Virgin Islands in
March, 1934. In 1935 he was appointed
to the chairmanship of the Harlem
low-cost housing project. In 1937 he
was awarded the 23rd Spingarn Medal.
Mr. White was instrumental in organ
izing the movement behind the Mosti
gan-Wagner anti-lynching bill. Among
the magazines to which he has con
tributed are Harper’s, The Nation, The
Century, The New Republic, The Sur
vey, The Forum, The Saturday Review
of Literature and Liberty.
The service will be conducted by the
Leader of the Church, Rev. Donald G.
Lothrop. A Forum period will take
place after the address.
DORIS EDWARDS
SCORES IN CAL
OAKLAND, Cal.—Miss Doris Ed
wards is having a successful tour in
California. The first in the series of
her piano recitals in the land of sun
shine, was a joint recital with Joseph
James of Boston College of Music,
given at the 15th Street Church, Oak
land, Cal., Sunday, Jan. 29, sponsored
by the Young Womens’ Auxiliary of
the Church.
The California Voice says, “Miss
Edwards whose attack and interpre
tation of the classics was perfection,
itself. Mr. Joseph James, whose melo
dic renditions held his audience spell
bound.”
Miss Edwards has concert engage
ments for the Oakland Women’s Soci
ety Club, the A.K.A. and churches in
Stockton and Sacramento. She is also
preparing a big recital in San Fran
cisco in April. At present Miss Ed
wards is domiciled at the Y.W.C.A.,
828 Linden Street, Oakland, Cal. She
sends regards to her many friends
from whom she will be delighted to
hear.
G
JAS. W. FORD
HERE FEB. 22
“The Fight Against Lynching” and
“Federal low-cost Housing” will be the
two subjects discussed on Wednesday
night, Feb. 22nd, when James W. Ford,
famous colored leader of the Commu
nist Party of America and several
times candidate for vice-president of
the United States, addresses a monster
mass meeting at Butler Hall.
The veteran labor leader will des
cribe the efforts that have been made
to prevent the passage of legislation
against lynching in the past, and will
out line positive methods that can be
utilized to secure the passage of thy
bill now in the United States Congress.
In addition to his main subject, Ford
(Continued on Page 5)
ROXBURY NAACP
UNIT FORUM MEETING
SUNDAY, FEB. 12
at 7:45 p.m.
ST. MARKS CON'L. CHURCH
Townsend St., Roxbury
Guest Speaker:
FRANK R. CROSSWAITH
Subject:
“JOBS for COLORED
PEOPLE”