How 20 Prominent Negroes Impressed Me.
. i
A BRILLIANT ARRAY OF
STRIKING PERSONALITIES
(
(By I. tf. K Wells, Pres. A. F of N. S.—Negro Youth Movement)
1.
2.
3.
4.
‘5.
6.
7.
SYNOPSIS.
Louisville Kentuckians:
Wilson Lovett, President First Standard Bank; calm and
Ikeen.
W. P. Hughes, President Domestic Life Insurance Co.
diplomatic
L Willis Cole, Editor Louisville Leader; energetic and
distant. # .
W. H. Wright, President American Mutual Savings Bank
stubborn and eccentric.
l.'Qflf.! Nashville, Tennesseans:
Hon. J. C. Napier, Ex-Register of Treasury; aloof and
unexcitable.
Prof. J. W. Work, Original Member Famous Fisk
Jubilee Quartet; easy-going.
H. A. Boyd, Noted Baptist Publisher; sturdy and con
servative.
8. Dr. W. S. Quinland, Race’s Greatest Pathologist (Me
harry College.) Prepossessing.
[ ** St. Louis, Missourians:
9. Miss Althea Meichant, Editor A. K. A. Ivy Leaf, well
balanced womanhood.
10. J. E. Mitchell, Editor, St. Louis Argus, easily approached
Illinois Student:
11. Robert R. Taylor, founder of “College Dreamer,’’ ag
gressive youth.
,'vSSBE Chicago, Illinoians:
12. Anthony Overton, President Douglass National Bank,
Founder and head of Overton Hygiene and Chemical
Co., etc., shrewd capitalist.
13. Robert S. Abbott, Editor Chicago Defender; easy-going.
14. J. L. Bibb, Editor Chicago Whip; virile and frank.
13. W. Ellis Stewart, Secretary Liberty Life Insurance Co.;
a visionist. , j
16. C.. E. J. Fouche, President Fouche Advertising Co.;
pioneering youth.
INSTALLMENT NO. 4
The casual observer would say
that W. Ellis Stewart, had fortune
thrust upon him, in that he sallied
forth from college with nothing but
a degree and a good appetite and
became the unbossed secretary and a
member of the board of directors of
Liberty Life. Stewart has a vision.
He is one of the very tew Negroes
hokling a degree in Insurance from
an accredited university. He fore
saw and worked toward a definite
goal and we cannot logically 6ey he
was lucky.
I was given still further evidence
of this man as one wiho looks ahead.
He toiq the writer that he is build
ing hie estate to consist of insur
ance. Says he: “The salvation of
the Negro race lies in insurance.”
As insurance is the factor which
eliminates risk there are certainly
the germs of truth in his opinion.
Virtually all of Negro business is
in the promotion stage. Our youths
in our schools and colleges, the
smithy which forges them for prac
tical usefulness, will do well to
look into the business field—ripe for
exploitation.
A significant fact which youth will
profit by, will be to observe that the
majority of the offices of firms like
the Standard Life, Liberty Life, Na
tional Benefit, etc., are manned by
trained young men.
Mr. Stewart impressed me as a
very capable man. He is affiliated
with a number of civic and fraternal
organizations; is a Mason, and to
crown the whole he bears the dis
tinction of being Grand Polemarch
of the Kappa Alpha Psi. national
Greek letter fraternity.
The other pioneering personality,
who usurps as it were the place of
the unflinching Col. Dennison, is C.
E. Fouche. Fouche has yet to ex
perience twenty-six winters. He was
born in the Creole state of Louisiana
reared in California and, received his
professional education in Illinois.
But first, who is this Fouche that
I seemed to be just as much im
pressed with as with the race’s
highest ranking military figure in
the World War? He is a pioneer,
the president and founder of C. E.
Fouche and Co., Inc., to my knowl
edge, the only Negro advertising
corporation in the world. Young
Fouche holds a degree earned in the
study of advertising at one of our
foremost universities. Like other
pioneers he passed through the pri
vation, commonly termefl ‘jstarvar
tion” period, but his business out
grew his residence, spread beyond
two office locations and a two
personed staff. It still grows.
Fouche is light brown skinned,
has a large rotund face and is of
average height, and easily weighs
180. He differs from W. Ellis
Stewart in that he has a deliberate
accent. From his orthodox Kongo
hair our erring brother Lothrop
Stoddard who eyes the -world through
Nordic spectacles, would be obliged
to find a non-conformity to his pre
ferred yard, stick of achievement.
* Mr, Fouche is friendly, easily
approached, but not talkative. H<e
seems naturally conservative. Wheth
er lie is generous, kind, vain, stub
born, or a liberal mixture of the
sisterhood of virtues and qualities
one cannot readily tell. However he
has sufficient personality and such
excellent grasp of advertising and its
relation to the promotion of an un
dertaking that he has the support
and backing of concerns like the
Douglass National Bank, the Chica
go Defender,. the Overton HYRtene
and Chexnteal -Company and, nimer
eas ojher anterprieftB.
During the whole 3,009 miles of
travel I do not know of having met
a brighter ray of hope, a more sub
stantial claim to justify the constant
call of the American Federation of
Negro Students to our youth to pre
pare to help make a BIGIGER and
BETTER NEGRO BUSINESS.
We do not mean that the world is
educated Negro youth's lobster nor
that as soon as a degree in business
training has been received from some
big university that a lavish provi
dence stands pledged to donate to
him nine:tenths of infinity. We do
say, however, that one’s opportunity
, and possibility have been greatly
magnified, and that because of such
preparedness the battle of our group
for economic, political and social
freedom will be easier won.
SALVATION OF RACE LIES IN
PREPAREDNESS.
Whether or not the salvation of
the race lies in insurance, no one
will care to be a target for denying
that the pillars of progress rest
firmly upon an economic foundation.
These 20 prominent personalities
impress me to the extent of behold
ing the future and visualizing the
possibilities to be attained .if the
Negro Race will be careful to be
guided! by a well balanced educa
tional policy. To America I ask,
what is the Negro’s educational pol
icy? Has he really got one?
(To be continued.)
To introduce our genuine inde
structible La Dora Pearls, imported
from Paris, we offer o 2 4-inch neck
lace perfectly matched and graduated
wi h solid white gold clasp, set with
genunie chip diamond, in beautiful
silk lined gift case at the unbeliev
able price of $15.25
AX IDEAL LIFT that will delight
the heart of any girl or woman. La
Dora Pearls have the soft, delicate
color and lustre of the genuine Ori
ental pearls which cost hundreds of
dollars. We guarantee that they will
.not break, crack, peel or discolor.
They will retain their beautiful sheen
and lustre permanently. Upon re
ceipt of the Necklace, if you are not
perfectly delighted, you may return
same to us and we'will immediately
refund the price paid. This strong
guarantee is made because we know
that you would not part with the
[ pearls once you see them. We are
[ making this special red;uced-price of
fer only to those who can appreciate
real beauty in pearls and will show
and recommend them to their friends
Send us only $15.25 to. SANDERS
"WATCH CO., 93 E. South St., Union
town, Pa. __
TWF PI IWFT
Umbrella Coupon
GOOD FOR FIVE VOTES.
COLORFUL NEWS
By "THE CAMERAMAN.”
I—NEGRO LABOR UNIONS.
3—“SIX-CYLINDER” LEADERSHIP.
(Preston News Service)
MOVIES”
2—THE CLEVER JAPANESE.
4—COLORETTES.
ACCORDING TO ESTIMATES of officials of organ
ized labor, there are, in the United States, approximately 165
local unions, representing 6,000 Negro Workmen, which are
directly affiliated with the American Federation of Labor.
These figures do not include musicians, stage hands, and other
organized theatrical workers, who are largely employed In
theatres which cater, principally, to Negro patronage. A
glimpse of the content of these 165 local unions is enlightening,
and their geographical location shows that there is a deal of
work to be done in the matter of organizing Negro labor.
Transportations hands, of varied descriptions, such as coach
and car cleaners, freight handlers, shipyard workers, train por
ters, mechanics’ helpers, station porters, platform men, and mail
and baggage handlers, comprise the bulk of the 6,000 organized
laborers.
Winston-Salem, N. C. boasts of a hair-dressers’ union, in
good and active standing with the A. F. of L. The unions
are Ideated, principally, in Alabama, Arkansas, Californ
ia, Florida, Georgia, Delaware, Kentucky, Louisiana, Mary
land, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North
Carolina, Ohio, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, South Carolina,
Tennessee, Texas, Virginia and West Virginia. In some cases
only seven members comprise the total membership of a local;
while the coach cleaners of St. Louis, Mo. and the baggage
handlers of Philadelphia, Pa. and Washington, D. C., with a
total membership, each of 250, bear off the palms for numerical
strength. i
/In the onward march of organized labor, the time is over
ripe for real live representation in the parent-body. Where
are the iron and steel workers, the automobile hands, the build
ing construction men, etc.? Is hair-dressing more important,
and are the artisans of real labor to play second fiddle io do
mestic workers and dispensers of “blues” melodies? We think
this ought not to be. We advocate organization, regardless
of color and regardless of the type of union. Let the A. F.
of L., open its doors—and its windows, too—and let there be
union, first, and petty personalities of prejudice and jealousy
last, if at all. Where Negro labor cannot gain ready admis
sion to the local union, let it create another local, clothed with
all the official authority of any union in the land, and recog
nizable, both in council and out of council. That’s real or
ganization, we think. ' - * ;
% A Jl
WHILE DISSECTING THE AFTERMATH of the
Cleveland Convention, and wondering whether the Democrat
ic Convention will be equipped with balloon tires and four
wheel brakes, the office door was gently opened and two clean
cut Japanese gentlemen, after making a dignified bow, saun
tered over to the old roll-top desk.
• “We seek information on the Negro problem,” the spokes
man said, quietly, with a scarcely perceptible smile, and in a
stumbling flow of speech.
“That’s easy,” we thought, as we shot a five minute lecture
at the orientals, who listened attentively, and nodded their
heads in a comprehensive way.
“But, please tell us,” the spokesman said: ‘Do Negroes
speak a separate language? What is being done to educate
Negroes? Do they vote in this country? Are they well or
ganized? Arc there many interracictl movements, looking to
their welfare? What do Negroes think of the immigration act
excluding the Japanese? Is there any anti-American movement
among Negroes?
Please notice the sequential trend of the queries of the Jap
anese, who, the conversation developed, are students at one
of America’s largest universities, from which, by the way, Ne
groes are positively excluded. We stopped clicking the cam
era in genuine amazement at the questions of the clever Japan
ese. Here were two human examples of the little yellow men
across the sea, who, after an almost ludicrous question, as a
starter, considering the intelligence with which they were pos
sessed, closed with thoughts which but few Americans have
given any consideration.
A.nd Japan wants to know what American Negroes are
thinking about. We assured the clever students that there was
no anti-American movement among Negroes; (we omitted
reference to the K .K.K.), that all of us here are Americans,
good and true: that interracial committees, North and South, .
are dealing intelligently and effectively with interracial diffi
culties; and that Negro education is making wonderful strides.
Hanging our heads, we had to admit that the voting Negro
population could be considerably swelled, especially where
“grandfather” clauses are popular; and that there could be
much improvement in interracial! relations in America.
And when we had finished answering the questions in good
true American style, and had proudly stuck our thumbs in our
vest pockets, the clever Japanese asked whether the Negro
birth rate exceeded the Negro death rate. We asked them
to call again, when we were not so busy.
Oh, the Japanese want to know what we are doing over
here. Why? Why? WHY?
' — *' *
4 & # •
; _ . . . —«assg5fc£- • ^ ~ ~
NEVER BEFORE have so many factions invaded the
political arena as appear to be in our midst this year. Political
reconstruction is surely within our gates, and, according to each
factional leaden, we are dwelling in the tents of wickedness.
Reducing the situation to its lowest terms, it appears to us that
inasmuch as the Negro’s political influence is growing stronger
and stronger North of the Mason and Dixon’s line, splitting
so-called leadership into atoms, because of the looej mflttenees
in divers territories, a type of command on the six-cylinder
scale is absolutely necessary before we can stake a claim in
the promised land.
For instance, there’s an undying cross-fire between the ad
herents of interracial co-operation and those who cling to the
doctrine of “I-take-what-I-want”.as announced in Rex Beach’s
famous novel, “The Spoilers. Then, too, the taiVenders,
used to following anything, and the “bitter-enders” used to
opposing the majority, are quite unfriendly. Add to this
mixture a bit of radicalism and a bit of “too-much-religion-in
politics,” and you have a living model of what the Race is
up against.
Territorially speaking, the wise men of the East are constant
critics of their brethren from other points of the political com
pass; and, all in all, there’s not enough co-ordination to turn a
grain of sand upside down.
This is apDarent in the great difficulty experienced in trying
to put a Negro plank in the platform adopted at Cleveland last
week. And it is further noticeable in the ex parte conferences
which factional leaders have with the powers that be.
If it isn’t too late, can’t some sort of a coalition committee
be formed which will have authority to speak for each of the
six or more wings in Negro political thought? Can’t New
York, New England, Pennsylvania, Maryland, New Jersey,
the South, and the middle West have a political love feast and
adopt the “One for All—All for One” policy? Last week
when someone in supreme command did something to a phy
sician (white) in a prominent eastern hospital, 23 out of 25
of the house physicians quit. This week, the 23 are back
and amends have been made to the injured medic. That’s
coalition—the strong, compelling, convincing, persuasive, kind
—the kind from which results accrue. (■
But, alas, Jack told Harry that Tom said Dick heard Bill
say that Henry was N. G. Whereupon Henry swore eternal
enmity to Jack. And one day when both Harry and Jack
were ‘‘up a tree” Jack sawed off the limb upon which both of
them were sitting. Let us pray!
9K »»
Approximately 300,000 colored FIRST-VOTERS will
go to the polls next November.
Colonel Giles B. Jackson, of Richmond, who suffered an
attack of illness at the Cleveland Convention, has returned
home much improved. We wish the Colonel long life and
prosperity.
The “Hound Dog Special)” and the “Water Spaniel Lim
ited,” which bore the dry and wet Missouri democrats, respec
tively, to the New York Convention, were “scrapped” after
the convention.
Forrester B. Washington and Prince L. Edwoods, selected
by Governor Pinchot to make a survey of the Pennsylvania
interracial situation and its needs, are outstanding young men
of training, efficiency, competency and speed. The job will
be well done.
R. E. Wylie, writing from Lancaster, S. C., says: “I be
lieve that under the providence of God sWery was abolished,
just as under His providence He permitted the slave ships of
the North to bring them from the jungles of Africa to America;
and the owners, for economic reasons, to sell them to the people
of the South, where, ‘Uncle Tom Cabin,’ to the contrary not
withstanding, they were, as a general rule, treated humanely,
until God, in His own good time, freed them.”
VIRGINIA:—In Hustings Court Part
II City of Richmond, June 4, 1924.
JOSEPH DAY .Plaintiff
vs.
MARY DAY .Defendant
The object of this suit is to obtain
for the plaintiff an absolute divorce
from the defendant upon the grounds
of wilful and continuous desertion and
abandonment for more than three
years prior to the commencement of
this suit.
And an affidavit having been male
and filed that the defendant, Mary
Day is not a resident of the State of
Virginia it is ordered that she do ap
pear here within ten day's after the
due publication of this order and do
what is necessary to protect her inter
est in this suit.
A Copy, Teste:
W. E. DUVAL, Clerk.
C. MIMMS, Attorney.
HAS EH JOYED SUCH UNEX
PECTED SUCCESS IN THE
PAST YEARTHAT WE? HAVE
DECIDED TO ADD AAFEW
MOREBEAUTIFYING PREP
ARATIONS TO OUR LIMIT
ED BUT EFFECTIVE LINE
The following /• our;
complete liet •
•
Stralt-Tex Hair Refining Tonic
fl.M Refine* kinky,' frissy, coarae hair te
•VMttb medium; medium hair to good.
Strait-Tex Hair Group* *
39c Not only promote* growth at the
mcm hair, but make* it tort, pliable and
luxuriant. An excellent pretting oiL
Gloas-Tex BrUliantine
Sic Make* the hair toft and gloeay and
UMl keep* it in good condition .without
1 leaving it oily or gummy.
Stralt-Tex Herb® i
11.04 la • vegetable preparation th* •» '
Men tually straightens and restores thg \
original color to gray or faded hair. I
Color permanent—positively will nc* ‘
rub off, no matter bow often the hafer
la shampooed. Three ahades: Black.
Brown and Chestnut-Brown.
Kokomo Shampoo
40c la made from pure cocoanut oil;
pokault cleans the acalp and roots of the bale
^ in a natural, healthy manner.
Bronze Beauty Vanishing Cream
60c Is a soothing, greaacless vanishing
jrjtf face cream that will not grow hair.
Bronze Beauty Lemon Cream
50c Is nourishing, softening and stimu*
■gjar lating to the skin; is filled with a I
triple strength of oil of lemon—mak
ing it a mild, bleaching cream.
Bronze Beauty Face Powders
60c Are suited to all complexions- Can
Mrbts be successfully used on dry or oily
skins- The shades: High Brown
and Bronze Glow are favorites.
Mollyglosco
61.00 Is a special hair straightener for men;
•vjar positively guaranteed to straighten
the most stubborn hair in from 10 to
20 minutes without the use of hot
irons. Will not injure the scalp or
turn the hair red.
AGENTS WANTED EVERYWHERE
Strait-Tex \
Chemical Company
600 FIFTH AVENUE
PITTSBURGH, PA., U. S. A.
1
cj'owl/ou can have a j
\ soft, clear, lighter Skin!
FOR YOUR SKIN. To make
your skin lighter and more charm
ing apply Dr. Fred Palmers Skin
"Whitener Ointment with a soft
refreshing massage. _ Almost im
mediately your skin bleaches
clearer, becomes lighter and free
from oily slune.
"Isn’t she beautiful!” How many times have you
heard that remark about others and wished it were for
you? Do you know you can make your complexion
more lovely, simply by using Dr. Fred Palmer’s Skin
Whitener Preparations. They will clear your skin, keep
it free from shine and make it much more beautiful.
FOR YOUR COMPLEXION.
To improve your complexion and
keep it soft and lighter, use Dr.
Fred Palmer’s Skin Whitener
Soap which makes it more health,
ful, free from roughness and
satiny without shine. Then apply
Dr. Fred Palmer’s Face Powder
which is fragrantly sweet.
FOR YOUR HAIR. To make
your hair long, luxuriant and
silky, use Da Fred Palmer’s Hair
Dresser. It cleanses the scalp,
makes the hair straight and pro*
motes growth. It will keep your
hair soft, glossy and easy to dress.
Hundreds use it regularly and
will have no other. Try it.
Your druggists can supply you with these preparations, or
we will send them direct on receipt of price—25c each.
k Jot and get Dr..Pycd Palmw S
SKIN_ WHnTENERJP^RAJRATION 8_
Dr. Fred Palmer’s Laboratories,
Atlanta, Ga. Please send me
samples of your preparations. I
am enclosing 4c fof postage and
wrapping.
Name
Address