Activities Among Negroes

By Delilah L. Beasley

The Boston Guardian, in a recent issue, gave an account of the celebration held in that city of the one hundredth and fifty-first anniversary of the martyrdom of Crispus Attucks and his companions. The negro Attucks was the first martyr in the Boston massacre March 5, 1770. The celebration was under the direction of the . It was designated "Citizenship Foundation Day." William Monroe Trotter, secretary of the Boston branch of the league, acted as official representative. The principal exercises of the day were held in the morning at the foot of Attucks' monument on Boston Commons. It was attended by Major Sampson as a representative of the State, and Mayor Curley for the city of Boston.

The celebration commissioner placed state and city colors on each side of the monument, the Equal Rights League, Boston branch, placed a wreath on the pole corner of State and Exchange streets opposite where Altucks fell. James G. Wolf made a brief statement; Sturges M. Robinson fastened the wreath of laurel; Mrs. W. C. Harding was wreath holder; Mrs. Cunningham was present as a representative of Carney Circle, Ladies of the G. A. R., and Michael J. Jordan for the Irish Americans: Carl Logan, baritone, sang.

Former Representative William H. O'Brien, chief of the telegraph and telephone division of the State Board of Public Utilities, placed a wreath of galaxa leaves with red, white and blue streamers, on the grave of Attucks and his four Irish companions in Granary burying grounds on Tremont street. A card attached bore than following inscription: "To the memory of Crispus Attucks, a great American, from the descendants of the Irish Americans who fought and died with him in the cause of American liberty."


Dr. Du Bois, who recently represented the U. S. government at the second inauguration of President King of the Republic of Liberia, which was held on January 1, has given out a statement of his trip. He spent one month in Liberia, a week in Sierra Leone, and ten days in Senegal. He also vilsted Portugal and Moorish Spain.


The fraternities and sororities among colored college students are doing effective work to assist the race. They are nearly all financing scholarships for home and foreign study for deserving but poor students. The largest scholarship has recently been financed by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity in memory of Colonel Charles Young, U.S. A. He was a member of this fraternity.

William S. Nelson is chairman of the Young scholarship for foreign study established by the Omega Psi Phi fraternity at its annual convention in St. Louis in 1923. The value of the scholarship this year will be $1000. This scholarship will be open to all men irrespective of fraternity affiliations.


The Delta Sigma Theta sorority, a national body whose efforts is directed in higher scholarship among colored women, also has a scholarship fund. The Kappa chapter of the University of California, in its efforts to encourage colored California students, holds every year a week known as Better Education Week. This year it will be held on Sunday, May 11, with an evening program in First A. M. E. church, Oakland. On May 15 in the Y. W. C. A. of the University of California, the sorority will hold exercises consisting of slides to show the progress of the negro in education.


The City Federation of Colored Women's Clubs has recently been organized in Oakland. Mrs. Iva Gray was elected as the first president.


The colored club women have lost another national leader in the person of Mrs. Mattie Johnson-Young of Chicago, who died recently.

The Chicago Defender, in speaking of her, said: "Mrs. Young was a clerk at the old Siegel And Cooper firm (now Leiter Building stores) for 23 years. She had the distinction of being the only member of the race to be employed in the grocery department as a clerk. She also was the oldest member of the Bethesda Baptist church. At the time of her death she was president of the Phillis Wheatley club home. Mrs, Young was also one of the founders of the Chicago Choral Study club, of which the late Pedro Tinsley was director."


Rev. Cooper, pastor of Bethel A. M. E. church, San Francisco, died last week. He had been pastor less than a year, during which time he had made many friends in the bay cities. His wife and children sent his remains to Pasadena for Interment.

 

ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES
BY DELILAH L. BEASLEY

ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES BY DELILAH L. BEASLEY Sun, Apr 20, 1924 – Page 38 · Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) · Newspapers.com