ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES
Saturday morning, September 19, a free kiddie show was produced under the auspices of the Oakland TRIBUNE and the Roxie theater and was attended by a capacity house of members of The TRIBUNE'S Model Airplane League, Aunt Elsie, 100,000 and Brother Bobs clubs, and other boys and girls from various schools of Oakland and vicinity. A splendid program had been arranged by Robert Lippert, manager of the Roxie theater, and Beverly Swabey, director of TRIBUNE Juveniles. It included talkies, feature pictures and other acts including a score of The TRIBUNE Juveniles in a song and dance act under the direction of Beverly Swabey and coached by Miss Ivy Ford. Among The TRIBUNE Juvenile performers was little Dorothy Longress of Berkeley, who gave a solo dance. This was her first appearance as a TRIBUNE Juvenile, and members of her race are proud of this recognition.
After the Juveniles a "Mickey Mouse" picture was shown followed by W. F. D. Brown, circulation manager of The Oakland TRIBUNE, who gave a brief talk on the activities of The TRIBUNE'S Model Airplane League and its growth the past four years. He in turn introduced Mr. Kennedy, of the Boeing Airplane company, who acted as master of ceremonies for the occasion and presented all the winners of the TRIBUNE'S outdoor airplane contest held at the Oakland airport August 23. Among winners was Archie Williams, grandson of Mrs. Fannie Wall, founder of the Children's Home and Day Nursery in Oakland. Archie won two medals, a gold and silver cup in the "flying scale" intermediate class, and third prize "speed race," which was a gold medal. His race is proud of Archie because of his interest in aviation.
NEGRO ART
A special news item from South Hadley, Mass., appearing in the Christian Monitor, September 8, gave an account of the tenth annual conference of the International Student Service held at Mount Holyoke college. The article quotes from a paper read before the conference which had been prepared by Dr. Alan Locke, professor of philosophy at Howard university, in which he stated: "You will not find the characteristic Negro elements where you would expect to find them--shut up in the Negro community--but floating in the main stream of American life, more popular and esteemed among the whites than among the blacks, part of the common social currency of the land, and construed like jazz as the characteristic and typical American product.
"Today you will hear Negro spirituals more sung and cherished by whites than by Negroes, you will observe that the humor of the country, is tinctured Negroid, that the youth of the land is brought up on 'Uncle Remus' alongside 'Brother Grimm,’ and to cap the paradox best known and most original white American writers, playwrights and musicians are today the leading exponents of Negro art."
Dr. Locke pointed out "that while cultural traditions of other emigrant minorities have gone literally "into the melting pot," of the Negro, planted more deeply in American society, has survived the powerful materializing and standardizing process of American life."
Locke then named several important white writers who "are exponents and protagonists of Negro art. They are concerned with the artistic development of Negro materials as promising experimental steps in the differentiation according to word recently received here of a native American art.
"Negro art, in the narrow sense of being addressed particularly to the Negro community, is a comparatively recent product," he said. "The artistic products of the past with the exception of the spirituals and a few bits of native lore, were mainly for white audiences." He then made a hasty roll call of the new generation of Negro artists, poets and writers in support statement that a Negro renaissance is progress.
"From these two streams of influence a new spiritual dynamic in Negro life, and the recognition of the Negro as artist and cultural producer, we may expect a new evolution of the Negro in American life," he said.
"If these prospects hold, we may expect an ultimately changed social attitude more ready to accept and recognize material achievements of Negro masses in economic and educational progress than would otherwise be possible without some movement by which group prestige can be developed."
WEDDING RECEPTION
Edward Snelling, special delivery Oakland letter carrier, was quietly married last Saturday night to Miss Estell Turner, daughter of Mrs. Rose Turner of Oakland. The bride in a native of New Orleans, educated in Nome, Alaska, public schools. Upon coming to Oakland she began the study of art under H. D. Grempke, a San Francisco artist. Later she entered the School of Arts and Crafts of Oakland. She is recognized as a painter in oils. Following a wedding reception held in the home of the couple at 879 Thirty-seventh street, they left on a motor trip to Canada.
FOREIGN STUDY
The reader will be delighted to know that Miss Berlinda Davison, of San Francisco who will be recalled as the first colored student to win a master's degree at the University of California in Berkeley,and in the spring of 1930, entered a university in Berlin, Germany. She spent Easter in Rome, Italy, toured southern Europe, visiting the colonial exposition in Paris, France, and is now in Madrid, Spain.
CLUB RECEPTION
The California Federation of Colored Women's clubs, northern district, held a reception here last Sunday afternoon in the Fanny Wall Children Home and Day Nursery. It was to honor Mrs. Chlora Sledge, re-elected state vice president and president for this district. Sharing the honor with her were the newly elected state officers for the district. The beautiful decorations were done by Mrs. Cora Brock, president of the Hollier club assisted by members of the "Young Women's department." Assisting in receiving guests were Mrs. Theo Lee Purnell, Beula Maxwell and Hettie Hogan. The tea table center piece was an immense ship made of blue and white crepe paper with a suspended motto, "Lifting As We Climb."
It was the gift of the Young Women's Progressive club, and the workmanship of their president, Mrs. Hettie Hogan. Melba Stafford, Mrs. R. Deibney of Oakland, and Mrs. Maynard of Richmond, served tea to the guests assisted by a committee of representatives from the various clubs.
Mrs. Grayce Mathews, chairman of "Education and Literature," presented a program which included the following: Mrs. Elizabeth Brown, past state president, who gave echoes from the twenty-fifth anniversary of club work in California: Mrs. Vivian Osborn Marsh, state financial secretary, spoke on the "Junior Federation," Mrs. Tarea Pittman, chairman of the executive board on the "Interracial program", at the celebration; Mrs. Hettie B. Tilghman, past state president on the "Young Women's department and the drama." Mrs. Van of Oakland, and Mrs. Grayson of Richmond rendered readings. The Bolmer orchestra rendered several selections. Mrs. Owen and Mrs. Garrett gave piano selections. A chorus of junior girls from the Art and Industrial Club sang several songs under the direction of Mrs. Louise Williams. The children of the Fannie Wall Home and Day Nursery gave a demonstration. Mrs. Sledge gave a resume of the silver anniversary and said: "that the most memorial event for the delegates was the day they spent in Val Verda, community club house near Los Angeles.” It was located in a beautiful plot of land surrounded by large Oak and California trees. The most masterful address of welcome delivered during the convention was by James Vena, superintendent of the building and grounds. After the close of her address, she was presented with a bunch of cut flowers by Miss Esther Lee, on behalf of her mother, Mrs. Esther Jones Lee, past state president of the organization. Several other tokens from various clubs were presented as an appreciation of her efforts to advance club work among the women of her race in California.
OUT OF TOWN GUESTS
Among the out of town guests in attendance were William Lashley, president of the Cosmos Club of San Francisco; Mrs. Roberts, superintendent of Madam C. J. Walker, San Francisco; Mrs. E. Noble of Martha Ann Wilson Memorial club, and Miss Floyd Green, of San Francisco, a federal supervisor of home economics for land grant Negro colleges.
