The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Ed. 1 Friday, May 10, 1918 Page: 1 of 8
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Every patron and friend of Douglass High School should attend the Industrial Exhibit Friday Evening, May 17th
l*ERS THE;
SOUTHWEST!
youk ad is read &
•y &
all or |j
thi people £
Your Paper, §
My Paper,
Everybody's
Paper.
FAITH
3S35
i truth
OKLAHOMA CITY. OKLA., MAY 10. 1918.
OFFICIAL ORGAN OF THE KNIGHTS OF PYTHIAS OF N. S. A., E., A., A., AND A., JURISDICTION OF OKLAHOMA.
Remember Black Motherhood
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Camp Lee Sends Negro Volunteers To France
Leap To The Call
Five Thousand Unprepared Black Men
Volunteer for Immediate Service
W ite Southerners Disturbed And Touched
William Slavens McNutt, in an article on "Making Soldiers in Dixie," i
in Collier's Weekly, says the following about Negro soldiers: I
In writing of the National Army of the South, I must not omit the Negro I
soldiers J
There was one unit at Camp Lee composed of 1,600 Colored soldiers,
selected from West Virginia. Ten days after they arrived in camp with the
first quota last fall, the call came for them to go immediately to Prance for
snscial service. The call was sudden and unexpected. General Cronkhite
k'?ew that the men had not expected to leave this country for several
months. He thought that perhaps some of the 1,600 might have good
reasons for not wanting to leave at once, so he called for volunteers from
the 5,000 other Colored troops who1 were in camp to All up whatever vacan-
cies there might lie in the oversea unit. Every one of the 5,000 volun-
teered for immediate ov'ersea service. Then the unit was inarched to a hall.
The general said that there were volunteers to take the place of any who
wishd to remain behind. Only 20 per cent of the 1,600 availed themselves
of the opportunity to stay at home. When the general came from the stage
•on his way out those newly drafted Colored men, facing active service in j
the war zone within less than two weeks after having broken their civilian 1
lies, started to sing "America." As the general went down the aisle the '
singing grew to a harmonious roar of affirmation. The thing was abso- j
lutely spontaneous. They had not been coached. It was a spontaneous ex |
pression of sentiment in the face of danger.
Will you say that they had no full realization of the danger to be faced?
Then come with me to Camp Jackson. I heard there a battalion of Negro
-soldiers singing under the leadership of David Griflin, the division singing
instrucetor. They were drawn up in formation before a barrack, singing with
that abandon and joy that only the Negro can attain. It seemed indeed
that the thought of the war must be very light on their minds.
Come withe me to an officer/ mess hall the next day. There is a shout
outside: "Hey! Look what's coming!" We step outside. Down the road,
thump-thump, thump-thump, comes that same battalion of Negro soldiers
in full marching order. These soldiers from the mills and cotton fields are
grave, quiet. Thump-thump, thump-thump! There is no sound in all that
great cantonment save the beat of marching feet and the creaking of packs.
The black men know they are on their way abroad. They are a solemn-
looking lot. A minister steps out to the edge of the embankment over-
looking the road down which the troops are inarching, and calls out shakily:
"Good-by, boys, God Bless you! God take care of you, boys!"
A big Mississippian, standing near, swore growlingly under his breath,
gulped, and cried.
"I'm done talking against niggers," he declared huskily. "Those boys
have been damn fine soldiers here, an' if they ever get back from France
I'm big enough to lick any man who don't give 'em a square deal."
"They've certainly been good soldiers," a South Carolinian standing by
agreed. "I never thought to salute a nigger, but I've been glad to return
salutes to those boys. If they die in Prance, they're going to be just^as
dead as any of the rest of us. I've been changing my mind awful fast "in
the last two months."
Silence but for the shuffle and thump of booted feet on the Broadway.
The rollicking, sycopated songs of yesterday were forgotten. A soft, drawl-
ing, quavery voice from somewhere in the marching ranks began the hymn:
"Will There Be Any Stars in My Crown?" Others took it up, and to the
words and music of the old church song those black boys tramped their
solemn way out of camp to put their bodies to the chance of war on a foreign
-soil.
THE MAUL OF PATRIOTISM
Garvin County Teachers Hold Patriotic
Rally, Plan New Educational Program
(By G. A. Kenyon.)
The citizens of Pauls Valley, bot hwhite and black alike, crowded the
First Baptist church Friday, the 3rd of May, to listen to a patriotic addresii
delivered by Editor Roacoe Dunjee, of Oklahoma City. The meeting was held
under the auspices of the Garvin County Teachers' Association and the Garvin
County Council of Defense.
Seated upon the platform with the speaker of the evening were Editor
Byron Hawkins, of the Pauls Valley Free Lance; Hon. W. B. Patterson,
Chairman of the Garvin County Council of Defense; Prof. J. R. White, and
Prof. G. A. Kenyon.
Judge Paterson, in his response to Editor Dunjee. said: "I with that
every man. woman and child in Garvin County could have heard this speech
tonight. He has told his race the truth of things and in addition has not
failed to tell us of the other race how he feels about it."
After tracing the great avenues of opportunity that had already opened
to the Negro. Mr. Dunjee said that the greatest and most subsantial good
was coming through the better understanding that is developing from the
contact we now have between thp sincer. earnest-hearted leadership of the
white race and the intelligent, thinking Negro."
"We have had contact before this," said the speaker, "but It has been the
evil contact that sprang from the low-bred spitoon Negro politician who is
always on hand, alleging to have something to sell, and the cheap, prejudic
bound white politician, whose greatest asset is a pair of leather lungs that
permits him to yell nigger' loudly It is these two fellows who have cansed
all the trouble between the black race and the white race in the past half
century.
"I am glad it is the Negro teachers that have called me here." said Mr
Dunjee. "because I want to tell the white people of Garvin County that
Xinerica owes to you teachers, to the educated Negro all over this nation, a
debt of gratitude and appreciation, for it was you th it had the clear vision to
line the masses of our race up into the ranks of patriotism at a time when
they were dazed and did not seem to know the path of duty "
m
FORMER OKLAHOMAN MARRIES.
Mrs. K. M. Toombs announces the
marriage of her daughter, Frances V.,
of Denver, Colo., to Mr. C. S. Stand
field, of Harden City, Kans., at high
noon. May 1, 1918. The wedding was
In Garden City, Kans., at the resi-
dence of Mr. and Mrs. Jas. Goodwin.
Mr. Standfleld Is in the cattle raising
business near Garden City, Kana.
MOTHERS' DAY.
a movement, state-wide in its nature, that will mean much to every Negro
child of school age in Oklahoma. Publicity will be given later, just as soon
as a few more details have been worked out.
The editor of the Pree Lance made an excellent short talk and Prof. L.
M. Jordan, of Wynnewood, recited one of his own poems, patriotic in its
nature. Prof. J. R. White presided at the meeting.
MOTHER'8 DAY
To the thousands of black boya who are in the training camps
of America today or are over yonder "aomewhere," every day will be
"Mother's Day," as the moments draw near when they must look in-
to the murderoua jawa of Hun Hell, their minda will be conatantly
drifting back to aome simple unpretentioua spot, "over here" "some-
where," where breathee the little dark-faced, sweet voiced, tender
creatures who gave them life.
Over yonder, cannons may roar, human facea may, in the vile
grip of sordid passions, be transformed into images of brutal hate,
rivers may turn red with the blood qf men, who In their last moments'
were helping to make debris of the cathredals and the civilization
of the ages, but even then—even there— Mother's boy will snatch a
moment to visualize a little speck or spot of peace some where,
where rests beneath the sod or breaths above the clods a loving
mother.
Mothers Day should always carry a special and wonderful mean-
ing to the black manhood of America, think of it!—It is from these
undaunted spirits, these tear stained Daughters of Jethro who, tho
living in an age and time when their bodies were raped and torn,
when opportunity for intellectual light and vision were cut off, when
their progeny waa rated only as the beasts of the fields, gave to that
progeny the sparka of geniua in Fredrick Douglas in Washington and
Phyllis Wheatley.
Mother's Day! it ia these same black mothera, who tho drifting
out yonder in their ocean of tears, thru the years since Appomattox,
have taught their sons the thrift that has influenced them to grasp
with their bare hands a billion dollars worth of property and haa made
them aapire to the highest and noblest heights that humanity can at-
tain.
Mother's Day. there ia not enough sparkle in the stara, not
enough perfume in the flowers, not enough radiance in the roseate
coloring of the setting sun, out of which to gather a golden value
equal to the treaaure that black ton* and daughters have in black
motherhood.
The awe that cornea in the silent shadowy dells of the forest are
likened to the ailent potent influencea that spring from bowls of her
yearning, patient, pleading soul, sparkling dews cannot number the
tears she has shed while fashioning us into that which we are. nor
can the purest ether of the mountain peaks tell of her inate purity.
Roico* Donjcc
DR. MOTON WRITE8 OF NEGRO IN
THE WAR.
Sunday is Mothers' Day and in
keeping with the custom the Mothers'
Club and their friends will hold a
special service in hdhor of Mother
at Jhe A. M. K. church Sunday after-
noon, May 12th, 1918, at 4 o'clock.
Mrs. Judith C. Horton, of Guthrie,
President of the State Federation of
Women's Clubs, will deliver the ad-
dress. Come and hear this able lec-
turer anil honor your mother.
MRS. WM. HARRISON.
Prosldent.
MRS. E. W. CARUTHERS.
Secretary.
CARD OF THANK8.
Prof, and Mrs. H. A. Berry desire
to thank their many friends who In
their present sorrow have been so
kind and thoughtful. You will never
be forgotten by us In our good wishes
and mir prayers.
Returns
Chandler, Okla., May 3— Hon. G.
W. P. Sawner has just returned from
an extended trip to Port Worth, Dal-
las and San Antonio; LaGrange being
his objective, where he visited many
relatives and friends.
Amen Brother!
The May issue of The World's
Work, published by Doubleday, Page
& Company, Garden City, New York,
contains an article by Dr. Robert R.
Moton, principal of Tuskegee Insti-
tute, entitled "The American Negro
and The World War." In concluding
:Ma article, Dr. Moton says:
"War is teaching us that we are I
inseparably linked together here in . gentleman who would load us
America. Races, creeds, colors and ! down w,th thelr should bear
classes all have their Interests Inter-''"'"d 'J*4 thar*'* *n «*Pe"«e con-
related and Interdependent. The test "ecMd W,,h °Per««'"0 ""wapaper.
of our greatness as a nation Is not In anc* 0Uf wa* °* that necessary
the accumulation of wealth, nor In expenM '• * MCur,"8 «uoscr,oere.
the development of culture merely. 0#tt,n8 P*,(' ,or °or «pace, job print-
The great test is for the fortunate to lnB' etc' To° of our folka labor
reach down and help the less highly under th# Impression -that Negro
: favored, the poor, the humble—yes, new,P*Per* can thrive on "God bless
the black. My race asks no special *ou'" "nd *«c
!| favors and deserves no special favors. "*v® enough race pride to enroll as
f It simply asks an equal chance on * •ubacrlber. thereby doing your bit
equal terms with other Americans, tow*rd the race creditable
, and nothing in the Negro's past record n•w■PaPe^,• you aomire the wmte
indicates other than that he will give m"n,, newspaper, but that's all you
a strict account of his stewardship. can do' bee,u>a about the only thing
Give the Negro race responsibility, h,'M ,or *ou' '• to "r"P y°u
and In proportion as he has these re
f&ponslhllltles placed upon him. In like
proportion will his experience
j broaden and his service In all lines
. reach a higher level of satisfaction.
]The social problems of America will
never be solved by mobbing or segre-
gating black men In th<- North, nor
by burning and lynching in the South.'"
Injustice and unfairness will never do
It. The great Nazerene said "Inas-
much as ye did it unto the least of
these ye have done It unto me'."
across the knuckles.—Muskogee Cim-
ete.v
Mr and Mrs. Joe Wright, of Bait
Third street, left for Colondo Sprins'
Thursday, where they will spend the
summe.'.
"WORK HELPER."
CARO OF THANKS.
Dr. J. T.
to thank their many kind friends for shaU ever retain
The teachers of Garvin County are progressive and have already started I their sympathy and never-to-be-for- j hearts.
gotten acts of kindness during the
short sickness and death of our wife
Jeter and family desire and mother. Mrs. T J Jeter You
warm spot in our
The Black Dispatch has become
such a part of Miss Alice Turner, the
' daughter of Rev and Mr* J W Tur
jner. that she cannot work on Satur
days until after reading it When her
father spoke of ^topping the paper,
she began to cry and "swore off from
working."
The editor of the Free Lance
and W. B. Patterson, chairman of
tne County Council ot uetense,
accepted an invitation to addreaa
a patriotic rally of the colored peo-
ple of this city, as did Roscoe Dun-
jee. editor of the Black Dispatch
of Oklahoma City. The speech de-
livered by this young colored man
was filled with the spirit of patriot-
ism. patriotism or a lofty cnar-
acter. not clap-trap—and we wish
that every man in Garvin county
could have heard him.—Paula Val-
ley Free Lance.
*
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Dunjee, Roscoe. The Black Dispatch (Oklahoma City, Okla.), Ed. 1 Friday, May 10, 1918, newspaper, May 10, 1918; (https://gateway.okhistory.org/ark:/67531/metadc152079/m1/1/: accessed April 25, 2024), The Gateway to Oklahoma History, https://gateway.okhistory.org; crediting Oklahoma Historical Society.