ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES
The following item has been received from Greensboro, N. C., “Fifth eight years ago in a church basement, in this city, Bennett College for Women was started. Today it honored its founders with impressive exercises in the half million dollar plant. Visiting educators, friends of the institution, alumnae, and student body packed Carrie Barge chapel to hear addresses appropriate to the occasion and to witness the conferring of the honorary degree of master of arts upon Mrs. Jennie B. Moton, wife of the noted principle of the Tuskegee Institute.
“President David D. Jones presided, and a graceful word of welcome was extended by Dr. W. C. Jackson, vice president of the board of trustees. Greetings from sister schools were brought by F. D. Bluford of A. and T. College; from the alumnae by Mrs. Stella W. Wright, of Newark, N.J., from the faculty by Miss Willie B. Player, and the student body by Miss Elfreda Sandifer. The Founder’s Day address was delivered by Dr. Will W. Alexander of Atlanta, director of the commission on interracial cooperation.
“ In conferring the honorary degree of master of arts upon Mrs. Moton, President Jones paid her the following tribute: “Jennie B. Moton, director of women’s industries at the school of home economics of Tuskegee Institute; native of Virginia; loyal daughter of Hampton; teacher and worker with the girls; exemplar of womanhood; leader and helper of women of high degree and lowly estate; staunch and intrepid helpmate amid threatening dangers; faithful and vigilant mother. By virtue of the authority vested in me by the board of trustees, I gladly admit you to the degree of master of arts in the college and confer upon you all the rights and privileges that belong thereto. In token thereof, I present this diploma."
THRIVING INSTUTION
Under the direction of President Jones, Bennett College has become one of the south’s outstanding institutions for the education of Negro women. In five years its college enrollment has increased from 10 to 153; its annual budget has doubled and the income from tuition has been multiplied by four. It is rated as an “A’ grade college by the state of North Carolina and has won the confidence of a number of the high educational foundations. The chief support of the college, however, comes from the Methodist Episcopal Church. President Jones is a native of Greensboro and a graduate of Wesleyan College and Columbia University.
JOB COMPETITION
In a statement just released from the National Urban league department of industrial relations of which T. Armond Hill is director, an exhaustive account is given of the keen contest for jobs between the white and Negro workers in the east. It gives many evidences where Negro workers are losing their jobs to white workers. But conclusion sounds a note of hopefulness in the following:
"These losses have been compensated for in whole or in part public works, building construction, and other fields that used to give work to unemployed men. Among the cities reporting gains of this character are Denver, Fort Wayne, Newark, Springfield, Ill., St. Paul, Warren, and Hot Springs, Ark. Resumption of work in the automobile industry was responsible for from 600 to 800 workers returning to their former jobs at the Ford company. The Mountain States Telephone and Telegraph company have two salesmen soliciting new patrons for the company. A local company in Akron, Ohio, is employing six salesmen."
SPIRIT OF COOPERATION
The reader will recall the staunch support at the recent Harmon Foundation exhibition works by Negro artists, held in this city by the Bahia of Oakland, Berkeley and San Francisco. One afternoon more than forty members of this organization attended, while on other occasions they were well represented. The kindly feeling engendered between the races through this contact they are anxious to strengthen. And to that end an interracial tea will be held today in the home of Katherine Frankland, 1109 Spruce street, Berkeley, between 4 and 6 p. m. The public will be welcome.
Another gesture of goodwill and unity will be emphasized later as the following notice will explain.
UNITY DINNER
Dear Friend:
The North Oakland Baptist church has courteously offered to act as host in the fourth of the series of interracial amity gatherings which have been sponsored by the Bahia of Oakland and Berkeley. This meeting will take the form of a unity dinner in the North Oakland Baptist church dining hall, Thirty-second and Linden streets, Oakland, Sunday, December 13, at 6 o'clock. The women of the congregation are preparing a turkey dinner for 75 cents a plate. A program of music will be given during the dinner hour, after which the friends will adjourn to the main auditorium of the church for the evening services. Rev. G. C. Coleman, pastor of the church, and Leroy C. Ioas of San Francisco will share the pulpit. Those who have attended any of the previous interracial meetings in the Eastbay area are well aware of the beautiful spirit of fellowship which pervades those gatherings, and we hope you will plan to attend and to make this particular meeting known to as many your friends as possible. Make your reservations for the dinner as soon as possible through Miss Charlotte M. Linfoot, 739 Alcatraz avenue, Oakland (telephone OLympic 2135). Knowing that you believe with us that "fellowship is the cause of unity, and unity is the source of order in the world," we look forward to your presence at this unity dinner and service. Very cordially yours, Charlotte M. Linfoot, Paul S. Jones, Ruth E. Williams.
ART EXHIBIT REPORT
A full and complete report of the success of the committee sponsoring the purchase of a picture from the recent exhibition of works by Negro artists sponsored by the Harmon foundation, Oakland Council of Church Women, California Federation of Colored Women's Clubs (northern section), the Wesleyan Service Guild (First Methodist church, Oakland) and the Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters, will be published in next week's newsletter. The picture has been selected, and a payment on the same sent to New York Art Center, but the full amount not having been donated, the plans of the committee for securing the remainder and the time of presenting the picture will all be given in next week's letter.
Miss Mary Branch, president of Tilloston College for Colored Women, of Austin, Texas, left Oakland Saturday morning for her home. She had been in Oakland and San Francisco during the past six weeks, during which time twice a day she addressed groups of the various Congregational churches, civic and girls' organization. Part of her time was given over to a study of missionary work. She was well received by both groups last Friday afternoon. She spoke in First Congregational church under the, leadership of Mrs. Watson of Oakland Council of Church Women. Among the Negro representatives at this meeting were Dr. G. C. Coleman and wife, Dr. T. Deams Scott. Miss Janett Drake sang several numbers. A day later she underwent an emergency operation. We wish for Miss Drake a speedy recovery.
DEATH
Mrs. John Cook of French Lick Springs, Ind., was called to Oakland during the past week on account of the death of her son, Taylor Lee Farrow, the husband of Mrs. Marie Davis Farrow, and the son of Deacon Davis and Mrs. Davis of North Oakland Baptist church. He is survived by two children, Eloise and Junior.
Taylor Lee Farrow, a native of Louisville, Ky., graduated from K. C. Presbyterian College in North Carolina. He had lived in Oakland with his family during the past nine years. He enlisted in the navy during the World war. His funeral was held in Oakland. Interment was with full military honors in the National cemetery in the Presidio of San Francisco.
Activities Among Negroes/Sun, Dec 06, 1931 06 Dec 1931, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
