ACTIVITIES AMONG NEGROES
The New York City office of Atlanta University last week issued the following statement:
"Atlanta University, pioneer institution of higher learning for Negroes, located in Atlanta, Georgia, has been given one million dollars for new buildings and maintenance. Announcement of the gift from a friend of the university was made by Dean Page, 49 Wall street, president of the university’s board of trustees.
“In order that construction work on the new buildings may serve to alleviate the present unemployment situation in Atlanta, the plans have been expedited by the architects, James Gamble Rogers, Inc., of New York City, and construction will begin soon."
In announcing the gift, Dean Page said: "The generosity or this friend makes it possible for Atlanta University, the only graduate institution for Negroes in the far south to modernize its present classroom buildings and to provide proper housing for its students, suitable residence for its president and adequate quarters for its administrative staff. With this equipment and funds for its maintenance the university will be better able to carry on its task of training Negro men and women for leadership for their people, particularly in the fields of education, business and social work. In making his gift the donor has recognized the importance of the development in Atlanta of a university dedicated to the task of educating such lenders.
LOCAL NOTES
The sixty-third annual conference of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church closed last Sunday night in Cooper A. M. E. Zion church, Oakland, when Bishop J. W. Martin, the presiding bishop, read the appointments for 1932. The return of Rev. W. J. J. Byers to Oakland and that the Rev. E. C. McGruder to San Francisco, together with the continuing of Rev. T. Allen Harvey as presiding elder for the northern district of California, was the most interesting news to the San Francisco bay district churchmen.
This week Bishop Martin has been conducting in Los Angeles the Southwestern Rocky Mountain conference of this denomination. Bishop J. W. Martin, a Virginian by birth, educated at Lincoln University, and elevated to the bishop of the African Methodist Episcopal Zion church at the general conference held in 1924 Indianapolis, Ind., and appointed to preside over the Ninth Episcopal district of the United States, which comprises the slates of Michigan, Missouri, Oregon, Washington, California, and the Southwestern Rocky Mountain conference, which comprises Southern California and Arizona. The work of this district under his leadership has steadily grown notwithstanding the depression and unemployment.
QUINTETTE SINGS
Last Sunday the reader was given an exact program for the Eastbay region of the quintette of colored singers representing the "American Church Institute for Negroes," a cooperation of the Episcopal Protestant church, responsible to the national council and to the general convention. There was, however, at the same time another colored quintette of internationally recognized Gospel singers in Oakland who nightly rendered a program in the revival meetings being conducted by Rev. H. F. Meltzer, pastor and evangelist of the Alliance Gospel Tabernacle, Thirty-third street, near Telegraph avenue. This group of singers will sing every night except Monday during the remainder of October in this tabernacle. This quintette was organized about twelve years ago in Cleveland Ohio, spending about two years in preparation, and have been actively engaged in singing and traveling about for ten years. During this time they sang to record crowds in all of the northern cities of the United States, and forty cities in Canada. They have the distinction of being the first group of colored gospel singers to cross the Atlantic ocean. Last year, accompanied by Dr. John Thomas, a Welsh evangelist, and former business man of London, England, these singers spent three months touring and singing in Europe. It was their privilege while in London to sing in the American Embassy, before Ambassador Charles Dawes. In this country they have sung over 29 radio stations, including the Columbia network.
ALLIANCE ORGANIZED
Dr. A. B. Simpson, a Presbyterian minister of New York City, organized the Christian and Missionary Alliance, composed of all races with the object of reaching the "neglected masses" at home and abroad. This quintette of colored gospel singers now in Oakland is the direct result of the activities during the past thirty years of this alliance among colored peoples. It maintains three missionary stations in Africa, namely in Sierra Leon, the Congo, and in French West Africa. Among the workers in these fields are the following American Negro missionaries: Miss Anna Marie Morris and Miss Anita Bolden, both of Cleveland, Ohio, and serving in Sierra Leon, Africa, and also Mr. and Mrs. Raymond Wilson, from the branch in Pittsburgh, Penn., also in Africa. The following are names of the singers: Messrs. F. H. Lacy, J. W. Parker, H. D. Hodges, and A. E. Talbert, all from Cleveland, Ohio.
LETTER OF APPRECIATION
Aside from letters of appreciation sent by Mr. and Mrs. Love and other members of the Memphis Letter Carriers' Band the following was sent by the organization to the editor of The TRIBUNE:
“The Memphis Letter Carriers' Band wishes to thank you most sincerely for the wonderful publicity given us through your paper. We wish for you much success and the wonderful reception will ever remain in the hearts of the members of the Memphis band.
(Signed) E. L. RICE, President
J. M. EXUM, Secretary
Memphis, Tenn., Oct. 8, 1981
The recognition service and candle lighting ceremonial of Linden branch, Y. W. C A. will be held Sunday, October 25, at North Oakland Baptist church, from 4 to 6 p. m. The Girl Reserves will furnish the special devotional service in celebration of their golden Jubilee. Mrs. Vivian Osborn Marsh will be the speaker, using as her subject "Is it worth the candle?” Immediately following this service the Young Women's Progressive club will hold their third anniversary celebration in this church. They will have a special program of music and address by Miss Delilah L. Beasley on the value of club life. The public will be welcome.
MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE
The Ministerial Alliance, composed of all the colored minister of the San Francisco bay district, met in regular weekly session Tuesday with North Oakland Baptist church as host. Rev. H. R. Smith, pastor of New Hope Baptist church, presided as temporary president. The morning session was favored by Mrs. Elizabeth Hill reading a short paper on "The Happiness of Duty." After the close of the session, they were invited by Rev. G. C. Coleman, pastor of the church, to the dining hall, where as his guests they partook of a dinner well prepared by Mrs. Ruth Coleman and a committee of church women.
After dinner a spirited discussion was indulged in on "law enforcement" and the advisability of enforcing the Eighteenth Amendment. The alliance went on record heartily endorsing law enforcement, and especially the Eighteenth and all other amendments to the constitution of the United States. Among the speakers on the subject was Rev. Harris, Rev. Deama Scott, Rev. H. T. S. Johnson and Delilah L. Beasley.
WOMEN VOTERS MEET
The Alameda County League of Colored Women Voters met Thursday in regular session, at which time a report was given of the success of their first membership dinner for the season and complimentary comments upon the program rendered during the dinner of Mrs. Carmel O'Neal, who gave several inspirational readings with musical accompaniment, the valuable historical address delivered by Mrs. K. Franklin on "The Value of the Vote to Women.” The guest speaker for the afternoon was Mrs. Stanton, of the Public Welfare League of Alameda county. She gave an interesting address on Child Welfare and led a group discussion which demonstrated that the women of the League of Voters appreciated and heartily endorsed many of the statements made by Mrs. Staunton. After the address, the league resumed their reading of several reports of subjects under consideration. Additional names were added to several of the committees notably Mrs. Adeje Henkins, recently from Cincinnati at the suggestion of Delilah L. Beasley, added to the committee on "Child Welfare." Mrs. Henkins is an experienced and trained social worker with considerable experience in child welfare department of the social service work in Cincinnati, Ohio. Mrs. Dixon announced the chairmen of programs for the remainder of the year. Mrs. Mary Grasses will feature the November educational program, notwithstanding she is still confined to her home. She sent word that she had prepared a paper to be read at the meeting and will secure a great speaker.
Activities Among Negroes/Sun, Oct 18, 1931 18 Oct 1931, Sun Oakland Tribune (Oakland, California) Newspapers.com
