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I Part 6 I James Weldon Johnson Negroes Poet Laureate F I**"' Continued from i'age 1 K.V cessor. j ?7 flia National Neyro.Anthem, com posed for a local Sunday occasion in Jacksonville, Florida, before he had come to metropolitan notice and nntinnnl Att.nnfinn rpvonls the i The I ' true inwardness of his soul. It is pitched in the militant key but in plaintive and wailing tone as of a race which would sue rather ( than fight for its rights. The mu-| sic is rfitted to the words by his' collaborater J. Rosamond Johnson,1 his brother by temperament and i_ genius as well as blood. The fame of the Johnson brothers, James | . Weldun, arid J. Rosamond, will go' down bracketed in_histoi-y; and^ although-James Weldon is exhibit-! ed as the frontispiece, yet their) fame can no more be disserved tktP that Qjlbcirt and Spllivan. James?Weldon Johnson was by j nature a reclus<> and never deigned to "mix with crowds and J<eep his virtue." Her was accepted into service a9 field secretary of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Although he served in this capacity with intelligence, courage, tact, ami resourcefulness, yet one was constantly im pressed- with the thought that hel was impressed into a field of ser-| vice for which he was not fitted by nature or inclination. Militancy and agitation engaged the energies of his head rather than jxi h i s heart. Unlike DuBois (of the ear? lier days) and Walter White, he P never gave himself full abandon and self detachment to- the strug- 1 1 gle for the political and civil right | of his race. Indeed IKe years J which he devoted to the "leadership of this militant organization were 1 K.?+ *%rt iATlflnrlo and one mierht ' say a strange interlude between ! the earlier and later'stages of his 1 career. \Ve first discover him as a 1 partner of Cole and Johnson au- J thor of "Rag Music" then in voguetypified by "Under the Bamboo * Tree." Ijp the reclining: years of j his leisure, we Jfind him n digni- J fied professor of Creative Litera- ' ture in two American Universities 1 one black aftd one.white. Thus ' both ends of his career contrast with the middle. i James Weldon Johnson made a \ brief incursion into the field of 1 politics. He first belonged to the ? ~ New York "Literary Fellows," the : metropolitan center?art of the?j FEDERATION NOTES - Continued from Page 5 Jj Twer or three persons were asked to accompany the girls to the |1 camp in Columbia. The Indies were further urgpd to come to th<r' Harvest Festival. Mrs. Annie D. j Staggs madd a motion thai a . i i? 1 in til minute* uc given, each club in Greenville. Motion was received and adopted. Mrs.' Ophelia W. Smith "was appointed ho speak to the Summer School jroiip now a .efnrt'inir latter.'Tnp l Sterling High in behalf of the Will kinson Home. This *he stated would be done sbnicf inie during ' the next-two weeks. Mrs,?Lidia-y ~Williams would represent th* | clubs at the Interracial meeting to be held in Columbia thu month.' Th is get 'together meeting was a very profitable" one, first be- j cause of ,the fficf that we hnd the 1 1 beloved "Mother Wilkinson" with us. Second because erf the great interest the Piedmont district women have in the Wilkinson Homo, third, because- a meeting of this kind keeps the club members clos. object of their untiring work. Mrs. W41ktnson expressed hlT delgiht in being able to be with the women in Greenville once again, and leaving with them words of encouragement. She is always at hcrme whon she visits us, and the members are reluctant in bidding her adieu. During the social hour, following the business part of the meeting, delicious old fashioned pound cake and ice cream were served, Wc were pleased to have Mt-s. Wilkinson's daughter, Mrs. Sheffield with us at this meet ing also, as she always aid jest and mirth to any group. ABBEVILLE NEWS St. James A. M. E. Church Rev. E. F. Johnson, Pastor Sunday school wii s crtnduvtcd by the Supt., B. T. Johnson. Rev. Johnson read John ^2:1-11 as scripture lesson using The a-bove scripture for his discourse. At 8 p.m. .our pastor brought an encouraging message from the ninth division of Psalms and the ni,hth verse. All of the hrarers enjoyed this message. The Mt. Pleasant Baptist Miss- ! ionary meeting was very successful that was held a tthe home of Mrs. Nannie Jdnkin^. Mr. Augustus R. Rook is spend- 1 __ ing a few day? in Abbeville with friendsT--" j Mrs. A. J. Chappelle is out of Mrs. Janie Covan and her three \grandsons arte here from New York to spend a while with home folks. ? / Rev. and Mrs. T. M. Miles, Rev. jDendy and another lady enr0ute to Atlanta, Ga., spent a few hours tyore jari/th Mr. a^id Mrs. J. J. j k?? ? 11 mision caoai 01 couege scions wno were oath-bound to offset the industrial pi ojmganua of Booker TV > Washington. William Monroe Trot , ter, George Forbes and William H." Lewis, were the leaders of this cabal. 'By shrewd political finesse cue wizard of Tuskegee sought to < wean Johnson and Lewis from their hostile alignment by oering them the allurements of ' "office. , Johnson was appointed to an important post in the Consular Service; he accepted the assignment and served efficiently until replaced by a democratic administration He then entered the service of the NAACP, which was anti-Washmgton in origin, spirit and objctive. However, under the guiding hand of Joel E. Spingarn, this militant originator did not dramatize its hostility to the great industrial! leader by violent controversy and I voral antagonism. It must be said fur James Weldon Johnson that he was never Mr. Washington's bitter or violent opponent. There was no bitterness in his nature. It is this which made bim so readly acceptable to the white race. < . James Weldon Johnson was not ] a poet per se or par excellence , like Paul Lawrence Dunbar. He | +nigbt?fairly be called a literary dilettante scribbling prose or verse 1 as . the mood or the occasion re- < quired. He wrote coon songs, for < minstrel shows, librettos for light ^ opera, the Neero National Anthem ^ or God's Trombones, as the spirit moved/him or opportunity presented itself. His Ex-Colored Man, was r not his own auto-biography but that of 'Douglas Wetmore, h i s hcon companion, who played the c iouble racial role both simultan; v eously and at different times. s C,od,'s Trombones, usually regarded its his masterpiece,* was but a c translation in literary form of the incturization of the Hebrew Scrip- e ture* an art which he learned from lis father who was a typical Bap- ^ :ist of the* older Evangelistical type. His poetic genius reaches its ' lighest peak in "The White Witch v ftides Tonie-ht." in which he ad- 1 nonishes Harlemites of the danger ^ lit of their besetting sin. James Weldon Johnson's repuation as a poet and a literary man ' s secure in the keeping of the t .vhito race, for he uttering nothing :>as or offensive to their raciel j] ten*ibility. He was the Negroes'' , tmabassador of letters to the .white ace?honti??du.and -admired. Wright ' j, Mesdames ?Bennftr L. C. Brown v ami Fmma V?Reed- attended?the-f? ' ?-4 Baptist Missionary conference in Columbia last week. Mrs. Bessie Kynd, Miss Knoss of Atlanta, Ga., were p?easant ^ visitors of Mrs. L. Williams, t. Miss H. A. \Vingfield has returned tt>l hre summer school after spending a pleasant fourth with her parents Mf. and Mrs. Charlie Wingfield. Mr. Charley Robinson of Ra> leigh, N. C.. is spending a few lavs with friends and relatives. ^ FRIENDSHIP BAPT. CHURCH [ Rev. F. M. Young. Pastor Sunday was one more of those j days that was enjoyed at o u r j church. The Sunday school under . the care of Supt. J. B. Barnett is ^ still moving forward. He has a t staff of teachers that means very ^ Our pastor, with hrs natural gift as a loader has had much training ( in Sunday school work. "So it is nothing for us but to move forward ^ After Suffday school- and a brief , devotional service, the pastor came. t forward with a message that was enjoyed by all. Theme: "A Person al Decision." J ( 3:30 Rev. A. C. Jones of Second Nazareth Baptist church who Was 4 programmed to serve, did not, be- * cause of a funeral in which many ' of his members were involved. * Many members of the pastor, from Mill Creek and Bethlehem, Childs ' were present with manv of our r i members and frinds of the city. The pa tor preached a sermon that ' made the hearers feel that the pr : son that will stay out of srvice, ' nut?nfWhurch and the like because ' of a bad spirit is very, very small Theme: The Unhappy Brother. He ' made us see the older brother as ' a small man. The writer would thnt others could have heard the message. J Sunday nipht. Rev. S. Jackson v with his officers from Mt. Pilgrim ' Baptist ctiurch UdffewoJd camerp and pave us a very pood message, t Miss E. Louise Ryal, who was in the city for a brief visit with j her mother, Mrs. F. M. Young, relatives and friends, returned last Wednesday--to- New York ~Ctty. STTe J worshipped with us the 4th Sun- . day night. _ _ 1 Come to Friendship, the home of the young people. BROOKLYN A.M.E.7.. CHURCH .* Rev. A. C. Wade. Pastor c By (Mrs.) Ada Whitlock 1 NEWBERRY NEWS Calvary Presbyterian Church ( Rye. A. H. Reasoner, Pastor Supt. S. W Allen and his assist ant Prof C. W. Jones are always on time at the opening of Sunday school. Even though it- is hot and a good number of teachers are' away attending summer schools, the good work goeS successfully on. Sunday school opens every Sunday at 10 o'clock. After his usual service for the little people, Rov. Reasoner came bfore his congregation with _thia ( textT "Flight the good fight, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou are also called, and hast pro:| fessed a good profession, before many witnesses."-The theme was,1 "The Fight of Faith," Sunday' ft ' I having been communion Sunday,' the subject was dealt with accord-' 1 n.1 *.6\> ior tne aitern^O". an interdenominational meeting was held having as its guest speaker, Prof. Alfred T. Butler. Mr. Eliott''Rutherford, the-effi-j ?ient custodian at the People's. boa pital died at his home Thursday morning.- Funeral ? services were 1 icld at Bethlphem Baptistehurch, .vith his pastor, Rev. E.E. Gaulden >fliciating. He was buried in Werts . cemetery Sunday afternoon? Hi* jvife, who had been visiting with < ior daughter, Miss Edna in New ' fork City, were both here at his ' V rnssing. . . I j Mr. H?nry Montgomery is well * ?n the road to recovery now. He vas seen out last .week visiting ? ome of his friends and looking * fver his garden plot's;" j Miss Carrie Mae Wilson left the t ity Tuesday for Washington. r /Mrs. Carrie Mae Floyd who is ' ittending summer' school at Bettis d Vcademy visited the city over the s reek-end. Her sister in law Mrs. b .ucius Floyd accompanied her e >ack. - _ Rev. Samuel E. Martin of Coumbia spent the 4th of July in n he city. > b Mrs. Lula Pratt has been quite n 11. but at this writing ghf is im-' irov;n.?r. J v, Mrs. Jefferson, the wife of Rev. c . R. Jefferson who has been visit- c ng relatives and friends, in Sa- ^ annah, Ga. has returned home GEORGETOWN NEWS \ Continued from Page 1 c ler vacation in Brooklny with dau t .hters. i 1 Bethel A. M. E. Church Rev. W. B. L. Clarke. Pastor |! Last Sunday, July 3rd was a I. ? ? I >ig day at Bethel. Quite a num- 1 >er of faces we re seen at church f ^uiufay whose physical condition f cept them away fur months some J 'earir But is was made possible \ 'or them to be present thrcrugh a ;pecial committee . appointed ;.on.J ransportation, who consist of the ? 'ollowing: Messrs D. H. Drayton ^ Or. W. S. Thompson, B. H. James, e A. Dunmore and William Wash J: ngton. The day srevices began j1 vith prayer meeting 5 o'clock in | J he mrning; Sunday school, 9:30 t o 10:30; prayer meeting 10:30 to v 11:3i). This led into the regular t nid day worship when the pas- J od delivered a soul's reviving ser- | non. Text selected from Numbers , 14:17 I shall gee him but not now. ' We acknowledge the presence of * he following visitors: Mrs. Gladys ' lY-ele of Bethesda Baptist church, t ity; Mrs. Helen Clinton, Charles:on; Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Lundon, < Mr. and Mrs. James Mitchel, Mr. ( Foe Clinton and Mrs. S. S. Camp- , lejl, all of Jacksonville Fla. The atter was guest of Re", and Mrs. 1 ?lark f6r a week. At 3:00 .p.m. the prayer bands 1 af the city were out in large , lumbers and a glorious time was 1 lad. At this time the Rev. J. H. ' Bryant, pastor of Dickerson A. : VI. E. church with a number of his \ iiembprs as promised and the Rev. , Biyant preached a great sermon I beautifully outlined and ably de- 1 ivered. He selected his text the L33rd Psalms 1-2 verses. Theme Living Together a Necessity. The .evenig hour of worship the 1 lastor preached and used as a text 1 To him that overcometh. Music vas furnished by a combnied choir j Senior and Junior. Thus ended j i glorious" day in the service of he Lord. Chester, S. C.?Brooklyn A. M. v Zion church has taken on new , ife for the year 1938. We have j rressive movement with the leadnjjr churches of today. All our ictivities are at woik with their), various meetings. Our Sunday ser j ivcb sie srntntctH] in oraer Wltn ' he iSunday school, which is at ten 'clock a.m. teaching at eleven j ?'clock and the V. C. E. society at | ':00 p.m. THE.PALMETTO LEADER Biographical Data Coi of Louis Armstrong, . Apostle of Swing Mus Amfd the bursting of fire crackers and jjay fan-fare of a July 4th Celebration in 1900, Sir Stock arrived" at the humble home of Willie and Mary"Ann Armstrong located in a tenement section of New OrIpflnc T n **? ? Q J M UVIMV1CU Oil o I^UUIIU baby boy whom the Armstrongs christened Louis. Willie and Mary Ann held no high station in life, but they made themselves content with a small ncome and he surroundings of a clean, modesly furnished home. Little did they realize that their off-spring was to become one of the most talked of musical personalities in the world. "Events between 1905 and New Year's Day of 1913 are best told m?Louis Amistrung's Autobiography "Swim^ Thaf usic" (Lopgman Cii eon?nnu Company New?York City) published in November of 1939. "it is the .true story of a mother trying to keetp j]her son in schopl, of gamely fighing aeninst unfavorable environments for her twachildrenT a doath defying strug gle for existence. Mary Ann was i good and fine woman. Jazz And Louis (lot Born Together ?(Excerpt from?Chapter 1 of 'Swing That Music."X __ "When i fired off fny . daddy's >ld "38" it made the other kid's ittle six-shooter sound pretty sick, t baged out above the scatting >f the firecrackers and the hot azz music coming from the honky onks down the street. It made a vhole gang of sound, for sure. It was",New Year's Eve of 1913 ind Now Orleans was high, celeuating the way it always did? rith bang and bi,g time. Meriy-makers were going along he street and whon that- ?l/i ion lei loose in my hand, and sang:, iut so loiyd, they stopped short ,nd looked back. There was one iretty big party of them. They tood still a minute, then they all iurst out laughing. They laughd a lot and then they called, Happy New Year", and went on. must have looked funny to theifVT little kid with such a big gun in ay hand, standing there scared lalf to death at all the noise I'd lade. But the really f"""" p-"-t >*as something very different. It ras the way it all turned out, beause that shot, I do believe startd my career. It changed my life nd brought me my big chance. In he twenty and mory voars thntave passed since, I guess I have ilayed almost all over the world, played before the Prince of Wals, the new King Edward, and his mother, the Duke of York, and he Crown Princess of Italy and for nany other famous people, and I iave swung my band in.Paris and Copenhagen and Brussels and Geneva antT Vienna and New York ind Chicago and Hollywood and nany other places. But whenever ! have had a few minutes to myself out of all jhis running around io I could stop stock-still and ask nvself, "Louis, how come this to mppen to you?" I. have always hoifght back to that one New fear's Eve before the bij/ war, >nd of whiV followed- For I waslent to jail." So thev sent Louis to the Waif's dome For Boys in New Orleans or shooting of his father's old '38 md it was there that the worldis rreatest viituoso of the trumpet 5egan his career. It was* there hat the character was molded of he rreatest Jazz Dazzler that the here that the little playmates? :he. little blacy urchins snatched rom the dirty streets of New Orleans-? nicknamed Louis 'Satchelnouth', because of his big mouth? "Satchelmouth" Armstrong: And he name has stuck with him all ;hese years, only now it has been modernized and 'foiled down to 'Satchri.o".Mr. l etcr Davis, one of the keep ?rs (all of the keepers were colored men) and also- instructor of nusic ?.t the Waif's Home took an nterest in "Satchmo". First, he made Louis official bugler, and inter he taught him to play the ?ornet preparatory to placement n the Boys' Band. Armsrong was a good student. n' lariv and he learned fast. He had a keen ear for music and he becan to develop the^ deep chest ind strong lips which nabled him cea.s later to Mow. the most high f's any trumpet player?living or lead?in the history of music. His record established years ago is 280 consecutive hich r"o Louis became such a goodboy at the Waif's Home for Boys that Mi*r Peter Davis helped him all the more and, in 1915, after one year and seven months in the institution. the young black boy who was destined to become the wt>rld^? greatest trumpet player?"Satchmo" Armstrong?faced the world Louis recalls the days from 1910 to 1022 during the prominence of "The Old Dixieland Jazz Band", which had been formed by Dominick James (Nick) LaRocca. Others in the band were Larry Shields, clarinet; Eddie Edwards, trombone; Regas, piano and Sbarbaro, drums. ., ^ Note: Some of the records made by the Dixielarid Jazz Band which carried the new jazz music all over the world were: "Tiger Rag", 'Lazy River", "Clarinet armalade" 'Sensation", "Livery,Stable Blues" and "Toddlin* Blues". They be:ame famous the world over and had much to do with the recognition of jazz ntjsic in Europe, icerning The Life America's Foremost ic; Super Jazz Dazzler Nancy Hunt Rose i* From School Glee 1 Club To Broadway i 4 As 73,000 people have traveled from all parts of New York City i to see the WPA Federal Theatre i Projects "Haiti," and not one has yet accused the Negro Theatre of supplying less than a thrilling ev^_ , ening in the tl^patret it is difficult to name any one feature of-tlre_DuL Bois play responsible for its great success. However, the work of the choir, which interprets the native Haitian chants with such fidelity, contributes enormously nppeal of "Haiti," and in'this group no single memoer nas done oetter work than Nancy Hunt. ? The story Of Nancy Hunt's first big break in show business can safely be put down to extreme good fortune, ers is the story of how a you.ng Negro girl attending "George Washington High School in New York got a chance to sing _ on the school's glpe club and soon afterwards won a scholarship from the Damrosch School of Music and Art in New York. . . Nancy was born in Brooklyn, N. Stars in "Haiti" ^ 4 m NANCY HUNT frrouy) was takn over by tbo Pod-1 eral Tl-eatre Project and became known as the Basaa Moona Co,, Member of the Choir in the WPA Federal Theatre's "Haiti," owes much of her success to a scholarship she received while a schoolgirl. "Haiti" will climax its sensational Harlem run by opening at Daly's Theatre, off "Broadway, on July 11 Same cast. Same prices. - Y. on January 8, 1915. elen and -Dudley HuntT her parents, warttedhcr to be a nurse or a doctor, but instead, the .talented Nancy ran the gamut of the entire theatrical sphere, winding up as dancer, across and singer, After fraduntmtr from a-Brooklyn public ^choor, Nancy attended St. Mary's Boarding School in Ger mnntown, Pa. Leaving that school she matriculated at iGeorge Wash ington High School, wheye she \yon the scholarship that is directly responsible for her being in the theatrical profession. After fiinishing her course at the Damrosch School, Nancy pursued with fierce energy her chosen career in the thatre. W. C. Handy gave her an opportunity, when he made her a member of his famous this group was so excellent that Donald Heywood gave .her a job the next season in his own choir. The Heywood choir was part of the Negro play, "Old Man Satan," which enjoyed great success o n Broadway a few seasons back. Still forging ahead, the ambitious Nancy, by this time thorough ly experienced, shattered the belief that Negroep cannot become firmly entrenched in the theatrical profession. - 'During the war in Ethiopia a film depicting scenes in the wartorn country was shown at the Harlem Opera House, in conjunction with an African dance gr'o""o which interpreted primitive African dancing, and was admitted t<? the group as a full-fledged African dancer. ? - ? Nancy tells of a very interesting experience while appearing as an African dancer at the Harlem Opera House. "Along with other rrtnmKnrc f V?A f ntnon r?rApm I had strict orders from the manage ment not to utter a single word of English while appearing as an African. For days and days, Momodu Johnson, African Chie?tain_ahdorganizer Sf the group, schooled me in a kind of African jargon. "I was doing, very nicely as an African, until one day a friend recognized me and came backstage I had just finished mv act, and was on my way to my dressing room, when I heard some one calling, 'ITey Nancy!' Forgetting for the moment that I was supposed to be an African, I answered hack 'Hello there Sue!' to the astonishment nf stagehands and other mem he?-s of cast, who were not supposed to he Africans." After the engagement at the Harlem Onern House the entire "Bassa Moona" ran successfully at the Lafayette Theatre and later on , R Broadway. ^ Since coming to the Negro Thea tre, Miss Hunt has appeared in N "Walk Together Chillun," "Con- w jure Man Dies," "Macbeth," "Turpentine," "Sweet Land," "The ? Case of PMlip "Lawrence^ ^Horse Play," the O'Neill one-act nlays and the current "Haiti," now in its fifteenth week at the Lafayette Theatre in Harlem. i ? P TAHEliA' VCLE BAPT CHURCH Rev, Wm. Watson, Pastor Greenville.?Sunday school at the usual hour. Opened and con.ducted.by Supt. R. Bradley. Very ? large attendance. Several new teachers have been added to the 1 staff?Mrs. Rosa Lee Stewart, and Mrs. Christena" Moore. At 11:30 the pastor, Rev. Wat- Jj son proacned a great sermon; at-' ] ter'^cvhich communion was served. ' I Baptizing at 4:30 BYPU at 5:00; | At 7:30 Rev. W. R. Martin preached a wonderful sermon. Sev eral visitors were present during the day. We were more than glad to see Mrs. Annie M. Huff Rati iff back home, with her mother and three children, looking the pietureof health. { 1 n*: * j , j W; %f\ * i PRICES:.. Matinee ; I Adults 401 %?? ? Children .. ... j 20e Adult?"-S5c CAROH Children . ? 25c Gala Stage Revise .Morris Nelson Presents ' 'REVUE^~~. ?- Feat urine H JgT. .y>V My-.. :^w|jj) Mar gee Noble 9^x?a^oo.ooaoxnaooao;a0?Dxao n ce??oac8??3C8?ss^^ | WHEN vor AUK IN COI.l'MHL TAYLOR'S At CAMI' Ft OF THE BROAD RIVER f Whco you can iret your Rootyy sonable Rates. Yon can enjoy We and Swimming and Everything. ENJOY THE--RRHATH IN THE I SI 'MM KR'S HEART. Y< ?? ~7~ FRIENDS CAN TAYLOR'S ' Mrs. Anna Taylor, Prop. The funeral services of Deacon . S. Gamples were held Fricjay. eacon Chapman was in the serice Sunday after being 'sick two 'eeks. AMOS & SON FUNERAL HOME Ambulance Services Day or *Jight & License Embalming Our Service ts Your Service Our" Home is For Your Service Let Us Serve One Another jrnone /y-j ? 123 RAILROAD AVE. JOHNSTON, S. C. f > ILORETTA YOUNG JOEI^ McCREA m "THREE BLIND MICE" ? I DAVID NIVEN \, niMNIP RARNF.S ~ r Starts Monday PALMETTO I ON THE STASI IN PERSON Direct from the - ?:?i- Paramount Theatre New-York City "The Trumpet King of" Swing" LOUIS STRONG and his FAMOUS ORCHESTRA Featuring SONNY WOODS? MIDGE WILLIAMS "RED" ALLEN ' $, QTAr.c euniiic at. w ?j-ivi ?- wnvwo ?l i 2: 30?5: oo?7: an? 1 n .no J ? J TUESDAY, JULY 12 LINA THEATRE Columbia, S. C. . 'Adults _ ? , ,rT( r, " i Mir, stKiiKN: RAllliT LINDSAY HEN WERE fOU HORN" 7(^5220 \, WIIY NOT DRIVE UP TO TAVFRN )RNANCE ROAD, END OF ftTll ^ and Good Home F<uxl at Renok-Knd Trips, Dining, Dancing ' INKS. KEEP COOE IN THE fit? AND AM. YOUR MEET AT rAVERN Thirrnton Oliver, Manager