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Race and Place Newspapers
The Reflector
Location: Charlottesville, VirginiaArticle Transcripts
Date of Publication: April 07, 1934 (Tuesday)
Frequency: weekly
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Transcript of Article
Let's Develop Washington ParkSpring is here; birds have been singing for weeks; the song sparrow joined the chorus a few days ago, and the spry little red bird gave assistance with his low off-key notes. New grass is peeping from last autumns dead leaves and little rosebuds have ventured forth, here and there. Yes, spring is here.
The kiddies and grownups too are almost wild with glee at being out of doors after such a long and bitter winter that kept them pent up indoors.
Soon anxious little feet will stray down to Preston Avenue and across the road to Washington Park; little feet, mischievous little hands and happy little hearts bent on having fun and enjoying health in God's great out-of-doors. But what a disappointing sight will meet their dancing and eager eyes! Bravely, but seemingly, painfully "Old Glory" barely holds its own, high up on a home-made flag pole; its dingy color and battered condition will serve as a grim reminder of the cold and bitter winter. Then the few benches that once graced the shady grove are fewer, a silent but emphatic sign that a cold night caught some one with an empty wood box. Even a few of the steady old oaks, that gave coolness and shade last season, are no more.
Washington Park is not only failing to develop, but also going backwards! Something must be done; action is needed at once!
Six years ago the "spot" was selected and donated to the Negroes of Charlottesville for a park and recreational center. It is still just a "spot". Think of what tired little kids are missing and tired grown-ups too. The tract is beautiful; it could be developed into a lovely place that would do honor to the Negroes of this city.
Definite plans are needed, such as our Present Park Committee seems not to have. When you sell pins next winter for starving Eskimos, or build wooden shoes for orphan Dutch boys, after your task of foreign missions is completed, after you have wrapped your package and sent it for relief, perhaps 100,000 miles away-pause a minute; think of the little kiddies, and of undeveloped Washington Park, and if you are impressed, suggest to your pastor or the president of your club that something sould be done for Domestic Missions.
Summary of Article
Encourages Charlottesville's black community to develop Washington Park. The author laments the fact that the tract of land is in much the same condition as it was upon its donation in 1928.
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Transcript of Article
An Old Bracket Breaking DownBishop Grace, found guilty of violation of the Mann Act and unless the higher court is more favorably impressed with his story than the lower, he may gave to forsake his gold braided soldiers for a year or so and pay the penalty for law breaking.
This Bishop is the leader of his own holy cult and claims to have 200,00 members, from Maine to Florida. Just at the height of his career, a little forgotten "angel" put in her appearance, bringing with her to court, one of "Daddy's" unwelcome heirs. Despite the pomp and ceremony, on the Bishop's part, the court was convinced by the young woman's testimony and he will probably have a rest forced upon him by Commonwealth of New York State.
For years this Portugese immigrant has sold religion to a people not able to buy bread half of the time. He has flashed from coast to coast in expensice automobiles driven by liveried chauffers, and over-dressed footmen, collecting the nickles and dimes of poor salvation-seeking people, who wished to buy their way in the kingdom. Mansions, country homes and an army of unifromed servants were at his command and he "sold" religion and basked in the glory of his great wealth. But "Daddy" was weak; he was not satisfied with the mansions, cars and servants to do his bidding, he wanted a harem too, an institution that violates not only our moral code but also our established law.
Two "mothers" appeared against the Bishop, one colored and one white, both claiming him liable. So, Bishop C.M. Grace may go to prision. It is too bad that his sentence could not have been extended ten or twenty years instead of one. His kind should bedealt with harshly by the law and ostracized by the people.
They are dangerous, scheming, unscrupulous racketters, who would comercialize on Christianity and profit by a group of humble, sincere, people's misconception of salvation. Earnest Negro leaders would do a great service to the race if all such men were hunted down and exposed as parasites in that they are sucking hard-earned pennies from their faithful followers. There are others of this sort, who collect large sums of nickels from one city to give free dinners to those in other cities and make a splendid profit on the "juggle". Intelligent men and women will aid the law in routing them and send them along the way of other confidence men, swindlers, crooks, and robbers.
Summary of Article
Condems "Bishop Grace" and other confidence men who use religion to swindle "salvation seeking people" and states that such men "should be dealt with harshly by the law and ostracized by the people."
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Transcript of Article
The Spring CallSummary of Article
Have you ever seen the rose blush?
Smelt the fragrance of its bloom?
Have you ever heard the song-thrush
Making sunshine out of gloom?
Have you ever seen the lilac
In the early days of Spring?
Purple colored cloistered lilacs
In the richly perfumed Spring?
A poem about the beauty of Spring's arrival.
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Transcript of Article
Facts to Remember About CharlottesvilleSummary of Article
1. The city has a Negro population of 4087.
2. 48.2 of the Negro population of Charlottesville are home owners, according to government statistics released October 14, 1933.
3. There are twenty-four establisheds owned and operated by Negroes, on Main Street, the principal thoroughfare in Charlottesville.
4. Eighty-five per cent of the Negro wage-earners are engaged in domestic labor, which means year round employment and very little variation in wages.
5. There are six Negro Baptist Churches, one Episcopal Church and four "Church of God" missions in this city.
6. The City Laundry, one of the largest establishments of its kind in the city, employs nearly all Negro help inside.
7. There are two public schools for Negroes in Charlottesville with a joint enrollment that exceeds one thousand.
8. Jefferson High School is one of the six accredited high schools in Virginia.
9. "The Reflector", Charlottesville's only Negro Weekly, is also the only miniature Negro Journal of Calendar and Comment in the United States of America. 200 whites are regular subscribers.
10. The Paramount Theatre, located here, is one the few Paramount Houses, in the South, that accomodates Negro patrons. The local theatre employs a Negro manager for the aforementioned patrons, and an all Negro corps of ticket agents, ushers and porters.
11. Charlottesville is the present home of Dr. James Dillard, former Chairman of Rosenwald Funds.
12. More than twenty-five per cent of Jefferson High School graduates are attending, at present, institutes of higher learning.
A list of twelve important facts about Charlottesville black's home ownership, business ownership, and other cultural statistics.
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Transcript of Article
Open ForumDear Editor,
I want tell you how much your little paper interests me. Of course the Society Notes do not mean much to me because most of the people I do not even know. But I must say that your editorials, questions on Negro History, and that very foolish but interesting "Man at the Key Hole" are quite enjoyable. I am really wishing for you much success, and I hope that some day "The Reflector" may grow into a larger paper, but if it does, please keep up your present format and don't for God's sake, fill your front pages with rapes, lynching and incests. One grows weary of reading that sort of trash.
I sincerely believe that some day, your paper perhaps will become a daily organ of expression, and I been receiving a copy from Charlottesville, but for the last two weeks I haven't received a copy. Therefore, I wish to subscribe to it by the year. How much are your yearly subscription rates?
In conclusion, there were two poems in a recent edition that interested me considerably and I should like to write to the author of them. I think he signed his name E.B.S. They appeared in your February 3rd issue. Will you send me his address?
I hope for you much success.
Respectfully,
R.V. Mason
Phoebus, Virginia.
Summary of Article
A letter to the editor commending "The Reflector" for its format which focuses on political and social issues as opposed to sensationalized news.
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Transcript of Article
Pen PictureThe month is March, but casually glancing out of a western window as the sun sinks, one would take it for the last of April or early May. The bright blue sky, flecked here and there with patches of white cloud, gradually loses its identity of color and fades into nothingness.
The ever-present sparrows, a few stray Southern Warblers and other nomads seek their nests. The green of grass and tree, that has been brave enough to put forth its emerald dress earlier than the rest, fades into twilight. Near-by church spires, the out-standing sky-line of a building or two, look like sentinels in the fading light. An occasional cry of a weary child-the bark of a neighbor's dog-an auto's horn-a train whistle-a laborer's footstep-then night closes in-a rural village rests until morning.
Summary of Article
A short description of Charlottesville on a March evening, rendered in lyrical prose.
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