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Race and Place Newspapers
The Reflector
Location: Charlottesville, VirginiaArticle Transcripts
Date of Publication: May 26, 1934 (Tuesday)
Frequency: weekly
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Transcript of Article
What Would Jefferson Think?Richard B. Moore, nationally known orator and lecturer, and representative of the International Labor Defense of New York City, did not speak in Madison Hall at the University of Virginia, on last Sunday night as had been previously planned.
Professor Ivey Lewis (transciption note: The name "Anderson" appeared in the original text. However, someone apparently scratched through the name "Anderson" and scribbled in "Lewis". However, "Anderson" appears twice later in the article.) not only cancelled the Madison Hall engagement but also issued orders thatclosed all the buildings of the University to the speaker.
Mr. Moore is paid by the International Labor Defense to make speeches and present fiery arguments on Jim Crowism, on the evils of capitalism and the deficiencies of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored people. Richard Moore is a devout Communist, but the learned Professor Anderson did not bar him from spacious Madison Hall because he was planning to discuss his views concerning segregation; he did not order the closing of all public buildings to the speaker because of what he may have said against Senator Carter Class or in favor of Karl Marx. No, because Communist speakers have been there before and have, in true Communist fashion, freely discussed all of the "untouchables", from the existing dual wage scale in Virginia to jury pondering in Alabama, and they were made welcome.
Richard Moore is a Negro and consequently, he was barred for that reason.
The preposterous part is that, it all happened at the University, the school founded by Thomas Jefferson, liberal delegate to the Virginia Assembly, author of the Declaration of Independence and president of the United States. Jefferson, the man who encored the bill that prevented further exportation of Negro slaves to America.
All of this was done at the will of a college professor, a man duty bound to instill the principle of Americanism in future citizens of our country; a man apparently qualified to guide our youth; a scholar, whom culture has failed to teach tolerance; an educator honored by a great institution of learning and intrusted to aid largely in the moulding of the lives of thousands of future American leaders, yet, unable to shake off a spirit which fairly wrecked several countries in Northern Europe and which is very prevalent in Germany today; the spirit of Race Prejudice.
Consider the founder of the University of Virginia. Consider the thousands of trained men and women in attendance there; consider Prof. Anderson's background. Suppose the illustrious "Liberal" from Monticello knew all of the facts; what would he think?
Summary of Article
An article condeming a University of Virginia Professor for barring a black political activist from speaking at U.Va.
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Transcript of Article
A New University for NegroesThe corner-stone of Dillard University will be laid tomorrow and work will begin at once on five buildings to be erected at an approximate cost of one half million dollars.
The new University will be located on a special seventy acre tract of land located in the historical city of New Orleans, La.
Down at Dillard University young men and women will be trained to take their places in most of the branches of higher education as they are now trained at Howard, Fisk and Atlanta Universities. This new university for Negroes represents the merging of New Orleans University, Straight College and the Flint Gooridge Hospital, and will open its doors to students during the fall of 1935, with Dr. W.W. Alexander, Director of the Commission on Internal Cooperation, as first president.
Dillard University will accomplish a long felt need in making higher education possible at a university for Negroes and will join with Howard, Atlanta and Fisk in sending forth more doctors, lawyers, and journalists and other professionals to administer to the 12,000,000 Negroes in this country.
The movement is a stride forward and is worthy of much praise.
Less than twenty-three years ago the Negro in New Orleans was just a "beast of burden" and so regarded. Today interested white citizens of the South have placed at his disposal one of the largest and finest institutions of its kind in America.
Negroes of the nation are grateful to the American Missionary Association, the Board of Education of the Methodist Episcopal Church and the Rosenwald Fund which jointly made the project possible.
And Negroes of Charlottesville are happy and proud that this new center of higher education for Negroes will carry the name of one who has done so much in interest of Negro Education and one who may be called a fellow citizen-Dr. James Hardy Dillard.
Summary of Article
A word of praise concernihng the founding of Dillard University, a black institution of higher learning in New Orleans, that began educating students in 1935.
Column 03
Transcript of Article
The Negroes New DealThere are forty or more branch boards operating under President Roosevelt's Recovery Administration which promise the people of the United States in so many words, "a New Deal". One branch devotes its time to the unemployed ice men, collecting statistics and opening factories so that the veterans of that industry may have work.
Another group encourages painters and writers by purchasing their "masterpieces" for use in governmental projects, that is, museums and libraries erected under the type of branch to aid unemployed American workmen.
In this age of "boards" it would mean a great deal to the 12,000,000 Negroes in this country, if the president saw fit to create a board designed to investigate and report on certain economic conditions that so greatly handicap one twelfth of American workmen.
The "board" upon investigation would hear of many relief cases in which Negroes are called only after all of the whites are employed, by these various government relief agencies. The "board" would ascertain the fact that hundreds of Negroes, who were employed before the advent of the "eagle" are now out of work, because they were told, after the appearance of this much heralded "blue bird" that $12.50 per week was too much money for a Negro when white men are out of work. This board would discover to its horror that in every industry, the white man's pay envelope equals just about three times that of the Negro workman, despite the fact that both of them put in the same number of hours and produce the same amount of labor.
This "board" would be even more surprised to learn that sugar, flour, milk and eggs, in fact all of the necessities of the life are sold to Negroes for the identical price that they are sold to other races, despite the fact that his income in 300 per cent less that the white workman.
This so-called "board", after careful investigation and a review of the collected facts would conclude that the present "deal" given to the American Negro is not so new after all, but is one that was shuffled and dealt around 1620 and has been played since that time with little revision in the rules.
Summary of Article
An article that sharply criticizes Roosevelt's "New Deal."
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Transcript of Article
"Most Appealing Ad" ContestEach week, "The Reflector" is offering a prize of $1.00 to the person writing the best letter on the above named subject. Out of the sixty letters submitted, the judges decided upon that of J.W. Bowden. The letter is as follows:
Dear Editor:
The "ad" that strikes me as the most appealing is that of the Community Cafe. I notice that Special Dinners are offered and meals are cheaper than can eat at home. This should be of special interest to people who live in surrounding counties like me because often when we come to town, we have to buy our dinner and naturally we would want something good but reasonable to eat.
Respectfully yours,
J.W. Bowden,
Keswick, Va.
Summary of Article
A letter to the editor seleted as the winner of the "Most Appealing Ad" contest.
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Transcript of Article
A PrayerHeavenly Father in this day of cults, cisms, fads and Godless religions, have mercy upon me and my group.
Lead us not into the way of the maddening crowd; lead us not into paths of endless pleasures, sleepness nights, and weary days; lead us not into morbid idleness and polluted thoughts. Help us Father, to find a moment for silent communion with Thee and meditation upon Thy goodness and love. Help us to succor the poor, ameliorate the sufferings of the sick and be perturbed over the broken hearted. Help us not to be carried off in the maelstrom fo selfishness, greed, and gain.
Make us see that all in this wonderful, beautiful world in Thine, and that we are stewards entrusted to guard that portion loaned to us for a season. Make us introspective and retrospective and let each day and each hour be an examination hour.
Impress upon my group to emulate the worthy things of other groups and not the decadent things that bespeak debauchery, lust, pomp, and pride.
If we are riding for a fall, let us not fall into torment but into restful regions that breathe for love, work, and praise.
Lastly, Master help us to serve, but serve with an eye single to Thy glory so that when rest comes it shall be earned and needed. Amen.
Mrs. Rebecca J. Hailstalk
Summary of Article
An eloquent prayer for Black Americans authored by Rebecca J. Hailstalk.
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