Louise S McGehee School - Spectator Yearbook (New Orleans, LA)

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The Spectator Thirty-three emotional fits. They go around yelling and screaming and praising the Father. He comes to the various heavens at different intervals. One night my Mother, Uncle, Aunt, and I decided we would go to one of Father Divine's Heavens. We arrived upon the scene at about twelve mid-night. He was supposed to get there about one o'clock. When you go in, if you want to eat you buy a ticket for fifteen cents and sit at one of five or six long tables. There is a balcony all around the huge room where the visitors and the people sit who are followers but don't care to eat. They passed around orange-crush and free ice cream cones but my uncle insisted upon paying, so they took two cents. After many songs praising him, in walks Father Divine, a very short, chubby, dark Negro who has scattered gray hairs in his slightly bald head. Behind him came a tall, heavy, gray-headed Negro woman. When we asked who she was the reply was Mother Divine. But, I thought he didn't believe in marriage, we all said in amazement. She's not his wife. The newspapers and magazines criticized him for not having a Woman to take care of him. Therefore, he hired this woman as a housekeeper, calling her Mother Divine. He also has a young white girl about twenty, as his private secretary. He doesn't believe in more than two or three hours of sleep. Soon a silver-haired woman, who seemed to be in charge of the dining room, started handing dishes of food to Father Divine. He put a fork or spoon in each and passed them on. We later found out that he was blessing the food. They served chicken, fish, roast beef, pork, veal, many starches, gravies, all kinds of vegetables, corn bread, biscuits, raisin bread, rolls and light breadg also many kinds of cake and fruit. After a while, they started passing the things all over again. The followers all have perfectly beautiful manners at the table and elsewhere. They love to have visitors. Those in the balcony will gladly stand up and let you have their place. They say Father Divine, himself, has a 332,000 Dusenberg with a gold throne in it. A white chauffeur takes him around. When one of the followers answers the phone, he always says, Peace, Mrs. --'s residence, and when you say good-bye, he will say, Peace, have a good time. They are not allowed to say Hello or Good-bye. Father Divine has done much good in this so-called mission. Faith said she used to be a strong underworld character who smoked and drank all the time. She has scars all over her face and neck

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Thirty-two The Spectator ease and fpae ey Father Divine IWHILE visiting in New York this summer, we came across a very interesting thing. My aunt had hired a follower of Father Divine's great religious sect, as a cook. When she phoned the agency, they said they would send over one of their servants. They told Margaret that her name was Strong Faith. Faith got us all very inter- ested in Father Divine and brought us a copy of C New Day, J a weekly publication of the sect. We found that people of any race or creed could belong to the religion of Father Divine. They must first drop their real names and take up some pretentious religious name like Strong Faith. They also had to give up their families and their homes, their business and their money. They put their money in little drawers and the Father's Angels take the money away. Of course, Father Divine gets the money but the poor followers believe that the angels have taken it and use it for the good of all Father's followers. He lets them have enough for clothes, carfare, etc. When they become a member of this sect, they usually work for him. All the men and women live in separate dormitories and there is no segregation of races. The white women sleep next to the colored women and they are happy, and friendly, calling each other by their first names as if they were sisters. They worship Father Divine just as we worship God, and other people worship idols. In their little weekly magazine New Day there is a date on each new page as in a newspaper. It is printed ike this, June 14, A.D.F.D., meaning In the year of our Lord, Father Divine. Faith also told us of the ravishing dinners he gives in his different heavens He also has them at twelve o'clock noon, but they are never very full as most of the people are working then. The followers go to these places after their work or recreation and sing, confess their sins and, sometimes when they sing so much they have

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Thi1'fY'f0U1' The Spectator and looks as if she was in a terrible fight at one time. No smoking or drinking is allowed in the faith. Most of the followers don't drink Coca-Cola because Father Divine doesn't serve it at his place up the Hudson River. The F. B. I. has been investigating his outfit and knows there is something crooked, but the mystery is a hard one to solve. They can't prove that he is running a racket. Father Divine's people believe that he has lived always and will never die. They praise him and say, Father Divine, God ,Almighty-saver of Heaven and Earth. This all seems to be a fairy tale, but it is actually true because we visited Father Divine's largest Heaven this summer and I do believe that I have never enjoyed anything quite so much. If you should ever visit New York, you should not fail to see one of his many Heavens. Burdette, ,44 ll.......l.-..-- My Dearest Daughter: . Although this is a very busy day, today, please come aside into a quiet room where you and I can visit for a few minutes. You see I was afraid for a while that you would feel that you didn't mean anything to us as we did not come to your graduation. Now, I know that I was wrong, for all the miles between us will make no difference, and we will always be close to each other. This is going to be a very happy and a very sad day today. You will feel confused emotions pulling at your heartstrings and will not know what to do about them-I will tell you. Hide them forever, but don't cast them off. Remember and cherish them. These emotions are valuable. You are wondering at this, I can almost see the flicker of doubt pass through your eyes. Why remember an emotion? Whylcherish it? Remember and cherish it because it is a stepping stone. A little later in life you will meet a stone, not exactly like this one, but very nearly like it. Thus through your life you will pass from one crisis to another. and somehow the emotions will be cut from the same material, and be- cause you have become familiar with each one among the road each new one will be easier to take. Graduation! Yes they were pleasant, those high school years! Perhaps they are the happiest of all your youth. Because of this you are, undoubtedly feeling blue, and wish that you could live on in high school for many years to come. I've heard adults tell young people, Don't ever forget your high school years, they are the happiest of your life. 1 f '