Sumner High School - Maroon and White Yearbook (St Louis, MO)

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Let Us Go Into the House of the Lord Religion the final centre of reposeg the goal to which all things tend, which gives to time all its importance, to etern- ity all 'its glory, apart from which man is a shadow, his very existence a riddle, and the stupendous scenes that surround him as incoherent and unmeaning as the leaves which the sibyl scattered in the wind. -R. Hall. The Negro church has contributed greatly to our progress during seventy-five years of emancipation. From the first introduction of Christianity to the Negro during slavery, the church grew and spread until it has become one of the most prominent features of Negro society. The sincere religion and the great spiritu- ality of the Negro church during slavery is expressed by his musical contributions which are now being vocalized and played by leading musicians universally. This music is now called Negro Spirituals, and is considered the only purely American music that has been contributed to the world. The Negro has always looked to his church for inspiration and leadership. Here is his best organization. Statistics taken from a current publication of the National Baptist Convention, read as follows: Page Forty-six There are 3,250,000 Baptists, 650,000 African Methodists, Episcopalians, 500,000 African Methodist Episcopal Zions, 350,000 Methodist Episcopalians, 250,000 Colored Methodist Episcopalians, 55,000 Episcopali- ans, 40,000 Presbyterians, 20,000 Congrega- tionalists, 40,000 Disciples of Christ, 200,000 Roman Catholics. There are six Baptists for every ten Negroes. Some Negroes have adopted a religion other than Christianity. Among these are Moham- medanism, Judaism, and Divinism . The latter was founded by Reverend M. J. Divine of New York, better known as Father Di- vine. He has more than a million followers throughout the United States who claim vari- ous beliefs. His organization is supported mainly by a system of Peace restaurants and Peace barbershops. The Peace res- taurants have become very popular because they charge only fifteen cents for a salubrious meal. By this very low price, many paupers are attracted who eventually become Divin- ites . The Negro Church today has a dearth of adolescents and college graduated. The ado- lescents attend church where their is attention given to their needsg such as, athletics, hiking, scouting, dramatics, and other entertainments, where they are given a chance, not only to hear but to express themselves. Such is being done by Dr. Clayton Powell, Jr., at the Abyssinian Baptist Church of New York City. This church has thirty-two paid workers, among whom are the pastor, his assistants and graduate nurse, and a director of religious education. Another example is that of Dr. W. N. DeBerry, retired pastor of a congregational church in Springfield, Massa- chusetts, which has been attended by people of all races. This church maintains a parish home for working girls, a women's welfare league, and a night school of domestic train- ing. A girls' and boys' club emphasizing the handicrafts, music and athletics is also spon- sored by the same church. These religious leaders have solved the problem of attracting youth. Some of the needs of today have been met by these churches. The Negro church has produced great mis- sionaries who have undertaken the task of Christianizing the world, using as their weapons the ideals of Christ. Dr. J. E. East, the late Corresponding and Executive Secre- tary of the National Baptist Foreign Mission Board, has spent twelve years in South Africa MAROON AND WHITE

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as a missionary. He taught the natives to use their hands as well as their minds. This was done by teaching them how to make house furniture, wagon wheels and farming tools which were very much needed. During his twelve years in Africa, he was responsible for the establishment of schools, churches, and a very fine hospital. Today this hospital has its own trained dentists, surgeons, nurses, and medical doctors, who are administering' to the needs of their people. One of the greatest pioneers of the Negro Church was Lemuel Hayes. He was born July MAROON AND WHITE 18, 1753, at West Hartford, Conn., and be- came the first Negro pastor of a White Con- gregational church in Granville, New York. Lemuel Hayes was not only a forceful speaker but also a clear thinker. He aided George Washington by giving advice on governmental affairs. He is considered one of the greatest preachers of the colonial church. 'The Negro church will always stand as an illuminating monument dedicated to the ex- tension of God's kingdom and for the salva- tion of all mankind. Wesley East. Page Forty-seven

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Intoned in Sepia What is the Negroes' most lucrative field in the world today? From the early days of the cake-walk to the rage of tap dancing, enter- tainment is the most profitable and demanding field. Through the acting, music, and dances, the art of the American stage has been infiu- enced by our races. The Negro has originated most of the dancing in the theatre audience. Many of our dances have sweipt over the world like the tango , turkey-trot , charleston , truckin , Susie-Q , and boogie-Woogie . There are many famous Negro dancers, such as Ada Walker, whose nimble feet we would have compared with those of Ginger Rogers, Bill Bojangles Robinson, the high- est salaried single dancer, Lew Leslie's Blackbirds g Adelaide Hall, Nicholas Broth- ers, Whitman 'Sisters. The first dramatist to appreciate the in- triguing opportunities in the life of the darker races was William Shakespeare. Ira Aldridge, who played in his master tragedy, Othello , was the first Negro to receive recognition in the legitimate English speaking stage. From this lovely beginning, acting was awakened. Thus, we have a great many ac- tors who are recognized. Some of the actors and actresses who have contributed to the art of the theatre are Richard B. Harrison, Ethel Waters, Charles Gilpin, Stephin Fetchit, Eddie Anderson, better known as Rochester, Louise Beavers, Edna Mae Harris, Hattie McDaniels, Fredi Washington, Nina Mae McKinney, Paul Robeson. 'The introduction of sound has opened film- dom to the Negro race. Today the Negro actors, dancers, and musicians that. originated in New York, find a place in film productions. Negro films are becoming a field now in Holly- wood. In the movies we find Herbert J effries, who has become famous as a cowboyg Ralph Cooper displays his ability as an actor in several movie productions, also. The Negro is heartily welcomed and ap- preciated in foreign amusement centers, as in London, Paris, and Berlin. Many of the out- standing plays that were presented on Broad- way have been carried abroad. Shuflie Along , featuring Josephine Baker, was played in Follies Bergere in Paris. Since her debut there she has created a sensation as femme noir. The late Florence Mills, Paul Robeson, and Garland Anderson were also received with an extremely cordial welcome. Happiness is an essential part of our lives. We, as a group of people, must have enter- tainment. It seems to be an inspirer to our course of progress. Comedians always help this important and significant feeling. The MAROON AND WHITE greatest comedian that appeared on the Amer- ican stage was Bert Williams, a man with unusual abilityg Butter Beans and Susie, Stephin Fetchit, and a number of others have achieved success. It was not until 1895 that the Negro min- strel tradition attempted to break. John W. Isham was the one to form a musical show, The Octoroons . Then vaudevilles followed. The first all-Negro comedy played on Broad- way was William's and Walker's In Dahom- ey . From that time on we have had a num- ber of hits as Dixie to Broadway , starring Florence Mills, and the late Hot Mikado , starring Bill Bojangles Robinson. Between 1925-1930, the staging of serious drama for the Negro was noticed. Generally, the plays produced were only concerned with lowly-life among Negroes. In an issue of the Liberty magazine, Belasco says: It is a far cry from native kraal to cosmopolitan stage-but the Negro has made the journey. Watch him in the next decade. We can all remember the continuous comeback of Show- Boat , a Ziegleld production, starring forty Negroes, Deep River , a jazz opera, ten Negroes cast in recognized parts, with Jules Bledsoe, baritone, the first Negro to appear in such a capacity in the operatic field in Amer- ica, and Rose McClendon, who was favorably criticised by Ethel Barrymore. Miss Barry- more remarked: She can teach them all dis- tinctiong Green Pastures , with Richard B. Harrison as De Lawd . The Negro playwrights have also taken ad- vantage of this new opportunity. They haw! tried, and succeeded, in portraying more realistically the average Negro. Much credit is due Jean Toomer's Balo and Kanis g Frank Wilson with his Sugar Cane , and Walk Together Children . Then credit is also to C. D. Lipscomb, John Matheus, Langs- ton Hughes, Randolph Edmonds, George A. Towns, Ira D. Reid, Zora Neale Hurston. Willis Richardson, Mae Miller. In patronizing our Negroes in the theatrical world, we are accommodated with 425 theatres of every type. Two-thirds of them are equipped to present vaudevilles or road shows. One-half of them are owned by other than Negroes. In our own city of St. Louis, a few years ago, there was the Booker Washington Theatre, exclusively owned and operated by a Negro, Charles Turpin. It is hoped that the Negro dramatist shall simply and devotedly interpret the life that is familiar to him for the sheer joy of artistic expression. Gertha Brock. Page Forty-five