Fifty Years of Freedom: with matters of vital importance to both the white and colored people of the United States — John Shaqi
Fifty Years of Freedom: with matters of vital importance to both the white and colored people of the United StatesGrimké, Francis J. (Francis James)
History
Fifty Years of Freedom: with matters of vital importance to both the white and colored people of the United States
Grimké, Francis J. (Francis James)
African Americans
is true of our teachers as a class I do not know; but that it is true of
some of them I have not the slightest doubt. What we need, therefore, as
we face the future, is to endeavor to get the active and hearty
coöperation of all the teachers in all of our schools in this higher
mission of character building in their pupils. The teachers, if they can
only be made to see it, hold a place second in importance only to the
home in the service which they can render in the stupendous task which
confronts us as a race. We must all of us, as we begin this new half
century of freedom, be more thoughtful about our homes, more concerned
to make them proper habitats for the rearing of children; more concerned
about our schools and the character of the men and women who are in
charge of them; and more concerned about our churches to see that they
are properly manned, properly conducted, properly supported by our
presence and by our financial aid. None of these institutions can be
allowed to deteriorate, to fall behind, without affecting unfavorably
the progress of the race.
(6). It is important that we impress ourselves with the evil of strong
drink, and that we set definitely before us the work of educating the
race with reference to the poisonous nature of alcohol and its baleful
effects. Sobriety, abstinence from all alcoholic liquors as a beverage,
we must be at special pains to impress upon all—old and young alike. We
must organize temperance societies; we must encourage those that are
already in existence; we must gather the children into temperance bands,
in our Sabbath schools and in our day schools as far as may be possible.
In the new half century upon which we have now entered, we must firmly
resolve, and must bend every effort towards lessening the evil of strong
drink among us. At the end of the present half century, let us hope that
there will be less intemperance among us; that a larger number of homes
among us will be definitely committed to total abstinence, than we find
to-day. Whatever we can do to lessen this evil; whatever we can do to
produce a sober, temperate people we must do, and we must all do our
part to secure this result. Every member of the race is interested in,
or, at least, ought to be, in saving it from the curse of intemperance,
not only because it will help the race economically and morally, but
also because it will set it in a better light before its enemies, it
will take away one serious ground of complaint against it.
(7). We must not allow ourselves to become discouraged because of the
obstacles which our enemies are constantly throwing across our pathway.
These obstacles, if we are made of the right stuff, will help to
strengthen us, to make us more resolute, more determined. It is in
breasting opposition, in overcoming difficulties that we develop
strength.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account