Twentieth century Negro literature : $b or, A cyclopedia of thought on the vital topics relating to the American Negro
History
Twentieth century Negro literature : $b or, A cyclopedia of thought on the vital topics relating to the American Negro
African Americans -- History
And, I add, if the hands of such women as Mrs. Booker T. Washington of
Tuskegee, and Miss Georgie Washington of Mt. Meigs, Alabama, be upheld
by friends of the North, South, East and West, many skeptics would, in
a comparatively short time, forget that they had at any time doubted
the ability of the Negro to make for himself a creditable place in
history. Such are the women needed to-day. Women who teach by doing.
Women who can take a basket of soap on the arm, and in a gentle,
winning way present it to homes that need it, while at the same time
extol its merits in a pleasant manner. Women are needed who can teach
the lesson of morality, cleanliness of soul and body, and the hygienic
and economic management of the humble home, by showing them how to
perform these acts, and furnish examples. Women who can arouse their
sense of propriety to such a degree that by frugal habits they may
abandon the one-room cabin in which a family of eight or ten eat,
cook, sleep, wash and iron, for the neat two, three, or four-room well
ventilated cottage. The laundry tub may be an excellent substitute
when no better can be provided, but they will be taught to see the
need of a genuine bath tub in every home. They will be taught that
honest labor is no disgrace; that, however much education one may
acquire, the deftness of the hands to execute the mandates of the mind
tends rather to elevate the possessor, and hastens the day of a full
developed man or woman with mind, heart, and hand trained to the best
service--thereby dignifying labor. Above all, the thought must be
impressed indelibly upon the hearts and consciences of the youth that
the men can be no better than the women. Men are what the women make
them. If a woman is refined, and exhibits a modest, dignified bearing,
men can not fail to appreciate her demeanor and conduct themselves
accordingly. While, on the other hand, boisterous, uncouth conduct
upon the part of women will encourage boldness toward them, disrespect
for them, and win the contempt of the men of a community for such
women. Hence, wherever uplifting influence is needed, the result of
the labor depends upon the compliant nature of the element, upon which
they are working, whose persuasive power is more efficacious in
directing the _upward_ and _downward_ trend of the masses. The women
who can best appreciate this fact have the very grave responsibility
of keeping the lesson constantly before the people--"Lest we forget,
lest we forget." The so-called Negro problem must be solved by the
Negro. The plane to which he must attain is limited by the energy and
persistency of the most competent and sympathetic leaders, in piloting
the followers in such a manner that they may realize that
"Life is real. Life is earnest,
And the grave is not its goal;
Dust thou art, to dust returnest,
Was not spoken of the soul."
FOURTH PAPER.
WHAT ROLE IS THE EDUCATED NEGRO WOMAN TO PLAY IN THE UPLIFTING OF HER
RACE?
BY MRS. C. C. PETTEY.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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