"Be strong! We are not here to play, to dream, to drift. We have hard work to do, and loads to lift. Shun not the struggle; face it. Tis God’s gift." Transcriber’s Note This is one group of papers from a series of papers presented to the American Negro Academy. Founded by Alexander Crummell in March 1897, with 40 of the leading black scholars and writers of the day, the Academy’s purpose was to promote literature, science and art, foster higher education and high culture, and to defend the Negro aginst racist attacks. The Academy was active until 1924. This project was scanned from a facsimile reprint included in a collection of all 22 Occasional Papers of the American Negro Academy. Original spelling varieties have been maintained; tables and footnotes were renumbered.