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About The advocate. (Portland, Or.) 19??-19?? | View Entire Issue (March 21, 1931)
IP : T ru e Sto rie* A chievem ent «* B SI* <• M M mh U h !> ...».•• The Advocate *t. ■ h it iib I i I B i Ik u .K *» X »**!• ir. r »ll»n r t - T ||L< || , | IC T B A T L 'n I V i T I 'M I-' I III-. II.1.1 > I L-4 I 1.1» t l./\ I l M . « V T K l V \ tu ri-k ] ! '» . > 91 1 l| '( 1 A l a r t h ¿1. I I *’ • ln Ilu «r«t«4 T t . l o r » S ett ion v r . p e w « . i b I h i h i n l l w a « • a « B ftel prlactpala Who A re the Thirteen Most Gifted Negroes\"KUnited States? Cliarle» H Houston, lawyer 9 W il It Lewis, lawyer: 10. Julian D. Eugene Gordon, Radical Essayist, Makes The Author Compiles the Most Interest liam Kalnry. lawyer, II. Conrad U Vin cent. pbyalclan; 12 Louis T Wright, ing and Thought Provocative List of physician and surgeon. a Most Sensational and Challenging The following rank highest under art: 1 William Stanley Oralthwalte Gifted Individuals of the Year. Selection of Talented Afro-Americans. poet and anthologist. 3. Henry T Br EU G EN E G ORD ON I The proportion of K>ft**<i colored men and women to the whole Aframericnn population persist*. I believe, in about the same ratio as the lifted whites to the whole Caucasia* tneriean population. Simply holding that theory, however, d o e s not help one very much to pick out the most gifted from a colored population of from ir> to 20 millions. Before selections ran be made the Atramerlean populstton Bill have to !»■ divided Into classes or categories. That ta.sk hating been accomplished. the selector will have to designate 111 each category or class, the per- son or persons who he thinks are the most gifted These lists will h ive to be reduced furtlier through ellmlnat- li)g this one for this deficiency and Ibal one for that Much a proegsg U nrccaaary. lor Uie reason that there la no way to rom|>ure dissimilar.» W e cannot compare a poet with an HENRY A. HI NT E* arator engineer, because as poet snd engi neer they have no parallelisms — unless t tie engineer chanoes also to write poetry. In that cju * they are compared as poets, and net as en gineer and poet. From the point of view af class dl- vision, let us see Into how many categories all Aframerlca ran be brought. O f course there will be sub- classes, and Sub-sub-classas. If we carry ttir division to its logical, de- tailed end- I think that If we list all Aframerlca under the heads of Business. Professions. Art. Sclrncr, Kd- ucatitm, I'olltUs. and Mist rUanc.ius we shall take In everybody. I f we list Writers under Art, thus Treating the first sub-class, we shall of neceaslty have to create sub-sub-rlasses. under the heads of Novelists. Poets. News- papermen. Essayists. Historians, Playwrights. Publicists, and so on. In writing this paper I have kept that rulr In tnlnd; nevertheless, I have avoided sub-classes as fsr as practicable Comprehending my Kclicmc, the render will realize that I believe the critic does Rambo Hlew- foot no good when he annoburea, ex critic liavcvi onr with the* ImpvrMftou lh#, on(. |1IU t*,.,, tulenlng lo „on - ^enar. j re»rrvc the privilege of omitting , rot„ nils paper any category which does not. In my opinion, contain per a hose performance is no better medlocie n makuiK such omissions, however. It is likely that I „lay overlook someone who deserves consideration. In that case I ask to be forgiven my fallibility, please, even It Burleigh, rumpoarr and singer. 3. Melville Charlton. organist: 4. Charles W Clirstnutt. novelist. 5 29. George S Schuyler, novelist: 30 Countee Cullen, poet, # Nathaniel Richird Reid, portrait painter; im e n f there person, nam’ d on? origl- nal Id-*a: that is. an Idea that cr.gl- pam te r " and°'lHus tr a tor*' °8' W ^ ' e ' u 11 Paul Robpvw' “ t=r and s‘ n* " ' n» tid * lth th } P 'nwn « “ Uk* * UuBol*. novelist; 9 Artiiur HufI 32 William O. St'U. composer and wise Improbable that th ! idea, what- Fauset. short story writer; 10 Jem- arranger; 33. Gertrude Schalk. short ever it is. is essential to the welfare »ie Fauset. novelist and poet story writer; 24 Henry O. Tanner of sot.cty. Certainly It is n;t easy atory _ 11 ,,udo*Ph ri»her. »hurt painter; 35 Will Henry Vodery. ar- to say whether a man's initiative in ranger and composer; 30 Meta War- advanc ng his Idea is perfect, for the rick Fuller, sculptor; 37 Dorothy reason that salesmanship d?p;nds al- .. together upen the salesman The West short story writer; 38. Clarence . . . . . _ ' success attained is more easily meas- Cameron White, compose and vlo- ured. and it is therefore likely that Imlst; 39 Hale Woodruff. painter: more than one person may receive 40 Albert Alexander Smith, etcher 21 P « « * » » lor success ln advancing fhelr Ideas. and painter. Messrs. Bousfield, Pace. Spaulding The m;st outstanding Aframerican and other gentlemen of th ; insurance scientists seem to me lo b * : 1 George business ernnot mce; my te_t at ai W Carver, agricultural chemist; 1 und,-r the heads of "Orlg.nalitv ol _ . _ „ „ .__. . . Idea" wild Value of the Idea td So- Solomon C Fuller, neurologist and cle,y .. N , lth?r C3n the not psychiatrist. .1 William G. Haynes, the manufacturers of hair good; anc chemist; 4 William C. Hinton, cilni- beautifiers. There is na originality cal pathologist* 5 Elmer S lines, in the idea of insurance, nor ha3 that physicist; 6 Ernest E Just, bio- branc-> oi Ne* ro business been of in- chemlst; 7 Harry Keeland. chemist. Educators are listed as follows 1 Charlotte Hawkins Brown; 2 Mary McLeod Bethune; 3 Nannie H Bur roughs; 4 Leslie Pinckney Hill; 5. Henry A Hunt; 6 Gilbert H, Jcnes; 7 Mordecal W Johnson; 8 Robert R Moten; 9 James E Shepard; all heads of educational Institutions. Aframerlca s geniuses ln politics may be found. I think among the fo l lowing gentlemen; I. Archibald J. Carey, political boss and member of civil service commission; 2 Robert L W I iS T O N H I GHES R Church, political boss; 3 Oscar Fuel and Author DePrlest, political boss and rongress- __ ________. . . . , , „ _____ man; 4 Ferdinand Q Morton, civil !?T‘te .■ * " d. " ? ! . V . . . ! ? , s e r v i c e commissioner and Tim m anv nar. singer: 13. William C Handy, Hall satellite; 5. Fred R M ore. ald- muslelan and compoaer; 14. Helen erman. Hagen, pianist: 18. Hasel Harrison. Under Mtsrellaneous we list the pianist; 1« Richard B Harrison, se- tor 17 Roland Ha\. 18 b,,r,“ » inpd of Aframerica s InteUec . tusl Arlstocrscy: 1 Joseph D Bibb, Hugh” <’o fl and novelist; newspaper editor: 2 Floyd Calvin, ^ Eva Jr!,!,y* « " " P 0* " and arrani; feature story writer and columnist; 3. W E. B DuBoLs. magazine edi tor and sociologist: 4 Francis J. Ortinke. clergyman: 8 Wm E Har- rlson. essayist; 8 George E Haynes, sociologist; 7. Maurice Hunter, art ist’s model; 8 Charles S Johnson, so ciologist and author; 9 Theophilus GEO. S. SCHUYLER Lewis, dramatic critic; 10 Kelly M il Essayist sad Novelist ler. easaylst and publicist; 11 Carl J Murphy, newspaper editor; 12. _ . , . . A Clayton Powell clerygman; 13 f, l l* blr ' ° *he m«saes of William Krlley. newspaper; 14. Aub- Most of the ether buai- rey Bowser, literary critic: 15. Rob- n « * « »re parasitical ln their na- ert 3. Abbott, newspaper editor; 18. therefore unnecessary, except A- Philip Randolph, labor organizer: ** ibr,R»hing a means of llveliliood 17. Reverdy C. Ransom, clergyman; to, i he „ 18. Robart T Vann newspaper edl- 1 Mf n Ukf Clarence B Curley and tor; 19 William T. -Vernon, clergy- J*nTP' A -»»«kson are valuable to man; 20 J. Finley Wilson, fraternal such bustn'*“ e1s “ “ l m how- order head; 21 Carter O. Woodson. PVTG since little of the business they historian: 22 Monroe N Work, btblt- PurP °rt ' « sustain through their ex- ojrapher; 23 Plummer B Young. P*?* adv*cc ts worth sustaining — Its newspaper; 2« Wtlltxni N DeBerry vah',‘ be,n« estimated in relation to clergyman; X5 T S. Harten. clergy- lu b<‘?<‘.9t , to soc,ety — gentle- man. men fall low in the scale I dev:aed . . ( io ^ e m by. my fallibility cannot be forgotten. My »election* are of necessity arbi trary. for t have no means n( de termining the excess of one man's tul- ent over another's In a given field e x cept by exercising my opinion. For J cannot weigh this surge n's skill against that ones, taking Into con sideration the number ■>( times this one's operations have been successful and that ones u i i s c h c c s s I u I. 1 can not do so for thr reason that I have nr data-on which to rinstruct such a graph ..nd If I had thr data I should lark something ...---- equally lin- ...... ..............„ , --- pnrlant the knowledge whether the success ot the one designated ns more talented was caused by chance, good fortune, or some other fortuitous cir cumstance. Therefore, 1 say, my selections are urbltrarv Nevcrthe- less. I shall give . reason for each selection In brief. Hits l»p c r might properiy be titled "M y Opinion of Who an- the Thirteen Most Gifted Aframcrtcans." II I think I can Justly base my Judg ment In each category, and In rach case In that category, on these four principles ID Originality of th- Idra; i 2 i Value of the Idea t o soci ety; O i Initiative In advancing the Idea; 141 Degree of sueeeoa attained. le t us first consider Business These men and women srem lo stand out above the rest: I. M O . Bouse- field. Insurance company head; 2. Clarence B. Curley, business adviser; 3. Thanton Hsyes. proprietor music store; 4. Albon L. Hulsey, organiser of Negro b x a l n c s ; 5 James A. Jackson, "business specialist," US. Dr|iartment of Commerce; 6 Annie M. T . Malone, manulacturer; 7. Bennie Motcti. proprietor music store; 8 Anthony Overton, manu- foe hirer and banker; 9. Harry H. Pace. Insurance rompatiy head; 10. S. W, Rutherford. Insurance com- pany olBdal; It. Charles C. Rpauld- Ing. head Insurance company and banker; 12 W att Terry, real estate "operator"; 13. Maggie L Walker, head of business concern operating as fra- tenial organisation and president of ROLAND HAVYES bank; 14. Sadie Warren, manager of Singrr a newspaper; 15. R. R Wright. Sr. head of bank ..— „ — ------ In the category of Professions the Cr; 20 Hall Johnson, eomixwer and following persons seem to me to be arranger; the most conspicuous; conspicuous: 1 Raymond 21. James Weldon Johnson, poet Pare Alexander, lawyer; 2 Sadie T and cotninser; 22 Clarence E Muse. M A l e x a n d e r , lawyer; 3 8 Joe actor. 23 John F Matheus, short 28 Aixnistw Savage. wuljAor r.w i, person. I have Judged according to ill Ity of hi* idea; ,J> the idea to society; (3) the said, will be the original- a" ‘ n ^ 'P value of hU X lb ^ initiative he wa- T1v»re or " ’ h ^ e V m e CnP * rh ¿ th*’ ? L ^ o la e ^ HU If« it ^ a Sr£5.S£tt =» ? a will mean that when we have found. say, an artist whose Idea Is wholly original, whose original Idea Is eaaen- Ual to the welfare of society whose Initiative in advancing the Idea could not be Improved upon, and whose ,, .»^1,,r . i * t , I 1,4____ __ ly. rt-u impn>hable tliat there «h„n i. c ,i„,, j o m ji M «.. V i^ * . he ' °* t , K . i.i nnot , " n1 to sec th lt ~ a>er|l rontrlbu,e anything of value w society rn ro ttiin g my n atural (t'antinaed an Page 2)
