EDITORIAL
As there are already many race publications on the market, it is expected of a new one that an excuse be offered for its entering the field and an explanation be made of its object, its purpose and its policy.
The excuse that it is “to fill a long felt want,” although a stereotyped expression, is an appropriate one in this case; for notwithstanding there are already many race publications on the market, none of them seems to meet the requirements, judging from the general expressions so repeatedly heard.
There are so many features that we plan to cover, and so many things that are done by other publications that we think are subject to criticism, which we proposenotto do, that we will make mention of only a few of them at this time, leaving the balance to be reviewed later.
It will not be our sole ambition to make this magazine a “literary gem” either for our own gratification or to suit the fancy of the “highbrows,” but to present facts in plain, commonsense language, so that the masses may read and understand; or, in the words of Brother Taylor, we propose to call a “spade aspade” and not an “excavating instrument for manual manipulation.”
It is our intention to chronicle such doings of the race as may be of interest to a majority of our readers. Such men and women of the race as may attain eminence or affluence by perseverance, we shall be pleased to make mention of in these columns, as we feel assured that the masses are interested in the same; but we shall refrain from publishing such articles as “Sister Smith of Bastrop gave a chicken dinner last Sunday for Brother Jones of Monroe,” as we believe that of all our readers only four persons would be interested in such an item—Sister Smith, because it tickled her vanity to see her name in print; Brother Jones, to the extent that as he had partaken of many similar dinners under more agreeable surroundings, the recalling to his memory of this affair reminded him how bored he was; Brother Jones’ wife, who was in a quandary as to why Sister Smith should go to the expense to give her husband a dinner, and Mrs. Brown, who lives next door to Sister Smith, who expresses her interest with these remarks: “I think it would be better if Sister Smith would pay her debts before she starts giving big dinners.” As such news items are fully covered by our leading Colored weeklies, we leave the field to their complete monopolistic control.
As the Race Problem is ever with us, we shall discuss and shall entertain discussions of the same from time to time. We appreciate that we are now living in a commercial era and that the factors of paramount importance in the solution of this problem are economy, industry—the making and saving of money—and business development. We also appreciate that in the upbuilding of the race, unity, co-operation and race patronage are essential. We believe where other things being equal, our business enterprises should receive the patronage of ourleadersas well as the masses. There seems to be a well-founded complaint that some of our leaders, from indifference, selfishness or neglect, fail to patronize our business enterprises or give them the consideration they deserve. The Good Book says: “If you are not for us you are against us.” We shall endeavor to “show up” from time to time which side our leaders are on.
Unfortunately, we have three classes of leaders. In the first class we have the men and women who, through thought and sacrifice and action, are actuallydoing thingsfor the race’s advancement. We will take pleasure in mentioning them and their work, as they are entitled to every praise.
In another class we have leaders that have been selectedfor usby the white race, on account of their willingness to advocate inferiority and practice submission. We have still another class that has assumed leadership based upon falsification, gall, treachery, bigotry, egotism and borrowed oratory. These two latter classes are appropriately designated as “old aces” and it is customary for our racejournals to give publicity to such persons for so much per. When such personsdosomething for the advancement of the race we will be pleased to make note thereof, but we will not use valuable space in rehashing and gleaming before the public, falsely assumed virtues and accomplishments to which they are not entitled, but for which they have been given credit solely for the reason that they have “divied up” with someone, to falsely represent them before the public.
We should like to send every one of our Subscribers a letter telling of our plans and ambition to give them the greatest value in the columns ofThe Half-Century Magazinethat can be obtained anywhere.
We are very pleased to announce that we have secured the services of Miss Leona Porter to conduct our Domestic Science Department. She is, without question, one of the leading cooking authorities in this country today and needs no introduction. To secure Miss Porter’s services exclusively for theHalf-Century, it cost a great deal of money, but we wanted to have the “real authority” to conduct this department. The recipes which will be published each month should be saved. They are arranged in convenient form, so that they can be cut out and pasted in your cook book. You are at liberty to write Miss Porter at any time and she will give you, without cost, helpful advice on all questions of marketing and cooking, household economies, recipes, menus, left-overs and problems of housekeepers.
Miss Evelyn Northington will conduct our Department of Beauty Hints. Miss Northington needs no introduction, as she is of national renown as an authority on Beauty Culture. You can rest assured that when Miss Northington indorses anything, it has had her personal investigation and her indorsement cannot be purchased for money. The article itself must come up to the standard or she will not indorse it. Little aids to beauty and good health—hints on complexion, hair trouble, skin, etc.—are matters on which you will receive advice promptly from a source you may trust.
We shall note each month, as the information comes to us, the latest books by Colored authors or about the Negro. The latest songs and music by Negroes and the latest talking machine records.
We want short stories with plots and settings dealing with Negro life and will pay a good price for all such stories as are accepted for publication in our columns. Stories must not exceed 5,000 words, must be typewritten and written only on one side of paper. Please understand—manuscripts that are not accepted will not be returned unless sufficient stamps are inclosed to pay postage on the same.
Politics! Oh, yes! The Negro is a born politician, and although we shall try to avoid following our natural instinct to jump into the Political Pot, at the same time we are going to reserve the right to discuss fairly and impartially, men and measures as they may come up to affect the welfare of the race.
We are planning a Special Fashion Number for our September issue. This will be a unique number in which we have a big surprise in store for you. We will show the latest fall styles in ladies’ wearing apparel. A corps of trained fashion experts of our race in Chicago and New York have been engaged and will especially feature our people in the latest styles.
The advertisements of a modern publication have become one of its most important features, as it is the medium by which the manufacturer or distributor and the consumer are brought together. It is a fact that many persons are more interested in the advertisements of a publication than in any other of its features, which is evidenced by the fact that they often read the advertisements first; for it enables one not only to keep abreast with the new developments, but also offers many opportunities for saving in expenses, which is very important in these days of “high cost of living”!
We believe in truthfulness in advertising, and, therefore, will not knowingly insert in our columns, false or extremely exaggerated advertisements; nor will we accept the advertisements of clairvoyants, fortune tellers, promoters of questionable oil wells or mining stocks or other get-rich-quick concerns as have fleeced our people in the past. It is our intention to investigate the responsibility and reliability of each advertiser before we accept same for publication. We shall aim to set a standard that if the advertisement appears in this publication, it is reliable; a policy that should produce such a confidence between the advertiser and our readers, as to result in a mutual benefit.
These are only a few of the many things we have planned, to give you the best value possible for your subscription money.
The Editor.
Making up your mind about people—whether you will like them or not—the first instant you meet them, is like reading the end of a book first. You may (though you frequently don’t) secure a fairly accurate impression, but all the thrill of suspense, the gradual unfolding of surmise into certainty, is lost forever.
In old Aesop’s fable we read of a frogWho burst, like a bubble in air,While trying to show to his friends in the bogThe size of an ox who’d been there.And the moral was drawn from the homely old taleThat a man should take care what he tries,And plod on through life, on a nice, modest scale,Since only contentment is wise.But my heart goes out to that cocky young frog,Whose life was so recklessly spent;Who burst into bits in the midst of his bogBecause on ambition intent.But tho’ he was highly conceited, I know,I’m strong for his courage and gall;For it’s better to burst in attempting to growThan to have no ambition at all.—Berton Braley in Life.
In old Aesop’s fable we read of a frogWho burst, like a bubble in air,While trying to show to his friends in the bogThe size of an ox who’d been there.And the moral was drawn from the homely old taleThat a man should take care what he tries,And plod on through life, on a nice, modest scale,Since only contentment is wise.But my heart goes out to that cocky young frog,Whose life was so recklessly spent;Who burst into bits in the midst of his bogBecause on ambition intent.But tho’ he was highly conceited, I know,I’m strong for his courage and gall;For it’s better to burst in attempting to growThan to have no ambition at all.—Berton Braley in Life.
In old Aesop’s fable we read of a frogWho burst, like a bubble in air,While trying to show to his friends in the bogThe size of an ox who’d been there.And the moral was drawn from the homely old taleThat a man should take care what he tries,And plod on through life, on a nice, modest scale,Since only contentment is wise.
In old Aesop’s fable we read of a frog
Who burst, like a bubble in air,
While trying to show to his friends in the bog
The size of an ox who’d been there.
And the moral was drawn from the homely old tale
That a man should take care what he tries,
And plod on through life, on a nice, modest scale,
Since only contentment is wise.
But my heart goes out to that cocky young frog,Whose life was so recklessly spent;Who burst into bits in the midst of his bogBecause on ambition intent.But tho’ he was highly conceited, I know,I’m strong for his courage and gall;For it’s better to burst in attempting to growThan to have no ambition at all.
But my heart goes out to that cocky young frog,
Whose life was so recklessly spent;
Who burst into bits in the midst of his bog
Because on ambition intent.
But tho’ he was highly conceited, I know,
I’m strong for his courage and gall;
For it’s better to burst in attempting to grow
Than to have no ambition at all.
—Berton Braley in Life.
—Berton Braley in Life.
The National Association of Colored Women will hold their biennial meeting at Baltimore, August 6 to 11.
The National Meeting of Colored Odd Fellows, that is known as the B. M. C., will be held at Washington, September 11 to 16.
The Boyd faction of the National Baptist Convention will hold its convention September 6th at the Second Baptist Church of Kansas City.
The Morris faction of the National Baptist Convention will hold its convention September 13th at the First African Baptist Church of Savannah, Ga.
The National Negro Business League, of which the late Dr. Booker T. Washington was president, will meet at Kansas City, Mo., August 16, 17 and 18.
The National Negro Press Association will also meet at Kansas City at the same time.
The National Medical Association of Colored Physicians, Surgeons, Dentists, and Pharmacists meets at Kansas City, Mo., August 22, 23, 24. Dr. U. G. Dailey, of Chicago, is president of this organization.