Tuesday, February 1, 2011

Twice Told Tuesday - The Crisis - Black History

Twice Told Tuesday features a photography related article
reprinted
from old photography books, magazines, and newspapers.

Our history, warts and all.


The Present Crisis

by James Russell Lowell

. . .New occasions teach new duties; Time makes ancient good uncouth;
They must upward still, and onward, who would keep abreast of Truth;
Lo, before us gleam her campfires? We ourselves must Pilgrims be,
Launch our Mayflower, and steer boldly through the desperate winter sea,
Nor attempt the Future's portal with the Past's blood-rusted key.

The Crisis was founded by W.E.B. Du Bois as the official publication of the NAACP in 1910. It is a journal of civil rights, history, politics, and culture and seeks to educate and challenge its readers about issues that continue to plague African Americans and other communities of color. The Crisis has been the magazine of opinion and thought leaders, decision makers, peacemakers and justice seekers. It has chronicled, informed, educated, entertained and, in many instances, set the economic, political and social agenda for our nation and its multi-ethnic citizens. The Crisis takes its name from the poem excerpted above.

EDUCATION
March 1912

In public school No. 3, Brooklyn, N.Y., Miss Rosa Taylor, a colored girl, completed the course in six and one-half years (a thing which has not been done since the founding of the school 250 years ago), and took the bronze medal in the spelling bee.

In the same school Miss Marion Allen, a daughter of Mrs. William Trotman, took the silver medal for proficiency in German at the midyear promotion.

There were 108 pupils in the class and eighteen of them were of German descent. The silver medal was the highest honor and was given by the German-American National Bund.

The German gentleman who presented the medal nearly lost his breath when he saw the little colored girl of 14 years who took it.

These two were the only prizes offered and they were taken by the only two colored pupils in the class. The audience of 5,000 roared in applause.


Sources:

Magazine and Photograph


"Education."The Crisis, March 1912, 215.

4 Comments:

Blogger Heather Wilkinson Rojo said...

James Russell Lowell is a cousin of mine (several generations removed) He was an abolitionist and poet. "The Crisis" magazine was by the NAACP, and he often pubished stories and poems within. He later became editor of the "Atlantic Monthly" which is still in circulation. My grandmother's brother was CEO of this at one time, because he was related to R W Emerson, another founder of the "Atlantic".

February 1, 2011 at 4:47 PM  
Blogger Craig Manson said...

Thanks for mentioning The Crisis. My mother was active in the NAACP as a young woman and appeared in the magazine on several occasions. Thanks to G0oogle Books, I'm able to see and read about her in The Crisis.

February 1, 2011 at 6:13 PM  
Blogger Andrea said...

Thank you for sharing!! This was wonderful!

February 2, 2011 at 8:27 AM  
Anonymous cristina said...

nice its great thanks for sharing

February 4, 2011 at 8:03 AM  

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