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248  The Crisis

by John P. Davis, Mrs. Estelle P. Dye, and George H. Rycraw.

On Thursday morning, July 2, Charles H. Thompson, editor of the Journal of Negro Education, led one of the best group discussions of the conference on educational inequalities.  The other session of the morning heard Dr. Ralph J. Bunche and Rabbi Edward L. Israel speak on "Facism and Minority Groups."  Both discussions were largely attended and were marked by lively debate from the floor.  In the afternoon several topics having to do with the organization within the N.A.A.C.P. were considered.  Miss L. Pearl Mitchell spoke on the youth councils and senior branches;  J. L. LeFlore urged more regional conferences;  and Roy Wilkins Advanced the suggestion that more than one branch might be established in one city.

Walter White spoke over radio station WFBR Thursday afternoon from 3:30 to 4:00 o'clock.

On Friday morning, July 3, Miss Enolia Pettigen and Thurgood Marshall, both of Baltimore, spoke to one of the most interested group sessions of the conference on educational problems.  Paul Pearson, former governor of the Virgin Islands, told something of the government's program in low cost housing after the regular discussion.  At the afternoon session, Miss Ovington told of the need for a legal defense fund and Mrs. N. Erlene Gray of Sapulpa, Oklahoma, outlined methods used by her branch to raise money.  Roy Wilkins discussed publicity for the association and the expansion of THE CRISIS.  The reports of the resolutions, time and place, and nominations committees were adopted.  The three representatives of the annual conference elected to the nominating committee for the board of directors are:  Mrs. Lillie M. Jackson, Baltimore, Maryland;  R. Nathaniel Dett, Rochester, New York;  and J. Franklin Bourne, New York City.

It was voted that the 1937 conference will go to Detroit, Michigan.

The resolutions adopted by the Conference will be printed in full in the September issue of THE CRISIS.


Youth Section of the Conference
By James H. Robinson

Junior branches of the N.A.A.C.P. have existed for quite some time.  The current year, however, has marked the first definitely successful attempt to organize a youth movement of the association.  The efforts of several persons of both the older and younger groups were at last culminated in the holding of a separate national conference of youth delegates simultaneously with the national conference of the seniors, which met in Baltimore, Maryland, June 29–July 5, 1936.  The meeting was organized and met under the caption, "Youth Section of the Annual Conference of the N.A.A.C.P."

The Youth Council was received with warm enthusiasm of both leaders and delegates.  This, unquestionably marks another progressive step on the march of the association and most certainly indicates its healthy state.

Baltimore was an ideal city for the initiation of this much needed and long awaited youth movement.  It was in this city that the work of the now famous City-wide Young Peoples Forum came into being and subsequently lent its influence and inspiration to youth of other sections of the country.  Most important of the lessons which these young people have taught, is the incalculable value of what an organized group can do.

The organization and efficiency of the various committees, the youth night program, the fellowship banquet, the reception and dance, and the fact that they themselves examined every home into which delegates were sent, is mute evidence of their ability.  I repeat here, what I heard many times during the conference – "Future hosts will have to go far to surpass what the youth of Baltimore have achieved."

Actual work on planning for the conference began early last spring in the national officers, under the guidance of Juanita Jackson, a special assistant to the secretary of the N.A.A.C.P.  Miss Jackson gathered a group of representatives from the two Youth's Councils in New York, the one in Brooklyn, and several other persons from places near the city.  The officers of the planning committee were, Martin L. Harvey, chairman;  J. Franklin Bourne, vice-chairman;  and Virginia Anderson, secretary.

217 Registered

The attendance, interest, and the program testify to the worth of the committee's work.  The official registration was 217, more than half of whom came from outside Baltimore.  The entertaining city and immediate territory, quite naturally supplied the largest delegation.  In this delegation there were quite a number of white youths.

[[image:  photograph of men and women at conference, captioned - DELEGATES TO THE YOUTH SECTION OF THE BALTIMORE CONFERENCE]]