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[[caption]]FRANCES H. WILLIAMS, Mt. Holyoke

OLGA E. CALHOUN, Iowa State

ELIZABETH GROSS, Iowa State

ALVALON C. COX, Indiana

CARLYLE F. STEWART, Northwestern

JAMES A. SCOTT, Kansas

E. A. WILBUR JOHNSON, Northwestern

J. C. WINTERS, Kansas

WILLIAM A. FOUNTAIN, JR.,
Northwestern[[/caption]]

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National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

RECRUITING IN THE MID-WEST

R. W. BAGNALL, District Organizer

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THE Middle West is the center of much of our industrial life; therefore, when the scarcity of labor caused the factory manager to seek in the Negro the only available supply, hosts of colored people flocked to the Middle West. Pittsburgh, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Detroit, Chicago, Dayton, Akron, Youngstown and many of the smaller factory and mill towns found that their Negro population had remarkably increased almost overnight.

Many towns, such as Albion, Mich., where a Negro had been more or less of a curiosity, found themselves all at once with a considerable group of black Americans. The first reaction was generally one of hostility, but soon they found that these new-comers were largely decent citizens. The story of how the Negro migrant made good is well known. Wherever he has had half a chance, he has made himself acceptable to the community.

Of course, problems arose and still arise; problems of adjustment to a new environment, problems of the relationship of these newcomers to the old Negro citizens, problems of housing, problems of dress and behaviour, problems of thrift and of the increase of prejudice with the increase in numbers. The migrant found that the North was not entirely the Paradise he dreamed, and the necessity of organization became apparent to him, his fellows, and to the social-minded whites.

Two organizations have very efficiently served his needs, along with others, the Urban League and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. Each of these complements the other. The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, being a mass organization, makes a strong appeal to the Negro migrant, as well as to his brother of longer residence in the North. This is indicated by requests for organization piling in from small towns all over the Middle West, and from some places where one is surprised to find that the Negro has penetrated in any numbers.

Ohio has twenty-one branches, and most of them are wideawake. Small towns, like Urbana, where the Negro population earns its living by working on adjacent farms, as well as factory towns, like Akron, have their enthusiastic branches. In Michigan, we have established enthusiastic branches in Ypsilanti, Flint, Kalamazoo, Jackson, Grand Rapids, Bay City, Benton Harbor and Lansing. We have invaded Canada by establishing a branch in Windsor, Ontario. Hamtramck, Pontiac, Albion, Battle Creek, Saginaw, Ann Arbor and Sault Ste. Marie are taking the preliminary steps toward establishing branches, and some are hoping to be enrolled before the June Conference. South Bend, Ind., is also looking forward to the same end. Out in Wisconsin, we have established a fine branch in Milwaukee, and we are expecting to organize one in Madison. These branches are reaching out and getting the best white citizens in membership. Many of the mayors, councilmen, prosecuting attorneys, sheriffs, judges, and leading wealthy citizens are earnest members.

These branches are influencing the sentiment of their communities to a striking degree. On the streets of one city in this region, where we have a strong branch, I overheard two white men discussing the Negro. "It's no use trying to keep the Negro down," said one, "for he is learning to organize. They have some sort of a National Advancing Society and they belong to it all over this country." To illustrate how the Negro of the Middle West takes to the N. A. A. C. P., the writer established a branch in one of the Michigan

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