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74 THE CRISIS

THE SPINGARN MEDAL

THE fourth annual Spingarn Medal Presentation was made on Friday, May 3, at the historic First Baptist Church, Providence, R. I.

The recipient of the medal was William Stanley Beaumont Braithwaite, of Cambridge, Mass., the distinguished poet and literary critic, whose work as critic, as contributor to The Forum, The Century, Scribner's, The Atlantic Monthly and other leading magazines has given him a national rather than a race reputation.

The presentation of the medal was made by Governor R. Livingston Beeckman, of Rhode Island. Mr. Moorfield Storey, of Boston, President of the N.A.A.C.P., presided. Addresses were made by John R. Shillady, National Secretary, N.A.A.C.P.; Prof. Frances G. Peabody, of Cambridge, Mass., and W.A. Heathman. Miss Mary White Ovington, Acting Chairman of the Board of Directors of the N.A.A.C.P., paid a tribute to Mr. Braithwaite's genius and ability, reading two of his lyrics, which she described as among the best specimens of this form of English verse.

Major J.E. Spingarn, Chairman of the Board of Directors of the N.A.A.C.P., who had expected to be present, but was prevented by army duties, sent the following letter to be read at the meeting:

I regret more than I can say that it will be impossible for me to see the fourth Spingarn Medal awarded at Providence next Friday. The medal itself is the merest trifle, but the achievement which it points to and emphasizes from year to year should encourage America in her new and growing faith in one of the finest yet least appreciated of her many races. It was that faith, and more especially the hope that America would share it with me if her eyes could only be opened, that induced me to offer the medal. And now, as scientist, soldier, musician–and today, if I mistake not, the ablest of all critics in America–pass before us, it would be a blind America indeed if she did not recognize the capabilities of the race that has given her Young and Just, Burleigh and Braithwaite.

Today there is only one task, one duty for all of us; and all other tasks, all other duties are, as it were, annihilated by fate. But the supreme task and duty of the war can only stay for a moment the needs and aspirations of a race. For that race cannot rest satisfied with the achievements of a few of her ablest men, and the casual recognition given them by medals and praise. As Emerson said over half a century ago, "Complaining never so loud and with never so much reason is of no use. Nature has made up her mind that what cannot defend itself shall not be defended."
(Signed) J. E. SPINGARN,
Major, Infantry, U.S.R.

THE MOORFIELD STORY DRIVE

"DO not hold laudatory meetings. I shall feel best repaid if every branch will join enthusiastically in the effort to secure fifty thousand members for the N.A.A.C.P. We need a large membership to secure the permanent success of our great movement against race prejudice."

So Mr. Storey said after the decision of the Supreme Court of the United States against segregation in the Louisville Segregation Case, in which he gave his services to the Association and the cause of the colored people. And acting on his suggestion, the National Office and the executive committees of the various branches have made a two weeks' drive for the fifty thousand members. We had ten thousand members when we began, and ninety-eight branches. Since the drive commenced we have added ten more branches, making one hundred and eight in all. They are situated as follows:

Albuquerque, N. Mex.; Alton, Ill.; Athens, Ga.; Atlanta, Ga.; Augusta, Ga.; Baltimore, Md.; Baltimore County, Md.; Boston, Mass.; Buffalo, N.Y.; Cairo, Ill.; Camden, N.J.; Carbondale, Ill.; Charleston, S.C.; Chicago, Ill.; Cincinnati, Ohio; Cleveland, Ohio; Columbia, S.C.; Columbus, Ohio; Danville, Ill.; Danville, Va.; Dayton, Ohio; Decatur, Ill.; Denver, Colo.; Detroit, Mich.; Des Moines, Iowa; District of Columbia; Durham, N.C.; East St. Louis, Ill.; El Paso, Tex.; Evansville, Ind.; Fayetteville, N.C.; Fort Worth, Tex.; Galesburg, Ill.; Gary, Ind.; Greensboro, N.C.; Harrisburg, Pa.; Hartford, Conn.; Indianapolis, Ind.; Isthmian (Canal Zone); Jacksonville, Ill.; Jacksonville, Fla.; Johnstown, Pa.; Kansas City, Kas. [[Kan.]]; Kansas City, Mo.; Key West, Fla.; Lincoln University, Pa.; Los Angeles, Cal.; Louisville, Ky.; Lynchburg, Va.; Macon, Ga.; Maywood, Ill.; Memphis, Tenn.; Milwaukee, Wis.; Minneapolis, Minn.; Moline, Ill.; Montclair, N.J.; Mounds, Ill.; Muskogee, Okla.; Newark, N.J.; New Bedford, Mass.; New Haven, Conn.; New Orleans, La.; New York, N.Y.; Northern California; Norfolk, Va.; Oklahoma City, Okla.; Oberlin, Ohio; Orange, N.J.; Philadelphia, Pa.; Pittsburgh, Pa.; Peoria, Ill.; Portsmouth, Va., Portland, Ore.; Providence, R. I.; Quincy, Ill.; Raleigh, N. C.; Richmond, Va.; Roanoke, Va.; St. Joseph, Mo.; St. Louis, Mo.; St. Paul, Minn.; San Antonio, Tex.; San Jose, Cal.;

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Savannah, Ga.; Seattle, Wash.; Shreveport, La.; Springfield, Ill.; Springfield, Mass.; Springfield, Mo.; Springfield, Ohio; Syracuse, N.Y.; Talladega, Ala.; Tampa, Fla.; Terre Haute, Ind.; Toledo, Ohio; Topeka, Kan.; Toronto, Can.; Trenton, N.J.; Twin City (Champaign & Urbana), Ill.; Venice, Cal.; Vincennes, Ind.; Virginia Union University, Va.; Walla Walla, Wash.; Washington, Pa.; Western University, Kan.; Wheeling, W. Va.; Wilmington, Del.; York, Pa.

These branches were each given a quota of new members to secure, so that small branches at the close of the drive would have reached seven times their membership at the beginning of the drive, and large branches four and five times their membership. The National Office devised and suggested a careful plan of competing teams, the "blues" and the "reds," with badges of blue and red buttons. At the suggestion of Mr. Charles E. Lane of Washington books holding ten receipts, with a short explanation of the objects of the Association were supplied to authorized workers and hundreds of thousands of pieces of literature were sent out from the National Office. Thus equipped, the drive began.

OVER THE TOP

The branches were to have complete reports to return by May 1. The first to send word was Louisville, the city whose segregation case had come before the Supreme Court. LOUISVILLE, conscious of the importance of the decision and rejoicing at the victory, went "over the top." Her quota of new members was 768, but she wired the office on May 1: "1203 fully paid new memberships with at least one hundred additional members not yet reported."

The second branch to exceed its quota was the DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA. Its quota of new members was 1,878 and on May 2 it telegraphed: "New members 6,042."

The third branch went "over the top" on a smaller margin, but it got there, SPRINGFIELD, MASS.; quota, 156; membership, May 2, 157.

These are all branches from whom we had received full reports up to May 2. Word from our Field Secretary, however, shows great activity in many quarters.

DRIVE ON!

The Association is so extended in its scope, its machinery is so small and its need for membership support so great that the National Office has decided to extend the drive for a little longer period. This will enable the readers of THE CRISIS who have not already taken part in it to do so. The Association now has three secretaries---National Secretary, John R. Shillady; Field Secretary, James Weldon Johnson, and Assistant Secretary, Walter F. White. They have all done much traveling in the interest of the Moorfield Storey Drive, but it has been impossible for them to reach all the places enumerated in our branch list. Moreover, there are many other cities, without branches, that are interested in our cause; and there are many busy folk desirous of seeing justice to the Negro secured, who prefer not to join any branch but to become members at large. We call upon them all, if they are not already in the Association, to turn to the advertising section of this magazine, there to find the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, inside front cover, to cut out the membership blank and mail it with their dues to the National Office. If they are in a city where there is a branch, the National Office places them automatically in that branch, unless they express a desire to be members at large.

OUR SOLDIERS

THE Association tries to recount in THE CRISIS from month to month all its achievements; but there have been so many phases of our work that this has not been possible. In connection with our drive, we are printing a brief account of our activities regarding the Negro soldier which is reproduced below. We would remind CRISIS readers that up to the time of his entrance upon active military duty the man who carried on the campaign for the colored officers' training camp was the Chairman of our Board, Major J.E. Spingarn. The Association's work on behalf of the colored soldiers follows: 

March, 1916---Appeal to the Chairman of the House Committee on Military Affairs urging the creation of more colored regiments and the establishment of two artillery regiments. 
April, 1917---The same appeal to the executive chiefs in Washington by the National Secretary in person.
May, 1917---After repeated unsuccessful efforts to get colored men into the regular training camps for officers, the Association



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