St. Paul Honors Mrs. W.T. Francis.
Type of event: Afterwards
Location: St. Paul; Ramsey County; Minnesota; United States
Citation:
The Appeal, May 7, 1921, page 3.
“St. Paul Honors Mrs. W.T. Francis”
Image text
ST. PAUL HONORS
MRS. W. T. FRANCIS
BIG TESTIMONIAL---SILVER
LOVING CUP
PRESENTED
As a grand and fitting climax of the labors of Mrs. W. T. Francis in
connection with the Anti-Lynching Law just passed by the Minnesota Legisature,
came the large public testimonial tendered to her at Pilgrim Baptist Church last
Sunday afternoon by St. Paul citizens.
Mr. Charles H. Miller, who had been
most active in arranging for the meeting, acted as master of
ceremonies.
After singing by the choir and prayer, Mr. James H. Loomis on
behalf of the citizens said in part:
The citizens of St. Paul are indeed
proud of Mrs. W. T. Francis, and justly so, for ever since girlhood and her
graduation she has devoted the principal activities of her life to the uplift of
our race. The creation of the Anti-Lynching Bill and the work, time and energy
spent by her in order to secure its passage, proves that her ambition is to help
her fellowmen. That law will go down in history as the most important piece of
legislation affecting our race that has ever been passed in our state. It is of
untold value to the colored people of Minnesota and will be helpful as a
precedent and a step in the right direction for other states, and even in
securing a Federal Act, through Congress, to stop the awful American crime of
lynching.
This public testimonial and this beautiful loving cup is evidence
of the fact that we appreciate all that Mrs. Francis has done for the race, not
only with regard to the Anti-Lynching Bill but through all of her years of
service, and all good citizens of St. Paul stand ready to support her at all
times in all her efforts in our behalf.
Mr. George C. Shannon, speaking on
“Our Women,” paid a great tribute to them in general and Mrs.
Frances in particular.
Dr. L. Raymond Hill was the next speaker, and he made
a wonderful plea for “Race Solidarity.”
He was followed by Mrs.
Mae Black-Mason, who rendered a soprano solo: “Oh, Divine Redeemer”
by Gounod, in her usual artistic style.
Mr. Charles H. Miller, presented the
handsome silver hold-lined loving cup, standing 17 inches high and bears this
inscription engraved upon it:
Presented to Mrs. Nellie F. Francis by the
colored citizens of St. Paul for her untiring efforts in behalf of the race and
in securing the passage of the Anti-Lynching Bill, April 18, 1921.
In
presenting the cup Mr. Miller said among other good things:
This is the era
of men and women who dare Long have we ploded in a furrow, not having the
courage to come out of the rut, but today the progressive colored American seeks
opportunity that does not come of itself.
Failure was in your path; but, you
met it face to face, you were not afraid, but with clear-minded will, faith,
courage, perseverance you grasped the opportunity to protect the race; and, with
the help of God, you compelled failure to work to your advantage. Plunging into
the tide of politics at its flood you were swept to victory. The Anti-Lynching
Bill passed, you were its initiative, to you belongs the reward of
efficiency.
I am reminded of another of your achievements as I listen to the
melodious notes pealing from the organ. I become reminiscent. With dynamic power
charged with the vibrations of living force you met the financial king of the
world, Andrew Carnegie and succeeded in securing a gift of $1,100. You have been
charged with self agrandizement, but bless your soul every time you have
advanced by your own will power and brain up the ladder of fame. Unlike many
others of the race with equal advantages who have dodged behind pillar and past
to get away from the race, you have brought the race up with you. So mind not
what others say or think in these matters concerning you and the race. Live so
as to make the most of the life God has given you, and let the tongues wag as
they may.
It is a sad mistake to say there are only seven deadly sins, there
are eight and ingratitude is the first.
Mrs. Francis, on behalf of the race,
men and women of St. Paul, as a small token of appreciation for your effort in
behalf of the race, in conceiving and working for the consummation of the
Anti-Lynch Law passed in the Legislature April 18, 1921. I present to you this
loving cup: and while it is true all who desired had not the opportunity to
contribute yet, they join us in spirit in the hearty endorsement of your work.
Its inscription records the fate that out of your untiring zeal and effort you
have emerged with success.
A Folk Song was rendered by Pilgrim and St. James
choirs.
Mrs. W. T. Francis then arose visibly affected, and responded in
part as follows:
Your children will reap the harvest of our
solidarity,–of our determination to stand together, to fight together,
and, if needs be, to die together; for they are dying, everyday, the men and
women of our race, martyrs to lynch-law, the fiery stake and the awful savagery
of peonage; that these, your children, may know full liberty and an equal chance
in life. Or they must reap in the bitterness of sorrow, the fruits of our
passivity and indifference; the frittering of our strength by suffering, petty
strife and narrow jealousies to becloud the larger vision of our responsibility
to coming generations.
And my plea, in response to, and in sincere
appreciation of this testimonial and loving cup which you, the citizens of St.
Paul, of your own accord and without regard to my preferences in the matter have
summoned me here to receive from you, is that we take up the keynote that has
been sounded in these splendid speeches here today and frown with all the
strength of our minds upon the destructive and selfish agencies and efforts to
hinder earnest and altruistic service which imperil our efforts to enlist the
co-operation of those who would sponsor our cause and be of service could we but
present a united front. Listen to the plea of the black poet:
“O, black
people, cease your sleeping, Get you off the road to folly; For your
children’s sake awaken! shun the snares of petty discord Which dishearten
and divide you. For division is your weakness Is the cause of your
condition.”
I have met you today, at your request, not in a spirit of
triumph because of the great honor which you have bestowed upon me,–for I
affirm that I or no one would wish to experience in life any greater honor than
that to be selected as the object of the good will and unanimity of purpose the
first upon whom the city of St. Paul has ever conferred such a distinguished
honor–but rather in the spirit of sadness that it should necessary to urge
legislators of this or any other state to write statutes declaring for the same
rights for which 65 years ago Abraham Lincoln believed he had died, and the soul
of old John Brown was sent marching on. And to assure you of my willingness at
all times to assist in securing from the white people of Minnesota, and of the
United States, if needs be, the civil and political rights as well as the social
justice to the race to which we belong and which you our citizens in this
well-filled church edifiec today represent with such dignity, culture and fine
spirit. Again I thank you.
The congregation and choirs sang a song. Revs. H.
L. P. Jones and J. A. foster amde a few remarks. Mr. B. L. White recited the
poem entitled:
Rev. J. A. Foster pronounced the benediction and thus ended
this remarkable occasion.
Those who subscribed and made the testimonial
possible were:
Chas. H. Miller, J. H. Loomis, C. H. Logan, Hammond Turner,
Wm. Pettit, J. Q. Adams, Dr. L. R. Hill, Dr. H. L. P. Jones, Wm, F. Walker, R.
M. Johnson, Mrs. W. B. Elliott, Dr. J. R. French, J. Louis Ervin, O. C. Hall, W.
G. Root, George B. Lowe, J. Birdeaux, Harriet E. Williams, Albert J. Brooks,
Mrs. Holcomb, H. F. McIntyre, Mrs. Frances Davenport, Mrs. Amanda Bell, Bert
Buckner, Mrs. A. C. Lylies, Joseph E. Johnson, Nelson Herron, Wm. Cannon, Mrs.
H. Bradshaw, Mrs. J. W. Milton, Mr. J. J. Johnson, James Ward, Wm. Love, Mr. and
Mrs. G. K. Grissom, Frazier & Taylor, E. A. Hatton, Charles Ballard, Horace
T. Craig, Mrs. Eleanor B. Smith, Ralph Allen, Mrs. G. W. Moker, Jean Matthews,
J. H. Dillingham, C. W. Wigington, Walker Williams, L. M. Terrell, Thos. Neal,
W. J. Tucker, Mrs. Emma Coble, Mrs Addie Bellesene, Mrs. Ida Mills, J. S.
Sparks, J. R. Lynn, The Helper, Willard H. Reynolds, W. R. M. McDowell, J. A.
Greer, S. W. Wright, Geo. C. Shannon, Mrs. Hattie Oliver, Mrs. E. W. Lindsay,
George R. Manning, J. C. Black, Mrs. Birdie High, Hugh Schuck, Mrs. Ida Mae
Murphy, R. C. Shane, Everywoman Progressive Council, S. E. Hall, J. B. Johnson,
Dr. V. D. Turner, Wm. G. Hood, Geo. W. James, M. L. Barksdale, A. V. Hall, W. B.
Elliott, Jas. Grisham, James McNeal, George D. Howard, Leander Sheets, L.
McConnell, J. O. Nesbit, Thomas H. Nichols, S. W. Williams, Evan H. Bridges,
Perry Allen, W. Ware, Geo. Wills, Sidney Cuthbert, Mark Fort, Charles Shepard,
J. Turner, C. H. Fendle, W. B. Brown, F. King, Geo. E. Temple, Eugene Rocks,
Joseph W. Reed, Geo. Benton, W. T. Joyce, D. Pope, Mrs. M. A. Johnson, James A.
Lee, Dr. O. D. Howard, W. V. Howard, Geo. G. Butler, Peoples Shining Parlor,
Geo. Winn, Astoria Sanitary System, Curley Campbell, Owen Howell, Wm. Gamble, R.
N. Travis, M. McCarty, W. Yeiser, Huey McCarty, S. Taten, A. S. Weber.