My opposition to injustice, imposition, discrimination and prejudice, which have for many years existed against the colored people of the South, has led to this little book. In many parts of America the press has been furnished with “matter” for defending the colored people, through the medium of “Coleman’s Illustrated Lectures.” By request of my many auditors, some of whom being leading elements of the Northern States and Canada, this volume is published. Many persons interested in the welfare

Rev. J. Clay Coleman was born 4 miles south of Durant, Holmes Co., Mississippi, Feb. 1st, 1876. Lived in Goodman, Holmes Co., Miss., until 1888. His parents were slaves on Tome Bigbee River, Alabama, a number of years, and afterwards sold to Botus, at Lexington, Holmes Co., Miss.; from Botus to Fletcher Harrington, at Goodman. Peter Coleman, the father of J. C. Coleman, was very much devoted to his family, and took care to see that each of his seven children was to some extent educated. John Cla

Eight Years’ Travel—General Observation—Inferior Accommodation—Discrimination—Imposition—Ignorance of Decency—Prejudice Occupies the Highest Seat—Christianity Silent. During eight years’ travel on different railroads in the Southern States, I strictly observed: 1. That it is the duty of employees to see that inferior accommodations in every “colored” car, and in every “colored” waiting room be arranged. This unjust measure is heretically endorsed by the white passengers of all classes. 2. That D

About one mile from the Coleman plantation lived Mrs. Covington, commonly known as “the Widow Covington.” She owned about 300 acres of cultivated and uncultivated land, left to her by her deceased husband. The land being valued at from one dollar and twenty-five cents per acre to ten dollars per acre, as most southern “sage” ground, placed her in poor circumstances. Her surroundings put her in the estimation of her colored neighbors nothing more than “poor white trash.” On account of her declini

AN ACT to protect all citizens in their civil and legal rights. Whereas , It is essential to just government, we recognize the equality of all men before the law, and hold that it is the duty of government in its dealings with the people to mete out equal and exact justice to all, of whatever nativity, race, color or persuasion, religious or political; and it being the appropriate object of legislation to enact great fundamental principles into law; therefore, Be it enacted by the Senate and Hou

Vol. 109. J. C. Bancroft Davis, Reporter. Syllabus. Civil Rights Cases.— United States v. Stanley (on Certificate of Division from the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of Kansas)— United States v. Ryan (in Error to the Circuit Court of the United States for the District of California)— United States v. Nichols (on Certificate of Division from the Circuit Court of the United States for the Western District of Missouri)— United States v. Singleton (on Certificate of Division fro

When the welfare of a race is evinced in the supreme law of the nation, and that law disfranchises that race, then where shall the race appeal. Certainly the colored race has appealed to Almighty God, to whom may glory and praise be given for ever. As Abraham Lincoln was instrumental in bringing about freedom of the black race, so will the Almighty plant within the hearts of such heroes as John Brown and Fred. Douglas a seed of right, and it will grow and ultimately overshadow the wrong. It is n

“Nay Boggess was in Blue Mound yesterday to prosecute a case where J. C. Coleman sues to recover $200 damages from Landlord Blair. Coleman is a negro and declares that he was denied entertainment at Blair’s hostelry. The case was to have been heard yesterday before Justice Tidd, but Coleman telegraphed from McLean county that he was detained there by the illness of his wife, and on this plea the case was continued until Monday next. It is likely that the case will be dismissed at Blue Mound and

With prefatory statements of our indebtedness to Mrs. Ida B. Wells Barnett for her extensive travels in Great Britain and America, delivering expressive and impressive lectures against this horrible, disgraceful, and king of all impositions upon a downtrodden people, we write what we know of the subject, and supplement some cases denounced in “The Reason Why,” by Mrs. Barnett. Lynching has grown to be an event which elicits multitudes, composed of men, women and children, to cheer the participan

“Lynch Law,” says the Virginia Lancet , “as known by that appellation, had its origin in 1780 in a combination of citizens of Pittsylvania County, Virginia, entered into for the purpose of suppressing a trained band of horse-thieves and counterfeiters whose well concocted schemes had bidden defiance to the ordinary laws of the land, and whose success encouraged and emboldened them in their outrages upon the community. Col. Wm. Lynch drafted the constitution for this combination of citizens, and

Imposition in Northern “Quarters.” Decatur has been mentioned elsewhere in this book. It is the third railway centre in the 3rd productive State in the U. S. Its population is 20,000. It is about 40 miles from Lincoln, where a log cabin, as a relic of the martyred President, Abraham Lincoln, remains. There are three Churches of color represented in Decatur. The first innocent blood was drawn from the neck of a colored man in 1893, and shed upon the city of Decatur by some of its “respectable” ci

Scarcely any of the wealthy people of the North, and thinkers on vital questions of the day in European nations, properly consider the salary of colored laborers of the South, as a comparison to that of the white laborer. It is universally admitted that the colored race has made rapid progress—progress worthy of praise. But in the face of destitution, educational endeavorment, exertions put forth to erect church edifices, and imposition as described in the preceding chapter, thousands of good pe

The porters on the passenger trains are chiefly colored men. Their politeness to passengers and distinct voices in calling stations, render their appropriateness for the position. They assist in handling baggage, but they are very rarely allowed to assist colored ladies on and off the train. They must get off possibly with babies in their arms and valises. The porter is allowed to help white ladies off by taking the packages and valises to the platform of the depot, the brakeman and conductor be

There are white and colored employees in large baggage rooms. The bulk of the white baggagemen abhor the idea of carrying a colored person’s baggage to the baggage car, although it is checked. They sometimes order our intelligent colored gentleman to convey his own baggage to the train, especially if he looks like a “drummer” or travelling salesman. A young man travelling for a colored Building and Loan firm was shot and killed at a little town south of Jackson, Miss., by a baggageman, who faile

Concluding my Southern tour in 1892, I left Birmingham, Ala., Nov. 1st, 1892, bound for Durant, Miss. A large number of passengers were on board when we arrived at Coalsburg, a little town situated in the coal regions of Alabama, about 15 miles from Birmingham. The depot agent having flagged the train, ran to the conductor exclaiming: “You can’t go under two hours!” “Why can’t I?” asked the conductor. “Why that east-bound local have jumped the track.” A vast convict farm is under cultivation by

Another incident noticeable on my journey to Durant, Nov. 1st, ’92, is the fact that in the mountainous regions lying on both sides of the Georgia Pacific Road, is rock suitable for railway bridges, etc. After receiving orders to leave Coalsburg, the conductor gave the ordinary notice, “All aboard.” I need not mention the various expressions of joy to be leaving a place of sorrow and woe. We had not gone more than 40 miles when a company of colored men, directed by a white man, boarded our train

The real state of affairs in the Mississippi “Delta” or “Bottoms,” are unknown to those who have not travelled the plantations and rivers, viewing the situation of the people as they are. Indeed many parts of that turbid valley are inhabited by a people whose object is to humiliate the farmer as did the slave holder in his time. Newspapers and other mediums of spreading the happenings abroad are not used. This dismal section of country lies about 50 miles west of the Illinois Central Railroad, s

There can be no better method of emphasizing and clearly establishing the facts which have been stated on the various subjects preceding this , than to end syllogistically: (1) It is obvious that the colored race equals the white race in decency. They could not wash their white sister’s clothes without washing for themselves. They could not cook decently for the white families’ hotels and other public places, if they were not suitable for the position. Thousands of young men and women graduating