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Proclaiming the Truth Where There is Race
Antagonism
I am burdened, heavily burdened, for the work among the colored
people. The gospel is to be presented to the downtrodden Negro
race. But great caution will have to be shown in the efforts put forth
for the uplifting of this people. Among the white people in many
places there exists a strong prejudice against the Negro race. We
may desire to ignore this prejudice, but we cannot do it. If we were
to act as if this prejudice did not exist we could not get the light
before the white people. We must meet the situation as it is and deal
with it wisely and intelligently.
For many years I have borne a heavy burden in behalf of the
Negro race. My heart has ached as I have seen the feeling against
this race growing stronger and still stronger, and as I have seen that
many Seventh-day Adventists are apparently unable to understand
the necessity for an earnest work being done quickly. Years are
passing into eternity with apparently little done to help those who
were recently a race of slaves.
One of the difficulties attending the work is that many of the
white people living where the colored people are numerous are not
willing that special efforts should be put forth to uplift them. When
they see schools established for them, when they see them being
taught to be self-supporting, to follow trades, to provide themselves
with comfortable homes instead of continuing to live in hovels, they
see the possibility that selfish plans will be interfered with—that
they will no longer be able to hire the Negro for a mere pittance;
and their enmity is aroused. They feel that they are injured and
abused. Some act as if slavery had never been abolished. This spirit
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is growing stronger as the Spirit of God is being withdrawn from
the world, and in many places it is impossible now to do that work
which could have been done for the colored people in past years.
Much might have been accomplished by the people of America
if adequate efforts in behalf of the freedmen had been put forth by
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