A Year's Record

The National Association for the Advancement of Colored People issued its report for 1923. Although written largely from the standpoint of the Negro, it is in general a summary of the Negro problem of the U. S. during the year.

Summary:

P: On account of the Arkansas race riots in 1919, twelve Negroes had been sentenced to death and 67 to long terms of imprisonment on account of an alleged conspiracy to massacre white people. The cases were fought through--some to the Arkansas Supreme Court, some to the U. S. Supreme Court with the result that during the year the twelve Negroes condemned to death were freed, as well as all but eight of the others.

P: The Dyer Anti-Lynching Bill which was filibustered out of the Senate in the 67th Congress, was re-introduced in the 68th (present) Congress.

P: There were 28* lynchings reported in 1923 as compared with 61 in 1922 and 226 in 1892 (the greatest number). By states the record was:

Florida 7

Mississippi 5

Georgia 4

Oklahoma 3

Alabama, Arkansas, Texas (each) 2

Louisiana, Missouri, Virginia (each) 1

The alleged offenses were:

Attacking white woman 7

Murder 3

Shooting white man 2

Betraying moonshiners 2

Other causes included "frightening children," "peeping in white girl's window," "cattle stealing," "searching for another Negro," "automobile accident."

The manner of lynching was:

Shot 11 Hanged 11

Burned 2

Beaten to death 1

Manner unknown 3

P: The only major race riot of the year took place at Rosewood, Fla.. as the result of an attack on a white woman allegedly by a Negro. In four days of rioting, five Negroes were killed and two whites. The Negro section of the town was burned to the ground.

P: At Tuskegee Hospital for Negro Veterans there was a contest because. the white residents protested, declared that they had been assured that there would be a white medical staff and white nurses. The N. A. A. C. P. protested vigorously. The Ku Klux Klan paraded. The matter was compromised and a mixed staff is now in charge.

*This figure is two greater than previously reported (TIME, Jan. 7), because two lynchings in Florida on Dec. 29 and 30, 1923, had not then been recorded.