AFeature:

’20’s Decade in ReviewYour Decade! Readers Respond:Harlem Hits Home: Pg. 3Tears Shed by a Red: Pg. 4

The Decade in News:Headlights make Headlines: Pg. 5

Tennessee’s Monkey Trial: Pg. 7

Workers Unite Against Plight: Pg. 9

Racial Tensions Lead to Riot: Pg. 11

The Decade in Opinions:Who Wants a Drink?: Pg. 12

Pursuing the Truth: The Saco-Vanzetti Trial: Pg. 14

The Leaking Teapot: Pg. 16

The Decade in People:Joined by Jazz: Pg. 18

Tense Times for Blacks and Whites: Pg. 20

The Decade in Entertainment:Play Ball!: Pg. 22

Top Films: Pg. 24

Memorable Quotes: Pg. 25

Dear Langston Hughes,

I really enjoyed your poem I, Too. It hasinspired me to stand up for myself, and feel goodabout who I am. It has also showed me that Ishould be proud of the color of my skin, and notrepent it. Your positive attitude is admirable. Ithink your poem will influence other coloredpeople, and maybe even be the first tiny step toour people gaining some respect from the whites.

I, Too is about knowing that one day weall will be treated equal. It reminds us that eventhough we are people of color we too areAmericans, and we too sing the national anthem.You eat in the kitchen alone every time visitorscome, yet you laugh. You take an unpleasantsituation and find amusement in it. However, Ibelieve that what you are really trying to saythrough this poem is that there is nothing aspowerful as the strength of a black slave whostands up for what is right. “Tomorrow, I’ll be atthe table when company comes. Nobody’ll dareSay to me, ‘Eat in the kitchen,’ then.”

So I think that we should all begin tostand up for what is right by doing small things forourselves. If we would all take one small step forstanding up ourselves it would eventually lead usto the bigger picture; the respect for and equaltreatment of blacks.

Every small step we take individually,together amounts to one big step towards ourfreedom.

Sincerely,Savannah Turnquist

Readers Respond: Letters From You

Photograph of Langston Hughes

Readers Respond: Letters From You

Dear Life Magazine,

Ten years ago, my family was changedforever. We had to endure something that myparents hoped to have moved away from whenthey came to America. By writing to you, Iwanted others to know what I experienced; Iwant America to know the other side of thestory.

I was born on July 4, 1880, in Russia. Idon’t remember much about it, because at theage of 3, my family, which consisted of myyoung mother, father, brother, and me,immigrated to America from Russia. Myparents hoped to build a better life for ourfamily by moving to the United States.

Although we struggled and barelymade a living, we were certainly happy.Shortly after the turn of the century, mybrother and I had both found wives andmoved out of my parent’s small, crampedhome. Over the next few years, my brother andI began to establish our own families. In 1910,my mother and father died at the age of 55and 57, respectively, due to influenza.Although it was hard losing both of ourparents in the same year, my brother and Ipushed through it together, like always.

Around 1913, my brother and Ijoined the Union of Russian Workers. At thetime, it was mostly a social club and mybrother and I were interested to learn moreabout our home country. We helped Russianswho had recently immigrated to the UnitedStates and helped them learn to read andwrite in English. By 1919, we were fairlyinvolved in the union.

I still remember the night ithappened. Tensions had been building afterthe Bolshevik Revolution in Russia. We heardabout many of the radicals and bombingshappening around us. After work, we reportedto the headquarters, which was often calledthe “Peoples House”. Just an hour after wearrived, around 9 o clock, we heard a loudbang on the front door. Seconds later, theheadquarters erupted in chaos. At the doorstood dozens of members of the New York

Police Department together with Federal lawenforcement authorities, ready to put theunion to an end.

All who attempted to escape weredriven back into the building. I could see mybrother, at the front of the crowd, being beatento the ground. The sound of clubs hitting fleshechoed through my ears. In the midst of thechaos, I could see my brother and many othersbeing forcefully dragged away. I desperatelywanted to help him, but there was nothing Icould do. Through the crowd of people, I sawhis bloody body being stuffed in a wagon andtaken off into the distance. Before I knew it, Iwas cornered and taken away to jail alongwith many others. The next day, I wasquestioned about my involvement in theUnion. I told the interviewer my life story, andsomehow was lucky enough to avoid beingdeported.

My brother, however, was not solucky. Although he was innocent, and certainlywas not a radical, he had nothing to prove it.Rights completely violated, he was one of the249 sent away to Russia on the “Soviet Ark”.

To this day, I still have never heardfrom him. I would imagine he has attempted tocome back to the United States, but with thenew anti-immigration laws, I’m sure it hasmade it close to impossible. To make mattersworse, a few years after he was shipped away,his wife died of tuberculosis. My wife and Iwere forced to take care of his 3 kids, puttingan even larger financial burden on my family.

Although one day my brother mightbe able to make his way back to America,nothing will ever be the same. Even thoughnoting can be done to change this, we can stilllearn from what has happened. Just becausewe are immigrants doesn’t mean we are allawful people. We aren’t all purposely trying totake all the jobs from America. We are justtrying to survive in this cold, harsh world too.

Sincerely,Chris Ratton

Headlights Make Headlines

Over the past decade, we have seen vast improvements to thetranspiration industry, which has dramatically changed American’s dailylives. No one can argue that Henry Ford is responsible for the recentexplosion of new vehicles on the streets. However, cars aren’t the onlymethod of transportation that has been transformed during this decade.Just a few years ago, Charles Lindbergh showed the world that airplanesare more reliable than

In 1913, Henry Ford applied the “scientific management” ideas ofFrederick W. Taylor to the automobile manufacturing process. His newassembly line allowed for cars to be produced at a much faster rate. OneModel T could be produced in just 90 minutes, compared to the 14 hoursit previously had taken.

By 1925, the price for a Model T dropped to just $260. This,coupled with the introduction of installment plans, has made carsavailable to the mass public.

Ford’s Model T and his assembly line inspired many othercompanies to do the same. Although at the beginning of the decade half ofthe nations cars were Model Ts, by the mid 1920s, sales of the Model Tbegan to decline due to increased competition.

In order to take on some of thesecompetitors, in 1927, the Model A wasintroduced. This replaced the Model T after itslong 18 year production. The Model A madevarious improvements and has certainlyimproved from its predecessor.

At the beginning of the decade,there were only 7 million cars in America. Now,there are over 23 million cars registered toAmericans across the country.

“At the start of my career I wouldhave never envisioned the extensive impact ofthe automobile,” said Henry Ford himself.

The widespread use ofautomobiles has made a huge cultural impact onAmerica. The automobile has allowed farmers totravel to the city and workers to find cheaperhousing further from their jobs.

The Decade in News

Photograph of a Model T

Headlights Make HeadlinesIn 1921, the Federal Highway Act called for 10,000 miles of highway a year

to be built. Since then, 90,000 miles of highway has been constructed acrossAmerica, creating a spider web of roads that blankets the country.

Transportation has evolved in other ways too throughout the decade. Flyinghas become increasingly popular and has gained a lot of attention since the end ofWorld War I.

World War I encouraged the development of airplanes for use as fightingmachines. After the war, many pilots took up barnstorming, where groups of pilotstoured America, entertaining the public. By paying $5 Americans could get a taste ofwhat it was like to fly. So far, millions Americans have been able to experience thethrill of flying.

In 1927, one pilot emerged who changed the. Charles Lindbergh, who wasonce a barnstormer himself, made the first solo, non-stop trans-Atlantic flight in hisplane, The Spirit of St. Louis. Since then, Americans have started to view flying in anew light. Recently, several companies have emerged providing commercial flights tothose who can afford it. Experts predict that like the car, soon this will be accessibleto the average American.

However, after the vast amounts of change we have seen in just this decade,one can only imagine on what will come in the ensuing years.

-By Christopher Ratton

The Decade in News

Tennessee’s Monkey Trial

TENNESSEE-July 21, 1925 saw thefinal day of The State ofTennessee v. Scopes,informally referred to asthe Monkey Trial, inwhich teacher JohnThomas Scopes was triedfor violation of the ButlerAct. The act illegalizesteaching evolution inTennessee’s publicschools. Mr. Scopes wasrepresented by well-known defense attorneyand agnostic ClarenceDarrow, while 3-timepresidential candidateand devout ChristianWilliam Jennings Bryanserved as theprosecution’s keywitness. Across thecountry, people listenedto the nation’s first radio-broadcast court case.After seven days in court,Scopes was found guiltyof violating the act andfined $100. When askedby the court about itsruling, Scopes replied, “Iwill continue in thefuture, as I have in thepast, to oppose this lawin any way I can….I think

the fine is unjust.”

While the aim ofthe case was todetermine Scopes’ guilt,many of the emotionallycharged arguments fromeither side addressed themerit of the law itself. Mr.Scopes was approachedby the American CivilLiberties Union,opponents of the ButlerAct, to make a point bybeing tried for violatingit. The ACLU hoped totake on the law itself, butDarrow instead wantedto dismiss the idea thatevolution was in conflictwith religion. The highlypublicized trial became,in essence, a battle ofbeliefs between WilliamJennings Bryan andClarence Darrow.

Bryan insistedthat the Bible be takenword-for-word, whileDarrow continued toassert that science wasnot inconsistent withreligion. Darrow broughtin eight witnesses from

various scientific fields,including a zoologistfrom Johns HopkinsUniversity. Seven ofDarrow’s witnesses,however, were notallowed by the judge toappear in person andcould only submitwritten statements. Thejury was not presentduring the defense’spresentation, andultimately, the judgeruled that much of thedefense’s questioningwas irrelevant to the caseand should not bepresented to the jury.This left the defensecompletely out ofwitnesses. In asurprising move, Darrowasked to cross-examinehis opponent WilliamJennings Bryan, callinghim a “bible expert.”

The Decade in News

William Jennings Bryan and Clarence Darrow in

The Scopes Trial

Tennessee’s Monkey TrialDuring

Darrow’s cross-examination of Bryan,Darrow questionedBryan on various eventsof the bible, includingmiracles and thecreation story. Darrowpressed Bryan forscientific answers to thequestions in an effort toprove that the storiesshould not be taught inscience classrooms. Thetwo men becameengaged in a heatedexchange of ideas, withBryan claimingDarrow’s questioningserved only to “castridicule on everybodywho believes in theBible.” Darrow repliedthat the purpose was toprevent “bigots andignoramuses fromcontrolling education inthe United States.” Thetwo men were finallystopped when the judgeruled that theexamination was notrelevant to the case.

By 1927, onlytwo short years after thecontroversial trial, 13

states had passed lawsagainst teachingevolution. The case hassince become one of themost publicized of thedecade, not only for thedirect matter of Scopes’guilt, but for bringing tothe surface the tensionsin religious andscientific communitiesfor the past 50 years.The Butler Act is still ineffect today.

-By Rachel Sandle

The Decade in News

Workers Unite Against Plight

April 9, 1928 – Bedford, Mass.,United States – On this day area textilemill owners announced a 10 percentwage cut for workers in the region. Inresponse the textile workers ofBedford, Mass. launched into actionwith the formation of two new laborunions; The Textile Council and TheTextile Mill Committee. Strikes beganalmost immediately in an attempt toreverse the cuts.

At the beginning of thiscentury, the textile industry wasbooming. Schools were built, smallbusinesses prospered, and banksenjoyed success as workers spent andsaved their incomes. However around1920 the economy began to decline,and many textile factories went out ofbusiness. The decline resulted in largepart from overproduction andexcessive wages paid to top textileofficials. Instead of decreasingproduction and cutting back executivewages,, the manufacturers imposed paycuts.

The resulting labor unionsdiffered greatly, although they shared acommon goal. The Textile Council washeaded by William E.G. Batty, with thehelp of Frank Manning. This group wasconsisted of skilled workers i.e. white

males, who for the most part had moresupport from the police, city officials,and the media. The Textile MillCommittee, or TMC, in contrast wasmade up of unskilled French-Canadian,Polish, Portuguese and Cape Verdeanworkers who had been excluded fromthe Textile Council because ofunderlying prejudices. TMC’sprominent leaders and organizersincluded Fred Beal, William Murdoch,Eula Mendes, Joseph Figueiredo andJack Rubenstein. In addition to thereversal of the 10 percent wage cut,TMC also demanded a 20 percent wageincrease, a 40-hour work week, equalpay, and the elimination child labor.Ultimately, it was TMC’s goal to unite alltextile workers under a single union;however, the difference between thetwo unions made it impossible forthem to reconcile.

The Decade in News

A look inside of a textile mill

Workers Unite Against Plight

Eventually as numbersincreased, violence broke out, and policeforces were pressured by city officialsand business owners to control thestrikes. As the strike continued intowinter months, members of the unionsbegan to worry about starvation. Theysought ways to reverse the wage cuts andreturn to their former jobs in the textilemills.

In an attempt to moderate thedispute and end the violence, a thirdgroup inserted itself into the negotiationprocess; the Citizens MediationCommittee for the Textile Council. Whilenegotiating new wages, TMC wasexcluded from meetings between theTextile Council and the CitizensMediation Committee for the TextileCouncil. At first, instead of increasingwages, the Citizens Mediation Committeeproposed a speed up in production,which was immediately opposed by the

council. Finally, on September 25th, 1928,the State Board and the CitizensMediation Committee met the TextileCouncil proposing a five percent wagecut and a thirty day notificationpreceding any wage cut by the companyin the future. Although TMC attempted topersuade the Textile Council intorefusing the offer, seven labor unions,including the Textile Council voted infavor of the compromise. While membersof the Textile Council returned to thefactory following the agreement, TMCcontinued to protest and a majority of itsmembers never returned to the mills.

-By Danielle Hoard

The Decade in News

Snapshot of a Textile Council protest

With tensions rising between the different ethnic groups in the UnitedStates some say and outburst like this was bound to happen. However, thenumber of people left dead is unsettling. Due to a confrontation between andblack man and white woman a riot ensued that left three hundred people dead,of which less than two percent were whites.

Yesterday, May 31, 1921 a riot broke out in Tulsa, Oklahoma due to anunpleasant incident the day before. Sarah Paige had been operating an elevatorat Drexel Building when a black man named Dick Rowland stepped into theelevator. Paige screamed and accused Rowland of rape. It is rumored thatRowland merely stepped on Paige’s foot, but as of today no evidence has beenreleased to the public. Rowland was placed in custody, and around seventy-fivearmed black men stood outside the court house offering to protect Rowland, buttheir gesture was declined. It has been said that a white man attempted to disarmone of the black men and while wrestling over the gun, a shot was fired. No onewas injured, but it is believed that this is what triggered the riot. A mob of whitemen began a wild rampage looting homes of black families and setting fire tosurrounding property. It has been said that some of the black men of who wereWorld War One veterans made a battle line and dug trenches to defendthemselves and their families. Whites set fire to houses and stores and refused tolet firefighters close enough to put the fire out. Things became so heated and outof control that mayor T.D. Evans asked the governor to send in the NationalGuard. It has been said that one hundred and fifty to two hundred black men andfifty white men were killed in the rampage.

Hospitals have been set up around the town to treat the injured, andshelters are being provided to those who lost their homes. Food and clothing arealso being made available to those who need it. The riot has been seen as awarning sign that as long as the different ethnic groups struggle to accept eachother’s differences, violent occurrences like these will continue to be a threat inour society.

A post-riot Tulsain ruins

Racial Tensions Lead to Riot

The Decade in News

Who Wants a Drink?After years of waiting around,

drinking nothing but water and juices, whowants a proper drink? WHO wants to buy adrink of beer? I do! In 1919, a decade ago, theconstitution added the dreaded 18th

amendment outlawing the selling,manufacturing, and transporting of alcohol.From then on to present day, no one has beenable to savor and experience the freedoms ofbeer and alcohol; the economy has beenslipping; the national government is corrupt;and so many protests are stopping the dailylife of citizens. These problems need a courseof action, and FAST! Repeal ProhibitionTODAY!

The 18th amendment was passed in1919, outlawing the selling, manufacturing,and transportation of alcohol. This causedmuch uproar among the youth in the UnitedStates. Our nation is made on selling andtrading our goods for profit, which helps oursociety and the economy of the United States.Beer is one of the products that we producedbefore the law went into effect. It was part ofour staple diet; it represented the freedom ofthe United States, and it helped make millionsof dollars for our country, benefiting greatlyto the American economy. Unfortunately, withthe law, the U.S. has fallen behind the world intrade, economics, and profit. Our society hasbeen torn apart, causing many otherproblems.

The Government passed the law inthe first place, because they had “supposedly”heard that alcoholic men would come home totheir wives and beat them, splitting familiesapart and causing far too many divorces. They

also stated that alcoholics would beunemployed, economically and morallybankrupt bums.

With the prohibition law into effect,the national government has been trying tocatch the illegal drinks coming into thecountry with its sellers. But, what thegovernment is not telling you is that they arespending your tax money on catching theillegal persons. YOUR tax money! But theynever catch the crimes; they are wasting OURmoney on a search that is perfectly uselessand dumb. This money that they are wastingis ours to spend on something that is worth-while to the nation. They have been doing this“investigation” for a number of years now,going unnoticed by the American People; thisis not right, and does NOT display the truemeaning of a government we need. Why don’twe just repeal the law on prohibition and savemillions of dollars at the same time?

The law on prohibition has also seenan increase in crime nationwide. Gangstersroam the streets, with guns and weapons,looking for trouble, and demanding for theiralcohol. Smugglers are frequent along ournation’s borders, trying to get illegal drinks infrom other countries; it works, but is a verydangerous job.

People are even making their ownalcohol, or moonshine, to get a taste of thedrink, causing more fights. Violence andsmuggling is not the answer of the UnitedStates; if we get our alcohol, there will be adecrease in the number of crimes because thepeople of America would have got what theywere fighting for.

The Decade in Opinions

By Joshua Chanin

Who Wants a Drink?

The 18th amendment has destroyedthe country that we used to know; we are allheading into the wrong direction. The lawhas caused uproars and protests, whichdisrupt the American life and leaves us tolive in a decade of terror and fear. Oureconomy has decreased, producing nomoney because of any trade and profitsfrom alcohol. Crime has increased; withmany gangsters guarding the roads andmaking us shiver down the backs.Smugglers haunt the nation boarders. Thenational government has no reasons toprotect their law, as they are spending OURmoney on useless searches for illegal stuff,and get no results. Our country is balancingon the tip; it’s your choice, but repealingProhibition will help us GREATLY!

The Decade in Opinions

By Joshua Chanin

Revelers buy alcohol at a speakeasy

Pursuing the Truth: The Saco-Vanzetti Trial

On April 15, 1920 the actions oftwo individuals would spark a debate thatlasted nearly the whole decade. In themost notorious political trial of thedecade, Nicola Sacco and BartolommeoVanzetti were eventually sentenced todeath after a very weak prosecution thatconsisted of very little solid evidence. Onecan certainly question the innocence ofboth Sacco and Vanzetti, but in the midstof the largest political repression Americahas ever seen, it is obvious that theirrights were in violation.

On April 15, 1920, around 3:00 inthe afternoon, a paymaster and his guardwere carrying a payroll of $15, 776. Twomen pulled out guns and fired on them,killing both the paymaster and the guard.The gunmen took the cash boxes and tookoff in their automobile that was waitingfor them. The gang, which consisted offour or five people, drove off. This type ofrobbery was not uncommon, and at first, itonly attracted local interest.

3 weeks later, on the evening ofMay 5, 1920, two Italians, Nicola Saccoand Bartolommeo Vanzetti, fell into apolice trap that was actually set foranother suspect. However, since both menwere carrying guns, when questioned bythe authorities they lied, and theysubscribed to a local anarchists newspaper both men were arrested and heldfor the murder and robbery. Although theprosecution was weak, Sacco and Vanzetti

were unable to secure a written alibi.After a hard-fought trial of six weeks, thejury found Sacco and Vanzetti guilty ofrobbery and murder on July 14, 1921. 6years of protests and appeals failed, and inAugust 1927, Sacco and Vanzetti were putto death by the electric chair.

Some argue that Sacco andVanzetti were given a fair trial, and thatthe evidence stacks up against them. Theysay that Sacco and Vanzetti didn’t deservea retrial because the first rightfullyconvicted the two men. The first piece ofevidence given by the prosecution wasthat seven eyewitnesses placed Sacco atthe scene of the crime. Also, Sacco wasabsent from his job on the day of thecrime and lied about his whereaboutswhen he was initially arrested. Vanzetti,on the other hand, had 4 witnesses placehim at the crime scene. Vanzetti also liedwhen he was arrested and both men werecaught with a gun. On top of all that, bothmen subscribed to Cronaca Sovversiva,know to be the most influential anarchistjournal in America.

The average person might saythat these facts alone are enough toconvict the two men. However, one caneasy refute each of these points, and thatis exactly what the defense attempted todo. Unfortunately, it probably didn’tmatter what the defense said, because theJudge and Jury were set on convicting thetwo Italian men.

The Decade in Opinions

By Christopher Ratton

Pursuing the Truth: The Saco-Vanzetti Trial

First of all, none of the eyewitnesses thatsaid they saw Sacco and Vanzetti couldconfirm it was actually them. Thewitnesses were not required to pick themen out of a line-up and several of theclosest witnesses to the crimewere not able to identify either of thethem. A witness even said himself “I don’tthink I have the right to say he is the man.”

Sacco and Vanzetti both admittedthey lied because the feared that if he toldthe truth about his radical beliefs hewould likely be deported. On top of that,two defense experts testified that one ofthe bullets could not have been fired fromSacco's Colt.

On top of the weak evidence, theattitudes of both the Judge and the Juryshow how unfair and biased the trialreally was. Both Judge Webster andAttorney General Palmer said thatforeigners and anarchists “deserved noconsideration.” Walter Ripley, who was theforeman of the jury, believed thatregardless of the men’s actual innocenceor guilt “they ought to hang them anyway.”The bias of the Judge and Jury iscompletely unconstitutional and there isno doubt they affected the results of thecase.

Although the question of theirinnocence will forever be up in the air, noone can deny that the rights of both Saccoand Vanzetti were completely violated intheir trial. Because their rights were

violated, and the case was not given fullconsideration by the judge, we will foreverbe haunted by the notorious question:who really did it?

The Decade in Opinions

By Christopher Ratton

Bartolomeo Vanzetti (left) and Nicola Sacco (right) in handcuffs

The Leaking Teapot

Not only has oil itself become abasic necessity, but it has also become thegateway for retrieving other vital needs inlife. We need oil for transportation, and weneed transportation in order to acquirethe goods and services that we need. Witha myriad of things it’s used for in our dailylife oil is worth a pretty penny. Fall was atrusted man who was secretary of WarrenHarding in which he held a high positionover most individuals today. As adeceiving man, not only did Fall betrayand affect the citizens of the United States,but he befriended his associates withconceit tucked inside his wallet.

Secretary Albert B. Fall has beencaught accepting bribes from oilcompanies in exchange for gifts and cash.The government naval oil reserves atTeapot Dome, Wyoming and Elk Hills,California were both leased off to oilexecutives Harry Sinclair and EdwardDoheny. The scandal was revealed to thepublic in 1922 after an investigation onthe leasing of these government- ownedoil reserves. Today, two years later, after U.

S. Senate committee findings we arepositive of Falls’ involvement in thisoutrageous act. However, while it hadbeen rumored that our president, WarrenG. Harding, may have played some role inthe ordeal there is no evidence to back thetheory. What many people don’t know iswhy Fall committed such a selfish act andhow we found out that he was behind itall. Fall had persuaded the secretary of theNavy to turn the control of the oil fieldsover to him, with the intent to make itavailable to others in exchange for sometype of payment. When Albert Falls’ livingstyle seemed to miraculously improvevery suddenly people began to questionwhere he was obtaining all this money. Hereceived half a million dollars for leasingnaval oil reserves to private oil companies.Falls trial has yet to be scheduled.

Had the correct measures beentaken this crime and others like it couldhave been prevented long before it everstarted. There should be more securityplaced at the oil reserves, and only certainpersonnel should be granted access to thelocation. In the future there should befiles documenting who accesses the oilsupervised by government officials,therefore if it should ever be brought tocourt there is written documentation. Thisscandal appears to be fraudulent andimmoral means of gaining materialpossessions and cash and hardly worthyof the money spent to investigate thecrime.

The Decade in Opinions

By Savannah Turnquist

Albert Fall, mastermind

of the scandal

Joined By Jazz

The smell of sweat and whisky fills the air as ayoung black man takes his place on stage. He looks outinto the sea of people gathered at The Cotton Clubtonight, and his palms begin to sweat. He slowly bringsthe trumpet to his lips and begins to play an upbeat tunethat his father used to whistle while he worked duringhis days on the plantation. Soon he is accompanied byanother man playing a steady beat on the drums. Blacksand whites alike are swaying along with the melodictune he’s creating. Tonight all races are united by onething: Jazz.

After the long journey from New Orleans, Jazzmusic has found its new home in Harlem, New York.

The Decade in People

In the process of the great migration of blacks to northern cities, they have brought withthem the spirit of the south resulting in a new kind of music. After first planting its roots inChicago soil, its branches have extended all the way to Harlem, contributing to the alreadythriving culture and arts that exist there.

Although this music was brought to the forefront by African Americans, Jazz iscomprised of several cultural influences. African Tribal music was originally brought toAmerica by West African Slaves in the days of slavery around 1808. This music was usedboth in work and in rituals for blacks, which included work songs and field hollers, as wellas hymns. Without the European concept of harmony, the music lacked the melodic qualitythat would be popular with the American public. However, this genre of music was about toevolve into a form of music that all Americans, regardless of race, would travel miles toexperience.

Due to the abolition of slavery, new education opportunities for free AfricanAmericans became available. Although strict segregation in the South left blacks withlimited employment options, they were able to find work in entertainment. This led to anincrease in black musicians, as many began to learn to play European instruments ,such asthe violin, starting around the 19th century. The venues these black musicians performed atincluded brothels as well as minstrel shows. Although these African American musicianshad humble beginnings, they were soon about to receive the recognition they deserved asthey would soon introduce Jazz to the people of the “Big Easy”.

Louis Armstrong, a prominent Black musician in the Jazz scene

Joined By JazzThe music of New Orleans had a

definite impact on the creation of Jazz. Inaddition to dance bands, New Orleans washome to several marching bands which playedat funerals for both the African American andEuropean communities. The instruments usedin these marching bands would eventuallybecome the basic instruments of jazz; brass,reeds, and drums. Post- civil war, the countryhas also begun to experience a “GreatMigration”, as blacks are traveling north toescape the Jim Crow Laws found in the Southtoday.

The Decade in People

Though it has been a long journey, Jazz music as well as African Americanmusicians have finally found their big break in a time of prohibition.At the beginning of the 1920’s, the U.S began prohibiting alcohol with the passage of the 18th

amendment that still exists today. At this time, large crowds first began to flock tospeakeasies in order to obtain alcohol. These venues also became lively spots for Jazz, whicheventually made appearances in clubs such as The Grand Terrance Café, and eventually TheCotton Club. As this new wave of music has spread from South to North, East to West, it’ssafe to say we’ve only experienced just a taste of what’s to come from Jazz Music.

The young black man continues tohypnotize the crowd with his improvisationalskills on the trumpet. As the song comes to an endand the symbols crash, the crowd roars withexcitement and applause. It was forty three yearsago that black men were for the first time nolonger considered property, and now this AfricanAmerican man is owning the stage. Jazz music hasnot only united Americans with this commonmusic, but has empowered blacks with a sense ofpride and achievement. As Jazz music has foundits home in Harlem, black musicians have foundtheir home on stage.

-By Danielle Hoard

King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band, 1921

White musicians adapted jazz into their own style

Tense Times for Blacks and Whites

A frigid winter wind bites thefaces of the people of Detroit, Michigan.Men, women, and children trot down thestreets, pulling their coats up to theirchins and shielding their eyes from thebitter gale. People stop to talk and look inshops, then hurry on to escape the cold.One wouldn’t know it by looking, but theicy weather mirrors the city’s atmosphere:cold and tense.

A recent influx of Southern blacksto Detroit has everyone wound tight; thenew residents fear increased competitionin already-limited job opportunities.Detroit is not the only city that has beenaffected. Across the country, blacks areleaving their homes in the South andseeking refuge in the North fromsegregation laws and public lynchings.These unwelcome new residents putwhites on edge about the already limitedjob opportunities. Many blacks in Detroitclaim the tension stems not from financialworry, but from racism. Meanwhile,Thomas Hansen, longtime Detroitresident, lost his job last week, havingbeen replaced with a black man whoagreed to work for a lower wage.

“It’s not about race,” he asserts.“It’s got nothing to do with that. I justthink that if a man’s lived in Detroit hiswhole life, he’s got more a right to that jobthan someone who just moved.” Hansen isalso upset by the apparent under-

qualification of the city’s new blacks forthe jobs. “I am an educated man. Are youtelling me that just anyone, even if theyhaven’t been to school, can step in andtake my job?”

Hansen and his family may faceeviction in the coming months if his jobhunt is unsuccessful. His wife, whoworked throughout the Great War, worriesabout feeding and schooling the couple’stwo children. Hansen says she lost her jobat the end of the war upon the return ofthe soldiers to Detroit. Though he hasbeen supportive of her attempts to seekemployment, he knows she will beunsuccessful.

“If I can’t find a job,” he muses,“how could she?”

In a recently developed Negroneighborhood on the other side of Detroit,Johnny Lewis scoffs at Hansen’s comments.He, too, is unemployed and struggling tofind a job. Lewis says he is disappointed, butnot surprised, by his difficulty in finding ajob. Unlike Hansen, Lewis did not graduatehigh school.

“Any white man will tell you it’s notprejudice,” he says in response to Hansen’sstatements. “It’s not about blacks andwhites if you just look right on the surface.But none of us [colored people] can get ajob unless we agree to a lower wage.

The Decade in People

Tense Times for Blacks and Whites

If that’s not prejudice, I don’t know whatis.” Lewis and his family came to Detroit toescape dangers he says they faced in theSouth, hoping to raise his children in asafer environment. The man alleges that,although, life in the North is safer, it is stillrough. Although towns and cities are notsegregated by law, even in the North,blacks always live separately from whites.

Lewis is glad to be free from thegrasp of the Ku Klux Klan, who he saysregularly “terrorized” his neighborhood.His relief may not last long, however, asthe Klan, a self-described Christian valuesorganization, is rapidly gaining popularityin Northern states. In fact, Thomas Hansenproudly proclaims himself the Klan’snewest member.

“The Klan is about getting back toAmerican roots. It’s about tradition, rightover wrong, and living in the Lord’s path.”

While the public has generally beensupportive or apathetic towards the KuKlux Klan, Johnny Lewis says he andeveryone in the neighborhood may beforced to uproot their lives once more ifthe Klan continues to grow in popularity.

In truth, Hansen’s outrage at therecently arrived Negro population is notentirely justified. The mass movement hasincreased competition for jobs, but it isone of many factors that stand in the wayof employment-seekers. In addition tomore people seeking jobs, there are alsofewer jobs available due to the recent dropin production. While racial tensions in ourcountry have reached a boiling point, onlytime will tell if they cool down or bubbleover.

-By Rachel Sandle

The Decade in People

Segregation even took place in public restrooms

Play Ball!

The Decade in Entertainment

Babe Ruth hitting one of his many home runs

Who wants to play some ball? That has been the question on many sports fan’sminds during this decade. In these twenties, the United States has experienced growth ineconomic and social power; sports have also become a major hit, soaring high and gainingthe attention of fans nationwide. More people are working less than usual because of thenew laws limiting work hours, and using more of their free leisure time to play ball. Alsomore people have money to spend, so they pay it out on sports. No wonder we are so crazyabout our sports!

The most popular sport thisdecade has been baseball. The crowdturn-outs at every single game havebeen outstanding, as fans travel fromplaces far away just to see a goodgame of ball. One of the greatestplayers the United States has seen inthis decade is Babe Ruth. Born in1895 in Baltimore, Maryland, Ruth’schildhood was described as “rough”,for nearly all his family memberspassed away from illnesses. Whilst inschool, Ruth started playing baseball,and got the attention of Jack Dunn, theowner of the minor-league BaltimoreOrioles. In 1914, Ruth played for theBoston Red Sox, capturing manyWorld Series championship titles. In1920, he moved to his current team,the New York Yankees. On this team,he has displayed sportsmanship to allhis teammates, and has been awardeda prestigious honor; the Major LeagueBaseball most valuable player (1923).Ruth is known to fans, for his hardhome-run hitting and his charmingpersonality, which draws the crowdin, just to get a glimpse of the greatAmerican player.

By Joshua Chanin

Play Ball!

The Negro Baseball Leagues have also produced some talent. Players like Josh Gibsonand James Bell have hit hard and become heroes in their Negro societies.

Football’s popularity is on the rise, as many fans sit back with popcorn and soda inhands, watching the quarterbacks throw and the receivers catch. Harold Grange has establishedhimself as the most popular football player of all time. Born in 1903, Grange was a notable highschool athlete, leading his football team to an undefeated season in his junior year. He hasplayed for the Chicago Bears, before he switched over to the New York Yankees in 1926. Hisawards include being the first athlete to be featured on the front cover of Time Magazine. He isbest known for his many scoring touchdowns and catches. This athlete is a one to watch infuture years to come, as he draws abundant crowds into the football stadium.

Apart from football and baseball, other sports have also gained nationwide attention.Bobby Jones has played perfectly in golf, winning his first U.S. Open competition in 1923. Tennisplayers like William Tilden, first American man to win singles at Wimbledon, and Helen Wills,who has won every match she has played since 1927, both have made their sport popular.Olympic gold medalist, Gertrude Ederle swam the English Channel in record- breaking time; ahuge feat. Boxing has become attractive with the matches of Jack Dempsey and Gene Tunney in1926 and 1927. It was reported that ten people nationwide got heart attacks because they wereso excited. Why are we so crazy about our sports?

By Joshua Chanin

The Decade in Entertainment

Best Films of the DecadeBy Joshua Chanin

The Decade in Entertainment

This decade saw the first movie with sound called “TheJazz Singer” come out (1927), and changed the movie industrygreatly. The story begins with a young Jewish boy named JakieRabinowitz who defies the traditions of his family by singing populartunes and music in the beer halls. Soon, after getting punished by hisstrict father, Jackie runs away from home, spending several yearsbecoming a talented jazz singer. Throughout the movie, Jackieattempts to build a career as a professional singer, but gets caughtwith his ambition and the demands of his home and heritage. Themovie is a definite picture to see for all age groups. It is the first movieof its kind, and it will path way to new movies equipped with soundand music. Starring America’s most famous entertainer, Al Jolson, whogives the film its lively and happy spirit, the movie is very enjoyable,with jazz put into the picture for more laughs and giggles than youcould imagine.

Reflecting back, the 1920’s has been a decade of change and new innovations, and change has come to the movies.

“The Kid”, which came out in the first part of this decade(1921) also provides laughs. Starring America’s silent actor, CharlieChaplin, the story depicts of Little Tramp (Chaplin) who one day fins anabandoned baby in an alley, and promises to take care of him. When theboy gets older, he becomes Little Tramp’s partner in crime, butunfortunately gets caught and is taken away. In the end, the film has anemotional and desperate and affecting search for the young boy. Chaplinproduced a good quality film, even though it was a silent picture; Iwould recommend this movie to all. Chaplin also displays confidence inhis acting, and he definitely adds to the humor in this movie as a whole.

I love animation and cartoons, and that is why Irecommend you seeing Walt Disney’s “Plane Crazy”. Drawn by UbIwerks, the cartoon depicts the story of Mickey Mouse, a youngand adventurous mouse who is trying to impersonate CharlesLindbergh and builds an airplane on his own. The short is abouthis wild adventures on building the plane and trying to fly it in theair. I would definitely recommend this short for your kids, whowould laugh all the way. It is a shame that it is only six minutes.

Movie poster of “The Jazz Singer”

Movie poster of “The Kid”

Poster of “Plane Crazy”

Memorable Quotes

“Mr. President how long must women wait to get their liberty? Let us have the rights we deserve.”- Alice Paul "The business of

America is business” –Calvin Coolidge

“You can get much farther with a kind word and a gun than you can with a kind word alone.”-Al Capone

The Decade in Entertainment

“The Decline of the Modern Woman”