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would be no poor or rich and each person would have his
share。 This is one of the commandments Karl Marx left to us：
〃From each according to his ability； to each according to his
needs。〃'
A wrinkled； yellow palm waved timidly from the halL Were
he the Mark in the Bible？'
Doctor Copeland explained。 He spelled the two names and
cited dates。 'Are there any more questions？ I wish each one of
you to feel free to start or enter into any discussion。'
'I presume Mr。 Marx was a Christian church man？' asked the
preacher。
'He believed in the holiness of the human spirit*
'Were he a white man？'
'Yes。 But he did not think of himself as a white man。 He said；
〃I consider nothing human as alien to myself。〃 He thought of
himself as a brother to all people。'
Doctor Copeland paused a moment longer。 The faces around
him were waiting。
〃What is the value of any piece of property； of any
merchandise we buy in a store？ The value depends only on
one thing—and that is the work it took to make or to raise this
article。 Why does a brick house cost more than a cabbage？
Because the work of many men goes into the making of one
brick house。 There are the people who made the bricks and
mortar and the people who cut down the trees to make the
planks used for the floor。 There are the men who made the
building of the brick house possible。 There are the men who
carried the materials to the ground where the house was to be
built。 There are the men who made the wheelbarrows and
trucks that carried the materials to this place。 Then finally
there are the workmen who built the house。 A brick house
involves the labor of many； many people—while any of us can
raise a cabbage in his back yard。 A brick house costs more
than a cabbage because it takes more work to make。 So when a
man buys this brick house he is paying for the labor that went
to make it。 But who gets the money—the profit？ Not the many
men who did the work—but the bosses who control them。 And
if you study this further you will find that these bosses have
bosses above them and those bosses have bosses higher up —
so that the real people who control all this work； which makes
any article worth money； are very few。 Is this clear so far？'
'Us understand！'
But did they？ He started all over and retold what he had said。
This time there were questions。
'But don't clay for these here bricks cost money？ And don't it
take money to rent land and raise crops on？'
'That is a good point；' said Doctor Copeland。 'Land； clay；
timber—those things are called natural resources。 Man does
not make these natural resources—man only develops them；
only uses them for work。 Therefore should any one person or
group of persons own these things？ How can a man own
ground and space and sunlight and rain for crops？ How can a
man say 〃this is mine〃 about those things and refuse to let
others share them？ Therefore Marx says that these natural
resources should belong to everyone； not divided into little
pieces but used by all the people according to their ability to
work。 It is like this。 Say a man died and left his mule to his
four sons。 The sons162
r
would not wish to cut up the mule to four parts and each take
his share。 They would own and work the mule together。 That
is the way Marx says all of the natural resources should be
owned—not by one group of rich people but by all the
workers of the world as a whole。
〃We in this room have no private properties。 Perhaps one or
two of us may own the homes we live in； or have a dollar or
two set aside—but we own nothing that does not contribute
directly toward keeping us alive。 All that we own is our
bodies。 And we sell our bodies every day we live。 We sell
them when we go out in the morning to our jobs and when we
labor all day。 We are forced to sell at any price； at any time；
for any purpose。 We are forced to sell our bodies so that we
can eat and live。 And the price which is given us for this is
only enough so that we will have the strength to labor longer
for the profits of others。 Today we are not put up on the
platforms and sold at the courthouse square。 But we are forced
to sell our strength； our time； our souls during almost every
hour that we live。 We have been freed from one kind of
slavery only to be delivered into another。 Is this freedom？ Are
we yet free men？〃
A deep voice called out from the front yard。 〃That the real
truth！'
That how things is！'
。And we are not alone in this slavery。 There are millions of
others throughout the world； of all colors and races and
creeds。 This we must remember。 There are many of our people
who hate the poor of the white race； and they hate us。 The
people in this town living by the river who work in the mills。
People who are almost as much in need as we are ourselves。
This hatred is a great evil； and no good can ever come from it。
We must remember the words of Karl Marx and see the truth
according to his teachings。 The injustice of need must bring us
all together and not separate us。 We must remember that we
all make the things of this earth of value because of our labor。
These main truths from Karl Marx we must keep in our hearts
always and not forget。
'But my people！ We in this room—we Negroes—have another
mission that is for ourselves alone。 Within us there is a strong；
true purpose； and if we fail in this purpose we
163
will be forever lost。 Let us see； then； what is the nature of this
special mission。'
Doctor Copeland loosened the collar of his shirt； for in his
throat there was a choked f eeling。 The grievous love he felt
within him was too much。 He looked around him at the hushed
guests。 They waited。 The groups of people in the yard and on
the porch stood with the same quiet attention as did those in
the room。 A deaf old man leaned forward with his hand to his
ear。 A woman hushed a fretful baby with a pacifier。 Mr。
Singer stood attentively in the doorway。 Most of the young
people sat on the floor。 Among them was Lancy Davis。 The
boy's lips were nervous and pale。 He clasped his knees very
tightly with his arms； and his young face was sullen。 All the
eyes in the room watched； and in them there was hunger for
truth。
'Today we are to confer the five…dollar award upon the high…
school student who wrote the best essay on the topic； 〃My
Ambition： How I can Better the Position of the Negro Race in
Society。〃 This year the award goes to Lancy Davis。' Doctor
Copeland took an envelope from his pocket 〃There is no need
for me to tell you that the value of this award is not wholly in
the sum of money it represents— but the sacred trust and faith
that goes with it。'
Lancy rose awkwardly to his feet。 His sullen lips trembled。 He
bowed and accepted the award。 'Do you wish me to read the
essay I have written？'
'No；' said Doctor Copeland。 'But I wish you to come and talk
with me sometime this week。'
'Yes； sir。' The room was quiet again。
' 〃I do not wish to be a servant！〃 That is the desire I have read
over and over in these essays。 Servant？ Only one in a
thousand of us is allowed to be a servant。 We do not work！
We do not serve！'
The laughter in the room was uneasy。
'Listen！ One out of five of us labors to build roads； or to take
care of the sanitation of this city； or works in a sawmill or on a
farm。 Another one out of the five is unable to get any work at
all。 But the other three out of this five— the greatest number
of our people？ Many of us cook for those who are
incompetent to prepare the food that they themselves eat。
Many work a lifetime tending flower gar…164
dens for the pleasure of one or two people。 Many of us polish
slick waxed floors of fine houses。 Or we drive automobiles for
rich people who are too lazy to drive themselves。 We spend
our lives doing thousands of jobs that are of no real use to
anybody。 We labor and all of our labor is wasted。 Is that
service？ No； that is slavery。
'We labor； but our labor is wasted。 We are not allowed to
serve。 You students here this morning represent the fortunate
few of our race。 Most of our people are not allowed to go to
school at all。 For each one of you there are dozens of young
people who can hardly write their names。 We are denied the
dignity of study and wisdom。
' 〃From each according to his ability； to each according to his
needs。〃 All of us here know what it is to suffer for real need。
That is a great injustice。 But there is one injustice bitterer
even than that—to be denied the right to work according to
one's ability。 To labor a lifetime uselessly。 To be denied the
chance to serve。 It is far better for the profits of our purse to
be taken from us than to be robbed of the riches of our minds
and souls。
'Some of you young people here this morning may feel the
need to be teachers or nurses or leaders of your race。 But most
of you will be denied。 You will have to sell yourselves for a
useless purpose in order to keep alive。 You will be thrust back
and defeated。 The young chemist picks cotton。 The young
writer is unable to learn to read。 The teacher is held in u