Description
To Publish Book on Race - Will Deal with Historical Research of the Negro. - - W. R. Howell, head of the History Department at Lincoln High School, member of the Association for the Study of Negro Life and History, is to have a book published dealing with historical research about the race. The above organization was organized 12 years ago by Dr. Carter G. Woodson, and Prof. Howell is the instructor at the monthly meetings of the Kansas City branch, at which phases of Negro history are discussed.
Several years ago Prof. Howell organized a Negro history club at Lincoln, and this has led to a regular course for which credit is given. The text in use was compiled from Prof Howell's own research work and this, now in mimeograph form, is to be published as a book.
Prof. Howell says there is a growing interest in our history by members of the race and efforts are being made to get every item touching the race's life into a form available for study.
For this purpose, he has been searching the records in Clay County, one of the strong slave centers of pioneer days. He has found many original copies of bills of sale, notices of runaway slaves, etc. Slides for use in his classes are to be made of some of these and copies are to be incorporated in his text book.
He has looked on the scenes where slave quarters have stood until recently and has seen the foundations of slave pens. Over in Platte County, he has located one dungeon beneath an ancient roadside inn where slaves were tied to rings in the ceiling while their masters enjoyed the hospitality of the hostelry. He has been put in touch with several of the old colored folks of Liberty who were once slaves.
Professor Howell is a native of O. O. McIntyre’s town, Gallipolis, Ohio, and played back lot baseball with him in kid days. In 1909 he received his A. B. degree from the Ohio State university. Four years at Tuskegee institute preceded his coming to Kansas City in 1909.Date(s) of Creation
12/6/1928
