Page:The work of the Afro-American woman (IA workofafroameric00moss 1).pdf/19



" value of any published work, especially if historical in character, must be largely inspirational; this fact grows out of the truth that race instinct, race experience lies behind it, national feeling, or race pride always having for its development a basis of self- respect." The emancipation of the Negro race came about at the entrance to that which has been aptly termed the Woman's Century; co-education, higher education for women, had each gained a foothold. The "Woman's Suffrage " movement had passed the era of ridicule and entered upon that of critical study. The Woman's Christian Temperance Union had be- come a strong factor in the reform work of the nation. These facts made the uplifting of the womanhood of this race a more hopeful task than might otherwise have been, and gave to the individual woman of the race opportunities to reach a higher plane of development with less effort than would have been possible under a more unfavorable aspect of the woman question. Trammclled by their past condition and its consequent poverty, combined with the blasting influ-