The American Negro

A controversial review of the history of black Americans and an assessment of the challenges that faced them at the beginning of the twentieth century and suggests that African Americans will only achieve a desirable standard of living--in both the economic and moral sense--through association with and emulation of Anglo-Saxon society. He looks to the church (along with white America) as a source of moral and intellectual instruction for African Americans. He hopes to see the African church subsumed by the larger white Protestant churches, and black clergy trained by reputable ministers and suggests that white women (whom he judges as morally strong) undertake the moral instruction of the freedmen and women. Despite these proposals, Thomas is not optimistic about the future for African Americans and their contribution to American society without the moralizing power of true Christianity.