Civilization the Primal Need of the Race, and The Attitude of the American Mind Toward the Negro Intellect / The American Negro Academy. Occasional Paper No. 3

A pair of addresses argues that the primary need for the race is cultivation of civilization through literature, art, philosophy, and scientific thought rather than reliance on property, money, or office. The speaker contends that individual achievements do not substitute for a collective cultural awakening and that trained scholars must lead in shaping public opinion, education, and moral habits. He traces how lofty ideals produce practical advances and critiques materialist solutions as insufficient. The second address surveys American perceptions of Black intellectual capacity, diagnoses prejudice and misunderstanding, and urges recognition, institutional support, and organized scholarly leadership to foster advancement.