Monday, Sep. 01, 1924

Knights

While the National Negro Business League sought to teach Negroes thrift at its session in Chicago, in Manhattan, Marcus Garvey and his associates (TIME, Aug. 11) made Negroes "noble." A procession marched into Liberty Hall, which was formerly a garage. First came a beadle, then an archdeacon, then a priest in red biretta, then Bishop McGuire of Africa in a purple cape and mitre of gold cloth, carrying a crook and wearing his bishop's ring of amethyst over a pair of white gloves. At the rear came Marcus Garvey in a feathered hat and George O. Marke, Royal Potentate, who came from Sierra Leone for the ceremony.

A Negro knelt; Potentate Marke bared his sword, tapped him on the head, exclaiming: "Arise, Sir E. Elliot! Arise!" The Bishop then blessed the Knight, who shook hands all around; and the performance was repeated. Among those honored, one woman was made a Lady. Twenty gold crosses and ten silver crosses were conferred. A Duke of Nyasa was to have been created, but the prospective Duke failed to appear.

Afterward everybody enjoyed a roast-chicken dinner and a ragtime ball.