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publishing the organization's study of the problem in 1925 and closely following the
ensuing campaign.)"1

For all its breadth and diversity, the Afro's political advocacy and
involvement was not simply reactive. The Afro did not simply attempt to represent
everything that was thought or done in the freedom movement; it did not attempt,
again, to simply be a lowest common denominator. It was willing to take political
leadership. The best example of this is the Afro's policy toward electoral politics.
Throughout the 1920s, the Afro under Carl Murphy worked hard to establish an
independent electoral stance for the Baltimore Black community - independent,
above all, of the Republican Party. Endorsements of electoral candidates on the
local, state, and national levels were made on the judgment of how well each
promoted African American community interests. In 1923, the Afro, disillusioned
with Republican Mayor William Broening, endorsed Democrat Howard Jackson;
after Jackson won with the aid of Black votes, the Afro congratulated the
community on its electoral independence. In 1927 the Afro endorsed Black
Republicans Walter McGuinn and Walter Emerson (who was ihe Afro's
bookkeeper) and their white ally Republican Daniel Ellison for city council, and for
mayor it endorsed Democrat William Curran against Republican William
Broening. Curran lost, but the endorsed city council candidates won. In 1930 the
Afro again recommended a split ticket between the Black Republican city council
candidates and the Democratic mayoral candidate, Howard Jackson. This time
Jackson won and the endorsed Republicans lost.^

In state-wide elections the Afro supported Democratic governor Albert
Ritchie in 1923 and, disillusioned with Ritchie, Republican Addison E. Millikin in
1927. In national elections the Afro showed even more independence. Beginning
the decade with an endorsement of Republican Warren G. Harding (largely
because of Woodrow Wilson's segregationalism), in 1924 the Afro endorsed