"He (MRD) avowed that his thoughts had been from early youth ever set on Africa and that in turning his attentions toward her, he had embraced no new convictions nor changed his principles, but simply his policy in the line of duty and course of action. 'I will there say to you, Sir, as Ruth said to Naomi,' "that your people shall be my people, your God shall be my God, yea, more sir, your country shall be my country." To this point the Doctor said he had come, and to this point every free colored man in the United States must come before he would consent to leave the land of oppression. . . .
(MRD summarized Negro awakening into four historic steps for the audience): 1st. The period of letter writing, when the writing of letters by colored men gave indications to their white fellow citizens of African intelligence; when letters written by men of color were sent to the city of London as a literary curiosity. He referred especially to the letters of James Forten.
"2nd. The period of newspaper publishing when colored men directed their attention to the proving to white men that they were as capable as the whites of editing newspapers and scattering their thoughts, expressed in proper shape and form, all over the country, sending their ideas into the parlors and bedchambers, into the studies and offices of their oppressors.
"3rd. The period of lecturing when colored men felt it not only their duty to send their thoughts to their opponents on paper, but to meet them face to face, and prove to them that they had equally with them the ability to advocate orally their own cause.
"4th. The Period of conventions when colored men met to discuss the great question of an African nationality. 'We are now in this period,' said the Dr. 'And it is the desire of an African nationality that this has brought me to these shores."
