Searching through the New York Times archive (you can view articles from 1851 through 1980 if you're a subscriber) for instances of the word “racialism” (“racism” was coined in the 1930s and doesn't appear in the NYT until 1937), the first piece that possibly portrays racism in a negative context is this satirical article from July 9, 1924, accusing the Democratic Party of “racialism and sectionalism,” but it appears that by “racialism” the author only means anti-immigrant prejudice.

The first piece which definitely portrays an essentially modern anti-racist view regarding relations between whites and non-whites is this article from October 8, 1925, about an Anglican church conference on the subject of racial equality, which I've reproduced in full below. This one is interesting for other reasons; it appears that Martin Luther King didn't coin his most famous quote, and it anticipates the Eisenhower administration's thinking regarding the Suez Crisis by three decades.

CHURCHMEN URGE FULL RACE EQUALITY

English Authorities on Orient Plead for Christian Idea in Race Relations.

INDIAN WARNS CONGRESS

Declares That Not Prestige of Color but of Character Will Count in Future.

LONDON, Oct. 7 – Race problems occupied the attention of the Episcopal Church Congress at Eastbourne, today, and grave words of warning were uttered of the perils involved in ranging the white race against black, brown, or yellow peoples. Lord Willingdon, who has been Governor of two Presidencies in India, and J.H. Oldham, Secretary or the International Missionary Council, who has traveled all over the world and been a close student of the Asiatic question particularly, agreed that it is impossible to continue the old policy of white supremacy. Willingdon traced to a war growth, the idea of self-determination of the colored races of the East. They not only resented the idea of inferiority, but believed that the Eastern standard of morality is in many ways higher than the Western.

“In my view,” said Lord Willingdon, there is only one solution of the problem. The white races must realize the necessity of treating all colored men in the spirit of absolute equality and give up the attitude of color superiority. Providence long ago placed the white man in the position of a trustee, who wards, the colored man, are rapidly growing up. The white man no longer dominaes them, even for their good. At best he can only tactfully guide them past particular dangers.

“I honestly believe,” he continued, “if the whole attitude of the white to colored races could be altered, if the white man would always act in a spirit of giving equality and opportunity to those who are colored, what appears now as an aggressive and unreasonable attitude on the part of the colored races would entirely change and they would be willing to discuss these important matters in a fair spirit, with a due sense of the difficulties surrounding them. The only one way of doing this is by always carrying into relations with the colored races the principles of the Christian faith and remembering that 'there's a divinity that shapes our ends, rough-hew them how we will.'”

Secretary Oldham, analyzing the causes of race discrimination, laid special stress on the economic side, and said that the basis of the exclusive immigration policies of America and the British dominions were caused by the fear that standards of living might be affected by the admission of cheap labor.

As a keen student of Eastern affairs, he pointed out that many of the leading Moslems of the Middle East, with their eyes open to the irreconcilable differences between Bolshevism and Mohammedanism, were inclined to throw in their lot with the Bolsheviks solely because they felt the Bolsheviki treated them as equals, whereas the Western nations did not. He urged the congress to remember that Christ always though of men as individuals, and to avoid massing men into classes and thinking of Indians or Chinese, and not of them as individuals. He asked the audience to face the facts squarely.

“A solid white front inevitably means a solid yellow, brown or black front,” he said, “and that can only have one meaning – war. The only way to prevent drifting into disaster is for men of courage and true vision to refuse to be entangled into the snare of racialism. They should strive to ensure the triumph of their claims of humanity, even though it brings them the opposition of men of their own race. Who may more fitly take the lead in this matter than the Christian Church?” he concluded.

Shoran Singha, a Christian Indian who wore a turban and also addressed the congress in perfect English, said: “We have to get rid of the idea that God sent the white man to rule the black. We must get rid of the white man's prestige. Not the prestige of color but the prestige of character will count in the future.”

That article was followed three days later by an unsigned editorial agreeing with a similar speech by President Coolidge by denouncing “racialism,” “bigots,” “Wizards and Kleagles,” and “K.K.K-ism,” but once again it may be that this only refers to anti-immigrant prejudice.

On August 14, 1927 we see this article about a conference in New York of Africans calling for decolonization; it's fairly clear from the tone of the article that the journalist is sympathetic.

The first article that definitely portrays a modern view of race relations in the United States is this one on June 29, 1928, about an international conference of Baptists (apparently mainly whites from the American South), which I have again reproduced in full. It seems that these white Southern Baptists from 1928 would feel right at home at a G20 protest in 2014. The article about the 1933 conference in Berlin is itself quite interesting.

BAPTISTS HEAR PLEA FOR RACIAL AMITY

Southerners Applaud Negroes Who Appeal for Christian Brotherhood

REFUSAL TO FIGHT IS URGED

Columbia (S. C.) Pastor Advocates Pacifism to Combat Militarism at Toronto World Session.

TORONTO, Ontario. June 28 (By The Canadian Press).–Three separate meetings, devoted to consideration of what are termed “world issues,” featured the program of the Baptist World Alliance today. Of the three problems, racialism, industrialism and militarism provoked the liveliest discussion. Most of the speakers at the racialism meeting were colored people, who pleaded for better treatment from the white.

After the Rev. Frederick C. Spurr of Birmingham, England, had opened the discussion with a review of inter-racial relations which was by no means flattering to white men, a number of colored pastors, held forth on the aspirations of the Negro to brotherhood in Christ with the white man. The audience, composed largely of whites, most of whom were from the South, applauded again and again.

Antonio Merito of New York introduced a note of scepticism when he said he doubted if even all the delegates present would carry into effect the sentiments of Christian brotherhood they had been listening to when they returned home. Concluding the discussion, Dr. Spurr pointed out that if all the world were Christian there would be no racial problem.

Urges State Experiments

At the meeting on industrialism, the Rev. U. M. McGuire of Chicago was the chief speaker. He argued for extensive State action in economic affairs.

“All private property rights,” he said, “must yield to the right of the State to prosecute experiments in the interests of social justice and economic improvement.”

Dr. McGuire said that a study of the Dominion of Canada would help toward solving some industrial problems. The handling of the power and light problem in Ontario and of the railway problem in Canada, he said, are great experiments.

The solution of the problem of militarism offered by the Rev. R. K. Hales of Columbia, S. C., was for every one to refuse to fight under any circumstances, even when his country was at war.

“Until we get that spirit into every person it is impossible to stop war,” he said. “I wonder what we English, and Americans and our leaders would do if our statesmen and our leaders failed to agree on some trifling matter and ordered us at each other's throats. I for one would not obey.”

Officials Are Elected

The Rev. Dr. John MacNeill, pastor of Walmer Road Baptist Church, Toronto, was unanimously elected President of the alliance to serve for the next five years.

The following Vice Presidents were also elected: the Rev. C. A. Barbeour of Rochester, N. Y.; the Rev. R. K. Williams, Chicago, the Rev. J. C. Baretto, Argentina; the Rev. T. C. Bau, China; A. H. King, South Africa; Stowe Smith, Australia, and the Rev. F. W. Simoleit, Germany.

Herbert Manham of London and Albert Matthews of Toronto were elected Treasurers; the Rev. J.H. Rushbrooke of London, General Secretary, and the Rev. Clifton D. Gray of Lewiston, Me., Honorary Assistant Secretary.

The alliance voted to hold its next congress in Berlin, Germany, in 1933. Its session here will be concluded tomorrow.