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DISCRIMINATION IS A NATIONAL PROBLEM
From The Cincinnati Post & Times-Star
A lot of balance could be restored in the tion for the individual Negro, while re¬
civil rights controversy, if some attention senting Negroes in the abstract. The
were paid to the remarks of Robert H. northerner, on the other hand, is inclined
Macrae. to uphold Negro rights—in the abstract—
Mr. Macrae, who is executive director while doing little
of the Welfare Council of Chicago, spoke or nothing to help the
at the White House Conference on Chil¬ individual Negro get an even break.
dren and Youth. The Negro obviously gets fewer human
Discrimination against citizens with rights, south than north but a broad prin¬
darker skins is not a southern problem ciple—equality of opportunity under law
alone, he said It is national problem. —is involved and the difference between
a south and north is one of degree only. The
In Chicago, he pointed out, Negro col¬ principle is violated in both areas.
lege graduates work as redcaps because The southerners thus are offended, and
jobs in which they could use their training rightly so, that they should he considered
are closed to them. Large numbers of Ne¬ (he exclusive culprit in this argument and
gro children i|rpp out of school because that corrective legislation should be aimed
their parents feel they never will get jobs exclusively at them.
taking advantage of their education.
ffo need to go down the list of northern A little confession would he good for
discrimination, from actual segregation of the soul of some of the more vociferous
schools and other facilities on through advocates of civil rights in this election
union bars against Negroes, and housing. year. Times are changing and there is a
It is said, with justification, that in some strengthening drive for recognition o-f hu¬
respects a Negro is better treated south man rights. It would calm tempers and
than north. The southerner, from long as¬ speed progress if both north and south
sociations, tends toward a genuine affec¬ were to admit they still have far to go.
THE BASIC ISSUE
Associated Negro Press Editorial
One would think that in the past three South African Government’s insistence
decades, the world would have become in¬ that the Sharpeville massacre is an “in¬
ured to the repeated ruthless suppression ternal” problem. Whether it be the shoot¬
and slaughter of humanity by govern¬ ing down of school boys in Budapest, the
ments who hold power through elalxirate massacre of monks in Tibet, or the sense¬
systems of contVol of their peoples through less killing of women and children in
suppression and denial of basic human Sharpeville, it is the act of a totalitarian
rights and through force ami intimidation. minority political party holding power by
The response of the whole world to the the ruthless suppression of any nmnifesta-
Sharpeyillc not massacre hardened demonstrates and that tiojl of a desire i'or lilretiy anrl dfanitr.
we are so immune to The parraflels between the UniorU’ofi
the sufferings of our fellow man. South Africa, the now-destroyed Fascist
The Free World reacted promptly, vigor¬ regimes of the !’»()> and 40'*, and the pre¬
ously, and correctly when Soviet troops sent Communist regimes in Asia and
ruthlessly put down the revolt of the Hun¬ Europe could not have been brought home
garian “peoples" people, when the so-called Chinese more sharply by the events in Sharpeville.
Republic invaded Tibet and All control the movements of their popur
when literally tens of thousands of Tibe¬ lations by obnoxious “pass" laws and other
tans were killed in their abortive revolt documentation systejns. All have shown
against Communist China last year. callousness and disregard for human
It is gratifying to note that the Free rights and human life in mass removals
World is showing the same measure of of whole populations from (me place to
revulsion and horror at the recent shock¬ another. All have shown utter ruthless-
ing acts of the South African government ness and brutality in suppression of popu¬
in shooting down some *500 Africans at lar desires. All have justified their ac¬
Sharpeville. Virtually every government tions as being “an internal matter,” and
in the world has expressed its shock in have been willing to slaughter innocents
clear and certain terms ; and must support to achieve their perverted goals.
the move to bring the South African issue
before the United Nations. This, then, is the BASIC ISSUE: Tota¬
The newspapers of the world have been litarianism. Whether it be the totalitar¬
even more vocal and damning in their con¬ ianism of the Afrikaaner Nationalists or
demnation of the Afrikaaner government the Soviet Communists, or the Chinese
of South Afriea* Editorials in American, Peoples Liberation Army, its consequen¬
Indian, Latin Ameriean. Scandinavian, ces for free men and women everywhere
and European newspajiers have been es¬ are the same. This the world now seems
pecially critical of the ruthless and cold¬ ready to recognize, that when one stands
blooded actions of the South African against totalitarianism and brutality in
police. In New York, Oslo, and London Hungary he must also stand against it in
people picketed the South African con¬ South Africa; and when he stands
sulates and embassies. The reason for against it in South Africa, he must stand
this is not hard to find. against it in South U.S.A. and Tibet. All
It is simply that the denial of human are linked together, and all are a threat
rights anywhere is a threat to human to the freedoms, the happiness, the wel¬
rights everywhere. We are our brothers’ fare and the security of all of us, every¬
keeper and guardian notwithstanding the where.
ARBITRATION AROUND THE TABLE OR AGITATION IN THE STREETS
From the Oklahoma Eagle
In this enlightened age, almost every¬ deliberate debate and discussion of differ¬
body accepts what the scientists and the ence than it is to try to have one’s way
psychologists have already proved that by crushing into silence those who dis¬
every living person is different. Even agree with our thinking and condemn our
identical twins, except for some apparent¬ methods. Since the last world war there
ly similar external feature differ in every have been many incidents among nations
phase of their physical and emotional be¬ that twenty years ago would have provok¬
ing. In light of tin* fact that we are, by ed a declaration of war, but in these lat¬
our creator, stuck with these individual ter years, the nations, having grown wis¬
differences, and since in spite of our dif¬ er, having learned that nobody wins a
ferences. we must live in one world to¬ war, and that the shedding of blood to
gether. hush the eternal urge to be free is a futile
It would be smart on our part since we gesture, now tho.v talk it out around the
cannot alter our differences to work at council table and having done so generally
the business of accepting each other’s dif¬ discover that there was not enough to
ferences, so that we can live in peace. fight about.
The need to think in this vein was never In the internal affairs of our nation,
so apparent as in this day when all the we would do well to profit by the example
world seems afire—with the urge to live of the family of nations. We must recog¬
better and the determination to gain this nize that the agitation in the streets of
kind of life at all costs. our nation is there because some wrong
We, who live in the midst of this world has been done, somebody is in disagree¬
wide, have a choice. “We can either pre¬ ment with the way the government they
pare ourselves to accept each other’s in¬ are part of is being run.
dividual difference and build a world of That agitation disregarded could easily
fraternity by means of reasonable arbitra¬ resolve itself in to anarchy and all of its
tion around the council table or heighten attendant miseries—that it cannot be ig¬
the flame already kindled through hate nored. it cannot be disregarded with im¬
and injustice and live in fear of ultimate punity. It must be dealt with and the
violence, the natural fruit of continued only way to remove the agitation and its
agitation in the streets- ugly chant from the street is to make pro¬
Ine global conflict*, have at kart taught vision for the calm voice ot reason around
the effective to wage a war of words in the council table.
THE SAVANNAH TRIBUNE, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA
ASIA AND AFRICA ARE SMASHING THE
EDITORIAL OPINIONS OF THE NATION’S PRESS
Compiled by Associated Negro Press
The Rev. Adam Clayton Powell, Jr„ the “law of the land”—thumbing his nose
pastor of Harlem’s, Abyssinian Baptist at the government refusing to pay his
church, a member of Congress and one share of supporting the country wherein
of New York City’s most powerful poli¬ he has plied his vicious trade of racism
tical leaders, is one of the nation’s most and religion.”
controversial personalities. As such it is THE JOURNAL, Milwaukee, Wis-
to be expected he would evoke editorial “Objection Powell summed
expressions from the nation’s press. These to can be
editorials refer to Powell’s alleged abuse up simply: He is totally unfit. If he gets
of congressional franking privileges, his the job—which he probably will under the
current income tax trial and the possibil¬ seniority system the house holds so dear
ity of his heading a congressional com¬ —the committee and the country are in
mittee: for trouble.”
COMMERCIAL APPEAL, Memphis THE MORNING NEWS,
“Franking is a privilege Congressmen Wilmington, Del.
enjoy and taxpayers provide but not for “Th* dilemma on which the congress¬
the mischief-making ‘activity on which men find themselves is caused by the pre¬
Representative Powell will engage come cedent dictating that Hie tfie'T^ngest member of the
Saturday. Postal authorities are said to controlling party with sefcvice^
be investigating. There should noAtlje any¬ 'Powell on a cqmi^twqufyeeoinias''''ils ha* tile ^nq litY. ‘Byt hik jchaifm’trt; extrhrhA
thing half-hearted about that fn\f rfiore racist attitudes, his,poor l^rord lejhO’
than there-should be about the Justice De¬ as a
partment's approach Ao the loiig-pending northern islatorjt-and liberal his absenteeism make even
income cases again&t, Rowell, What has' representatives shy away
happened to thosq ‘f” fi'oni him. ^Adding to their distaste is the
£ fact that $S«f| bolted the party to support
COURIER JOURNAL, Louisville, Ky t Eisenholtlr hi li)§6.”
‘At any rate, his excuse for impelling THE POST, Washington, IC C.
the taxpayers to wi^the cost ot his postal Mi;. Powell has nothing whatever
propaganda is a charge that E stland has to
employed his frank in the interest of the recommend him for the chairmanship save
prosegregation WhiteCitizens Council. In seniority-*-and this judgment bears no re¬
other words, two wrongs make a right, lation to his race. He is, admittedly, as
and we have the spectacle of Harlem’s well qualified to be chairman of the House
Powell taking shelter under a Mississippi Committee on Education and Labor as,
white supermacist’s wing.” say, John L. McMillan of South Carolina
is to be chairman of the House Commit¬
THE ADVERTISER, Montgomery, Ala- tee on the District of Columbia or as
“Here is the man of God, champion of James O. Eastland is to be chairman of
the downtrodden, inflexible advocate of the Senate Committee on the Judiciary.”
•j*«j**j**2« '1* *I 4 *1* 4* ■%* *1* *1* *1* '!< *1* ►!•«{*•*• ‘{••'i**!* »|* y v **■* v •£♦ 'I^v *1* *1* *1* v *1* *1* v *1* *v* ^
Between The Lines
By Dean Gordon B. Hancock for ANP
*>*v* V *!' *v* '!* •’.* *1* *1* *1* *»" * J* *r* V *v**v‘ *5* V *1- v *J**'I* I* 'I* v *1* *1* * I* %* *v* V *1* *1* *1* 'I* *?**v > *$* 'I* *1* *!♦ 'I* 4* ^
DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT
one
weightier matters of the Twentieth
Century world. It is just as well
for the darker peoples of the world
to face the ugly fact that segrega¬
tion is a form of elimination. If
a person is given the poorest hous^
ing, the poorest occupations,
poorest food and - the poorest cloth-
] that ... the people poorest in time medical will attention, be
inated.
Segregation is always the
lying at the root of the tree of
vival. The Negroes in South
and the Negroes in America
sensed this ugly fact and are
posing to do something about
The sit-in movement here
on by students and the
in South Africa are parts of
same thfigie story of the
spirit resisting thralldom and
ery.
Then too, it matters not
hopeless the situation may
it must not be forgotten that
struggle for liberty was ever
ually lost. Sooner or later the
ple who struggle for liberty
win.
From the Harvard Alumni
letin of recent date we read:
eral weeks ago this column
note of the growing student
tical activity with regard to
disclaimer affidavit provision
the National Defense
Act.
Recently, students have
another campaign, this one
at showing support for the
violent demonstrations of
ern Negro students against
| gation at the chain store
a
the campaign has taken hold at
colleges and universities through¬
out the Boston area, and spread to
other areas as well.
“The Harvard group known as
the Lunch Counter Integration
Committee is made up of graduate
students as well as undergraduates.
Some seventy people from the Uni¬
versity and Radcliffe are involved.
The Committee operates in co-oper¬
ation with the Emergency Public
Integration Committee, a newly
established body to coordinate the
work of all groups in Boston.
Most of the activity to date has
involved picketing local branches
of national chain stores which fol¬
low segregation practices in their
Southern affiliates.” According
to the President of organization
the main objective is “To make an
impression on all the stores and
show them that this can be a los¬
ing proposition in the North.
We hope that such an economic -
boycott such as this will induce
them to change their policy. The
same methods induced F. W r . Wool-
worth to integrate its St. Louis
store recently.” “Another purpose
of the demonstration is to show
the Southern Negro students that
there is support in the North for
their non-violent protest methods.
The local pickets are operating
under non-violent methods also.
Only one incident has marred the
demonstration. In Newton Center
three men attacked a group of
picketers and destroyed their plac¬
ards. No attempt was made to
| fight back, in line with tlie grouph-
! policy.
Present plans call for a continu¬
ation of the picketing, but the
group is also launching a postal
campaign to induce people to
write the New York office of
Woolworth’s in an attempt to force
a change of policy. Committee of¬
ficials estimate 2500 pieces of mail
have already gone out as a result
of the activity in Boston and Cam¬
bridge.
The group is also trying to raise
money for a scholarship fund to
aid the Southern Negro students
who were expelled for their pro¬
test.” In very truth God raises
up friends for those who fight for
their colonists in their struggle
against the tyranny of England.
It is for the oppressed people to
make the struggle for freedom and
from unexpected quartets will
come help and relief. When the
young Negro students of the South
raised their voice against the
tyranny of segregation, little did
we think that their brave stand
would elicit co-operation from the
campuses of the leading white uni¬
versities and colleges in the land.
But the brave stand by a few
dedicated Negro students in the
South has stirred students in every
land.
With the few articulate students
here and there about the world,
there are thousands and thousands
with inarticulate sympathies. And
these will be heard tomorAw!
There is a long, long tomorrow in
which Right will be enthroned.
Doing something about it.
NAACP Telephone
Number Changed
NEW YORK—-As of April 11,
the telephone number of the Na¬
tional Association for the Advance-
mejt of Colored People has been
changed from LOngaeie 3-G890 to
BKyant 9-1400.
SATURDAY, APRIL Z3, 1966 i
Letters to
the Editor • ••
1106 West Victory Drive
Savannah, Georgia
April 19, 1960
To The Editor
The Savannah Tribune
Dear Editor:
Savannah, Georgia
I read with great lamentation
the news article stating that the
mayor’s bi-raeial committee has
resigned itself to a state of in¬
activity. Recognition must be giv¬
en to the fact that they did tiy to
do what they could. In all due re¬
spect to the members of the com¬
mittee, who are men of high edu¬
cational standards and outstanding
moral and religious integrity, my
convictions were and still are that
the only panacea to the present
crisis is arbitration and not dicta¬
tion. This I kept to myself, pend¬
ing the outcome of the findings of
the bi-racial committee. I believe
that it is improbable, if not impos¬
sible for any person or group of
persons to solve a problem of two
groups whose objectives are so di¬
ametrically opposed, without con¬
tact between the two groups them¬
selves. There must be a coming
together of the top officials of the
NAACP, the Downtown Merchants
Association and the West Broad
Street Merchants, along with mer¬
chants from other areas of the
city and county. In the midst of
this fusion, however, there must
be an arbitrator or arbitrators
who, regardless of his or their per¬
sonal feelings, will act fairly and
impartially.
One does not really know pain
until it strikes close to home; as
it did when I read of the alterca¬
tion involving Benjamin Bonaparte
White, Jr. It hurt me because it
seems like only yesterday that his
father and I were classmates in
high school and college. It hurt
again when 1 realize that many of
these youngsters are children of
veterans, some of whom paid the
supreme sacrifice. The family of
a veteran is one of the major con¬
cerns of a Legionnaire and conse¬
quently I am deeply concerned as
to the welfare of these children, my’
people and my community.
The sacrifice and suffering has
been felt on both sides — by ffte
merchants through financial Joss
and by parents trying to explain
to children, not yet old enough to
understand the anguish of intoler¬
ance, the absence of the Easter
bunny. My Christian upbringing
taught me that a prolonged fight,
without an opportunity to negoti¬
ate for peace is to no avail.
With these poignant thoughts
burning my mind and because I do
not believe it would be fair to the
thousands of Negroes who have
religiously supported the boycott
to ask them to revert to their for¬
mer position without an opportun¬
ity to bargain (as proposed in the
Savannah Morning News editorial
SDo IDrops
By R. W. Gadsden
the firm belief that tlhere is
something we can do in this
little corner of the world, to
erase or render innocuous some
of the objections hard core
bias and cultivated ignorance
offer as reasons for setting Ne¬
groes apart behind curtains, in
rear seats on buses and trains,
for exclusion from places of re¬
creation. from eating facilities
and from registration rolls.
One charge given wide cur¬
rency is that Negroes are
thriftless, that is, they do not
save or wisely use their earn¬
ings. There are no figures at
hand to prove this charge true
or false. General observation
would seem to indicate that it
is true. It is stated frequent¬
ly that the Negro market, coun¬
try wide, is about $ 18 , 000 , 000 .-
000. It isn't difficult to imag-
ine what the condition of tihel
market would be if by some mag-
icNegroes would become thrifty
during a year. How, for ex¬
ample, would automobile sales¬
men, clothiers, or furniture
dealers react. It would, of
course, be a good thing for Ne¬
groes themselves.
Assuming that their sense of
values would increase as they
become more thrifty, they would
buy more homes, establish more
businesses to provide more leb
opportunities, and less other!
of April 19) I wish to submit the
following:
A PEACE PLAN
1. Appoint two arbitrators/one
Negro and one white. (Because of
the forthrightness and fair minded¬
ness expressed in many, of his
column-, and the exemplary man¬
lier' in which he deported himself
on the Jaycee Forum, my nominee
for white arbiter is Mr, Arthur
Gordon.)
2. Select the council room of
the Chamber of Commerce for a
meeting place. (This being of con¬
cern and importance to the welfare
of Savannah and the Chamber be¬
ing neutral.)
3. Schedule the first meeting for
Wednesday, April 27 at 7:90 P.M.
(This will give all concerned the
opportunity to have precaueuses,
if necessary.) Schedule the second
meeting for Friday, April 29 at
7:00 P.M., if another meeting is
necessary. (This time element will
not interfere with the merchants'
business hours.)
4. Send written invitations to
the NAACP, through its president,
to the Downtown Merchants As¬
sociation, through its president,
and to the West Broad Street Mer¬
chants, through its president
(This is as it should be, that an
individual’s position should he re¬
spected, one’s personal opinion not¬
withstanding.) An open inyjta,-
tion should also be extended,
through public media of communi¬
cation, to all other merchants in
the city and' county.
5. As had been done in other
cities with the sit-down problem,
let a truce be declared for the week
of the negotiations in order that
thoughts may be clear, tempers
even and peace, serenity and tran¬
quillity can reign during the con¬
ferences. (If there should be an
altercation between a Negro and
a white the afternoon of a sched¬
uled conference, it would be utter¬
ly impossible for either side, with
race pride prevailing, to act in¬
telligently.)
6. Invite Our Heavenly Father^
to sit at the head of the conference
table. (This is the most import¬
ant.) I I- ; ji(( ,
The fact cannot be denied that
there is intelligence, education and
religion on both sides, which is cer¬
tainly a common ground for (the
commencement of a dissolution to.
the problem.
I believe that there is sincerity
on both sides for peace. This be^
lief can be further strengthened by
their endorsement of this plan for
peace.
Respectfully yours,
BENJAMIN F. LEWIS,
Commander
American Legion Post -500
P S - —I wish* to apologize for the
lengthiness of this letter, but,’ the
gravity of the situation made it
mandatory.
A„ ^cation *
what Negroes could accomnhsn
in this regard is die recora of
0,11 h- cities as Atlanta, Durham,
l^s Angeles and some oth 1
cities where business progress’*
has been marked.
Moreover, the fact that Ne¬
groes in America have made
incomparable progress jiy nine¬
ty odd years is generally ac¬
knowledged by all who are ca¬
pable of making unbiased judg.-
ments. However, there iS some¬
thing paradoxical about the use
of this fact. Our friends and
disinterested people use it to
keep alive our hope in a better
dayacoming. Others, some ot
whom are venal opportunists, use
it to make the stupid and gullible
say they are satisfied and con¬
tent with things as they are.
If Negroes are guilty as
charged, is it any wonder that
they are, „„„ when , it is remem
bered that for two-hundred
and fifty years our forebears;
day after day from sun-up to
sun-down, without a pay-day,
spent their labor in building
the foundation of the economy
of the South? In which cir¬
cumstance what need was
there for thrift and sense of
values and what other heritage
could they leave to their chil¬
dren than a distant and some¬
times forlorn hope of becoming
lree?