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ATLANTA INQUIRER
■kOL. ONE
Booking
...... Forward
B BY bill strong
I Want To
President
It happened just as Mr. Nixon
was being introduced as the Re
publican Presidential nominee.
My two year old son turned to me
I
and said, with all the seriousness
a two year old can muster,
“Daddy, I want to be president.”
1 When he spoke thes° - ords, I
was not amused, however cute
^.at he said may have been, it
i evoked serious thought. Here.
r from the lips of a child, a baby.
had fallen the sentence which ex
pressed in concise, certain terms,
the hopes, the aspirations and
dreams which lie at the base of
our struggle for full social, legal
and political equality. Is this not
our wish? Is it not our desire to
attain w'ithin the framework of
democratic society, all priveleges
opportunities, immunities and ad
vantages which accrue to us as
free men, born in a free society?
Is this not the reason 50,000 black
men walked for nearly two years
in Montgomery. Alabama? Is this
not the reason Negroes have
demonstrated in over one hundred
cities in protest of discriminatory
laws and practices? Is this not the
_ answer to whv our students are
willing to be jailed, beaten,
k abused, criticized and still refuse
to return to the bonds and fetters
of a segregated society.
* “The answer to these questions
can only be yes.” All we want as
a group, is the “right” to advance
unhindered, to as high a place in
। our society as our individual cap
abilities will carry us. whether
that journey ends in the “White
'House”, the “Governor's Man
i -on,” or on “Skid Row.” The
right” is what we want, and
what we must and will have.
The United States Constitution
states the qualifications for hold
ing the office of president shall
be. <D he shall be a natural born
citizen; <2 > he shall have attained
the age of thirty-five years; and
3) been fourteen years a resident
within the United States. At no
place is there any restriction as
to race, creed or religion.
“Yes son, why can’t you be
president?” “Why cannot the
sons of fifteen million other black
men in this country seriously
aspire to this high office?” I think
they can. All that is necessary is
that every adult Negro within the
borders of these great United
States, take up the baner of free
dom and press forward relent
lessly, at all cost. The time is
past for waiting, “Our sons, also,
want to be president.”
| "Thank You, Atlanta"
I Thank you Atlanta for your
'generous support and inspiration
^the Atlanta Inquirer. Your re-
M|nse to our first issue has en
^K’aged us to believe that we
H become with your support.
1 Southeast’s fastest growing
WANTED
ewsboys
^all
K-7478
The power of the
Pen is mightier
than the Sword.
TEL. PL. 8-7478
Three Suits Filed Here
DR. SENDE DEPLORES MORAL
IMMATURITY OF U. S.
The office of the Atlanta In
quirer was favored, last Monday
evening, by a visit from Dr.
Joseph Sende, a Native of the
French Cameroons, West Africa.
Dr. Sende who holds, at twenty
four, degrees from the Univer
sities of Montpelier, and Paris,
one of which is in medicine, and
is currently engaged in his resi
denc? in surgery and studying at
the Paris Political Science Insti
tute. was touring America to ob
serve segregation first hand.
After spending the week-end in
the city of Atlanta. Dr. Sende
was quite willing to give his im
pressions. His initial emotional
experience, he related, was one of
shock and surprise. It was in
conceivable to him. that a country
which has made such great eco
nomic and scientific advances
could practice the doctrine of dis
crimination and segregation with
out seemingly any qualms of con
science. He concluded that the
moral growth ot the United States
B. T. Washington High Schools
Intra-Mural Sports Program Forßoys
Conducted by
Claude C. George. Jr., Director
Intra-mural Sports
Intra-mural activity is based upon the assumption that there is
an inevitable process of social interaction that begin. whenever a
member of individuals are collected together around a common
purpose. Each individual brings into the group a basic personality
structure which has an impact upon the other members of the group.
As a result of this impact certain observable group processes begin.
We have been able to observe such factors as dominance, submis
sion, elimination and compromise as being present in many group
situations. All of these processes can be consciously changed or
affected by injecting spicific kinds of activities, leadership, and goals.
In intra-mural activity, individ
uals are helped to become related
to one another and to experience
growth opportunities by the use
of conscious process of relation
ships in which a leader, with the
knowledge of individual and group
behavior, utilized program activi
ties to help the individuals in the
group move toward socially desir
able goals. These goals in our
society are those of the demo
cratic life.
The activity never becomes
more important than the individ
ual. The leader is looked upon as
an enabler who helps individuals
to help themselves and the setting
in which the group operates is
consistent with the social goals of
a democratic society.
B. T. Washington High School
Re-Evaluation Report of 1957
showed '57.85”' boys participated
in Intra-mural sports. During the
ten years of its existence appfoxi
mately 5,510 participants have
performed before 239,215 specta
tors. This program has been fore
most in the physical and mental
devlopment of many boys and
girls-
This school program offers an
opportunity for participation in a
variety of intra-mural sports ac
tivities. It is an integral part of
the total program of health and
physical education and not a
“feeder” system for inter-scholas
tic athletics.
The Intra-mural Sports Program
serves as a laboratory when the
students can test the things they
are taught in physical education
classes.
(Continued on Page Three)
"To seek out the Truth and report
it impartially without Fear or Favor"
SUNDAY, AUGUST 7, 1960
had been stunted or sorely re
tarded.
Dr. Sende was also queried as
to his estimate of the situation in
the Belgian Congo. He was spe
cifically asked if he could tell us
why the Congolese Army revolted.
In answering, he denied, with
some degree of heat, the assertion
by many observers that the Con
golese were completely unpre
pared for self government. He
was of the opinion the Congolese
revolted because of their resent
ment of the fact that the Bel
gians, while relinquishing political
control, retained an economic
stranglehold on the entire country.
He also accused the Belgians of
being responsible for the secession
movement within the Katanga
Province. This was merely a
further extension of their program
to remain in actual control with
out having the stigma of Colonial
ism attached to them. Dr. Sende
was elected by his fellow students,
in France, to represent Africa
abroad.
The Democratic And Republican
Platforms On Civil Rights
Samuel Dußois Cook
Politics is primarily a struggle for power and for those values
derived from the possession of political power. Power is the ability
to satisfy desire, to produce the intended effect. One of the standards
by which political power in America is judged is the capacity to
influence, by means of inclusion or exclusion, the platforms and
programs of the two major political parties. From this perspective,
it is clear that Negroes are riding a new crest wave of pow'er. which
has increased considerably since 1956. Of all the platforms in
American history, the most liberal and constructive, so far as the
"Negro is directly concerned, were adopted in July at Los Angeles and
Chicago. What, then, are the civil rights provisions of the Democratic
and Republican platforms?
First of all, the similarities of the two platforms are more in
clusive and significant than the differences. Indeed, the civil rights
planks of the Democrats and Republicans are very much alike in
both degree and kind. True enough, as we shall note, the Democrats
were more comprehensive, specific, and bold.
The overriding meaning and significance of the current presi
dential platforms are the commitment of both parties and their
standard bearers to the eradication of the cancer of segregation and
discrimination from the American body politic. This is a new com
mitment. It covers such vital areas as registration and voting, public
education, housing, employment, transportation, and other public
facilities. This is an important commitment because of the prestige,
status and pow'er of political parties in the scheme of things. It is
true, of course, that the practical and concrete meaning of this
commitment will come only after the campaign ends, when the popu
lar end electoral votes are counted, when the difficult process of
legislation begins and executive leadership is put to the test. Yet
commitment, for all its weaknesses, must precede fulfilment. Again,
this commitment to the recognition of the full stature and dimen
sions of the Negro’s humanity stems from a combination of sources
and forces; cynical and earnest, opportunistic and humane, expedient
and ultimate, calculation and dedication. But mixed motives con
stitute the stuff of politics, as indeed it does other sectors of human
existence.
In terms of specifics, both parties are committed to the curbing
of Senate filibustering, which has been used by Southern Senators
for generations to kill civil rights legislation.
(Continued on Page Four)
Dr. Walker Joins
SCLC Staff
DR. WYATT T. WALKER
Dr. Wyatt T. Walker, formerly
pastor of Gilfield Baptist Church.
Petersburg. Virginia, this week
assumed the position of Executive
Director, Southern Christian Lead
: ership Conference. Dr. Walker
has a varied and wide experience
in the field of Human Rights. He
has been active for a number of
years with the NAACP. has served
La£.^W^beiLJtLlhe Board of Di
i rectors for the Cong7C ss oi Racial
Equality and before ^ecoming
Executive Director of theSSSu’u?.-
ern Christian Leadership Confer
ence, he was a member of the
board of that organization.
Dr. Walker is an alumnus of i
Virginia Union University and
since his matriculation has be- ;
come an international figure. He ■
was president of the Petersburg ;
Improvement Association which
organized and led the recent pro
test movements in the Petersburg
(Continued on Page Four)
PUBLISHED WEEKLY BY
Ware Printing and Publishing Co.
Post Office Box 9215, Station B
ATLANTA 14, GEORGIA
Students Seek Legal End
To Bias In Cafeteria Located
On Tax Supported Premises
The People
Speak
Dear Editor;
It is with great appreciation
that we. the Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee, salute
the appearance of THE AT
LANTA INQUIRER. As a regional
organization, established primar
ily to better communication and
consolidate the activities of the
student movement throughout the
South, we feel deeply the neces
sity of a free and fearless Negro
press. As an organization with
headquarters in Atlanta, we have
observed the activities of the At
lanta student group, the Commit
tee on the Appeal for Human
Right. We have seen their great
need for an open channel through
which to appeal to the entire
Negro community. THE AT
LANTA INQUIRER, following the
policy set forth in “This We
Pledge” of the first isue, will be
such a channel.
You have rightly said that now
is the time for a “firm unequi-
I vocal stand”. Now —the Negro
ano* an .men who seek a free
world — miFfl. Toeak and be
counted. Freedom and'nY7m an dig
nity far transcend economic'>£" s
tige and political importance.
Each of us is responsible to this
freedom. There is no longer a
way to rationalize gradualism. It
did die on February 1. 1960. in
Woolworth’s of Greensboro. It
will die again and again when
every individual rises to his re
sponsibility; then, we shall over
come Right and Truth shall tir
umph.
As a student organization com
mitted to the priciples of human
dignity and genuine democracy,
we congratulate those responsible
for the creation and publication
of THE ATLANTA INQUIRER.
We hope for its continuation and
its effectiveness as a death blow
to apathy, fear, and gradualism.
The Student Nonviolent
Coordinating Committee
Jane Stembridge.
Secretary
Dear Mr. Strong:
Certainly congratulations are in
order to both you and your staff
for bringing to the Negro Com
munity of Atlanta a much-needed
newspaper which concentrates its
attentions upon the achievements
and strivings of its people.
Because of the rapidity with
which our sitizens are spreading
throughout the city, and also be
cause of the growing concern,
among our people, about the
movement for first class citizen
ship. your newspaper is a wel
come voice in our community.
Again, I offer my congratula
tions to you and your staff.
(Miss) Bettye J. Williamson
Atlanta:
Atlanta has been the birthplace
of many wonderful people and
worthwhile projects, and it would
seem that congratulations are
again in order as we watch “The
Atlanta Inquirer” make its debut.
TEN CENTS
A massive legal assault was
, mounted against segregation in
Cafeterias located in tax supported
institutions Wednesday. In three
suits filed in federal district court,
the plaintiffs sought both tempo
rary and permanent injunctions
restraining the opreation. on a
segregated basis of cafeterias in
the State Capitol, City Hall and
the Fulton County Courthouse. All
three suits alleged the plaintiffs
had sought service and been re-~
fused on July 27, 1960. At the
Court House and the City Hall,
the plaintiffs were requested to
leave and informed that if they
did not do so they would be ar
rested. At the State Capitol, plain
tiffs were arrested without being
given an opportunity to leave. It
was further alleged that such con
duct on the part of the named
defendants was an infringement
upon the rights of plaintiffs guar
anteed them by the 14th amend
ment of the United States Con
stitution.
The Plaintiffs, in the State Capi
tol suit were Jesse L. Douglas
and William 11. Wiggins. The de
fendants joined were Gov. Ernest
Vandiver, Mr. Chas. A. Collier,
head of Parks Dept., Col. William
P. Trotter and Mrs. M. C. Lee,
owner-manager of the cafeteria.
The City Hall suit lists as plain
'ut^s. John L. Gibson and Charles
M/Xndrews and names as defend
ants \ Alton B. Okarma. Mayor
WilliarSl B. Hartsfield, and Police
Chief Hebert -Irkins. In the
County ('ourT**Fw7*S£^ u ’L ^e
plaintiffs are again, JohiXLj Gib
son and Andrew Phillips. w dm
fendants are Archie Lindsay, J. H.
Aldrich and Carlyle Fraser —
Members of the Board of Com
missioners of Roads and Revenues
of Fulton County. Georgia. In ad
dition. Sheriff T. Ralph Grimes
and Davis House No. 1. Inc., are
named. The plaintiffs arc all stu
dents of the Atlanta University
Center. .
“To seek out the truth a^H
port it impartially without fjßw
favor.” what a refreshing
ment. will you do it? We’llW
reading to see.
Congrats again.
Mr. and Mrs. Frederick JohiMM
The Editors
The Atlanta Inquirer
Post Office Box 9215, Station B
Atlanta 14. Georgia
Dear Sirs:
As a group of Atlantans dedi
cated to intelligent, forthright and
progressive advancement toward
full citizenship for all Americans,
the Atlanta Committee for Co
operative Action is pleased to
welcome the emergence of the
Atlanta scene of an additional
voice which speaks for freedom.
On the basis of your declared
principles and the promise shown!
in your initial issue we cordia^B
wish for your publication
growth and the support o^j^
dom loving public.
Sin^.4^^
No. 2
