The Twin City star. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1910-19??, 1914-09-04
ABSORPTION OF AFRO-AMERI.
CANS

teupt Ol very HSHt 'eOupaeAAOned
Negro to board the car reserved for
Negroes. knew the man personally
and knew that he was identified with
the Negro race. but the conductor,
touching him Oh the shoulder. said:
This cars for niggers.' white people
amt lowed to ride on It: take the next
car back" And he did SO and rode 10
his journeys end .-...
In Washington 30 many GmulattOes,
whose complexion is as fair as any
whites. were securing choice seats at
theaters whose policy Is to restrict
Negroes to the balcony or gallery or
exclude them altogether 1t was found
expedient to employ Negroes as spot
ters. The duty Of the Negro spotter-
in insufferable traitor-is to stand on
the outside Of the ticket window, and
whenever one Of these white Ne
groes" apply for seats tip it of to the
ticket seller
There are 100000 blacks in this
country as against 2.OOO.OOO mulattoes
without a recognized and honored
propaganda in favor Of absorption at
the rate black Is being evolved into
mulatto and mulatto crystallized into
white it will take many generations for
the whites to absorb the Negro race In
this country The increasing restric-
tons and exclusions the Negro Is meet
ing with. north as well as south. sug
gests that segregation. harsh as the
term may sound and un-American as
some may think the policy to be, is but
in its infancy.
Schools at which Negro students may
now matriculate do not recognize him
beyond the classroom, with the result
that he becomes an isolated human be-
ing Desirable as education Is. worthy
Of every sacrifice as we acknowledge
1t to be. the number of Negro students
who have the courage to become social
Outcasts at white universities grows
perceptibly less each year. This very
discrimination and restriction frequent
ly induces very bright mulattoes to
pass for white either to gain entrance
to white university or to enjoy a
measurable social equality, so desira-
bic In student life. after gaining en-
trance. 1t Is this discrimination and
restriction that induces thousands of
mulattoes to assist absorption by pass
ing unknown as whites.
Once a Negro drops on the other side
to secure an education. employment or
citizens rights and privileges when the
fear Of detection has been entirely dis.
sipated the unrestricted rights and
privileges he enjoys are so compensat,
ing he frequently loses himself perma-
nently among the whites and thus as
sists absorption. The sole reason for n
Negro desiring to pass as white Is to
enjoy rights and privileges vouchsafed
by the constitution whites enjoy and to
secure employment commensurate with
his abilities 1t Is easy for the white
man to secure. but almost impossible
for him as Negro to obtain
have just concluded tour Of 25.
600 miles. during which made a
close study of this possible race alb
sorption. learned that few, If any.
traction lines will employ Negro as
motOrman or conductor. and yet. | en-
cOuntered many of them serving in
these capacities who are passing as
white. I found that railroad and sleep
ing car companies. whether north or
south, decline to employ Negroes as
conductors or train =brakemen, and yet
I learned that many Negroes are so
employed while passing unknown as
white.
The Discrimination on the part Of de-
partment heads and bureau chiefs In
the government service to appoint a
Negro to a clerical position or position
requiring technical knowledge. when
certified by the civil service commits
sion, II discovered that the certified is
a Negro, has induced hundreds of mu-
lattoes to secure federal appointments
by not betraying their racial identity.
And many Of these. fearing the loss Of
their positions should their identity
become known. are permanently pass
ing as white. and not few have mar.
ried on the other side. In every large
city In this country there are hun.
dreds OF very fair mulattoes who are
occasionally or permanently passing as
white. and the larger the city the
easier 1t is for them to hide their
identity
Taking the per cent increase of mu.
Iattoes during the last decade as basis
for making computations. In the next
fifty years the mulatto population of
the United States will have equaled
that Of the blacks. In the same period.
by absorption, II per cent Of those
physically mulattoes will have lost
themselves among the whites. In
1920, II the present ratio Of increase
continues. the mulattoes will form 26.6
per cent Of the total Negro population
Of this country. The same ratio. II
maintained. will cause the mulatto
population to form s3.6 per cent of the
total Negro population in 2O2O-1OO
years hence.
During the next hundred years that
are to evolve the present mulatto mi.
nOrity into mulatto majority 49, per
cent? of the total Negro population. the
absorption Of mulattoes by the whites
will be steadily going on Permit the
present. unnoticed and unrealized. rate
Of absorption to continue without legis-
In two oh ra ,>o., IN Onn 80 -