The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1915-10-30
N. A. A. C. p. WORKS FAITHFULLY.
Has Many Features Cut from Birth Of
Nation"
Local Organization Does Effective
Work.
Answers SUMS Claim that They Are
Not Active.


Mr.. Editor:
It would appear that The Kansas
City Sun has gone out of its way to
treat the efforts of our local Associa-
tion for the Advancement of Colored
People with ridicule and sarcasm. We
believe, however, that it is sufficient
ly rboad to accept some uncontrovert-
ible facts showing that his shots and
slings have fallen wide of their mark,
and are erroneous whether ill-inten-
toned or not. Advanced journalism
gives the editorial function a very
wide scope in criticising and goading
public utilities or organizations as to
their duty, and at the same time urges
editors to be liberal and fair in giving
opportunity for expression on the 9th
er side of any question. The editor
should be willing to rest or try the
case by logic always.
The Association concerned has the
platform and spirit by which every
citizen, both colored and white, can
work upon faithfully and assiduously
for the Advancement of Colored Peo-
pie" We hold that the proper method
in dealing with this Birth of a Ma
ton" is to fight it as powerfully and
quietly as we can. BY fighting it in
this manner we ayoid the publicity
which the management of the picture
so much desires. In Boston, New
York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Chica-
go, st. Louis and Los Angeles, the
manner of protest from our people
gave such undue publicity that as a
result the theatres in these cities were
continually crowded for this picture
and the run in each instance was eX-
tended. Realizing the mistake that
was made in these cities, we have at
tempted to profit byytheir mistake, and
obtain results without notoriety. To
this end our organization has been
working since early in June to pre-
vent just such films from being shown
here at all.
On June 2, Grievance and Legal Re-
dress Committee conferred with City
Counsellor's office and drew up pro-
posed amendment to the ordinance
regulating the exhibition of moving
| pictures, the first section of which as
amended, follows: ~
Section 1. No person, firm or cor
! poration shall exhibit in Kansas City,
any obscene or immoral film or pic
ture (or any film or picture tending to
cause strife or disturbance of the
peace between persons of different
races, colors, nationalities, or Sec
tions) or rent, sell or give the same to
any other person, firm or corporation
for the purpose of exhibition
June Z, Proposed Amendment intro
duced in the Lower House of the City
Council and referred to Ways and
Means Committee.
June II, Grievance Committee of N.
I A. A. C. p. appeared before Ways and
Means Committee in support of this
amendment.
June IA, Amended Ordinance passed
Lower House, Is yeas, nays. Amend
ed Ordinance went to Upper House
and was referred to the Finance Com
mittee, Aldermen Rhinehardt, Sulli-
van and Carroll.
June 1S, Grievance Committee of
N. A. A c. p. met with Finance Com
mittee to support proposed Amend
ment. Our committee insisted on the
Amendment being acted on at once,
but Aldermen Rhinehardt and Sulli-
van began campaign of evasions and
! delays, which in spite Of vigorous pro-
| hoe until tho ont
| time
These committees met seven times
after this with continued obstinacy on
the part of Aldermen Rhinehardt and
| Sullivan.
This proposed Amendment was
called for upon the floor of the Upper
House, twice by Alderman Harrington
and once by Alderman Bronaugh; each
timc it was re-referred to the same
committee by the same vote of 9 to T..
Finding the Amended Ordinance
was to be held up indefinitely by AL
dermen Rhinehardt and Sullivan and
their supporters in the Upper House,
the Grievance Committee then appeal
ed to the Film Censor. Board of Cen
SUI Appcdio du' Tic HdyOA' AiICi hu-
merous conferences with these Off
cials our organization in meeting
with the Mayor October 20, asked the
following: That the Mayor. Film Cen
sor, Board of Censor Appeals and a
committee of three Negroes from our
organization review the picture to-
gether and decide (since the picture
could not be stopped under the pres
ent law) which portions of it should
be eliminated. The Mayor did not in
clude the Negro Committee in the re-
view Ut the picture, which was held
/ October %. After prolonged discus
sion is eliminations were made by the
officials named above.
When we started the fight in June
we earnestly hoped to prevent the en-
tire picture being shown here. Our
partial success should not be against
us, VIC have worked as faithfully as
the Negroes of Denver did in securing
their splendid Ordinance; but the dif
ference OF success by no means indl-
Gates a greater or lesser activity, but
rather indicates the possible differ
ence in the temperament of conditions
giverning the workers.
Our work is not finishedl We shall
continue in our efforts to have this
Amended Ordinance duly passed and
another effort OF our organization will
be to attempt to have a law passed