Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1917-08-25
WILL NOT HEAR THE 'PROPHET.'

Hon. H. G. Smith is having a hard
time Of it in leading his people along
the avenues Of consistency. They In
sist upon breaking away and in com,
promising him and others in the fight
for equality before and behind the
law and IN insisting upon all Of the
rights and privileges guaranteed by
the laws OF the State of Ohio and
those Of the United States of America.
In his ably edited Journal, he in
dulges in the following caustic COM
mcnt:
If ever there was n case of "sclling
a birthright for 4 mess of pottagc,"
our people Of Cleveland were given a
striking illustration Of it on Monday
last at Luna Park, this city. In tho
face Of the fact that their wives, sis
tcrs. and brothers, as we'll as them
selves. arc grossly Disseminated
against-donicd their civil rights
in that place of amusement every day
in the year that 1t is open. because
our people will not go into the courts,
use our Ohio civil rights law and
break down the color lines drawn
there, the Cleveland Association Of
Colorcd Men, an organization with n
membership that boasts Of average
intelligence and some self and race
respect, for the fourth or fifth time
inveiglcd thousands of local Afro
Americans and n number from nearby
cities and towns into attending, on
Monday last at that park, it's annual
moncy-making scheme, advertised as
an emancipation celebration" This,
too, in the face OF protest after pro-
test from the manly and womanly of
our people OF this community, cX-
tending over period Of four or five
years
On every day Of the year that Luna
Park is open. 1t 10 a notorious fact
that the. roller skating rink. dance
"A.sii aid bathing pool ARE GlUsod to
our people, except on tho days 1.-TWO
annually the Cleveland Association
of Colored Mon and the Cleveland
Caterers Association (colored mem
use 1t. Even on these days the bath
ing pool Ia closed to the Negroes who
so far forget themselves and their
civil rights as to visit tho park.
More than this. they are taken I'M
fair advantage Of In various other
ways. such as being ovcrchargcd by a
lessening Of tho time allotted them
for a fee in the roller skating rink
and tho dance hall, and in various
other places Mt the park. The man
agement reaps a golden harvest from
the Negroes visiting the park on the
two NEGRO" days each year, only an
insignifcantly small part Of which
ever reaches the treasurers of the two
race organizations named. In plain
Il H. ~ ~
land Association of Colorcd Men and
the Caterers Association, Negroes
are inveigled into paying that park
management, in hard earned and
much-nceded dollars. great big
golden royalty for denying them civil
rights anil privileges in tho place
every day in the year it is open, thus
holding them up to the ridicule and
contempt OF the manly and womanly
of other classes or races Of people
in this community.
Is it any wonder that prejudice in
creascs so rapidly and that public
places of amusement, entertainment
and accommodation are so rapidly
multiplying in which our people are
being denied their rights and privi-
lcges, when our own will make it
more profitable for them TO so mis-
treat and insult us than to accord us
what We are clearly entitled to under
the law as men and womcn---citiZcns
And IL the decent, and respecting
Afro-Americans Of this community,
with the proper manhood and woman
hood. are to continue to sit supinely
by and sec this sort of thing go on
from year to year, as it has been for
the past four or five years. how much
xutsI1 441r Co.. Il Nl,,s.,
Of surrender" and personal or or
ganiZation gain Negroes, like those in
the two organizations named who
persist in attracting our people to
color-lino Luna Park to be relieved
Of their hard earnings-we repeat,
how much longer will 1t take to re-
duce the Afro-Americans Of this com
munity to the level of their brothers
and sisters in the meanest locality in
the far South, as far as their civil
rights and privileges in public places
are concerned?
1t Is high time an effort was again
being made to show both organiZa-
tions and all organizations and
men Of the race-that the desire for
personal or organization gain must
not be cultivated at such tremendous
sacrifice OF self and race respect, man
hood and womanhood, civil rights and
privileges. Tt is an outrage upon
those OF the race in this community
that will reach out and beyond the
men and women OF today on down TO
the children who are the men and
women Of tomorrow. God knows we
ought to make conditions better for
them If not for ourselves
We should not tolerate any moro
such rcprehensible acts as these Luna
Park affairs, because they arc un-
ducstionably slowly but surely max
ing living conditions In this commun-