The Nashville globe. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1906-193?, 1917-10-19
GIVS THE NEGROES A SQUARE
DEAL.

One Of the most deplorable things
affecting the civic life of the Nash
vile Negroes, is. that they are so
horelessly divided, that they will not
consider acting as unit unless by
the direction of white men, and that
they are too easily satisfied. The
first two faults mentioned above, are
relics of the slave code. The last, is
he result of the weakest point in the
Booker T. Washington doctrine, No
feature of the entire Washington pro-
paganda was more pronounced, more
far-reaching and at the same time,
more detrimental to Negro uplift, as
4 man. as the Negro,be.satisfe1 idea,
preached by the motel sare Of Tuske-
zee and apostle of industrialism.
The editorial in the Globe last
week on the Hadley Park joke had
the right ring. The city of Nashville
is literally embellished with park and
Fairgrounds galore for the white
population. These local pleasure re-
sorts, representing thousands and
thousands of dollars, are things of
beauty, and are located not only on
the outskirts of the city, but in the
very heart the urban life of the COM
munity, where every white citizen,
itch and poor, great and small, good
and bad may resort and take recrea-
ion | am told that certain of these
pleasure grounds, have signs up, mo
NegrCes and Dogs Allowed"
Of course such signs are unneces-
sary anywhere in the South With the
Southern Negro, a hint to the wise is
always sufficient. We would not risk
,ur lives by visiting the white mans
parks if no park was ever set apart
for our race.
Yes, Hadley Park is a beautiful out
of-town field, recently cleaned up and
set apart for the colored race Of Nash
Vile with the strict understanding
that so far as the Negroes park privi-
leres are concerned thus far shalt
thou go, and no further" To reach
his park, the Negro, after having
ridden to the city limits on the troll
ley car, must then walk nearly a mile
in the country through the dust or
mud. bearing the burden and the
heat of the day" If Hadley Park was
really a gift" as some would have
us believe, the case would assume a
different aspect. But, in the name
of Almighty God, will some one tell
the readers of the Globe, in what
sense is the Hadley Park, gift" to
the Negroes of Nashville? Is Cen
tennial Park a gift to the white PEG
pie? Is Shelby Park gift? Are all
the numerous parks and Fairgrounds
which dot the city, gifts" to the
white people? If so, who made the
donations? Who Furnished the mo- e.
to plant them and to keep them II
operation?
When you consider the per cent o.
Negro population in Nashville, ant
the amount of taxable property own
ed by the race, Hadley Park exclusive
ly for colored people," is huge joke
But somebody will say, better thai
nothing" That may be true; bu
why. "nothing?' Why may not tn,
colored citizens Of Nashville be allow
ed the privileges of the city parks lik
the rest of the citizens? Certainl,
nobody fears the social equality bug
bear The class of Negroes who visi
he parks in a social way, are general
ly those who not only know how t.
behave themselves, but whose pecul
lar sensitiveness would cause them t
, g eer clear of anything that looke
like a desire to violate the socia
uality scare-crow. But / make n
plea whatever, for mixei race parks
Indeed the separate parks and pla,
grounds would suit our people muc
better. But l, for one, am unwillin
to have the city fathers go out in tn
country and purchase an old field TO
city park for Negroes, and max
an iron clad rule that they must eithe