Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1918-09-07
CONDITIONS IN HARLEM.

! The Same conditions portrayed by
the Pittsburgh Courier in Pittsburgh,
Pa. arc virtually stated as the basis
News, Of New York. 1t says:
! "'fhc menace to this community
i'll the growing tendency towards
lawlcSSncSS of certain Of its elements
rs indicated by recent mob actions
on l.cnoN Avenue, cannot fail to
elicit the serious consideration Of all
sane and serious minded Negroes.
'"Thcrc is no question in the minds
Of residents. colorcd and white. Of
the guilt OF Il certain Greek and tho
Justice &C she protest against his
continues presence in this commune
ity. Blu why this bclatcd resort To
violence "ilcn Il boycott instituted
after his SrSt fragrant offences some
years ago would long ago have driven
him out Of Harlem? Why violence,
when stay ,ng away from his store
could have accomplished the same
ends i'll - legal aud certainly more
satisfactcl ~ manner?
and Nny tho indiScriminatc at
t2ckS on al whites and the breaking
OF the windows Of ono Of the most
friendly Inclined toward our race?
! II Negro Harlem does not want white
StorckccpcrS the way TO get rid Of
them is Ila!n Of perception and easy
! OF operation. All our fcrvid race
patriots nood to do is to patroniZc
race enter. iSGS CXu!uc'velv Nii%rurur
r~ssib!> ana uAs down and help to
establish cooperative business in
lines where the race is not yet or
! sufficiently represented.
For these manifestations OF law
! lcSSncSS in what was formerly n
model community several factors are
responsible. First and foremost
among these factors is The war and
| its effect upon the mind OF the late
undcrdog: secondly, the irresponsible
and minimizing stree, agitators;
j thirdly. the grossly unfair and inn
; polite attitude OF most OF the whites
| doing business i'll this district, and,
! tourthly, the individual lawlcSsncss,
bullying and often intolcrable fresh
, ness Of white policemen toward col
orcd citizens.
J "This minority has so effectively
nnllifcd the good work OF Captain
, Ward and most Of his men that tho
colorcd people of IIurlcm---ycs, even
the most law -rcspccting-ha com
! plctaly lost confidence in the white
I police. \ white man in IL police
| uniform appears TO most OF us as a
prejudiccd bully, who would club
and maltrcat any Of us on tho small
| est preteNt and without provocation.
! Nov while there are three dis
! tinct factors responsible, to our mind
: e.,
ing conditions in this community, the
key OF the whole situation lies in the
! hands of the Police Department.
| We're Negro policemen and Negro
home guards used exclusively in the
! policing Of :his district the prcsen.
! tendency to lawlessncss would auto
matically disappear. Negroes can.
not be too harshly condemned for
interfering with white policemen
| in the performance Of their duty
| when white policemen do not by
their acts inspire confidence and
! respect"
| With a precision that is remark
| able and with q persistcncy that is
worthy Of a better cause, the hood
lum "Jim Grow" Negroes are doing
moro against the black race than
could be accomplished by all Of tho
rantings Of the Tillmans, the Var
! damans and host Of others who
have gone on before.
! What need can there be for the
presentation Of "Thc Birth OF A
Nation" to prejudice the white peo-
pie Of the country against us, when
| tho Amsterdam News and the Pitts
! burgh Courier are portraying condi-
tons that tend to emphasize and
give color OF truth to this pcrni-
cious play?
! The better class OF colored people
may protest against this class Of their
own people, but until they take rad
ical action and inauguTato move
ments to send this element to the
rear where it belongs and to keep 1t
there all Of our protests will DO
tworthless.
We must inauguratc crusade to
reform the vicious colored people
lamonst us. We must start at tho
cradle and continue to the grave and
a different state Of affairs will be In
; evidence and we will not be in tho
! humiliating attitude OF calling upon
the police to keep in subsection some