The Kansas City sun. (Kansas City, Mo.) 1908-1924, 1919-04-12
LOCAL "JlM cRoWIsM."

The only reason for the humiliating
race insults which are constantly
cropping out in the downtown thea
ters and business places is that the
owners of such places know that the
Negroes will stand for such treatment.
They have learned that our people
may make a semblance of resentment
for a while but that they will soon fall
into submission and take their humili.
alton as a matter Of fact. And this
is the very basic cause of such con-
ditions as are now being grumbled
about in n of the Ten Cent stores
on Main street in which signs have
been posted warning colored m
not to use the toilet rooms. OF course
no restriction could be more inhuman,
more insulting, yet the colored women
will continue to climb over each other
in their scramble for the cheap junk
of this establishment, even though
they know that the owners class them
along with dogs and cattle.
1t would seem that ever the slight
est degree of ace respect would keep
every Negro in Kansas City out of
this store forever even at the risk
of not being able to buy cheap, use
less household junk. And such ought
to be the case, not for a few days but
so long as the d"isrespectful attitude
of the store managers is kept up. Min
listers should urge this from their pull
pits. Teachers should urge it in their
classrooms. No environment justifiea
a coward or a cringing s%ycophant!
Withdraw your patronage from this
place and the loss will be felt far more
than you may think. Stay out of the
place and urge others to do the same
and it will not be long before such
insults will be withdrawn.
The Sun has during the last three
years urged the Negro theater patrons
to resent the insult of a downtown
vaudeville house which provides a
special alley entrance for colored PEG
pie only. Our admonitions have haC
some effect but there are still large
numbers of our folks who may be seen
lodging into that alley every night
AAllCl AOuS " lIt lSIOllllllN VI lltl!
very acts. We do not mind occupy
ing a separate section in a theater
provided the accommodations are
equal to those of the whites who pay
the same prices. Respectable Ne
groes care no more to come into con
tact with the whites than white PEG
pie care to come into contact with us
. The feeling is mutual and our onl,
regret is that so few white people al
. pear to realize this. But when tn.
determinations take on the form 0
. positive insults it is high time for u
to resent such abuses by permanently
remaining away from such places o
amusement, especially when remain
ing away will entail no distress to u!
of any kind.
Some time ago we referred to {
certain Walnut street music store
which refuses to play talking machine
and ployer piano records for coloreC
patrons, yet Negroes continue tC
skulk around this place, well knowing
that they I not wanted or at leasr
that they are not respected as othel
customers. Such insults are Offered
simply because the colored people viii
D take them, because we have no
enough race pride to make ourselve:
felt, and they will continue to BIZ
heaped upon us until u people, ed
ucated through the schools, newspa
E pers and pulpits, learn to stand to
gether, talk less, and act in a more
concerted manner for the good of tn,
whole people. This is our big job un
der the new World Democracy" a
we see it. Instead of discussing tn
League of Nations, which makes n
difference to us, let us get busy upol
the League of Negroes, which mean
No everything to us.