Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1923-03-17
THE INTER-RACIAL MOVEMENT
In THE SOUTH.
Or. James Bond. Secretary Kentucky
Interracial Commission.

Like most movements of its kind.
the Interracial Movement had it's
birth in great crisis. During the
war the white and lolUred people OF
the South had in a very remarkable
way. forgotten their differences and
united in supreme effort to win the
war. Promises of better things were
made to all OF our boys. black and
white. The Negro soldier accepted
these promises at face value He play
ed well his part in the war When up
on his return to his homeland these
promises were not realized, his heart
was filled with bitterness. The lines
were more tightly drawn and barriers
to his progress seemed more stubborn
and relentless than ever.
AS race riots broke out and fear of
general race conflict gripped the
country, group of white men, conf
dent that the good will and coopera-
ton secured between the races during
the war could be perpetuated, called
into conference number of represen
tative co!ored men in the spirit OF
prayer and duplication. and adopted
platform upon which all could
stand. The planks Of this platform i'm
cluded justice before the law, the pre-
vention OF lynchinG and the correct.
ION OF other injustices to the Negro.
Some OF the most widely-known peo-
|. pie or the south accepted places on
the Commission. among whom were
ministers, college presidents. bishops
and capitalists. AS later develop.
ment many of the South's leading wo-
men have become associated with the
movement.
The Commission does not pretend
to have discovered a short cut TO the
mhlennium or to have brought into
existence perfect organization. no.
does 1t believe that it has found a SD.
luton to the race problem that can he
worked out in a day. 1t recognizes. in
the language of George Mad
den Martin that prejudices are
stubborn, and that to overcome them
is not task for limited sympathies
and petty natures; that 1t is not a
tasF that can he done by machinery
or mere organization; that it is a spir
itual task task to be carried out in
the spirit and according to the ethics
OF the Man Of Galilee. These princi-
pies emphasize first the truth that
contact Is necessary in the solution of
any human problem Differences ar,
at first minimized, then they dis
appear.
In order that the Movement should
be motivated by Christian principles
, the leaders perfected a duly organized
Commission with membership reDrn.
! SentIng thirteen states and headouart
ers in Atlanta In addition to tnjs
Cc omission. each of the thirlaan
states has Commission directing me
wcrk in that state. Some eight bun
dred Of the twelve hundred counties
III the Southern States have organic Ell
.ccal committees of representative
white and colored people.
In thirty-seven years, from 1895. to
1921. there were 437 lynchings in Ceor
gia and only one indictment. In 1922
alone. with eight lynchings, twenty
wo persons were indicted, of whom
four have been convicted and sent to
the penitentiary and Is are still to
be tried. The evidence in these cases
was collected largely by the interrac.
ial secretary and committees in Geor
g1a. This is one illustration among
many OF the effectiveness of the move
ment
what the Commission needs more
tnan anything else is the confidence
or the community white and colored.
1t seeks the sympathy and co-operat-
ion of the members of the churches
and social organizations to the end
that this greatest problem confronting
American people today may be settled
by the principles Of justice and fair
play and according to the teachings
OF Jesus.