Richmond planet. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1883-1938, 1930-09-20
By Frank R. Crosswaith.

cial in scope. The Negro must,
therefore, begin to view the prob
lem in the light Of realism. The
new situation calls for new methods
and new tactics. 1t is my opinion
that Negro publications in the North
are not doing all that they can and
should do to aid the Southern Negro.
What is needed is n concerted, high
powered and relentless assault by
all the forces at the command Of the
race against all phases Of racial pro;
scription, no matter where they are
located. Also is needed more mil
liant, plain spoken voice to arouse
from their centuries of slumber the
Negro masses. The wailing, pleading
apologizing voice employed in the
past has not won for the Negro a
single right worth having. In the
field of Negro Journalism especially
the voice of the Negro economic rad
ical should be encouraged and
strengthened to break the irksome
monotone of the race in politics, in
industry and in education; for, as
this voice becomes more articulate
and pronounced, the value Of the
Negro to the political and economic
masters of America will be greatly
increased and appreciated, and even
that section Of the race which Is
opposed to the economic radical will
be benefited thereby.
The economic race radical has
caught the tempo of the times and
is delying beneath the surface Of the
so-calle6 Negro problem. he is de-
handing for his lace c"n.plete equal
itv with all other citizens. He has
discovered that the roots Of the prob
lem are essentially economic; and as
consequence he is as" a., arding
fundamental change in the eco
nomic, social and political structure
of present-day society. Convinced
that in this late day Of capitalist de-
velopment the Negro can no more
find escape from low wages, long
work-days and q generally low level
of life than can every boy in the
United States become president OF
the Republic or millionaire, the
economic race radical therefore calls
for revolutionary changes in our eco
nomic and social structure. Such
changes will enable the Negro, like
the masses of white workers, to know
and appreciate life and the meaning
thereof which, up to now, they have
mainly hoped and prayed for, and
hence have never realized.
The economic race radical stands
for common ownership and demo-
cratic control of all agencies Of
wealth production and distribution,
such as coal, oil and iron lands, the
rivers, forests, and all other natural
resources; also the great utilities,
such as railroads, telegraphs and the
great trusts and monopolies. Like
all other modern thinkers he wants
commodities produced for service to
society and not for private gain; he
wants to induct into useful service all
who are capable of rendering such
service, thus Kidding the world OF un.
from which pestilence no
group suffers more than the Negro.
When the full demands of the eco
nomic race radical are met the Negro
will then be free to embark upon a
course of action which will insure
death to lynching, race prejudice, in
voluntary segregation and most of
the other evils (including "half-a-bis-
cult" the price of toll under capital
ism), from which the Negro now SUI
fers. And, finally, when these de-
mands are realized they will consti-
tute the foundation upon which to
build that cultural, moral and spir-
itual life worthy Of the creature
whom we are now told, was made in
the image Of his God.