The Omaha guide., 1933-12-16
REV. ALBERTKUHN, WHITE MIN
ISTER, ADVISES OMAHA NEGRO
Is. 'ORGANEZE AND STAND To-
GETHER, HE SAYS

AA AAG O1A
believe it lies entirely in your power to remove
some u tne uhdeserved, must, unchristian and hufniliat-
ing restrictions which have been placed upon vorr eco
nomlc, political and cultural life, here in Omaha AZ u
erywhere in the United States.
viii mention a few Of these ~handicaps and re-
strictions. MI IN
l. Colored citizens are too often passed over n
the appointment of the working staff Of the different
departments OF City and County government.
z. Local shops and stores who receive a laron nrA-
portion OF their trade often fail to return the favor bv
hlrlng q far proportion of colored clerks.
:. Public Utilities like the Gas, Light, Water.
Telephone, Street Car Service do not give to our colored
people the share Of employment which their patronage
should entitle them to.
4. In at least two Of our Public Schools in which
colored children form a large percentage of the pupils
half Of the teaching positions including the position Of
principal should be given by the School Board to Colored
Teachers. There $ a super-abundence of the finest of
teaching talent among colored College Graduates.
mat some OF these unfair and eXasperating dis
examinations have persisted so long is not due entirely to
the prejudice Of more numerous white citizenship. A
large percentage Of your white fellow townsnen have
enough Of the Christian and human spirit that they are
OF one mind With you about the injustice Of it al. They
will both respect you and support you if you make A de-
nberate, intelligent and courageous fight for your rights.
They will however not take the initiative. II you Negro
citizens have not got" the CUTS (f you will pardon this
homely expression), of getting together and enforcing
your demands they feel you are not worth the victory.
The Whites had to fight and to suffer to gain democracy
and their other civic rights; the women brayed ridicule
and persecution until their demands for political equality
were heard: the laborers of Russia overthrow inequality
and tyranny only through a fearless struggle. The trouble
with you colored ~neighbors is that you did not have to
fight hard enough yourself to become free from slavery
in the days of Lincoln; that is why you are still halfway
in the state of slavery. Your full emancipation waits for
your own concerted and s~acrificial efforts.
To win out in your struggle for equality you need
neither brutal force nor money. You need the fearless,
highminded courage Of the eternal fidelity to q noble
ideal, of Jesus, and, in modern times, Of a Washington,
Ia Gandhi. ###
There ought to be somewhere in your midst a born,
magnetic leader, who could pull you together, and lead
you in persistent united action. He ought to be q man of
such an inspiring personality that most Of those who
come in contact with him could not help but respect and
like him, both Colored and Whites. He ought to be not
so much a great orator as a great organizer, who could
develop his people into a well disciplined, enthusiastic
spiritual army; he should have nothing in ommon with
those vain glorious, b~ombastic, selfseeking political trick
sters, who pose as leaders at election time. Both White
and Colored have their fill of such.
Under such leadership all colored churches, clubs,
lodges should get busy to put before their members a
program for the recognition Of the rights Of their race
such as | outlined above. Care should be taken to be mod
crate in their demands so, that they will impress with
their fairness and moderation even the white people.
They should then induce every colored man and
woman IN Omaha to sign a simple pledge something as
4oloWss .--.
4 express my belief in the aims Of the NAH
COLORED RIGHTS LEAGUE Cor whatever title that
organization may have). | hereby enlist in the League as
the leader Of the League as long as it does not conflict
with my conscience or with the laws Of our Country. If
for any reason / cannot continue such obedience / shall
resign from the League"
After two thirds Of the colored populations have
identified themselves with the organizations, the leader,
with a carefully selected group of assistants, can begin
the struggle for the realization of the program.
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