The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-07-07
We Must Drop Race
Prejudice, Says
Miss Ovington

|
Miss Ovington
Oklahoma City. Ok Thousands
OF white people all over America
gladly would join the National As
ISOLATION for the Advancement Of
Colored People and support its pro-
gram II they were properly educat-
ed and recruited by colored peo-
pie.
This was the assertion OF Miss
Mary White Ovington, treasurer
OF the association, and one OF its
founders in 1909. in her address to
the opening mass meeting OF the
25th annual conference last We'd
nesday night at Calvary Baptist
church.
Drop PrejudIces
Miss Ovington declared most
white people were "abysmally ig-
norant OF the problems OF Negroes
and urged colored people to drop
their own race prejudice and APP
proach whites man to man and
ask them to join In the work OF
the association. After telling some
thing OF the beginning OF the as
ISOLATION and its achievements In
the past twenty-five years, Miss
Ovington appealed for a larger
white membership. saying:
There Is one very noticeable
change between the Association OF
twenty-five years ago and the As
ISOLATION of to-day. the proportion
OF Negroes to whites. At our first
conference, held in 1909 in New
York, the number OF white and
whites are not one In hundred.
Only at the meetings of the board. |
do we have decisions that repre-
sent interracial discussion.
II shall not attempt to analyze
why this is, but believe II to have
been policy, unconsciously per-
laps. but nevertheless a policy. of
he Negro members. II Is they who
nave formed branches throughout
he country. they who have sent In
heir fifty names necessary to Sc
,ure a charter. Rarely Is a white
mans name among the number.
And this Is not only In sections
where the whites might not be In
with so radical Negro
program as ours but also in cities
where there would be no difficulty
n securing white membership.
Branch organizations are colored
and the white man who might be
Interested knows nothing about
them.
Prominent Members
This Is not true Of a few OF
our larger cities. Judge Jayne OF
Detroit. David Pierce OF Cleveland.
Miss Mcdowell OF Chicago. the
late Moorfield Storey OF Boston;
these have been and some still are
loyal and important supporters OF
the cause. At one time Harold l..
Iclqes, secretary of the interior,
was president of our Chicago
branch. Senator Capper was long
active in the Topeka, Kansas
branch. In New York Governor
Lehman is one OF our most loyal
l could name others.
important people who have been
interested in our movement. But
they are exceptions. The fact re-
mains that the Negro has segregat-
ed himself in the " A. A. {. p.
Must Educate Whites
segregation. That is word
that receives instant attention of a
colored audience to-day. DIR. Du-
Bots editorial. that pointed out a
value I'm segregation, was repudi-
ated by the bulk OF his readers.
But what | want To point out is
that IL is not the white man who
does all OF the segregating. For
twenty-five years | have watched
the ~ A. a. G. II. become more and
more an organization manned by
one race only.
For myself | can see no advan-
tage in these tactics. This is a
movement for larger opportunity
for an oppressed minority But ul-
timately this opportunity will be
given by the majority Why then,
make no effort to enlist such
whites as are in sympathy with
the minoritys aspirations? Natur-
ally. the Negro wants TO lead his
organization. but when he gets to
work he finds that he nces white
friends on the bench. in the
jury box. Why not educate people
in his IDEAS? | often wonder IL
Negroes have any realization OF
the abysmal ignorance of white
Americans regarding their condi-
tons Many splendid white people
in the United States are battling
for the Jews in Germany. but are
quite Indifferent, because they
know nothing about IL, to Negro
batting in their home state.
Perhaps you think the white
people are not interested. | wish
you could have seen the way in
which the authors of America ut
Mr.. Whites call, poured in their
acceptances to the Writers League
against Lynching II seemed as
though every writer of account IN
the country. northerner and south.
erner, easterner and westerner
wanted to be enrolled in II. Blu
the authors would never have
thought to come together. 1t tool
tho secretary OF the ~ A. A. G. p
TO get this. And there are other is
sues almost as dramatic as lynch
ing. Get them then before whit,
people. Get the colored newspaper
| N lItaat Il tnA
cry colored paper would have on,
issue Of the year especially TO
whites and that every colored sub
scriber could circulate H. Don
blame people too much for beinl
Indifferent TO your ills when yol
don't ask them to drop their i'm
difference and join with you.
Whites Must BE Won
Segregation. You don't want [,