The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-04-28

to deny that this voluntary asso-
citation for great social and eco
: nomic ends Is segregation; and II
had done this In the beginning
D of this debate. many people would
have been easily deceived. and
!. would have yelled mo segrega-
b ton" with one side OF their
= mouths and Race pride and Race
Initiative" with the other side. No
3 such distinction can possibly be
. drawn. Segregation may be COM
. sorry by law or II may be compul-
sorry by economic or social condi-
ton, or II may be a matter OF free
q choice. At any rate. II is the separ-
: alton of human beings and separa-
ton despite the will to humanity.
Such separation is evil; 1t leads
; to jealousy. greed. nationalism and
. war: and yet 1t is today and In
e this world inevitable: inevitable
to Jews because OF Hitler; newt
9 able to Japanese because OF white
Europe; inevitable to Russia be-
cause of organized greed over all
the white world; inevitable TO Eth
iopia because of white armies and
navies inevitable. because with
out it the American Negro will
I suffer evils greater than any pos
a sible evil OF separation: we would
suffer the loss of self-respect, the
the lack OF faith in ourselves, also
the lack of ability 10 make a de-
cent living by our own efforts and
). not by philanthropy.
This situation has been plunged
I into crisis and precipitated to an
I open demand for thought and ac-
ton by the Depression and the
New Deal. The government. ma
tional and state. is helping anil
2 guiding the individual. Ii has en-
' tered and entered for good into
= the social and economic organiza-
ton OF life. We could wish. we
could pray, that this entrance
E could absolutely ignore lines Of
race and color. but we know per-
fectly well Il does not and will
not, and with the present Ameri-
can opinion. 1t cannot. The ques-
ton is then, are we going to stand
out and refuse the inevitable and
unacceptable government aid be-
cause we first wish to abolish the
\ Color Line? This is not simply
tilting at windmills; 1t is, il we
are not careful. committing race
suicide.
mo Segregation
Il Back OF all slogans lies the diff
ficulty that the meanings may
change without changing the
I words. For instance, mo segrega-
: ton" may mean two different
+ things:
/. A chance for the Negro to ad-
vance without the hindrances
. which arise when he Is segregated
from the main group. and the main
social institutions upon which So
3 ciety depends. He becomes, thus,
an outsider. a hanger on, with no
chance to properly function as a
Imam.
Il 2. II may mean utter lack OF
faith OF Negroes In Negroes, aud
the desire to escape into another
group. Sinking. on the other hand.
Iall responsibility for ignorance,
= degradation and lack OF experience
r among Negroes, while asking ad-
: mission into the other group on
e terms OF full equality and with
a full chance for individual develop
, 1ent.
1t is In the first sense that I have
always believed and used the slo-
Z gan: mo Segregation" On the
3 other hand. in the second sense,
r have no desire or right to him
der or estop those persons who do
!, not want to be Negroes But l am
z compelled to ask the very plain
:, and pertinent question: Assuming
: for the moment that the group in
to which you demand admission
|, does no want you, what are you
going to do about 1t? Can you de-
: mand that they want you? Can you
make them by law or public opin-
ion admit you when they are su-
preme over this same public opin-
Ion and make these laws? Mani
testify, you cannot. Manifestly,
, lyour admission to the other group
on the basis OF your individual
desert and wish. can only be ac-
complished II they, too, join in the
wish to have you. II they do so
. join. all problems based mostly on
race and color disappear. and
there remains only the human
problems OF social uplift and in
telligence and group action. But
there Is In the United States to-
| day no sign that this objection TO
,, the social and even civic recogni-
I ton OF persons OF Negro blood Is
going to occur during the life OF
$ persons now living. In which case
there can be only one meaning to
the slogan mo Segregation; and
that Is, no hindrance to my effort
to be a man. If you do not wish to
associate with me, am more than
willing to associate with myself.
Indeed l deem IL privilege TO
work. with and for Negroes, only
asking that my hands be not tied
nor my feet 4hobbled.
Obje'ra 4 Segregation
What is ~ object of those per-
sons who insist by law, custom
and propaganda to keep the Amer
lean Negro separate In rights and
privileges from other citizens of
the United States? The real object.
I confessed or semiconscious, Is to
isolate the Negro that he will be
spiritually bankrupt. physically
degenerate. and economically de-
pendent.
Against this II is the bounden
duty OF every Negro and every en-
lightened American to protest: 10
oppose the policy SO far as It is
manifest by laws: to agitate
! known address. ' '"9'
II HOMER FERGUSON
rp,.,. oo. Circuit Judge