The tribune independent of Michigan. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1933-1935, 1934-07-07
The Forty-Ninth State By Kelly Mile.
By Kelly Miller

The pilgrim spirit surges In the
soul OF every self-conscious group,
from the days of Abraham, the
Father OF the Faithful, to the time
OF Joseph Smith. the inspirator of
the Latter Day Saints. Such groups
are ever urged on by the whisper
ing OF thte inter voice. get thee
out from among them unto a land
which will show thee" Oppressed
peoples always seek promised
land, and the quest OF which has
chiefly TO the progress
OF civilization. In seeking TO escape
from the Ills OF his present lot. the
simple souled Negro folk, being
deficient in the energy and enter
prise 10 plan and plant a new
country. longed for far away
homeland In the sky. But ever and
anon some daring. restless spirit
has sought to lead his people to a
country where they would be ar
hitter OF their own fortune. free
from the oppressive weight of the
white overlordship which hangs
like a pail over his spirit. The sun
dry vague and vain attempts OF the
back 10 Africa movement show
plainly that the people who are
responsive to such appeal seek a
country where there Is nothing
above their racial aspirations ex-
cept the blue sky. Marcus Garvey
and w. Il. b. Dubois were alike
obsessed by this ideal. The impos-
sible African Empire OF Garvey
and the Pan African Congress of
Dubois pointed in the same direc-
ton and to the same goal. The
same ideal lies dominant in the
breast OF every Negro who has a
thinking mind aud who dares TO
dream.
Complete self-expression is the
dominant urge OF every self-re-
specting and energic racial group.
Self-determination was not mere
~ the idle mechanation OF the mind
or woodrow Wilson but awakens a
dominant cord in the mind OF the
heavily laden and oserborne racial
groups the world over This spirit
Is plainly evidenced on part of the
Negro whenever any marked mea-
sure OF success attends any dis
tinctive Negro enterprise. When
ever handful OF adventuresome
negroes attempt to develop a town
or even a village the whole race
swells with pride over the achieve
ment. The whole race only a few
years ago was delighted TO make
a little journey to Tuskegee. be-
cause one Negro had shown what
was possible Negro genius by way
OF developing its own vine and fix
tree. Mound Bayou and Boley,
Okla. aroused tsh highest hopes
and expectations Of all whose eyes
longed to see a Negro city. A mon
ument might be built TO McCabe
who forty yers ago had dream
OF making Oklahoma Negro
state. Even such small enterprises
as a successful watering resort
swells the heart with pride. Idle
Wild. Michigan. and Highland
Beach. Nd. have become the sum-
mer capitals OF Negro social as
pirations and pretensions. All
these things show how earnestly
we all long for political. economi,
and social structure built upon on
Town foundation. Liberia and Hayt
| In their day OF better promis
! | auickened the hopes and imaginl
n ton OF every Nvcr- n the worl
a Today Abbysfhia is the locus OF I
= races political hope, -
II Sensing the fmpossibility OF Il
unlfkelihood Of being able to secuI
equality OF opportunity and priv
J lege under the Nordic regime, tn
Negro prays and hopes for a Ian
somewhere where he may expires
his racial soul to his hearts con
tent.
| II Is this blind, half conscious
feeling that lies back OF this pur.
pose TO establish the Forty Ninth
State. While ! am not impressed
with the feasibility of the move
ment in its present form. | am ire
| mendously impressed with the
genuineness and sincerity OF the
young men In whose minds such a
far reaching idea finds Judgement.
Like the African Empire of Marcus
Garvey and the Pan African Con-
gress OF DR.. Dubois, IL may tan
for want OF practical and adequate
leans and competent leadership,
but the underlying idea will live
on and on until some way, some
time, II will find the long hoped
for fulfilment Ii might not be in
the form OF a Forty Ninth State or
OF a city built with hands. Ii may
take the form OF more spiritual
and cultural imperium in imperio.
Differentiation rather than integra
lion may prove the keynote 10 the
solution OF the race problem. II
may not be by spatial separation
but by speciality OF racial contribu-
tons 10 the equation of civiliza-
ton and culture. that the races
may look for and find their des-
tined end or ways. In the mean
time all honor to the little group
OF Chicago valiants who dare feel
that they can blaze the way for
the establishment of a Negro safe
just as the Latter Day Saints
built mp a religious commonwealth
in the heart OF the Rocky Noun
tains two generations ago.
The Negro race. like all other
races is divided into the hesitant
and the timid, and the heroic and
the adventurous spirits. The pru-
dent and the overcautious will
raise the cry OF the lion OF segre-
cation which stands in the way.
But II is a safe wager that should
the adventure be attempted and
should meet with any like degree
OF success, the whole race would
welcome the enterprise as a God
sent boom TO its tagging spirit.
The Jew is still hoping for
Jewish State which shall fulfil the
racial aspiration OF the chosen
seed OF Abraham. II the idea of a
o1f oufftrtnO cOrnu.nrttx, iii -.