The Omaha guide., 1935-03-23
PICKENS STRESSED
NEED OF UNITY
Speaker Thrills Audience of $50;
Flags "Beastly Lynching"
BY John Benz. Horton, Jr.
Branch Secretary

DrdIlcn "OeCreCary
At a mammoth mass meeting of the
National Association Sunday after
moo March 18th, Bethel A. M. E.
Church, 2430 Franklin Street, Dean
William Pickens, Field Secretary for
the National Assn. for the Advance
ment Of Colored People, thrilled his
$50 interested listeners, particularly
SO when he said: "There are certain
fundamental interests upon which all
of US stand, and they are namely:
that Of protecting our rights as citi-
ems before the courts and otherwise.
And at a time of emergency all of US
are upon an equal basis.
In his capacity as guest speaker of
the afternoon for our local branch
Nh. Pickens began first by stressing
the loyalty and patriotism of the past
and present National heads of the
NAACP. In part, the speaker said:
"The Anglo-Saxon and Jewish people
have helped US and are still helping
US, but we've got to win this battle
ourselves. Cant anybody do any
thing for the Negro if you can't make
him do anything for himself"
The speaker appealed to his aud
fence to show strength and power.
Referring to the recent "Crumbley-
Levin" police assault case, Dean Pick
ems had this to say: Il don't know
and don't care about the character Of
any Negro if he is beat up without
~provocation". "Such a thing as this
is wrong and is a travesty upon jus
Mr.. Pickens stressed several types
of Negroes who might well change
their present course Of action. One
was the deceptive Negro" who has
his individual problems; but should
something fierce break out then the
big Negro" will find himself on the
same plane as "John Henry from
Hosan's Alley" Further stressing
our rights as citizens of a free coun-
try the speaker said: "The problems Of
the rights to vote and the protection
before he courts will always. be the
problems of the group" "And the
mark and stature of men to be re-
spected in this country is what we
want in America"
Says Pickens further: "There is a
second type Of Negro in America who
possesses an ~"inferiority complex"
you know that which we think we can't
do" Says the speaker: "Give me 1900
organized people and | can achieve
more than $4,000, 900 disorganized
people" "You know that the so-called
'in~feriority complex was implanted
and inculcated by the opposite race.
The speaker cited progress of the
NAACP on its help in reducing lynch
ings in America from 100 per year
- ~ pei yCdls Lie OPOdhCI appear
ed for at least 500 organized members
of the NAACP for Omaha by saying
THAI 800 poor Negroes can't be beat
in a lifetime"
The speaker limited at the passage
Of the Costigan-W Wagner Anti-Lynch
Bill" at the present session of Con-
gross and appealed to each Negro in
Omaha to write a personal Latter to
his or to her Representative in Con-
gress and to Pres. Roosevelt, and es-
timated that 'Lynching may be posi-
bly, broken up in America in the next
10 years." The Dean emphasized the
breaking up of segration and every
thing else W after we've secured
'fthe right to live in this land"
The Field Secretary Of the NAACP
flayed the institution Of lynching as
the Glow down and perverted brain
child of the beastly lyncher". Mr..
Pickens related, casually, that "there