The Omaha guide., 1936-01-04
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
GREETINGS FOR TIT
NEW YEAR

hopes and fears. As long as hope
triumphs over fear there is prog
ress but when fear triumphs over
hope the inevitible result is stag
nation and death. Although the
circumstances and conditions
which we have to confront are
deplorable and appalling, yet we
must face them with a heart for
any fate which will enable us to
pursue, to labor and to wait. The
race will never be conquered un-
til it is conquered in its mind.
"The mind is its own place, and
of itself can make a Heaven of
Hell, a He'll of Heaven" I would
say to the race, keep your heart
and mind with all diligence; for
out of these are the issues of
life."
The diagnosis must precede the
treatment. l will not proceed to
give an analysis of the actual
conditions which we are up
against, not because I revel in abb
stract analysis, but in order that
an effective remedy may be forth
coming. It is folly to shut our
eyes in a blind, unreasoning faith,
that in some way or other the
Lord will provide. The Lord helps
those who help themselves. Sloth-
full reliance on faith without work
gets us nowhere.
The last six years of the de-
preston have played havoc to the
roseate prospects which then
spread out before us. All our
programs of progress then pro-
jeeted with so much enthusiasm
have been broken down or weak
ened. The Negro farmer is
abandoning or losing his farm.
The saddest chapter in the recent
history of the race is that during
the last two decades the Negro
has lost ground. The city Negro
is losing his home to the sheriff
and the a%uctioneer, upon which he
has centered all of his accumu-
lated savings. There has been lit
tie success in business enterprises
whereby the proprietor engaged
to employ members of his own
a c We have thus been thrown
back upon the white exploiter and
eXtortioner for whatever oppor-
tunity we may gain in the indus
trial world. While ten million
white workmen are unemployed,
two million Negroes in the same
category stand a slim chance of
being absorbed in industry. The
general policy seems to be to give
the white mar work, and put the
Negro on charity and dole, which
ultimately will reduce him to the
status of the red Indian, as a ward
of the nation, living on the white
mans gratis, grace and goodness.
1t is not SO much race prejudice as
preference which shuts the Negro
out of industrial equation. The
wise virgins had no group pre-
judice against the foolish ones,
but refused to share with them
their limited supply of oil "lest
there be not enough for you and
u.s." If it were not for the de-
termined purpose of the govern
ment to give the Negro at least
q semblance of a square deal un-
der the "New Deal" the pitable-
ness of his plight would be too sad
to contemplate.
Our churches are t deepen
ing and strengthening the moral
and spiritual life of the race to re-
sist the pressure of outward cir
cumstances. The moral and spir-
itual energies lag for lack of
power. The Negro church is
stagnant, stationery, or retrograde.
Unless there be a genuine revival
OF religion We look in vain to the
pulpit to revive the dropping spir-
it of the people.
Our schools have lost the in
centive and zest of initiative
which comes from self support
and self direction. We must de-
pend upon the state and private
philanthropy to maintain our pub
lie schools and private institutions
whose policies and programs in
evitably fall under the direction
of those who supply the where
withal. Colleges and universities
under Negro foundation, support,
control and management are slow
~ dying of nutrition. Our edu-
cational ideals, policies and pro-
grams are not shaped by the Ne