The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-09-24
BLACK, KLAN
BY WILLIAM pICkENS
(for AMP

y
No, ! am not talking about BLACK
man: that would be phenomenal.
But II is hardly less phenomenal, al
tho for different reasons, to find II
ku- hlnxer on the Supreme Court
Of the United States. 1t is now
published IN the daily papers that
Hugo Black, Roosevelts recent APP
pontee to the highest court Of the
land, is still a member Of the ku
klux Klan If that is d sample OF
what Roosevelt meant To raek tie
Court with, we are again thanking
God for the Battalion Of Death.
which, led by Senator Wheeler Of
the West, defeated Roosevelt's plan
to appoint six members If we must
have ku-Kluxers On the high court.
certainly one is about six times
better than six.
Some Of u were under no illu
sions: we know that when Black, Of
Alabama, was added to the Court,
that was one permanent vote against
the Negro. There was nothing that
could be done about it, except to
SAY SO, and show gor intell
gence. he could not be defeated as
Parker was defeated for good fea--
sons Congress being now overwhel-
minglg Democratic, and dominated
BY the South; and the labor unions
being for Hugo Black. We had only
defeated Parker because the work
ers as we'll as the Negroes were
against him and defeated him by
only one vote at that.
But because we have 80 accept a
raw deal from the New Deal ", 10
not have TO pre- end that we like il,
as some Negroes are doing Some
colored folk are gifted that way
if they cannot do anything about il
they just pretend that they are II
love with it, and let it 20 at that
It is q child's make believe; or al
best d lodging Of responsibility, fol
by pretending to like il, the slackel
defends himself against anybody
asking him to do anything about IL
have even had Negroes who have
to live in Mississippi to tell me: Mis-
sissippi is not so bad. But every
sane person who knows Mississippi
knows that IL il the worlds neares
approach to hell, 50 far as blacl
people are concerned.
The Ku Klux Klan is PRIMARILY
an anti-Negro organization, especI-
allv committed against anything llk'
equal citizenship rights for Ameri-
can Negroes. Here again, easy-go-
inp Negoes like a kid themselves
.The Ku Klux are not only agalns
Negroes they exclaim unctlously
.'but against Jews, Catholics an
Foreigners. Bosh! After the Kla
got started and wanted to take !
new territory, so as to collect NOR
membership dues, only then DID
think of the Jew and Others "a
Khan was resurrected to put dow
the aspirations of Negroes, especiail
since the black troops we~e eXpecte
back from France, and suspected g
notions that maybe they ought
eniov in Georgia some Of tn
democracy Woodrow Wilson ma
said they were fighting for
France.
Whatever the anti slegro fallina
of the Supreme Court, and II ma
fewer failings of that sort than ma
the Congress or the Executive out
fit. the Court still remains the les
refuge Of the rights Of minorlt'e
and of individuals beset by grou
nreiudices. But for the cours
Angelo Herndon, the Scottsboro de-
PENDANTS. Jess Hollins. not TO men
tion row Of others. would be nov
dead, or dying in legal slave-pens
TT is certainly serious. for any suci
minority to get a PERMANENT
VOTE AGAINST 1T. among the las
nine votes this side of heaven. Blacl
il in. there Is no way to get him on
Axsept by death or resignation, bu'