The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1937-10-01

We, the people Of the United
States, in order to establish justice
and secure our equal rights which
we have had SO long, but have been
shamefully denied, hereby ask the
support Of every Negro in this
country to cooperate in one geat eff
fort Of realizing our FREEDOM
Our forefathers fought and died
for US SO that children and race
could enjoy the freedom and justice
of human beings. We have been
free ever since but have been denied
the equal rights and justice Of an
American citizen. The generations
that came on have made great eff
forts but so far have been unsuc-
cessful to accomplish fully their
purpose.
| Although we are Negroes, we are
| as much American as our white
brethren. In times of war we gave
/ our lives in the protection of this
| country as well as our white breth-
rem. No one needs to be told of
the bravery and heroism our boys
displayed Over There. For what?
The same reason our white brother;
fought: SO that this country would
remain free and safe for our families.
And then we are denied the
rights of an American citizen.
Treated worse than dumb animals,
dogs! Yet they are satisfied to eat
| from our hands, satisfied to set their
stores up all over our communities
with their own clerks, satisfied to
charge US rent unreasonably out Of
| proportion, satisfied so send their
own gas and meter readers to our
homes every month, and we pay
millions Of dollars every year into
| Light and Power companies.
/ Yet we sit and seem contented to
remain servant, janitor or laborer.
! Remember you have children or
| brothers and sisers who have higher
ideals. Girls who want a chance
| to work in offices as clerks, stenogra-
| piers, cashiers; men who want to be
engineers, business men, scientists.
/ Their only chance lies in what the
parents do today. The least we can
do is to cooperate with our local
ones who are fighting for us now
! There are two things that control
| this country. Money and votes. We
may not have the money but Ger
tainly we have the voting power.
| This one asset would get us what
/ ever we desired. Why not use it?
[ Are we going to continue to allow
ourselves to fight against one an
| other when such grave issues face
| the race? No! Then we must de-
velop the characteristics of greatness
Of other races, such as laying aside
all personal quarrels, forgetting
them for the present, and lending
our full support to the race by yot-
ino the same way for the same man.
Any other race resents taxation
without representation, why shouldn't
we? We need representation to Sc
cure equality. Therefore whenever
one of our own is candidate for
an office, not one citizen eligible TO
vote should fail to do so. Ii not for
yourself, for once get into you
enough of your own racial spirit to
do it for your children so that their
conditions may be bettered.
I am not trying to run anyone's
affairs but when such issues are be-
fore us and we continue to ignore
the great tireless efforts which are
put forth by certain of our groups,
and fail miserably to put candi-
date in office because most of us
didn't feel like going to the polls or
because 81 knew he couldn't win any
i way I think it is my duty and
every other citizens duty to say
something. You not only hurt your
self but you hurt and retard the
| progress Of the race.
Some Of US seem afraid to voice
our opinion or relate the true facts
to our white brothers. / don't know
why. After all he doesn't bite his
tongue In selling you what's what,
Ese knowa NE aa sassng IA ~ Ala sssp-