The Omaha guide., 1937-01-09
KELLY MILLER
SAYS
THE OBLIQUE EFFECT


When segregation, in the form
OF residential seEhratSon of thA
races, first manifested its purpose
the Negro fearSd that It would
have the effect of setting him into
the ghetto and combining him 10
til back streets hnH alleys and
|shade-plaees, and Of excluding him
the more desirable residential ar
cas-. 1t might be said In passing,
that the Negro always has been
essentially segregated by his pro
|verty. His financial ability. as a
|rule, shuts him ont Of the more
costly and expensive reservations
sand subdivisions. Tha purpose OF
segregation is to keep ahe two
Faces accidentally apart by air
light provisions, however financial
sy able the exceptional individual
hay be.
About two ddcal1es ago thehe
Fas a widespread attempt to ac-
omplish segregation by law. This
tempt was frustrated thlrd1gh
lot effectively defeated, by a de-
ision of the supreme court. But
a matter of fact, the process
now equally effectively with OF
Fithout the sanction of law. The
rocess Is at present complete
nd extends across the continent
18th geographical completion
ON north to south, from east TO
est, and diagonally. No section
the country is free from its oper-
ZION. It's lines have gone out
trough all the land-from Bos-
IN to Key West, from St. Paul
New Orleans, and from Seattle
. St. Augustine. The blight CO
|ers the whole nation like q blank
i cover a bed.
The first effect of segregation
ipon the white race reminds one
# the lines of Goldsmith:
"Ths dog and man at first
were friends
But when a pique began
The dog to gain some private
ends,
went mad and bit the man.
The wound it was both sore
and sad
To every Christian eye,
And while they swore tht dog
was mad.
They swbre the nan wduld
die.
But soon a wonder came to
light
That showed the rogues they
lied.
The man recovered from the
bite;
The dog it was that died.
The first reaction of segrega-
on has been adverse to its white
ponsors. It has forced them to
bandon expensive Boperties at
n enormous sacrifice. The resi-
onces built a decade or so ago
" men of fortune and income,
ave been turned over to a race
holly unable to purchase and
.aintain them. As a rule the whites
i've exiled themselves from the
ore commodious and convenient
Of the great cities and
ave taken flight to the suburbs
outlying districts This leaves
Negro in possession of magni-
,ent homes which he occupies but
Innot command. Many a fairly
ell-to-do white family, afflicted
it'll racial fright, has joined the
igira and abandoned their homes
volving lifetime accounts.
The effect of segregation in the
ty of Washington is typical and
ustrative of what is taking place
most of our large cities. The
egroes have come into possession
fully a square mile of the fair
t portion of the very heart OF
e capital. The Negro reservation
IS just north of the government
Iildings and business section and
traversed by the widest and best
we'd streets and avenues, lined
tn the choicest shade trees and
with beautiful paths,
relies, and parks. The white re-
who have moved northward
lst needs traversed the Negro
ca to reach the great stores and
ops, as we'll as the White House
3 Treasury, the Capital and other
'vernment buildings.
SO great is the cost of race pre-
dice, and so dearly does the
lite race pay for it.
Kelly Miller
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