The Omaha guide., 1938-04-09
White SociOIOgist Blasts
Lynching Notions Open

Rides" Arthur Raper, Research
and Field Secretary, Commission
Oh InterraciaI Cooperation, APP
peaied before a group of students
ana faculty members at Fisk uni
versity last Tuesday. and blasted
some of the popular notions about
lyrchings ia America.
Dl. Raper, author of The Ira
x,dy of Lyncning," and "a Pie
face to Peasant -" had spoken to
the Nashville public Monday even
ing at a Race and Culture Forum,
during which he revealed many
significant facts ON cotton tenancy
in the South
TO the group of Fisk students
ard faculty OH Tuesday last DR..
Kaper remarl ed that most lynch
i~gs of late have not occurred in
tho Black Bet or in the old slave
areas, but in he newer areas OF
the South whsre Negroes have be-
Gun to express their desire for
freedom and independence. This
fact he described as an indication
tkat lynching IL n southern techni-
oue used to hold Negroes in check.
According TO figures of Mon
roe Work at r~usSegee Institute"
said DIR. Raper, "27 per cent of
all lynchings in the last decade as
reported by the white press take
place because Of homicide charges
against Negroes. But there Is such
thing as justifiable homicide, and
if the cases of justitiable homicide
were s~ubstracted from the 81 per.
cent, the remainder would be very
small. Only Is per cent of these
lynchings as reported ~ the white
press are attributed to rape and
25 per cent to miscellaneous rea-
son mostly misdemeanors.
To Lessen Competition for Jobs
"These figures indicate that con
trary to popular belief, most Ne
groes are not lynched for rape and
attempted rape on white women,
but for an economic motive--t
keen down the competition OF Ne
eroes with whites"
He then remarked that there are
two types of lynchings--orderly
and disorderly. The orderly KIND Is
well planned and carried out by
whites who are leaders in their
communities. These leaders often
get the sheriff ard his Officers To
HELM carry out the lynching. The
diorderly kind takes place in com
munities where the leading white
citizens are above the level of lynn
ching Negroes, but where nobs OF
moor whites defy the sheriff and
carry out their will to lynch.
Eynchers. Chief COrsOrters
With ColOred Women
81 am suspicious of these white
men who cry that Negroes must be
lvnched to protect white woman-
hood" asserted DR.. Raper, Il have
learned that most such white men
are guilty of consorting with Ne
gro women. Therefore, they know
that since they are %neglecting their
own women ard at the same time
arc depriving Negro men OF Ne,
gro women, the two neglected
proups Negro men am white We
men) have a natural tendency to
seek one another for satisfaction"
He explained how lynching Is.
tied with the whole system OF cot
ton tenancy. segregation, and be-
1iefs of racial superiority ana m
f~eriority. Too, he stated that the
reason why some white people get
so alarmed over interracial meet
ings of any kind is because they
know that since there is no natural
hatred between Negroes and whites
onee they start coming together
they will like one another.
Danger of Future Legal Lynching
.oThere is a kind of lynehing
likely to come" commented DIR.
Raper. "of which I am ore afraid
than the kind we have now. rms
kind I speak of has a fascist TIM
10 it. AS Negroes are gradually
moved out of jobs onto relief folis
and whites put in their places,
there may come TO power certain
white office holders who, in order
To convince the public that they
can handle the racial situation,
might proceed ito lynch Negroes
with tho approval of the state.
That type of lynching will be
worse than the present type be-
cause it will be legal
Throughout his speech, DR.. Ra-
per maintained that illegal lynch
ings," sanctioned by the courts
Were worse than l%ynehings at the
hrnds of mobs. because once a
court has 'lvnched" n Negro no
thing can be done about it.