The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1939-07-29


with a warped
mind, bewil- r. A. Martinez
dered, and most
ly inconsistent in various aspects
OF his views OF life.
At one moment we feel greatly
exhitarsted with our conception
Of our own grandeur and an over
estimation OF our position and our
own strength; and. at the next mo-
ment we suffer with a gripping
dose OF inferiority complex that
gives us the filters. makes us panic
stricken and afraid even of our
selves 1t is with the first OF these
two situations that we want TO deal
in this second series OF our Views
and Reviews, Under the-sti5-hesa
ON the Margin"
We are trying to tell the Negro
to be realist and not an over
idealist; to see life AS IT is, and
TO stop having illusions about the
things OF life; to let his BRAINS
and not his sentiments guide him;
for, the brain is cold. exacting and
accurate. while sentiment is pas
sionately hot and blind.
Let US consider for one moment
the Negro as an American citizen:
How and why did he become an
American citizen: and, what is his
position and hi. situation in rela-
ton to the other racial groups that
make up American society, What
chances has he to better his con-
dition here, and will he ever arrive
at the level OF the highest estima-
ton in American citizenry?
One OF the things that make the
situation OF the Negro in America
different from that of any other
people is the reason for which he
came into America. He was not
invited here through the facilities
Of the immigration laws, as other
classes were, to mingle and become
a part of the American family. He
was DRAGGED here as you would
drag a resisting beast OF burden,
TO take the place OF beast of
burden, ard so was he treated dur
ing his slavery,
He was branded, dashed, sold, and
worked just as you would an OK, a
morse or mule; Hrs tam1ty was
broken up and sold away and de-
stroyed, just ike you would take
litter OF puppies away from a
mother--dog and sell and give them
away; and, as each young buck
or "wench" was sold away, a name
was given to him or her, usually
the name of the master, just as you
would give name to a pup or a cat
when he comes into your household.
This reason and this motive for
the Negroes presence in America,
never disappeared through the peri
cd OF slavery; and, even now, in
many parts OF the South many a
white man will fight, and pay a
fine, and protect his niger" just
as you and would fight and pro-
tect our dog or our horse now il it
should get into difficulties with
the neighbor.
American citizenship is one OF the
greatest privileges earth We're
l a white man, I don't know Of
anything else that | would prefer
being in world social relations than
an American citizen. There is moth
ing on earth to equal it But the
precarious manner in which it was
granted 70 the Negro. and the mig
gardly manner in which it is recog-
nlzed at present by his fellow-citi-
zens, makes one wonder at times
whether it is civic blessing or a
hulnilating irritation TO the. Negro.
The things that happen to the Ne
gro as an American citizen are so
inconsistent with the sacred prin-
ciples on which this Republic was
founded. that our brags Of justice
and democracy sound like mock
ing sarcasm which pollutes and
adulterates the principles of free
dom and liberty. They just don't
click; and. something is wrong
somewhere.
To begin with, citizenship was
not granted TO the Negro because he
deserved it, nor because anyone
deeply at hear wanted him TO have
it. That was not what he had been
brought here for. Everybody,
North and South, knew that the
Negro. just out OF slavery, was ig-
norant, illitefate. and knew moth
ing about government or the exer-
else OF citizenship. All he knew
was to pick cotton and to wait on
his master. But the South was
beaten and embarrassed. II had
lost the Civil war on the battle
field. and with the loss Of the war,
! it had also lost face" before the
world and specially with England
that had backed the Confederscy
with money. arms, ammunition, uni
forms and everything else necessary
to carry on the war against the
North.
So after the surrender OF Lee al
Appomatox, and the loss OF the
war by the South the only thing
left for the South TO do was to
throw a monkey wrench into the
| government machinery OF the ma.