Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1939-11-24

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Members of the committee aside
from Mrs. Williams included DIR.
J. w. Crump, physician; Richard l..
Stokes, postal employee and parent
of a University student; Mrs. Clar-
ence NJ. Mitchell, Jr., all executive
committee members Of the St Paul
N.A.A.C.P.; Miss /. Myrtle Garden,
executive secretary of the Halle
Q. Brown Community House, Clar-
ence NJ. Mitchell, Jr., executive sec
rotary of the st. Paul Urban
League; C. W. Washington, execu-
tive secretary of the Minneapolis
Urban League; Miss Magnolia Lat
inner, head resident Phyllis Wheat
ley Community House; Cecil E.
Newman, newspaper publisher;
Miss Pauline Alexander, Miss Bea-
trice Schuck and Sam Reed, stu
dents and members of the Univer-
sity Negro Students Council.
Mitchell Chief Spokesman
Mr.. Mitchell, acting as spokes-
man for the committee, opened the
meeting with a concise presenta-
ton of the issues involved, pointing
out that as citizens living in the
community and as taxpayers sup
porting the University, the COM
mittee felt a definite responsibility
to prevent any activity by the Uni
versity which would have unfavor-
able results in the life of Negro
citizens in the Twin Cities. He de-
clared that presentation Of the play
"Porgy" would fix vicious stereo-
types of Negro life of which the
movies, radios and daily press had
already done enough.
Asked About Tobacco Road
He asked Mr.. Erickson if the Uni
versity Theatre would present ''To-
bacco Road" Mr.. Erickson declared
that it would not, unless it had a
certain type of seasoned actor who
could put the play across. "Then,"
Mr.. Mitchell declared, eff that is
true of Tobacco Road which pre-
sents the seamy side of the life of
the majority group which has
nothing to fear in the way of racial
discrimination and all of its in
equalities and restrictions, how
much more true is it of 'Porgy'
which concerns a minority group
upon whom has already been
heaped the worst of American
prejudices."
C. W. Washington further en-
phasized the fact that Tobacco
Road" was banned in st. Paul
and apologetically reviewed in Min
neapolis. If the majority group
felt this way about Tobacco
Road" he stated, "why shouldn't a
minority group oppose the 'Porgy'
presentation"
Miss Myrtle Garden declared
that the majority of the white stu
dents on the campus came from
communities where there are very
few or no Negro inhabitants. For
many of them their contact with
Negro students on the campus, and
other inter-racial experiences at
the University, in class and out,
represent their first primary con-
facts with Negroes except that
which they had already received
from newspapers, magazines,
books, movies and the radio. She
asserted that for them "Porgy"
would give a distorted view of
Negro people which they would as
sumo typical of Negro life. Since
these white students will be the
leaders Of tomorrow, Miss Garden
said, making laws and governing
people, then the presentation would
be, she thought, definitely harmful.
In answer to Mr.. Erekson's argu-
ments that he was looking at
"Porgy" as art and as beautiful
drama. DIR. ]. w. Crump declared
that in a situation such as this,
that point of view was not enough.
All sides Of the picture must be
taken into consideration, DR..
Crump said, especially in view Of
the fact that racial conditions on
the University of Minnesota cam
pus are far from ideal.
When Director Erickson COM
planned that Negro students were
to blame for the general controver-
sy, Cecil Newman countered that
Director Lees Of the Theatre had
precipitated the situation by his