The Dayton forum. [volume] (Dayton, Ohio) 1913-1949, 1939-04-21
Observation-Disclosures
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Dean Gordon B Hanc &c: 81 IL
Observation-Disclosures
What's The FolIow-Up on the
Marian Anderson Affair

.sVeni vidi vici'' Caesar said OF
himself. With equal truth it may
be said Of the inimisable Marian
Anderson, VENT, cantavit, vicit.v
(she came, she sang and she con-
quered) Her dramatic appearance
before the Lincoln monument with
an audience of $4,000 marks one OF
the grandest gestures ever made IN
race relations. Although this writ
er opposed her singing under sec
ond-rate circumstances" and express
sed the belief that the higher ends
of strategy would be served It she
remained away from Washington M
definitely, the fact that the circum-
stances were auspicious and the sup
port nationwide made Of the occa-
sion the appropriate rebuke to race
prejudice that the situation demand
ed. The proper dramaSlzatlon OF
race prejudice was all that could
have been expected, regardless OF
whether she sang under first-rate
circumstances OF renamed away.
Now that Miss Anderson and her
sponsors have vindicated our cause
it remains fol. us to properly evalu-
ate the great victory. What our
follow-up will be, will determine
more than the occasion itself Wheth-
er we are worthy of SO grand q con-
tribution as Miss Anderson and her
sponsors have made. In other words,
Miss Anderson's appearance under
such dramatic circumstances was
merely potential triumph; we must
make it d real triumph by follow
ing it UP with inter-racial coopera-
ton. Negro business needs support
and patronage, the Negro church
needs rejuvenescence, the Negro pro-
fessionals need faith and confidence
and encouragement, the Negro youth
needs vocational guidance and tram
ing, Negro history needs populari-
zation, our white collar complex
needs revision, our fighting spirit
needs to be turned into constructive
channels, religion among Negroes
needs to be made the vital thing it
was TO our enslayed fathers. just
how we set ourselves to these tasks
will largely determine whether Miss
Anderson's triumph was supple
ment, her appearance was triumph,
as a substitute for a races secri-
flee and cooperation it was tragedy.
The morning after, as the morn
ing before, her notable triumph the
Negro is too prone to underestimate
the serious challenge Of loblessness
that only Negro foresight and CO.
operation can remedy. Just as the
work of the Negro professionals IS
Negro-made, mere and more the
work of the Negro laborer must be
Negro-made. Marian Anderson got
before that great audience because
she had something. No amount OF
arguing over rights could have won
her SO great an opportunity. She
had to have the singing goods and
she had to deliver them and she did
What Miss Anderson did in q big
way the average Negro must do IN 9
small way; for in the last analysis
the logic of performance is the only
convincing appeal for recognition
In other words capability and char
acter must precede opportunity. 4
was ever thus! A few days ago
Miss Nina Soga, an African young
woman spoke in Virginia Union cha,
pei and made the significant state.
ment that the words Command and
s'demand's are key words for peo'