The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1939-08-19
A COUNCIL CANDIDATE


a. of tho GREAT truths of social science as we
:. +oda, Is that we live in an ever changing
oyId5 and the society Of which are part is no
s,s.;o,, "a this law of mutation. In the last few
We have-oufselves witnessed "a political reYo
int;on if YOU will, within our own group. In few
,,,;f+ months the awakened Negro masses OF the
North turned their backs political tradition ana
+od for the material betterment of their conoltion
W. os+onished the nation by throwing sentiment
out Of the window and voting on issues and not &C
cording to party label In short, the Negro masses
have had political awakening. Reason has replaced
sentiment and the record of candidate has become
moro important than his promises. The process is
not complete among us but progress been MADE.
We know today that our stake in the destiny OF
+os country is directly dependent upon our partiei-
nation in its political fe=0ur advancement In eess
ness and all other fields is welded to the progress
we make in participating in the making OF laws
the defeating of measures and the general exercise
of our political influence This knowledge should NIL
us with burning zeal and rare determination IN
the pursuit of political power. 1t Is government that
defines and limits the scope, sphere and goal OF our
social and economic activity and we must have
hand in government.
The registered voters of our group in Detroit
have doubled in the last few years, and the drive for
more registrations is reaping remarkable harvest
There is no feeling of futility in Detroit today when
we speak of eectng Negro to political office There
is courage and confidence As we have awakened to
our own political promise as Race we have wit
messed also the political awakening of all labor as
class Labor realizes that it too must play political
role to serve its best interests. The new awaK-
ening in the ranks of labor has brought with 1t
consciousness of the oneness of labor, black as well
as white A classic example of what this means was
demonstrated in Pontiac last year when Walter
Hardin received the largest vote in the citys his
tory despite the fact that he Negro and the voters
were white.
In view of these changes which are apparent to
all of us without question, believe that the time
is fitting for one of our group to seek seat on
the Common Council A Negro won the nomination
years with only fraction of the support that
our candidate could demand today. We believe that
a man who bore the standard of the masses of our
city black and white alike could call forth vote
large that profound changes will have to be made
by the powers that be toward oppressed people.
The mass registrations made in the last two years
among us would assure victory for our candidate
without outside assistance. But our problem is
common problem and in the fight for social justice
we can count on all labor to aid our cause.
Victory or defeat we cannot ignore an oppor-
tunity to bring before the public in this election the
horrible mess into which our city government has
fallen. We must have recognition which only votes
can bring in order to prevent the rise of police de-
partment that is corrupt that even the heads of
the department have to leave town when there is
threat of an Investigation Our votes must answer
our oppressors and hundred thousand strong in
the coming battle of ballots we must and will win
1t has been said that the "od order changeth' but
alas, it changes not of its accord, for destiny
always waits upon us and not we upon it. We alone
make the change.