Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1941-10-31
#CALVIN'S
DIGEST
BY l.. Baynard Whitney
Dangers o. Self Suggestion

Gentle reader, have you not at
some time become heartily tired
If the hatred, bitterness, and
mourning over racial injustices,
discrimination and segregation ?
Haven't you sometimes wondered
if our Negro Press does not clay
it on" much too thick? Did you
ever get well nigh through a full
day feeling grand, a song in your
heart and feeling that God is in
His Heaven and all's right with
the world? Then you picked up
colored magazine or newspaper and
read all about the worst of things,
and dark cloud came over your
mind, you felt both blue and evil,
ready to slit some white folks
throat to avenge their hellishness
Also, reading about the cussed-
ness and weaknesses Of some Of
the race, including the scandals
and the assorted skeletons" in
sundry social closets has, it seems
to me, the effect Of exaggerating
our shortcomings, while news Of
defeats and shutouts on the ra-
cial or lz.>sr~sisa- front has a
strong tendency to encourage and
intensity the Negroes deep infer
iority complex. And seldom are the
stories and features Of our trium-
phs and good elements, which are
meagerly or poorly presented, suf-
ficient to overhalance this mega
tive suggestion. Most of us are
generally inclined to be more i'm
pressed with sorrow and distress
than with joy and success.
Many of us never read the Ne
Press at ell because of its
blna-note tore and quality. In
fact, | have been guilty Of this
very thing, but soon discovered
my ignorance, however. After
reading some of cur publications,
it gave me a feeling Of being
stifl5d or trowned (and it still
gives me that feeling, now and
them. But one must exercise wis
dom in SELECTING what items
they choose to read, and also exer-
else emotional control when read
ing certain maddening accounts
which are considered "must" read
ing.
State O. Mind is Important
Compared to what it should be,
on the whit mans world in the
matter of helping lis with our
problems. has been FINEST negli-
gible; so that heretofore, our press
has res mblcd a group of Negroes
chattering exclusively among
themselves,
The individuals attitude of
mind toward himself and his prob
lens is of FIRST AND FORE
Most IMPORTANCE. A trip
through He'll can be made profit
able and instructive if one takes
the right attitude Of mind. That
attitude must bye the positive, con-
structive attitude, and not mega
tive, destructive attitude. Each in
dividual must decide just how he
will ALLOW or NOT ALLOW PEG.
ple and the world to affect him.
Resident in every person, and Oft
en- more prominent in the Negro,
there lies a latent creative pow
err, which, il aroused and used in
harmony with the law Of change
and the element of time, will deii-
nitely solve ANY problem. Our
race has proven this and we con
tinue to prove it-by the prog
ress we have made in this coun-
try, against great odds.
But those responsible for this
progress never reached their high
place by yielding to any sueges-
ton of dtfeat, encouragement
or bitter hatred, although the lat
ter element may lave in some IN.
stances, become itself a positive,
driving force, brd the hatred
swallowd Up in constructive
achievement.
Someone would 90 the Negro an
immc srrablc service hr writing
n practical dcwn-to-earth Guide