Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1941-06-20

i
The truth is half of the
American people do not know to
what extent Negro citizens of the
South are ruled by class legislation
Of the most offensive character and
by "mObocratic" public opinion
justified by this class legislation.
The American people are a Sec
tional people. They are concerned
about conditions in their immediate
community and state and do not
concern themselves about condi-
tions in other sections unless these
conditions become of such charac-
ter as to affect the interest of the
people in all sections of the coun-
try.
On the other hand a great many
white people have adopted the
American principle that the Negro
has his job and it is up to him
to work out his own salvation as
the Jew, the Italian and other
minority groups are working out
theirs.
This attitude is a challenge to
the Negro people of America and
we must meet and conquer it or be
conquered by it.
No, my dear correspondent, there
is no way whereby immediate
changes can be wrought in the
South, unless you can provision
successful revolution. This can
not happen because the forces for
the change are too weak and I'M
organized. The only way left there
fore, is to create public opinion
against this old southern custom
and win for the Negro the right to
vote in city, state, and national
elections.
The riddle of how to get equal
enjoyment of the benefits of citi-
zenship guaranteed to the Negro
under the constitution is a knotty
problem and we, the Negro, have
been struggling to unravsl it for
some time.
The theory is that the Negro has
equality of citizenship with all of
the other race groups in America.
AS a matter of constitutional en-
actment, this is so; but because
each state is left free to legislate
at will in its domestic affairs, the
Negro is at the mercy of Negro
hating southern legislators. This
results in the Negroes being openly
Disseminated against in voting,
distribution of taxes, travel and
accommodation and in the laws
regulating labor, wages and hous-
ing.
That which the constitution of
the United States gives is taken
away by the exercise of state
rights"
We see no way of breaking down
the "color bar" erected in the
South between the races except in
the growth of a new generation of
white folks and black folks, pos
sessing more education and wealth
and in the creation of a pub
lie opinion sufficient to vote this
offensive legislation off the statute
books.
Even if it were possible some
how to force legislation against
this thing down the threats of
southern whites it would avail
little without favorable public
opinion.
Fair play justice, morality
and the like, cannot be legislated
into the hearts and minds of peo-
pie. AS long as segregation and
discrimination is written in the
hearts and minds of our southern
whites you will be segregated and
Disseminated against. Right here
in our own state we have no laws
discriminating against Negroes
but who dare say that Negroes are
not both segregated and discrimin-
ated against in Michigan?
Hope therefore lies in the direc-
ton of the birth Of a more liberal
generation education in
creased wealth Of Negroes and
poor whites coalition Of the
Negro and Jew and foreign born
which is steadily growing in num-
bers and wealth in the South.
These factors working together