St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1941-06-20
LISTEN
TO
THIS
TRUE AMERICANISM
By Hobart T. Mitchell

United States are funny 1OO per
cent Americans. We were attend
ing meeting where the speaker,
definitely 100 per cent American,
was expounding his ideas about
Americanism. He spoke loud and
long on the Constitution and obey
ing the laws in general. We listened
very tentatively and as we listened
our very soul was being gradually
wrapped in a silken American flag
as moth expertly winds itself into
its silky shell. The average 100
per cent white American citizen
rarely lets his black brother forget
his color or his supposed social po-
sition but this good shepherd
erased all prejudices, all i'll feel
ings, all bases, and blended all
colors and nationalities merging
them as one-just Americans. We
were wishing more Negroes could
have heard this sterling American
pierce the ears of non Americanism
and give communism a kick in the
pants.
When the meeting was over we
were one of the first to shake the
hand of this true-hearted, plain
dealing American. We compi-
mented him on his speech, his
creed, his popular way of thinking.
He in turn gave US the right hand
of fellowship and spoke of my peo-
pie and what they had to endure
in this Gland of the free and the
home of the brave"
We turned to shake the hands
of others who had come to hear this
modern Blackstone. We were en-
joying ourselves immensely. The
orator had departed from us and
was standing to our left. He was
talking to others presumably about
Chicago and with a slip Of the
tongue said, Don't you know the
Negroes have moved into our
neighborhood and if something isn't
done Immediately we shall be right
in Lake Michigan" The remark
Stayed me. Our feathers fell. You
could have heard the drop of the
proverbial pin. Instead of being
clothed in the clothes of true Amer
icanism we were. awakened from a
mental dream finding ourselves not
in the camp of true Americanism
but in the land of the Lilliputians
and we as CULVER, in Gulliver's
Travels, were momentarily hogtied
to the ground.
Leaving the assembly we made
our way homeward. Thoughts on
the Negro and about the speaker
of the evening were racing through
our minds at a mile a minute. Toll
- Sweat - Blood - Tears - Ex-
clusion of Negroes from building
trade crafts - segregation of Ne
groes in armed defense - Crispus
Attucks-Black soldiers saving the
life of Teddy Roosevelt in Cuba
no Negroes are accepted for SER
vice in the Navy except as mess
boys-Lord have mercy.
Arriving home about 10 P. M. the
problem of the subject for a column
to be posted in the morning mail
was uppermost in our thoughts.
But what to write about? There!
A thought-we start pecking on
"Cora," our typewriter.
No Negro has ever shown dis
loyalty by betraying this cOun-
try. The patriotic feeling that
we Negroes derive from these
ten words is beyond the imagilsa-
ton of the greater per cent OF
the sO-called 100 per cent Ameri-
cans. The sword of antagOnism
has, in many cases, been plunged
to the very hilt into the heart of
the black man; but like Job his
faith and trust still remain stead
fast.
1t is an unvarnished tribute TO
the stability and integrity of Ii
million Americans with black
skins to have been hunted,
trapped, cooked, boiled and fried
by a majority group, in the same
country, and yet remain unfair
nished and unblemished in their
patriotic feelings and beliefs.
What is that noise? The peck
ing ceases. Everyone must be
asleep. "Is that you, son? What
are you doing up this time o
night?"
"Say, dad, did you like the speech
you went to heart"
81 liked the words in his talk,
son, but his judgment was-well-
nothing, son. Let's go to bed"
"What were you writing about
dad?"