davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

mis- courts, swimming pool, SOFT
ball field, and other space abound;
far removed from the center popu-
lation; a YMCA, whose program IS
confined for the most part to actl-
vities of its boys department. a
bows club for underprivileged boys
activities. There are play spaces IN
the housing projects and at some
schools. outside of these, if a boy
or young man wishes to go some
place to dispose of some of his
restless energy during leisure time,
he must go to some commercial
house, congregate on the corners or
streets, or go to some den Tor
shady activities.
He may go to church, OF course,
but the programs of nearly all of
our churches is concerned with
commercial aspects, too, too ap-
parent for the Christianity that
supposedly backs them.
Not provided for adequately be-
cause of limitation at the Butler
Street 'Y' and often without money
to attend the ShowhouSeS and
other higher type commercial af-
fairs, most of the latter teen-age
youths drift to the dens or to con-
gregating on the streets and the
corners. 1t is natural that they
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
BY DEAN GORDON b. HANCOCK

rewards. The Negro who must
fight for a country that has given
him less than his due is. greater
than he that had had all that
heart could wish. If the man who
sits at the first table is called q
patriot when he fights, the mar
who receives only the crusts and
crumbs is super-patriot. The
waves of the present may OBJ
scure this vital truth but the tides
that bear the world on its far
off destiny will reveal it.
When we lock out upon Our
fortunes in the war we are not
assured; when we look out upon
the field of race relations we can
not be assured. These are the
waves. The tide is still rising.
When the manager of the Pitts
burgh Pirates is willing to give Me-
gro baseball players a try-out, we
have evidences that the tide of
Righteousness is still rising. When
Negro golf players are entered in
a national tournament, We have
evidences that the tide is still
rising. The tide is bigger than a
tidal wave
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22


Rep. Tolan of California; Curtis.
Nebraska; Sparkman, Alabama;
Arnold, Illinois and Bender, Ohio.
The committee has only to look
around itself to find untapped
labor supply sources and ask why
hearings against discriminatory
practices were not held in Texas.
Millions of Negroes able and will
ing to wrok, male and female, COM
pare a majority of the untapped
sources and until the treacherous
south ceases it's earnest efforts
against Negroes and puts that
same energy into constructive
fight against the axes, the plight
of the United States will ever be
precariouS.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

I am often amused at the re-
action to the Negro press as an
example of this sitting back and
laughing; this whining and kick
ing. The other day this newspaper
"scooped'' the state on the Roland
Hayes story. Two days later a
man walked into the office to tell
me what he thought of the treat
ment and dangled in my eyes the
copy of white daily. To him our
story meant nothing We had re-
ported the incident, had "scooped"
and beat the white papers. But
he couldn't take our word for his
conclusion. 1t had to be the word
of a white man. He closed his
interview with the suggestion that
we given the mayor, the governor,
the senator and "all the white
folks" hell. That was his belief of
our duty. If we did it and the
white papers picked it up he would
base his comments upon the type
in the white paper. That is one
type of saboteur in our midst. A
majority of the leading" Negroes
run up to the white editor when
they want the white folks to
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
The
Side|ine
Blame Ii
On Morale
By ROBERT RADCLIFFE

IF YOU SEE a respondent fellow
standing on the street corner, star
ing into space and looking like
he's one step from the asylum, it's
a good bet he is either the husband
or sweetheart of one of those ener-
getic USO workers.
We've got nothing against the
ladies of the USO because they
are doing a swell job. But, for
some unknown reason, we are in
clined to feel sorry for the guys
these USO workers leave behind to
suffer while they go about in their
own feminine way keeping up the
morale of the soldiers. >
Now, these neglected guys who
either are too married, too sick, too
old or too young to be in Uncle
Sans armed forces, may not know
it, but they're doing their bit to
keep up the morale of the fellows
in the armed forces.
They're doing it the hard way,
but don't go praising them, be-
cause it never was any idea of
theirs. 1t is something that just
happened and something they can't
do anything about.
Now, take the fellow who calls
up his best girl on Saturday night
and asks for a date. She says sure
and that makes him very happy.
But what happens when he walks
into her parlor? She tells him she's
member of the USO committee
and must rush to the soldiers rec
reation center because she's got
to help entertain a bunch of
future pilots from TuSkegee.
Well, that didn't sound like a.
bad idea. So, he calls cab, and
they dash to the center. But, what
happens? A lady meets him at the
door and behind a stiff smile in
forms him that only soldiers and
young ladies are permitted in the
center on Saturday nights.
So, what does he do? He walks to
the corner drug store and pouts
over an ice cream soda and waits
TIL the soldiers get through dane
Ing with MS best girl.
We walked upon a friend the
other night. He was leaning against
wall in a railroad station, an un-
lighted cigarette hanging from
his bottom lip.
He said his wife was USO work.
er and served coffee and dough-
nuts to soldiers passing through
the station on Friday nights. Then
he went on to explain that ne
thought it his duty to stick around
just in case his wife needed any
help.
He didn't say what kind of help.
Yes, some of the men not vet
in the Army are doing their little
bit to help keep up the morale of
the lonely soldiers. It's no easy
matter, but there's nothing they
can do about it.
So, If you see deSpondent fell
low standing on the street corner,
staring into space-just blame it on
morale.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Rome, Ga. Editor
Continued from Page ~

Employment Practices and calls
Attorney Earl B. Dickerson and
Milton P. Webster. its two Negro
members, Chocolate Drop" and
Tar Baby" The paper accuses
Georgia's gubernatorial candidate,
Attorney. Arnall of ignoring the
challenge OF racial equality as pre-
sented through the Presidents
-FEPC committee and commends
Alabama's Governor Dixon's stand
in refusing to sign a contract
guaranteeing equal fairness in jobs
on a federal defense project, to
Negroes.
Continuing, the News Tribune
feature says that practically every
big magazine in the country has
had some hand in the fight for
racial equality and that the issue
has been raised all over the nation,
not in Georgia alone.
=, . In, the, next days issue august
ID, the Tribune cites the.
Mex York newspaper "PM" which
stated in a recent feature that
report of the Public Affairs Com
mittee' at so Rockefeller Place.
embracing a "Study of the Negro
and the War; said that race
equality is war ISSUE"
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Philadelphia
Continued from Page ID

antlered herd.
The sessions for the men will
be held at the beautiful o. V.
Cato auditorium, 18th and F1tz-
water street perhaps the most
beautiful fraterial home owned by
American Negroes, and a monu-
ment to the leadership of Grand
Treasurer Edward w. Henry, for
nearly 20 years exalted ruler OF
Philadelphia "mother lodge"
Cooperating with the arrange
ments are the other four lodges:
Quacker City, Chris P. Jerry. L. G.
Irwin, and the seven temples,
Phyllis Wheatley, Quaker City.
keystone and Laverta, Pride of
Philadelphia, Carolyne B. Irwin
and Pride of Northeast.
GRAND PARADE
On Sunday, August %, the oren-
ing patriotic motive will be sound
ed when the great civil liberties
meeting will be held at the indie
pendence. hall, where Chairman
Hobson- r.. Reynolds will preside
at the Bond Blitz campaign. The
spirit of 76 will continue through
out the six-day convention with
the meeting ON Monday featuring
officials from the U. S. treasury
at the public meeting in Tindley
temple. -......-' ~
On Tuesday at pm. comes the
grand parade-and this year it will
really be grand" the entire motive
being "For Democracy and Doutle
Victory at Home and Abroad:'--' =
Thursday night the entire b.. as
sembled hosts and thousands of
visitors will converge on the mas
sive Convention hall, 34t,l and
Spruce streets, capacity $4,000,
where Father Earl Hines and his
orchestra together with the most
popular local band will vie for lion
ors of the annual ball.
On wednesday night the Daugh-
ter Elks will stage a monster his
torical pageant at Tindley temple
portraying the rise and progress
Of their branch of the order
founded by the late Emma v.
Kelley.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Seeing and Saying BY William H. Fo~lke;'

tolls and to use them at the slight
est provocation. They know" this
to be one sure way of "excelling"
and of standing "above the crowd"
and being outstanding" Their
mental breadth is their crowds
psychological thought and move
ment. They know no other thought
and come to be known as bad" De-
linquency during these latter teen
ages is exceedingly high.
These same young men, given the
opportunity and privilege of play
grounds and supervised activities in
their immediate localities, would
develop into well-rounded indivi-
duals with normal outlook on life
and activity in it.
think that Negro leaders, as
whole, have overlooked the need
for adequate play space and equip
ment for the youth. Many have
been too concerned with their
own projects of livelihood and
luxury to see the merit in pushing
forward the contentious for recrea-
tional space and programs.
l
Atlanta needs well supervised
fairgrounds in every sector where
there is a. large Negro population.
The one playground allotted to us
is too small for and too far re-
moved from the center of the en-
tire Negro population. The cost of
transportation to the playground is
prohibitive to thousands who would
go daily to Washington Park.
A few months ago there was some
agitation for a playground in the
Summerhill area, but there was a
change in the city administration
at the time and politics" kept
the development from becoming a
reality, it was stated. Since that
time, our leaders have been rather
quiet about it all. To my knowledge,
there has been no other concerted
effort for another colored play
ground.
The youths of the race are al
lowed to drift and play as best
they can. Unsupervised, they have
learned to fight better than play
and share. Negro leadership would
do well to look out for it's youth
and see that it has chance to
develop adequately.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Between The Lines
gent is no place for him.

gent is no place for him.
Whether TalmadgiSm- is found
in the army or permeating the in
ner receSses of the political ideo-
logies of the south, it is bound to
work great tribulations for my
people. But what I am here pro-
claiming is, that the impending
anti-Negro wave is not the tide,
but merely the wave {. There have
been other waves but Ngroes have
overcome them.
Our hopes and ambitions and
deserts and ideals may be over
whelmed by these waves; but the
tide which bears us onward to
our greater goal is still rising. The
advance of mankind cannot be
discerned if we look out upon the
world as it is today, but rather
when we compare age with age
and generation with generation
Little by little the Promised Land
must be conquered.
TIDES WILL REVEAL
But of one thing the Negro may
be assured that is, true worth
whether of men or races has its
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Failure To Use
CONTINUED from Page u

pose in the war effort more plain
ly seen than in the attitude of the
Confederate states which still fight
the Negro harder than they do any
foreign enemy. Any sign Of an inn
provement or ENLIGHTENMENT of Me-
groes in those benighted states Is a
signal for loud hue and cry
against such civilized improve
mentS.
BLOCK NEGRO'S USE
Throughout the recent months,
there has been a determined ell
fort on the part of this block which
lust about controls the govern
menL to stop any constructive
moves to help the Negro.
The emasculat1on of the FEPC
first by one of its own members,
who in the eyes of some, paraded
around like a wolf in sleeps cloth
ing; second. by the committee
executives themselves, and third by
the final action Of the President
which all but stripped this i'm
portant and widely hailed organi-
zation of what ever dignity, author
ity and Importance 1t had left,
when he turned it over to another
agency is part of the picture.
Not only is this bitter fight con-
Quoted aginst the southern Negro,
who comprises an important por-
ton of the much needed man.
power, both civilian and military,
but in the middle-west, along the
Atlantic seaboard and in the far
west as we'll, there has been de-
termination to keep Negros out of
everything.
The result has had a depressing
effect on the Negro who remem-
oers only too we'll the war to
make the world safe for democracy.
out of which he got Just plain
nothing. Trying to swing the Ne
gro back into feeling this is his
country with that same slogan is
getting exactly nowhere.
LABOR UNTRAPPED
The DiXons and TalmadgeS and
Rankins see to that. The lynch
ings and mistreatment Of Negroes
in the uniforms of American
soldiers play a very important part
in the whole matter. Negroes are
reading; more, they are listening
to the radio just as every other
American citizen. There is. no pull
ing the wool over their eyes with
the appointment of a few Negroes
to jobs in an attempt to hand out
palliatives designed to soften up
the group. =
"The job calls for the location
of available untapped labor sup
plies and overall planning for
their training and replacement.
Without question we are today
poorly prepared to face these prob
lens. These are, however, the prob
LENS. with which a reorganized
United States Employment service
and strengthened manpower
commission must DEAL" the report
continues.
The committee recommended
creation of group of officials to
be known as labor utilization in
spectcrs operating through the War
Manpower commission and the
War Production board in coopera-
ton with labor-management COM
mittee in each plant and communi-
ties.
DIRECTIVES INEFFECTIVE
The report criticized the current
Washington practice among Of
ficials agencies of issuing "direc-
tives" on the ground that direc-
tives fail to accomplish their pur-
poses, which is to prod one agency
into performing a task that will
futher the work of another agency.
Members of the committee were
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

these things would be lifted from
our shoulder much more rapidly
were our own people to stick to-
gether. forget about their petty
differences and kick the devil out
of their souls. Professionally,
am a salesman, salesman for my
peoples goodness. can't sell
cheap, unreliable and treacherous
product. It must be good to hold
ND for these orders must be re-
peated.
You black saooteurs, you wolves
in sheep clothing that cause me
and others like me to suffer with
you while you ply your question
able trade, begone. May the devil
take hold of you and keep you! May
your souls burn in hell forever and
ever,
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
The Tides

SERIOUS STUDENTS of race
relations have cause for grea
concern. What some of us have
been fearing for many months
seems at hand. The voices from the
south are ominous and tragic. Fol
many months Talmadge of Georgia
has been on rampage appealing
to racial prejudices and hatreds.
Some weeks ago this column said
that we had faith in the ultimate
triumph of right in the south in
spite of Talmadge and Talmad-
ism. More recently the governor
of Alabama has taken up the
Talmadge appeal and there are
evidences that the appeal to
the baser elements of the south
will become general.
1t goes without saying that such
general appeal to race hatreds will
work untold suffering on my de-
fenSeless people. If there is aught
we can do it should be speedily
done If there is aught our white
friends can do it should be speed
lily done. Silent friends in times
like these are not convincing.
TELLS OF BOYS.
The other day I stood at sta
tion where Negro recruits were
being taken to the army. There
we're probably 80 of them. orders
were given for them to entrain
and for some reason four or five
did not understand the order and
remained after the others had
gone The white officer in charge
returned for them and gave
very mean yell to them to hurry"
The boys s'hurried on but
there was in their countenance
and in their heart a deep resent
ment at the way he spoke. I felt
resentful too. Here was a lot of
gangling, country boys who pa
tiently were Semi-ignorant being
inducted into the army and were
being differed by heartless man
who had not the faintest sympathy
for the boys nor their bewildered
position. Theirs was a hard lot
indeed and I felt it most keenly.
There were things turning over
in the minds of those boys as
things were turning over in mine.
The things turning over we're not
destined to bring national unity
in the current crisis. This brus-
que officer was taking advantage
of his official authority to assert
his anti-Negro attitude and the
Negro boys were the sufferers. 1t
occurred to me that something
should be done about assigning
white officers to Negro soldiers.
NEED SYMPATHY
As a defense measure these Of
ficial assignments should go to
men who are genuinely sympa-
thetic towards rather than to the
men who claim that they "under-
stand Negroes" on the basis of
traditional racial understanding
in the south. 1t does not matter
how well that officer claimed to
understand Negroes" his way of
yelling at them proved that he did
not.
1t occurred to me that this mat
ter of Officing Negro contingents
demands careful scrutiny if we are
going to utilize to the fullest the
energies of Negro soldiers. For
all I know this officer might have
had the Talmadge feeling; but if
SO the head of a Negro contin-
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

who has sacrificed personal ambitions, time,
money and his health in the interest of his
people. They are words uttered after 25
years of effort. They are the words we are
hearing more and more these days about
the amount of interest, support and de-
pendability of Negroes
The white folks treat us badly, they
say; we need leaders, businessmen and
trained people who will lead uz out of the
wilderness, they say We want men and
women right around us, not 1000 miles
away, men and women who know the prob
lem first hand, to solve it and lift up the
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

one section of
Atlanta recently
was called to at
tention. 1t real
ICES that the hope
of the Negro
race, if there is
to be any hope,
lies in it's youth.
Atlanta has one
park for colored,
where a few ten
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

THIS COLUMN. for a long time
now, has dedicated large part of
its humanitarian work in the
clamor for more and better recrea-
tional facilities and activities for
young Negro men and women.
Today it again sounds forth
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

The New Zealand government
has assumed control of the manu-
facture of agar, extensively used
as laxative and as culture me-
dium by bacteriologists, from
Seaweed.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

A Michigan automobile plant is
manufacturing a synthetic wool
from soybeans for blending with
genuine wool for making textiles
for upholstery and other pur-
poses.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
Slavery Caused Gandhi Crusade

at WASHINGTON --(ANP)-1nterestng is the discus
SIGN concerning Mohandas Gandh the great Indian leader
recently ncafcerated by the British brief sketch printed
in a local daily has the following to say
"1893-Went to Natal, South Africa, as attorney in
law suit found Beers treating Hindu settlers like native
Negroes and started movement for Hindu suffrage"
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

That what the average and woman tell you
in the street. in civic meetings. But the minute that
steps forth and starts to work the crowd whines
purrs kicks him and in short time sits back and laughs
the fool they made of him. The process repeated and
so goes the story.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
NO PLACE TO STAY

NO PLACE TO STAY
WASHINGTON LAMP One
thousand Negro soldiers visited
WASHINGTON ever the past weekend
and added another headache TO
the housing problem when it was
found there would be no accommo-
datiOn for them.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
We Need More Fairgrounds

would go somewhere. They are
human beings.
ENTER THE POLICE
It is when they gather on the
street corners or drift into a
"close" place for a game or two"
that they open themselves to the
"pouncing down" of the police de-
partment, most of whose members
major in rude brutality at the sight
of Negroes. 1t was this very point
that was called to my attention by
an Atlanta citizen. He said that
one of the patrolmen in his section
had become so tough" that the
boys couldn't stand on the streets
at any time for conversation, day
Or night. If they stand on the
streets or walk along too slowly, to
suit the police in the summertime,
they're run inside their "hot"
homes, and if too many gather in
side and create the least bit of
noise due to mirth or for any other
reason, they're "pounced on" there.
In the wintertime, if they gather
inside a restaurant or cafe to talk
or listen to the victrola or radio,
they're run out" into the cold and
told to go home or just plain "to
git"
They get so used to "gitting" that
many entirely innocent ones have
been shot down or subjected to
head beatings, slappings and harsh
ly spoken intimidations because
they moved away swiftly from the
sight of a policeman, according to
this informant Many have had to
lay in Jail on Suspicion of crime
from which they were far removed
at the time of commitment and
have had to pay fines for idling
and lettering" if nothing else was
found against them.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

WASHINGTON, D. CLAMP
What Washington newspaper man
was recently approached and ask
ed to do publicity work for the
National Democratic party at
salary that is pittance? Seems
like the Dems want to keep the
Negro vote in line and are max
ing early preparations toward that
end.
Dean Pickens and his grandson
waiting for the street car at 18th
and You Sunday-hailing us from
the street. There is nothing wrong
with the Deans lungs, nothing at
all.
George Goldman and son,
"Prexy," aged four, getting
haircuts Friday perhaps in
final preparation for the great
adventure" George is in train
ing ut the Red Cross building
down on 18th Street, learning
the stuff he is supposed to do
overseas.
PoStcardine .;om Detroit, jean
META Welch sends her address to
Dutton Ferguson with instructions
to pass it on to others. How come,
cal? Price of postcards must have
gone up out there in Detroit.
Moving day for FEPC was sup
nosed to have been last week, but
it was postponed for a few days.
Locating the committee in the
heart of WaShington's Harlem is
something, believe me.
Albon HoIsey was a Washing
ton visitor last week. Came i'm
to discuss with Emmer Mar
tin Lancaster some of the
problems of the Negro Busi-
ness league which meets in
Chicago this month.
Shots at the President are being
taken by various editorial writer's,
not Republicans, either. Is he
angling for a fourth and fifth
term to set the world at rights,
ask these papers?
Sidat-Singh, the great football
basketball player. left for Tuskegee
and the air corps the other day,
much to the regret Of many folks
in town.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
TO FORM ARMY UNIT

HUNTSVILLE Ala-(ANP-Ala-
bama A. and M. College, of Nor
nal, Ala, has been selected as
site for the formation of a unit
of the u. s. army.
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22
shooter Bill to smooth things over

There must be a scarcity of Ne
country from the way things are
popping-everybody wants man
Washington. How come?
The Phoenix index., 1942-08-22

A weekly forum shall published in which
be expressed question Of local
reflect in the opinion of The PHOENIX INDEX