Jackson advocate., 1942-05-23
jackson Negro Citizens Committee And
Future Meetings Of The jackson
Negro Citizens

Future Meetings Of The jackson
Negro Citizens
LAST FRIDAY EVENING Negro Citizens Committee
formed out of recent meeting Negro citizens
of Jackson called to consider the matter greater job OPP
portunity in defense employment represented in the
Gently completed Mississippi Ordnance Plant Flora Mis-
sissppi holding its second meeting with Mr. Jno
representative of the Presidents Committee on Fair
Employment Practice, the Bethlehem Community Center
North Parish Street Mr. Beecher coming Jackson fol-
lowing petition to Presidents Committee Fair Employ
ment presented by the Jackson Negro Citizens Committee
upon the information that the original plan of the plant
use larger number of Negro workers. especially
had been abandoned and that Negroes would be used only
to very limited degree.
Shortly after the committee had assembled two plain
clothes detectives of the Jackson Police Department entered
the meeting and sat throughout the deberaon of the
mittee following which Mr. Beecher the representative of
the Presidents Committee Fair Employment, and later
the committees secretary taken into private and
questioned at length by the two officers while the
members OF the committee in the assembly
Later Mr. Beecher told the committee that the officers
said that they had down because complaint had been
made to the city officials that the Negroes holding
dangerous social meeting that they found what at
tempting to be legal at the time giving him good off
the record information of the local sentiment
specting the Presidents Executive Order.
Except for their presence the officers did nothing to
SUPPRESS over-awe or ntimdate the committee listening
quietly to its deliberaton.
While the officers in the meeting the curious
peepng from vantage point and because of the
cuar psychology of the Negro neghborhood by next day
and for days to come the story will be told and retod IN
hundred different forms to further burden the minds and
spirit and the much neglected morale of the Negroes the
city and State
In seeking the opportunity to participate in the new
employment at the Flora Ordnance Plant the Negroes of
Jackson whose and brothers already in the
armed services of the nation asking only to be given
the right in the of patriotism and loyalty
their daily bread, while sharing in fuller the Ma
tonal effort for the Victory the of Chrstan
ty and democracy despite everything their loyalty and pa
tosm beyond challenge and their respect for the social
traditions of the South found their universal
ceptance appreciation Of and desire for full application
nf Poolor Wochi
Out of the blood of the Revolutionary PATRIOTS with
which, and among the first there mingled the blood of the
Negro patriot Peter Salem there was born the sacred and
nvlolate American Christian Democratic Rights of Free
dom of Speech Freedom of Assembly and above all the
Right of the Citizens to petition the Government for redress
OF grievances the foundation cornerstone and pillar of the
Bill of Rights and the American Constitution.
Inherent in these great principles giving them grand
eur nobeness and spendor shining bright through the
and attracting the hopes of all every where who
would be free is the gorfyng American tradition they
apply with ndimnsheo force to the poorest and most hum
BILE of men,
In the war now being fought American soldiers among
them Negroes, heroes sung and unsng fighting and
dying that men, regardless of race color might
JOY the great principles embodied in the American Const
tuition and Bill OF Rights that the nation itself might ve
and that the Christian Democratic ideals may not be swept
from the earth
The Citizens Committee in seeking just proportion of
the defense jobs at Flora for the poorly employed and
employed Negroes of Jackson and the State exercising the
sacred and nv0ae rights of Freedom Speech Freedom
of Assembly and the Right to Petition the Government
redress OF grievances At the time they pledge their
patriotism and loyalty by the blood of the Negro soldiers
who not without glory have paid the supreme price for lib
and justice in in which this nation has en-
gagged.
We recognize the fact that there those in Jackson
IN Mississippi and throughout the nation who do not share
the noble principles embodied in the Presidents Executive
Order we recognize the fact that there many who would
complain to the city officials that such meeting among Ne
groes was social and dangerous and the fact that upon
cept of such complaint information it the duty
the officials to order investigation We further believe
in attempting to unburden the mind and spirit and strength
en- the mind and morale of the Negro citizens of Jackson
that truthfuy that the visit of the detectives
to the meeting of the Jackson Negro Citizens Committee
presages continuous policy the part Of those in
authority to ntimidate overae SUPPRESS future meet
ings of Jackson Negro Citizens
Mill 0HHITH1n