The Detroit tribune., 1942-06-13
BY ISAAC JONES

The peace horizon" In Detroit
was overcast with clouds of racial
prejudice last week when $50 white
employees OF the Dodge truck
plant walked off their jobs because
20 colored workers were transfer
red TO that department. Their ac-
tion was proof 10 the world that
they would rather see Hitler's and
the Japs' bombs fall on the city OF
Detroit. than TO work by the sides
OF their fellow Americans whose
skin happened to be darker color
than their own.
There Nis no wonder why many
are asking the question when will
America wake up?" The correct
answer TO that question Is this
America is already awake-but
racial prejudice Is asleep in the
hearts OF many American, while
o.. the other hand. there are
thousands OF white folks that feel
that you should have the same
privileges and opportunities as they
enjoy. For example. here are a
few paragraphs from w. j. Kelsey's
colulnn-The Commentator, a daily
feature OF the Detroit News:
There are a lot OF Americans who
has a lot TO learn about America.
For instance. there are thess
boys at the Dodge truck plant OF
the Chrysler Corp, who walk d
out because some Negroes were
sent to the plant 10 work beside
them. They were wrong on two
counts. They were wrong because
the constitution OF their UAW-
CIO union recognizes no distinc-
tion between Negro and white: and
chiefly were they wrong because
the constitution of the United
States of America recognizes no
such distinction"
You may insist that the white
race is superior. and must be rec
ognized as such. II you do. you
start quarrel with the scientists.
Science is pretty careless OF
long nourished popular beliefs. Il
aims at truth, no matter how un-
pleasant the truth may be. And
science holds that there isn't a
nickels worth OF difference between
"racial capacities.
''The Thoughts Behind.
Continued the commentator -
"But in the back OF the Caucasian
mind. and not very far back, lay
two obnoxious ideas--miscegnation.
and social equality. The former
was all right, II 1t was forced on
the Negro by the white; the mu-
lattos, quadroons and octoroons
didn't get that way by using hy-
drogen peroxide. But the other way
round. it was all wrong. The Ne
gro doesn't ask for II. doesn't ex-
pect it, doesn't want II. But when
It comes to social equality. as dis
tinct from political equality, which
the law already recognizes, he
means TO get II, and he means to
obtain 1t by the means that the
poor and underprivileged white
man got it--by proving himself
worthy OF II, and by gradually
overcoming the prejudice that
stands in his way"
Allow this writer to add that
Mr.. Kelsey has always been fair IN
his analysis OF any problem. II the
colored group is right, he will cay
so without fear, or beating the
"devil-around-the bush" one OF
tho5 liberal minded white persons
who is a true friend to all Amer
leans without regards to color.
Condemning the action OF this
same group, the Detroit Free Press
carried a lengthy editorial which
stated in part: "Brutally frank
though the remark may be. the $50
man minority in Local 140 JAW
CIO that caused a Dodge truck
plant shutdown did so by pursuing
the Axis Lane. II Hitler himself
had stood on a soap box. and di-
rected the action OF the $50. they
could not have performed in a
manner more satisfactory 10 the
Nazis or more completely at ODDS
with the whole support for which
this nation Is fighting a war"
Here is your proof again OF white
Americans who refuse TO allow
racial prejudice 20 lie asleep in
their hearts. That is what II is go