The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1942-06-27
war INDUS TRIES

ent. For US the situation is a little
different There IS not enough diff
ference in many Of our supposedly
well run churches and the kind of
thing done over the radio by such
people as Prophet Jones and
Bishop" Robinson to make the sit
uation as pointed. A newspaper
man reported TO me that a white
clergyman wrote a letter to the
station over which the prophet"
vomis, thanking the station for al
lowing the Negro the opportunity
to express his primitiveness. This
clergyman went on to say that it
shows how much this equality
business is all the bunk" He says
/ that all the Negro is really in
terested in is something 10 eat and
place TO live and an opportunity
to shout and carry on his religious
orgies. Well the white clergy
man is wrong. Prophet Jones
can carry on this exploitation
among his people and provide a
show for few silly whites only
because our American democracy
has failed to work. These people
that shout and yell over the radio
are oppressed and for the most part
are denied the right TO make a
living for themselves and children.
The spurious prophet capitalizes
on the need Of these people for de-
cency and Justice. He provides
them with an opiate in the midst
Of their suffering. This is all that
he can do. He has not the brains
nor inclination to do otherwise.
This is shown by his preaching.
His preaching is ignorant and mis-
informing to the people who listen
TO him.
One union man asked a group
the other day why do not these
radio preachers OF our race take a
more intelligent approach to re-
ligion? We in the shops are kidded
about the stuff that comes over the
air every Monday after the broad
casts. The union man went on TO
say that this kind OF ignorance
makes it hard for US. The whites
who happen 10 listen in think that
il we act this way among OUR
selves We are unfit for indignation
in the factories" was the final
statement Of the union man.
That really is the harm that peo-
pie like Prophet" Jones do. They
put all Negroes on the defensive.
1t would all be funny u 1t were
not so tragic. Tragic on two countsi
The people who listen and support
these men are good material for
some real constructive leadership
Tragic on the other hand because
the doings of these radio preachers
scatter a false picture about the
Negro throughout our community.
These antics reinforce the pervert-
ed picture that too many white
people already have about the
Negro.
This column has no quarrel with
the theology of these preachers 50
long as they keep it among their
followers-but when that theology
serves as an instrument to place
the whole Negro community in a
bad light before the rest OF the
community VIC are concerned.
These preachers ought TO take
a little time and learn something
about the English language. Why
should they get up over the air
and spout of so much ignorfnceI
Twenty minutes a day will help
them 10 speak correct grammar.
There is no excuse for the way they
kill the American language. This
is the only language that we have.
We do not have to have a college
degree TO speak it half way cor
rectly. My friends, let no one fool
you. God is an intelligent God.
Intelligence stems not from books
but from an honest effort TO better
the lives OF men and women. Trick
cry. emotionalism and lies and ma
chinatons about God TO the people
spell ruin and disgrace, This goes
both for people and the leader.
Leadership without vision causes
the people 10 perish.