Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1942-09-05
The Mississippi Negro And The Right
To Vote

ON TUESDAY, AUGUST 18TH, NEGRO CITIZENS OF
JACKSON and perhaps other sections of the state
as duly qualified electors in attempting exercise RIGHT
guaranteed to all American citizens in the spirit of the
Declaration of independence by the Constitution of he
United States the Bill of Rights the 18th and 18th Amend
mens and by recent augmentation in decisions of the
United States Supreme Court denied ballot and the
right to vote in the State Democratic Primary in which SEN
ator and Congressman were being chosen to REPRESENT all
the people OF the state in the Congress United States
That the denial of this basic right to those Negro a
lenS who sought exercise it is reflection the attitude
OF the state towards the Negro citizens who comprise fifty
per cent of its population and who are now nav no inst
and proportonate share of its is beyond denial
How such attitude prevail in such times as now
and has prevailed for more than Of cen
fury In the state attitude which all intelligent observers
IN and out OF the state point to being of the chief
reasons why Mississippi and its people, Negroes and whites
alike, the poorest terate unhealthy and hack
ward in the entire nation observed during the cam
palgn which led to the August 25h voting in which the
candidates again and again directed their appeals to dea
gogue bgotry prejudice, intolerance ignorance and sec
onlsm by raising the old time carpet bag issues of the Ne
gro social equality and Yankee attempts to dominate the
economic financial and industrial life of the State Indeed
Judging from the deliberate vehemence in which the States
senior Senator used the phrase in campaign speech in
jackson white leaders who recognized the of change
IN the attitude of the State toward its Negro citizens as
beng for the and best interest of all the peope
Negroes and white alike of the state are still cowed bv and
made to dread the charge of being niger lovers'
OF all the knowledge that has gained from the pres
en war; regards the attitude of the State of Mississippi
towards its Negro citizens is more important as point
ed out by leading world psychologists viewing the German
people, than the fact that those who engage suppression
oppression intolerance and bgory pay far greater price
IN spiritual and moral degradation than those against whom
they levy such practices.
Upon such knowledge it clear that in viewing the
future of the State its Negro citizens gain intelligence
and the desire for full citizenship rights inevitably increase
to maintain its present attitude those responsible for such
an attitude must pay the price the overncreasng spirit
ua ana moral effects Moreover upon such knowledge it
seems also clear that for better and hopeful future
Tor the state and to raise to higher the spirit and
morale and other qualities of all its people, some plan of
negratng the Negro into it's political and civic life of the
state needs now to be set in motion
Again and again it has been pointed out by outstanding
national leaders, that because of the peculiar division of it's
Negro and white population Mississippi could well be the
testing ground for the ideals sweeping the world
and for which of all coors aid creeds the world
over are fighting and dying for the ideals of universal
brotherhood of equality under the law of justice and free
dom for ALL rs-<.. -
Here is challenge that Mississippi can meet and in so
dong give light and hope to the whole troubled world and
one OF the first steps in meeting such challenge is to ex
tend the right to vote to its qualified Negro citizens