The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-06-20
|IECALISM AND
THE RACE
PROBLEM
By HORACE A. WHITE
=. ,ou,h congregational Church

Plymouth Congr'R''''""
,.,,lism is method OF dealing
,hb problems in a community oy
Er,siur laws for or against a given
.,n.,Iou. Prohibition was the leg
u.,o method Of dealing with the
s.ohlem Of alcohol in our commr-
sr ne There is much to be SAID
y, NV ,ssalism in dealing With social
".ohlsms Also there is much TO be
I'D against leealism in dealing
rah certain types of community
problems
u ,s important that We think
.ant his idea Of legalism at this
H., in our history Legalism rep
|-..sn,. one Of two things in the
Ls,,lopment of race IL represents
r,,srese in certain stages OF de-
|y,Ioument, and It may represent
L,us,raiion II certain other stages
y Development
when a race Is cutting its eye
ks,,h or Is iuet beginning TO real
e hat progress is made not IN
I,rms OF the Individual; but rather
terms OF me strides OF the group
Line legalisiic approach is apt 10
NJ very MISUNDERSTANDING be-
[,rse II gives status TO the group.
fhe status Is artificial, but never
Eheless status. When race OF
beopIe really begins 10 feel Itself
kulsaiinr IN the society OF man,
Ehs race knows that status main
kslned nv logalism is no status. A
hood example here Is the coming OF
Moses 10 'hc Jews. When Moses
sraned leadership of the Jewish
keople there were no written laws
h proceeded TO write down the
kns For this he is known as the
kreai Law eyer. The laws that
Moses wrote down were not thought
b. but had becn established In
he hearts Of people long before
lhey took fern in Moses mind as
)aV. What Moses wrote down and
hailed laws had been tried and
found 10 he good Thus. they be-
tane the law OF the Jews. The
|kEs Of Moses do not have TO main
|zin ,hfmse YES on framework OF
|eraiism " The society that pro-
fuced Moses and the laws are TO
(gryive Moses laws must mott
|sie the people
Whence The Negro people face
problem one Of the first things
pa We feel must be done Is 10 get
law against H. This is natural.
lai Is shortsighted. to say the
fast L Is shorteighted not In
|ha' the intent Is wrong. TO the con-
pan Is true. Whenever a law IA
BASED 20 give to a minority OF
fi'lsns something that Is taken
|or granted by the majority OF the
Fl'Hens TIE progress OF the mi
|orl'y group IS limited in the minds
y me majority group and the mi
Iori'y q the legalistic. In addition
b this din atty. the minority group
; apt 70 feel that when the law IS
written ON Tho books. there has
'een A great accomplishment. Laws
lEalnst segregation are as futile as
laws aeains Hitler. We have a law
gains, discfimination in public
'ervlce places. The situation has
POI changed one whit because OF
he laV This is so, not because the
nlsnt Of The law is not clear. 1t
clear
The great majority OF the people
our stare do not see that segrega-
ion hinder, better functioning OF
IemocraCy for themselves. Hence
No o1he Of business do not have
oney ih, law. In the next place.
negroes do not yet feel as a whole
nat segregation limits their real
onlrlbulion TO our democratic way
Y ne THIS explains the very. very
e' eases OF discrimination that
oNe 20 our courts.
me- brings one to ask whether
'eallsm really is the way to meet