The Omaha guide., 1942-07-25
Negroes Protest Lynchines, Poll Tax
IN NEW YORK JULY %

IN NEW YORK JULY %
NEW YORK-The execution Of
OdelI Waller on July 2nd, described
as a legal lynching" by irate Ne
groes, followed closely BY the mob
lynehing of Willie Vinson On Jul
is in Texarkana, Texas. the shoot
ing of Private Jessie Smith by a
posse in Flagstaff. Arizona and the
beating OF the noted Negro tenor.
Roland Hayes and his wife in Rome
Georgia, have brought a country
wide storm Of protest from Negroes.
New York Negroes under the d.
rection of the local division Of The
March on Washington Movement
plan a silent parade to the beat Of
muffled drums. Saturday, July p at
2-30 to protest this wave Of killings.
Mr. A Philip Randolph. national
director Of the March on washing
ton Movement. in a vigorous letter
Of protest to President Roosevelt
declared, walters electrouction has
intensified a wave Of deteorminat-
ion for a showdown on the question
Of total democracy for the Negro
which cannot long be held back bv
leaders who use the bargain AMI
compromise method. It was the
signal for the barbarous forces in
this country to renew the unleash
ing OF their venom Of hatred upon
the Negro people.
With the world in the agony Of
a war for the survival Of sheer hui
man decency. the race issue in Am
erica is crucial to the whole str-Ig-
gle These fascist-Iike brutaIities in
the United States are grist for the
propaganda mill Of the Axis powers
and individually will be used to des-
stroy the faith Of the allied nations
in the honesty and integrity OF Am
erican democracy, and hasten the
deterioration OF the morale Of the
enslaved peoples Of the world which
hangs preeariously on this hope,
Mr.. Randolph continued. If the
Negro is not given his full rights |
now, then the battle for Democracy
is lost"
IN announcing plans for the par
ade, DR.. Lawrence Erwin, President
Of the New York Division, March
on Washington Movement said Eve
the world to know. and pa--
ticularly our Government, how the
Negroes in Harlem feel about the
electrocution of Waller, the lynch
ings Of Willie Vinson and Private |
Smith in Texas and Arizona, and
the brutal beating and falling Of
Roland Hayes There viii be more
Walters and Wilson's and Smiths if
we let these things go unchallenged.
No Negro is safe anywhere"
The March on Washington Move
DR.. Erwin continued, lis dedi-
Gated to fighting all forms Of nat
ionaI oppression perpetuated q
gainst the Negro. we intend mil
itantly to show to white America
that the evil Of the poll tax system
which fosters these lynchings AMI
beatings shall De buried in the same
grave with Odel1 Waller"
Wearing black mourning arm
bands and carrying signs Of nro-
test against Iynching, walters elec-
trocution and the poll tax, the mat-
cheers will assemble at 56th Street,
and sth Avenue, march south 70
14th Street, east on 14th to Union
Square where the paraders will be
greeted by music and speakers.
The speakers at Union Square
will be Golden Brown, Chairman
and member of the March on Wash
ington Movement; william Agar,
Educational Director. Freedom
House. Frank r. Crosswaith, diree-
tor, Negro Labor Committee and
member New York Housing Author
ity: John z. Finerty, counsel for
Workers Defense League who
handled the Waller case; DR.. Law
renee Erwin, President, New York
Division. March on Washington
Movement: DR.. Claiming Tobias,
National Council, YMCA; Layle
Lane, Vice President. American Eel
Grafton Of Teachers, and Anna Arm
old Hedgeman. Negro Women. II
e~orporated. and Ashley L. Tottea,
International Secretary-Treasurer IF
brotherhood Of Sleeping Car Pr
ters-
The program at Union Square
viii begin at 400 p. ID. The local
division Of the March on Washing
ton Movement has issued 100. 900
leaflets and 1000 posters in Harlem
and Brooklyn during the past week
A city wide conference at the YM-
CA. on Friday, July 18th. attended
by representatives OF 50 organIz-
ations set in motion plans for the
parade under the Craftsmanship of