The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-03-21
A LETTER
TO COLORED
AMERICA

ASK YOU, coloIeu ptolt' - '"e
1 United States. 10 stand by this
great mass OF your white country
men In this important democracy
OF ours, where nevertheless ne
hope Of democracy IS still clearest.
They need your help. By all that
you do. help them TO zee and be-
lieye that white people need not
be afraid in a country where citi-
.zens whatever their color. are equal
in all ways. Every lime one OF you
conducts himself as so many Of you
do. with honest and magnanimity
anu dignity. you are helping white
men and women toward a real
democracy. II you are aware OF the
struggle IN the average white per-
son. you will be patient with him
as ne gropes toward the meaning
o; freedom and human equality. II
Is a difficult and unfamiliar road
for mos, white people. and they are
fearful because they are being driv-
en- along it by the trend o. world
events. You will help them 20 reach
the right end more quickly II YOU
determine that though you viii not
cease 10 press for the freedom and
the equality IN all respects which
are your rights without a doubt, yet
that You Will assert those proper
demands not in spiri. o. hatred
and revenge and selashness but in
spirit which by the very manner
in which /, shows itself proves you
the equal TO any human being
know that this is no small thing
10 ask Of any people. Certainly it is
asking you 10 be better than the
white man has been. But indeed you
must be better than the white man
has been. For II those who have
suffered learn nothing from their
suffering. then the world is lost
indeed. VINO can fght SO Well for
freedom as those who know what il
Is 20 be deprived OF n?
II Is essential now that colored
Americans see what The white man
cannot see. Your vision must be
clearer ihau his You must no, let
hin. FOR a mcmen, be satisfied With
lese than cur American ideal OF
freedom fer everyone For there
Will be no freedom for the white
man either II there Is no, freedom
for the colored. Il democracy did
no, win, The white people would
have 70 make themselves into
great standing army, highly train
ca. constantly prepared 70 keep the
coloied peoples subdued. and there
would be no greater slavery than
that necessity. Il is possible, In this
grave moment, that in such a place
as Australia there might be white
people made slaves by their con
querers, just as white people now
are slaves in certain countries anu
70 less slaves because their rulers
are other white men. The issue to-
day is not one o. race. colored or
white. II Is freedom.
You who know most bitterly what
IL Is not TO have freedom should
therefore consccraie yourselves TO
the crusade for freedom and equali-
~ and YOU must ennoble the cru
SADIE by the way in which you car
~ 4 on. II is not only an American
is human crusade and
You are in the vanguard OF i, today
and not the white people. Those
who have deprived you Of your
rights and have tolerated and en-
ccuraged your irresponsibility as
citizens so that you have been in
iured by patronage as much as you
have by injustice. they are The
ones who have failed the ideals O.
our country. Il may we'll be that in
the future now very close the peo-
pie OF Asia and Africa will look 10
you more than-io-any other Ameri-
cans 10 see 10 II that the world
does not divide as Japan would
have IL on the false line OF color.
bu, solely on the single issue OF
freedom for ALL
Il IS you who carry the flag.