The guardian. [volume] (Boston, Mass.) 1901-1960, 1942-10-10
THE D.A.R. COLOR BAN

Marian Anderson has been invited by the Daughters
of the American Revolution to sing army emergency
relief concert in Constitution Hail. their home and head
quarters in Washington This the group of ladies
who refused to permit the famous singer, the worlds
greatest contralto" to sing in Constitution Hall few
years ago because the color of her was different from
theirs. This discriminatory ban aroused nationwide
protest. Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt resigned from the
society By invitation of Secretary of the Interior Har-
old L. ckes Miss Anderson sang from the steps of the Lin
coin Memorial at the National Capital before enthus
astic linked" gathering of $4,000.
Miss Anderson has accepted the Daughters invita-
ton, but she did under specified condions first that
no segregation be exercised in the seating arrangements
and secondly that she be allowed to sing in the hall at
any time on her regular concert tours The singers
conditional acceptance very likely has resulted nvolv-
ing the Daughters in awkward predicament In bid
ding her to appear for them in the relief concerts the
Daughters may have allowed themselves to be deluded
by the WORKOUT yarn about the coored races predspos
ton to forgive and forget insult and injury Or is it
possible that the OAR has changed?
Have the ladies plucked up courage to contend for
liberty and democracy? They could we'll begin in Wash
ngon There have the absurd spectacle of the fou
tan-head of liberty the seat of National government in
vested with almighty to abolish within few hours
the public practice of intolerance, but apparently salts
fled to remain far behind many other cities towns
liberal progress Cleaning up the nations capital would
be notable patriotic service for the Daughters many of
them always gracious and charming and all of them could
be not for the undemocrac nonrevoutionary
sentiment which dominates the clan and bellies it's official
title. The need of national unity and while the world
is scrutnzng professions of freedom and equality
for ALL may be that the OAR is really to denounce the
color ban which adopted to prevent unpleasant
perences in attempting to contrary to conditions and
customs existing in the District of Columbia"
To reassert courage and will to establish freedom
and equal rights and opportunities for ALL the OAR could
receive sufficient stimulus from remembering that the
fathers of the Revolution created plenty unpeasanness
in going contrary to the customs of their day. With
shot and shell they blasted British tyranny from Amer
soil and set up the kind of rule they themselves de-
sired. In the spirit it would that the Daugh
ters, committed they to democracy could best
emulate the Revolutionary fathers by battling in the fore
front for the kind of America democracy means.
Will the Daughters rise to the high level which their
demands of them? We shall have the answer after
the Socets board of regents meets in Washington at the
end of the month The dilemma resulting from the Mar
fan Anderson invitation compes them either to brave
other avalanche of scornful criticism to back down
from their intolerant policy There is escape even
though the regents may vote to withdraw the invitation
For that outcome could mean nothing else than the
Daughters refusal to abolish their undemocrac practice