The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-08-28
THE FACTS m
OUR NEWS
with the present day events. and
try 10 predict the future.

Try 10 preoict the future.
During the last war Negroes were
rushed into new phase OF our
economic life For the first tine in
he history OF the American Negro.
ne was brought into heavy indus
try. Before this, he had done most
OF his productive work in American
lie on The farms in the south. II is
interesting TO note. II We read the
history OF that period as Il relates
10 the Negro, that some OF the prob
lens we now consider so important
and so all-enthralling. existed then.
II was a matter OF helping the Ne
gro to get adjusted to a new work
situation. Everybody then was try.
ing TO tell the worker how he
ought to act on the job. what he
ought to do with his money. Every
body was saying then that he would
lose what he had gained after the
war because he had been brought
III only after dire necessity on the
part OF the manufacturer. The
doom projectors" OF that day. were
quite sure that the Negro would
be lost after the war. Well. the fact
OF the matter is, the Negro did not
lose his place in heavy industry.
He maintained his place in steel,
coal. automobile. and the building
trade industries.
For the first time great masses
OF Negroes began 10 get some edu-
cation. The war opened up to great
masses of our people. new vistas OF
learning which had been denied
them before. The leaders OF that
day were so afraid that the masses
would not take advantage and they
would not realize what great OPP
portunities they had before them.
Well, the fact Is. that Negroes
bought more homes. extended the
education Of their. children where
they had the opportunity, helped
to cut down the infant mortality
rate. and began TO move In larger
numbers into the great industrial
centers OF our nation.
During this period there were
many racial outbreaks. just as Sc
we're in their implications as the
racial outbreaks we have been, hav.
ing all over the country. There was
he same amount OF disturbance
over the segregation in the armed
- "a
having now.
White workers were refusing in
the last war. 10 work along with
Negroes. just as they are refusing
now. in some instances to work
along with Negroes. In fact. the
situation was just as much aggra-
waited during the last war as il IS
now.
SO Il behooves US 10 not play the
process OF democracy cheap ~ Il
relates TO ourselves. Nor should We
play ourselves cheap ~ we relate
ourselves to an evolving democracy.
We must be objective enough about
ourselves to see all of the disad-
vantages 10 which we are put at
any given moment in our democ-
racy. But we must also be very
careful lest we become the victims
Of imaginary doom 10 see the ad-
vantages inherent In any riven sic
uation as we seek 10 have democ-
racy include us I'm its unfolding pro-
cess.
Negroes are making very definite
gains during this war as they made
in the last war. We are getting larg-
er hand-holds i'm heavy industry.
We are being given finer opportu-
mites OF self expression in indus
try. and more inclusive expression.
Certainly some OF this will 60 from
us temporarily, because il will be
the nature Of postwar America.
But believe me. we are making
good our opportunities in industry
today. Negroes will show tremen-
dous gains that we will hold after
the war. There Is nothing inherent
in the core OF American life that
should give any intelligent observer
the feeling that the Negro is doomed
after this war. There are too many
people i'm America today. who real
ize as they have never realized be-
fore, that the American Negro is
a creative asset 10 American Life