davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
NegroLife In The Tropics
Caribbean Labor Meets The Challenge
By SAMUEL A. BoYEA

In order 70 gain an adequate ap.
prasal OF the intense hostility labor
in the Caribbean had TO face in
the lean delicate years OF peace
in our time" one must examine
closely the social qualification
which existed at that time. but is
slowly bowing 10 democratic, We;
positively militant demands OF SUI
peror world forces.
Conglomerate in The physical
makeup OF its population. the
Caribbean and that includes South
Americas British Guiana-houses
people OF many races, Negroes, In
dams (EasD. Europeans, Portuguese
Syrians and Jews, in that order
OF magnitude. Then there are fur
Their subdivisions - the depised
classes OF the barefooted Indian
and Negro CASUALLY based on color
Of skim and birth.
With this lineup. the tendency
% the colored upper classes is TO
side" with the dominant whites
and imperialism being such as Il is,
all whites in the colonies are DOM
inant. This fsct-that is. the long
standing hostility OF the colored
upper classes towards the darker
skinned lower ciasses-is Of great
import because most Of the delay
in social and political progress in
he colonies is due 20 this debased.
foul social thinking-a hangover
from plantation days. For instance
trade unionisn and extension OF
the franchise 10 his less fortunate
colonial brother have been opposed
with equal vigor in the past by
both the tweedy colored upper
classes in the colonies aad those
awfully sad cases OF arrested de-
veiopment and its sophisticated
Observation-Disclosures - colonial
administrators. tAlas. even the
British Tory government in is in
finite wisdom has found them out
not without deep regrets. This
group ovecrowds the middle class
professions and in order 70 live in
state 10 which they are MOI
accustomed 20 70 great pairs "a
inEict social humiliation on the
masses and restrict wha;eve- am
bitions they might cherish.
As IL IS, ones social position Is
thus predetermined by income
rs,her than fermentation. Enough
The lighter the latter. the lighter
the social burden 10 DE borne IL
days 10 come.
In order 10 keep masses o. people
in their place" God forbiiH. !.
is invariably necessary 10 cultivate
some l:e-sonetines called culture
In the tropics. this hostile attitude
IS nstionalized on the ground OF
the inherent" lszineSs and interi.
ori.y Of the common man and the
undesirable superiority Of the
culture OF the successful man The
plain truth IS tha. :he logic ts.cD
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
Press Broke Ban
On Race Papers
By South erner
wArTRsoec. s. CAMP

wATLRBOHc, s. Clamp -
Disturbed by steries appearing in
the weekly press that he had
stepped the sale OF Negro newspa-
pers In this community, Mayor H.
II. Sweat, exci.edly called John H.
McCray. editor Of Lighthouse
and Informer. Wednesday TO say
that ne had been misunderstood
and expressed a desire that he mat
tiers be worked out through a spec
ial interview.
Mayor Sweat said because I'VE
had some race trouble in the town
q short while ago, called those
news agents in ard simply coun-
selled them 70 60 slow and be care
ful. had no authority % stop .
sale 81 the newspapers and. nothing
4, all 10 do with wha, went on al
the army air base The mayor
asked that q reporter be sent for q
personal interview with him.
Mayer Sweat. oovivous,y dis
.urbed by the story. sad he was
concerned lest there be friction,
adding. Il have nothing against
hose papers and Ia 9 TO authority
10 interfere with them. My talk 10
these men was in the interest OF
cooperation; rather than one Of
criticism"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
FEATURES
Editorial Of The Week

just outside the field. Their, Vas q
tearing. cracking sound and the
plane slsnted down like wounded
bird. Water flashed into the air as
1t struck the river. Then there was
another cracking sound. The
stream had burst into flame.
Private julius franklin. Of
Charleston. South Carolina. Vas
resting beside the river when II
caught hre-tust - he had restsd
beside the Ashley, and the Episto,
and the Cooper ever since he was
. child. But when this foreign river
caught hre he stopped resting. He
slipped his shoes off and jumped
off into the Are. Beside him he
heard two splaxhes and guessed
what they meant. Private James
Scott. who learned to swim down
on the Tombigbee In Alabama, and
Private Harvey Crandle, who used to
paddle the waters Of the Tar In
North Carolina were going 70 take
the hot bath. too.
Private Franklin took huge
gulp Of air. appended. and swan
under wafer until he wondered il
maybe he had not already drowned.
When he came up again, il was in
a bubbling inferno OF blazing gas.
(. was hard 10 catch air this time
but he saw the tlazing plane and
dove for the spot where the pilot
would be. His big brown hands
worked swiftly over the flyers
limp body, seized and unbuckled
the safety belt.
Getting back to shore was worse
than the swim out. A swimmer can't
dive far when he's towing . man.
But after Private Julius Franklin
had got the pilot clear Of the plane.
there Was Private Scott 10 take
him over md inch him along to-
ward land. And just when Private
James Scott couldn't stand the
flames licking about his head any
longer. there was Private Harvey
Crandle to spell him with his heavy
burden.
Eager hands o. the umpteen.h
Engineers (coiored) lifted the un-
conscious pilot (white from the
water. A doctor bent over him,
hooded encouraginzly. Then the
men on the bank dragged their fell
low engineers ashor e. All three
were badly burned. all three were
happy.-Csrl Carmer-from Prop
Wash. Stewart Field, West Point,
y. Y,
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
SPANISH BLOOD
BY LANCSTON HUGHES

his mama said. You know ! don,
understand it,"
OK. mama" Valerie said. "Yo
voy q trabsjar."
You better trabajsr." his mama
answered. And ] mean work. too
I'm tired o coming home every
night from that Chinese laundry
and tindin' you gone 70 the dogs
I'm gonna move out O. this here
reiEhborhood anyhow, way up into
Harlem where some real eolored
people is. mean American Negroes.
There amt nobody settin' . decent
example for you down here 'mongst
all these Cubans and Porto Ricans
and things I don't care IL your
father was one OF EN-, never did
ike 'em real we'll"
Jaw. ma, why didn't you ever
learn Spanish and stop talking like
darkie?"
Don't you darkie me. you young
hound. you! won't stand it, just
because you're STRAIGHTFORWARD and
yellow and got that foreign blood
in you. don't you darkie me. I'm
your mother and I won't stand for
IL You hear me-"
Yes, ma'am. But you know what
I mean. ! mean stop talking like
most colored folks-just because
you're not white you have to get
back in corner and stay there.
Can't we live nowhere else but
way up in Harlem. for instance
Down here in il2th street. white
ard colored families live in the
same house-Spsnish-s speaking fam
lies, some white and some black.
What Go you want 10 move further
up in Harlem for. where every.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18

powder (sunpowder I mean) into
the gaping wounds a militant an,
we.l-orgsn!zed labor movement had
inflicted. The leaders we're called
sgitators and the people who fol.
lowed them hoodlums. But those
who led were 50 thoroughly con-
WINGED Of the Righteousness Of their
cause that they did not run TO
conner. as the knee-pants revolu-
tionaries still do: but they shot
back: "Agitators and hoodlums, yes,
but who were the French and
American revolutionists-surely not
parlor pink play boys and prude
girls getting morally indignant in
their bedrooms. but being afraid
70 go-don't CO."
Even a colonial governor, Sir
Murchison Fletcher OF Trinidad
sided with them. Not burdened
with a perverse sense OF patriotism
he described the Caribbean Al slums
Of empire and fearlessly told tho
Colonial ofRice that Negroes and
Indian workers were 10 1onger
asleep. The Ethiopian war has
awakened them.v he Numbered. at
is = lie that black dogs bark but
don't bite" For this he was
promptly retired on the ground OF
iu-health by the Colonial Office!
Labor. still wearing its crude
peasant glad rags" but shorn Of
its slave mentality which accepted
the absurd theory OF the rich man
in his castle and the poor man at
his gate. HAD ARRIVED. Unionism
climbed TO hitherto unknown
heights and Labor Congress OF
the West Indies and British Guiana
pooled" their problems and made
demands rejecting the highest COM
mon denomination. The demands
include: federation; a purely elect
ed legislature; naturalization Of
the sugar industry: prohibition Of
plantations larger than fifty acres:
cooperative marketing; state own
e-ship OF public utilities: old age
pensions. national health insurance:
unemployment insurance; minimum
wage. 44-hour week. workmens
compensation and trade union inn
munit!es. free compulsory elemen-
tary education.
The most encouraging aspect OF
the upsurse OF these valiant new
forces was that those who stood
at the head OF the stream were
men OF the people. The pseudo
intellectual. who bluffed for years
that he was for the people" al
though most OF the time he was
ON the people. woke UP after tu-
multi ard shouting had ceased TO
And labor opinion shot clear from
under him. Gt had no business
there in the frst place.
The new leaders were and still
are Hubert Critchlow. the greatest
Guianese Of them all" man with
little formal education who kept
his head while those around him
lost theirs. Bristsmen;e. the Ja-
nlsican "blitz," Payne. Grant and
rrinidsd's Uriah Butler. Dr. Eric
Williams charming thumbnail de-
scrip;ion % Butler is one that might
well De used 20 describe Caribbean
laoors men OF IRON and good will.
or them we Can truly say "Men
uneducs,ed. with a queer political
concoction' Of God. Marx, and the
/ B-,tiSh EiYlro;re vet Withal men
o, great sincerity and purpose"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
Here's The
ANSWER

Questions Elsewhere on This raseD
(A) The famous Negro author.
Wendell Phillips Dabney. editor OF
the Cincinnati Union. He was also
poet musician. sstirist philoso-
pher and former psynaster OF Gin
einnsti.
(A 10 years cid.
(A Miss Margaret Walker, . Ne
gro girl OF West Virginia State coll
1ege. Miss Walker won the award
with her book. For My People"
CA A Negro messrnsn who was
awarded Navy and Marine Corps
medal. for heroic action abrosrd tie
stricken aircraft carrier Lexington
IN the battle OF the Coral Sea.
tA Miss Flossis Thompson and
Mrs. Donia Mathews
(D Rev. Z. NJ. Crsvsth
"a A Negro basketball star. we
played with the original Cslties
49,.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
Part ! OF II Articles

In that amazing city OF Man
haitian where. before the crash,
people were forever building things
anew, there lived q young Negro
called Valerie whose mother vas
6 colered washsr.voman but whose
father was . Porto Riean sailor
Valerie grew UP In the streets. He
pn never much good AZ school,
but he was swell at selling papers,
pitching pennies, or shooting pool.
IN his teens he became one Of the
Snoothest dancers in the Latin
American quarter just north OF
Central Park. Long before the
rhumba became popular, he knew
how TO do IL in the real Cuban way
that made all the girls afraid 10
dance with him. Besides, he was
very good-looking.
AT seventeen. an elderly Chilean
lady who owned beauty parlor
called La Flor, began 10 buy him
neckties. Al eighteen. she kept him
in pocket money and let him drive
her car. Al nineteen, younger and
p-ettier women-a certain comely
Spanish widow ard one DR.. Bar
nos pale wife-began 70 see that
be kept well-dreSed.
You'll never amount 10 nothin',"
Matte. his brown-skinned mother
said. Why don't YOU get Job and
work It's that foreign blood in
lou. that's what il Is, Just like your
father"
Que va" Valerie replied. grin
rIng
Don't you speak Spanish 10 me. "
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
Mrs. Paul Robson Urges
Study Of African History
upon as part OF = lump Of one bill

upon n part OF \ lump Of one bill
Lion!
whether we want TO be or not
you and I are not only brothers ant
sisters in our little American Ne,
gro family. We are also fellow mem.
bers in the very big family Of col.
ored peoples. That Is the reason
so confidently address you as my
brothers and sisters, with no feel.
ing OF presumption. We are broth.
ers and sisters in race. whether we
like II or not ! personally. Like i,
very much.
y like II because for the. past
seven years ] have been iookinp
into this matter OF rsce-especially
our race, Of course-and have found
great deal TO ensender pride OF
race.
And IL is this information which
] would like 10 share with you.
Il grew up, as many OF you are
now growing up. very much ware
OF the Negro problem. II vas part
o, the food ard drink OF our house
hold. / wasn't bitter or sensitive
out was fully conscious and in
formed.
"Or SO IL ought, until I went
abroad with Faul in 1928. and lived
in England for Il years. There. In
England. ] gradually became cen.
seious OF the fact that ! knew very
l!t.le indeed about the Negro peo-
pie. because. 70 NY anazement.
found that The Negro people weren
Just cur cwn familiar Is million
American Negross-they were also
ne 10 million West Indian Negroes
about whom I knew just a little
and the 100 million African Ne.
groes, about whom / knew nothing
whatsoever.
Finding out about my new rela.
tons. about my African brother.
and sisters. has been a thrilling anc
gratifying adventure. II answered
ana fulfilled vague questions anc
yesrrirss which ! remember fscec
ne as a young American.
As an eager ST. lent remember
wondering, perhaps subconSiously
shout my remote background, m,
roots, my Old Country. IL the New
York schools which attended, m,
fellow students, white. all had ar
Old Country. When we came 4
the study Of history and particular
~ geography, there was Away,
some I,alian-American student wht
was thrilled with the lesson OF
Italy. some French-Americsn stu
dent who was delighted with n,
session on France, and so on. Anc
often some umid student would &c
up and tell us about trip his q
her parents had taken 20 the Ole
Country. and how fascinating i
had been 20 see al those places anc
people whence they came.
Finding An Old Country
81 remember very clearly tina
everybody seemed TO have an OLE
Country. excep. me. Except US Ne
goes. We were never taught any
,hiHS about Africa. never heard o.
read anything ABOUT Africa. II W
though. about Africa a; all. ",
! thou IN: ~ her. inaccurs;ely as
known now. as wild full savsg,
people dressed up in leopard skins
performing weird dances. yeilinI
war whoops. and living side by side
with lions.
Correcting this wholly wrong i'm
precision. and learning something o
ne real facts about Africa and AZ
rIesns. both past ard present, ha
been for. me q happy and extreme
~ rewsrding sdven;ure-an sdven
ture which I would like very muel
J - sSsxs VIA xass' y
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
POet'sCOrner
A SOLDIER REMI,;IsCEs
BY Charles Harris

Do you remember darling dear,
The night you came 20 ne?
The moon above seemed lowering
near
Oh, j, was heavenly.
The friendly moon. the twinkEnz
stars,
A halo round you wrought.
Your lovely voice. like music bars
Was sweet, divine. I thought.
Ard could 7 1--we again that night.
And you my love would share.
'Twou!d I'll my heart with sweet
delight
To know and feel you care.
Because I love and cherish 30
Your arms that hold so dear.
Your thrilling voice that whispers
low:
''Oh love. ! love you near"
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
THAT SECRETARY AGAIN


DEAR Mr.. WOOD: I guess I'll
have 10 write this column for you
again, what with you virtually liv-
Ing at Selfrldge Field since the
court martial began. As usual,
your desk is a mess with notes and
poorly scrubbed stories scattered
here and there. really don't know
where 10 begin so l have decided
10 elote my eyes and write from
the nrs. piece OF copy ] pick up.
According 70 notes you left on
your desk the last time you were
n the Office. there is quite a grape
vine at Sel,ridge Field. ! suppose
you want the story told this way:
This is the most efficient grapevine
] have heard Of and an on pins
and needles 70 tell your tao read
ers how u works, but you say tha,
would be revealing the hiding place
e. the BOYS most effective weapons
against the many handicaps con-
fronting them. Your notes say that
PVT. william NcRse was shot At
1890 an. the morning Of May
o yet at $50 an. every oolored
service man at the huge air base
had heard about the shooting.
Seiiridge officials knew Of this
grapevine and they also knew Of
another grapevine over which went
the word thai Negroes were. plan
ring 70 take the colonel from the
guards. That was amusing. accord
iar 70 TIRE notes for every Negro
at se!t.idse knew that Colonel Col
nan had been under investigation
weeks before the shooting and that
there wasn't the slightest chance
that he would escape punishment
fo- the shooting
YOU PICK UP the darndest
sumors. Take the one you heard
through the aviation mechanic who
raid that . lot Of fellows breathed
n sigh Of relief after the transfer
OF 80 many flyers 20 Oscods air
base. He said that unless some
81 the beer tavern and night club
operators cooperate and refuse 10
sell liquor 10 flyers who appear
- have had enough there will be
some more crashes and lives lost.
Didn't he hint that ore OF the fell
lows who cracked MP was trying
20 fly q plane knowing that he had
. hangover?
You can tell the mechanic for
me that IL all the flyers do their
elbow bending at one night club he
will not have TO worry about them
getting tipsy. Recently a group
Of officers threw party at this
particular club. paying $3.50 in ad-
vance for drinks. The next day
some OF the ladies who attended
were complaining that all they had
50 drink Was two weak highballs.
Wonder what else these officers
could have done with $3.50?
IN GLAD YOU learned that the
eolored flyers at Selfridse have bet
der records than some other groups.
According 10 your notes they nave
very few accidents and that is a
good thing for IL they began TO
crack up planes at the rate they
ere cracked up at other air fields
these boys would be in for a lot
OF bad publicity It's also nice 70
know that they have the latest
model planes. even later models
than the P-40 Why don't you
write some sort OF inside story on
Row these boys are making out at
Selfridge neld7 II would make
good reading and you could prob
ably work out something with Capt
Richard Ramey. the public relations
director for hear he Is swell
people. -
HAVE YOU HEARD that Atty.
Edward Simmons vAa y Q eAAA4'
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18

udsc lpI bLlC Nlty NOuIlSAA HAS q NCL y
interesting platform! You were
at that meeting Saturday with Tony
Vance. Uly Boykins, John Collins.
John r, Williams tgee there are q
lot Of Johns" in this town.. Sonny
Zone bulb Edwards. Emmett Cum
ninghsm ard Simmons and I'M
derstsnd. by your notes. OF course,
that Eddie IS rot running with
any other csnd date, nor does he
boast the backing Of any particular
group. Just a man running FOR the
Common Council I'm leaving =
note for you - check the rumorS
that Horace A. White and Mrs
Reulah Wh!;by nave already start
e. campaigning for Mayor Jefries.
Who Will be elected mayor again,
according 70 the dispatch.
YOU REMEMBER writing that
line about Myles Faison in which
70, stated ne had a pleasant voice?
We. NJ Buddy Valentine has
w-it,en you az length concerning
Fs,sons singing voice. ard Mr.. VAL
en'.ne says the vo.ce N question
has lost something i once had,
whatever II was Your co.ney
piece last week on Christianity was
very incomplete fo- see by a
no:ce on your desk that James
G bson IS spending some efor; 10
Se, eolored priest another church.
Hope you won't mind my printing
this quotation from this notice. 10
vii. pet-o.t eolo.ed Catholics .
majority .. whom have some de-
gree Of race pride will have an
other opportunity 70 demonstrate
,Aer loyalty for one Of their own
sens ministerinE the Holy Sscra-
rnents a. Flint, Mich" and he goes
On 70 say they should attend q bar
eecue. etc. didn't know there
was such q thing AZ q colored or
white Catholic church You must
bring me UP on these things.
YOU HAVE q letter from the
FIJI requesting you 20 forward any
information you may have on a
person with whom you talked with
them about sometime ago. and there
is a teleph one message from a mem
Der Of the staff OF the Inspector
Generals office about a letter from
a soldier who complains about
rough treatment. The man wants
20 investigate the case as IL seems
the War Department is trying 70
keep down all unfavorsble publ
city. do declare. the Michigan
Chronicle really gets things done.
You have a card from Pat Young
in Chicago but she will probably
be back in town before you see IL.
And there were telephone calls
from the Rev. Claude Williams and
Jack Haskin, both wanting all the
information you have on Joe Buffa.
Gerald L. X. Smith and other NTH
columnists and I'm asking
YOU again 70 answer Jimmy Muir
phys letter Is il reallyStrue
that Gladys Royster Of 32e Hol-
brook is one Of the first motorettes?
YOU SHOULD BE grateful 10
Tommy Briscoe and Ernie Hatcher
fer they are doing a swell Job with
the jitterbug movement you started.
Tommy has interested a number OF
people in the youth cause from
what can gather the young squirtS
are virtually making themselves .
sort OF new deal. Hatcher is in
there pitching with all he's got;
that is. when he's not running over
70 Ypsilant and other places 4.
And II were you ! would Get
ardosd funo6 i,u, VI psiSale,ul
conference out in North Detroit
you know. the one Miss Fannie
Pattman called you aoout-Tll
write again. A. Sprite. your Phan.
tea SaSssiA<<
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
(Seiected Eesch week From Army
Camp Papery)

(Selected Eesch Week From Army
Camp Papers)
Authors Note: I am telling you
this. story. because. . think, more
people ought 10 know about H.
more people like some mistaken
citizens who thin . mans color
determines hts merit Or people
like q friend OF mine Who sid 10
me the other day, Booker T. Wash
ington and Marian Anderson and
George. Warrington. Carver and
Paul Robson don't count for any
thing They're sccidents. It's the
rank and Ale that count" Well,
Privates Julius Franklin and James
Scott and harvey Crandle were
rank and hle-of the umpteenth
Engineers.l
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18

INK gin. for those were prohibition
DAYS.
a natural born eastman" cried
a tsn-skin lady with a diamond
wrist-wstch on. He can have any
thing I got"
That was the trouble! To- many
people felt that Valerie could have
anything they so'. 50 he lived on
the Fat Of the land without making
hail an effort. He began 70 be in
vited 70 fashionable cocktail parties
downtown. He often went out 20
dinner with white folks But his
mama still kept her Job in the
Chinese laundry.
y. ,continusd Nasa YssA
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
THREE ENGINEERS

Somewhere down under" beside
Little river ighter-pilot swung
about and gunned his ship. He
gathered speed as he raced down
the ru.ted runway. A sudden
''jounce' hurled him into the air
and wing. fitting, skinned the
ground and struck log that lay
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-09-18
W. %zh!'.1,;43.
|ANSWER???
~ H.
For AMP
n EI-.-A- rAs. d. ~

For AMP
ANSWERS Elsewhere on This Page
tQ) VINO IS the author OF "C.n-
cinnstis Co,ored Citizens an d
The Life % Maggie Walker
co. How old was DR.. J. Ernest
Wlkins Jr.. when he received his
Pm D. degree in mathematics from
the University OF Chicago
90 Who won the Yale Uaiver-
si'y's Younger Poet competition for
1912,
co. Who is Elvin Bell
90 Who were ne hrst two Ne
go women 20 &c sworn in as
wAAC'S in the sta;e o. North Caro-
lima
(Q) Who was re hrst president
o. Fisk uniyerS'y1
tQ) Who was Clarence D. Young
81 s.,