The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-11-13

NA.A.C.P. and Politics
This Is q dangerous subject to talk
about II Is one Of those many sided
subjects. There Is so much right
on all sides until any discussion
about II d apt 10 get anybody's
"dander up." But here we 70. First,
I am very devoted to the N.A.A.C.P.
and Its officials. Sometimes they
do not think 90. am, nevertheless.
The local chapter OF the
N.A.AC.P. tried to cut its own
throat during the recent campaign.
Previous to the campaign certain
public officials tried to cut the
throat dntluence) of the NA.A.C.P.
but the N.A.A.C.P. said mo-" we
will cut our own Threats. Here is
how!
The N.A.A.CP. Is too valuable to
the Negro people and our democ-
rscy TO let itself be drawn into a
political dog fight. With the
N.A.A.C.P. there Is always more at
stake than the outcome Of any po-
litical campaign. The N.A.A.C.P.
should never put itself In the posi-
ton Of being looked upon as q po-
litical organization. 1t Is more
than that always. The officials Of
the N.A.A.C.P. must stay in the
position TO state and fight for the
aspirations Of the Negroes and all
other depressed groups in relation
ship 70 any office holder. Public
officeholders are ephemeral beings
but the N.A.A.C.P. Is rooted and
grounded In the desire and effort
Of the Negro people to make DEM
ocracy function for all OF the people
regardless Of who may be mayor,
governor, or president. The N.A.A.-
C.P. Is . process that the people
have evolved. They have . right
TO hope that process and emotion
keep their respective places In the
Negroes upward struggle. OF
course one will support the other.
The issues in the recent campaign
transcribed the powers Of any pub
lie officeholder to really deal with
the issues effectively. The officials
of the N.A.A.C.P. would admit this
and at the same time stay in a po-
sition to rebuke any public office
seeker who would deal with these
issues so specifically as to use
them to be elected.
The people who used the N.A.A.-
C.P. to help pull its political chest
nuts" out Of the fire will be sus-
picious Of Its sincere officers II ut
some time In the future II may be
necessary for the N.A.A.C.P. and Its
present friends to travel different
roads. This may not be important
to the present officials Of the
N.A.A.C.P. It would not be i'm
portant II Il were not 50 tragic
in the lives Of thousands Of eager
Negroes.
The officers Of the NA.A.C.P. will
argue that the organization has
right to become q political organi-
zation IL IL wants to and revert to
type and high duty after the cam
paign is over. Certainly. the
N.AA.C.P. has this right. but at
each reversion II becomes weaker
and weaker. no matter how many
members it has. The organization
is not important because it has
numbers among Negroes, but Is i'm
portant also because 1t can push
forward the cause Of the Negro peo-
pie among all groups.
Tho national office Of the
N.A.A.C.P. has set . pretty high
example for It's local branches In
the matter Of politics. II deals
with the issues that confront the
Negro people in terms Of the issues.
They know that ~ An organization
IL they have this idea and process
they forsake Negroes In their am
bition TO favor . "favorite" person.
Our local officials should learn q
lot from this election. There should
be no 3av0r3ae candidate dHtaa he
has earned that high honor from
the N.A.A.C.P. The candidate for
whom the N.A.A.C.P. spent its
money and time actually turned on
us. He virtually said that II he
had been Mayor. Negroes would
not have occupied Sojourner Truth.
My beloved N.A.A.CP. was so far
out on the limb that Il had to
rationalise this utterance. The ra-
tionalixatlon was that their candi-
date was answering fire with fire.
The naturalization was 50 poor
until Il made Il appear to the care
full observer that the fire was un-
important in the first place, but
THE MAN WAS IMPORTANT.
The fire was important-it was i'm
portant to all Of us. We were 80 far
out that we could not get back. We
saw how easily . whole group Of
people can be taken for . long, long
ride unless there Is watchful plan
ming on the part Of leaders.
The above Is far from saying that
the N.A.A.C.P. Is not concerned
with candidates. 1t has to be. What
we hope Is said here is that the
issues are always more important
than any given individual. We,
as Negroes. cannot afford TO permit
our goals to get lost and snarled in
the countenance Of any particular
officeseeker.
Let US protect our program with
breast work OF issues and princi-
pies, rather than cut our own
throats with political emotionalism.
c,aoevro~ a~nont fnr tJa nrayantion