The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-12-02
l. A B O R
LOOKS AHEAD
By GEORGE w. CROCKETT
Executive Director
JAW Fair Practices
Committee
mIttee


Negro leadership IN the labor
movement continues TO suffer from
a minority complex. The over
whelming bulk OF the colored mem
bership is afflicted with this same
malady too The complex in the
one is in large measure responsible
for the complex OF the other. We
shall have something to say about
the cause and the cure OF the mem
berships complex in another ar
ticle. But the Clio convention in
Chicago last week pointed Up so
graphically the manner In which
this minority complex is warping
the thinking and the acting OF Ne
gro leadership. that we no longer
can ignore this discussion.
Present al the convention were
such we'll known colored leaders
as William Townsend, president OF
the United Transport Service EN-
ployees CUTSE-ClO) and member
OF the CIO Executive board his
four chief lieutenants. George l..
p. Weaver tUTSE), director Of the
CLIO Committee 10 Abolish Dis
elimination; Henry Moon, assist
ant to Sidney Hillman on PAC;
John Yancy, secretary OF UTSE
and probably the deepest thinker
OF all the colored labor leaders,
and Eugene Frazier tUTSE), Clio
! representative on the War Produc-
ton board.
Richard Carter. executive board
member Of the Shipbuilders Union
was there, and so was Boyd Viii
son, one Of President Murray's
three personal representatives in
the Steelworkers Union. Others In
attendance included Pete Jackson
from the National CLIO staff In
Washington; Welch from the Steel
workers (now CIO organizer fol
UTSE); Q former executive board
member from the international
| Rubber Workers Whose name did
not get; Wesley Thompson, inter-
national representative for JAW
Go, and several other elected Ne
gro delegates who apparently were
unaware of-and certainly were
not affected by-the difficulties
besetting their colored leaders.
The minority complex expressed
itself In its most severe form In
the Negro Convention" sessions
which usually followed the adj
journment of the regular conven-
ton sessions. The order Of bust
ness seldom varied. First came
the all-Negro caucuses about all
Negro issues; then the issuance Of
all-Negro statements to all-Negro
press representatives.; and finally
all-Neg-o group photos for the
benfit-and perhaps the edification
of an all-NegI reading public.
II seems never TO have occurred
/ TO most OF these Negro leaders that
il there were Negro issues before
! the convention. many Of their white
brothers were ready, willing and
able 10 assist in gaining for them
| appropriate convention actioA,
Holding secret all-Negro caucuse$,
issuing all-Negro statements and
posing for all-Negro pictures. thus
excluding these Well-meaning
white brothers, tends 10 create sus-
picion where suspicion need not
exist. II also labels every white
delegate at the convention as anti
Negro
This whole business OF voluntary
segregation is hindrance 10 any
movement which prides itself on
total disregard for race. creed and
color. II would be shockingly dis
heartening were il not so indicative
OF the mannerrin which a race con-
scious social order and its heads
have compelled all SO-called minor
ity groups to operate. But this is
only one OF the two basic reasons
why our colored leaders approach
every union question from a race