The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-10-07

I believe We can find the way il
we are willing to look in a new
direction for the source of our
trouble. We have looked at the
Negro problem" long enough. Now
the time has come for US TO right
about face and study the problem
OF the white man: the deep-rooted
needs that have caused him to seek
those strange. regressive satisfac-
tons that are derived from worship
ing his own skin.color. The white
man himself Is one Of the worlds
most urgent problems tod. not the
Negro. not other colored races. We
whites must learn to confess this.
There are many among us who
think OF segregation as merely a
Southern tradition, Southern
custom" that grew out of poverty.
out OF certain economic patterns.
out OF certain racial dilemmas.
when in reality segregation is an
ancient psychological mechanism
used by men and the world over
whenever they want 10 shut them
selves away from problems they
fear and do not feel they have the
strength 10 solve. When men get
into trouble they tend 10 put par
riers between themselves and their
difficulties. We white people got
into deep trouble long ago when we
attempted to enslave other human
beings. A trouble we have never
faced and never tried with all our
strength 10 solve. Instead. TO shut
our troubles from us, We have USED
mechanism so destructive that IL
in itself. has become a menace 10
the health OF our culture and our
individual souls. For segregation
as a way OF l!fe-or shall we say
a way Of DEATHS cultural schizo-
phrenia, bearing curious resem-
blance 10 the schizophrenia OF IN
dividual personality. II Is chilling
10 note the paranoid symptoms OF
those among Us who cling 10 segre-
CATION: their violence their sem
sitlveness 10 criticism, their stereo-
typed defenses, their inability 10
identify their overesteem OF them
selves with the emotional needs OF
others. their reluctance 10 reach out
and accept new ideas, their pro-
found desire 10 withdraw from
everything hard 10 face. everything
that requires Of their personalities
further growth.
Those who believe In this philos-
ophy Of segregation have chosen
the schilophrenic way: withdraw
ing from reality: and this with
drawal has profoundly Affected
their minds and emotions.
THOSE WHO SEGREGATE
AFFECTED BY IT
Il is the effect Of segregation upon
the human beings who segregate as
well as upon those who are segre-
gated that should concern us all.
For we cannot consider racial Segre-
CATION tand its counierparts polit-
ical and economic iSolationism)
apart from mans whole personality,
apart from his whole culture. We
cannot separate mems specific needs
from the destructive effects OF a
way Of life that attempts 20 With
draw from reality. nor can we meet
these specific ends. one bv one. first,
and then hope that somehow in the
shuttle this schizophrenic philos-
ophy OF death will change into
philosophy OF creative living
Hard as il is 10 acknowledge. the
simple truth is that the South's and
nations racial problems cannot be
solved by putting a loaf OF bread.
a book and ballot in everyone's
hand. am no; unsympathetic 10
those among US who are trying 10
believe that the loaf. the book. the
ballot are al the Negro needs-or