St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-09-29


September 20 issue of COL
LIER'S entitled "Citizens of
Negro Blood" Wendell Will
kie lashes out against the
'tragically inadequate" provi-
sions for the Negro in both major
political party platforms.
Mr.. Willkie in an article un-
precedented in popular magazine
annals said in part: b.. ..
The political and economic
status of our citizens of Negro
blood assumes an Importance in the
election of 1914 which has not been
equaled since the period Immediate
ly following the Civil War. The
Negro people and their spokesman
both in the North and in the South
know this; thoughtful Americans
of whatever racial background
know it; our enemies and our allies
know it. Only those leaders of our
two political parties who wrote and
influenced the party platforms ap-
papently have failed to grasp the
import of this fact. =. ,..-s--
Worldwide RepercussiOns
The war has given new oppor-
tunities to the Negro and at the
same time has emphasized the in
justices in our attitude toward him.
More than that, it has made us con-
scious of the d contradictions be-
tween our treatment of our Me-
gro minority and the ideals for
which we are fighting. The equi-
table treatment of racial minorities
in America is basic to our chance
for a just and lasting peace. For it
cannot be too much emphasized that
IN the world today whatever we do
at home affects our foreign policy,
and whatever we do abroad affects
our domestic policy. The two are
necessarily interrelated. On no
single question is this truth so in.
escapable as in the repercussions
all around the, world that result
from our treatment at home of
our colored citizens. .-..
MinOrities Determined
One of the widespread conse-
quences Of this war is the growing
determination among colonial, SUBJ
iect and minority peoples every
where to win for themselves a
share of the freedom for which
the Allied Nations are fighting.
This Is the great quest of our time.
To future historians it may we'll
overshadow all other aspects of the
present conflict. We as Americans,
cannot be on one side abroad and
the other at home. We cannot ex-
pect small nations and men of
other races and colors to credit the
good faith of our professed pur-
poses and to join us in interna-
tional collaboration for future peace
if we continue to practice an ugly
discrimination at home against our
own minorities, the largest Il of
which is our thirteen million Negro
citizens. ..o.-..
Long List of Negro Grievances
The list of grievances of the Ne
gro people is a long one. Not only
is the Negro in many parts of the
country denied his legal rights in
violation of the Constitution, but
he is denied the substance of free
dom and opportunity in such matters
as equal education, equal chance for
economic advancement, and his just
share of such public services as
play grounds, hospitals and COM
munity provisions for health and
welfare of all kinds. He Is syste-
matically housed in the worst Sec
tions of our large cities, and for
his poor housing, is frequently
charged exorbitant rents. He is
additionally the "last hired" and
the "frst fired" He is too often
denied protection under the law.
But of all the. indignlties and in
justices Negro men and women suf-
fer today, the most bitter and ironic
is the discrimination practiced by
the Armed Forces Of their country
the country for which they are
being asked to give their lives.
The Right to Liberty
In short, the Negro lives in our
midst under determinations which
differ from the racial discrimina-
ton practiced by our enemies, the
Nazis, only in that ours are illegal
and that we are free-if we wish
to fight against them. .. .--,-.
The deep patience of the colored
people is nearing its end. The war
has pointed the issues for them.
They iceland who can deny