The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-08-26
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS
THE NAACP JAMBOREES
By HORACE A. WHITE

THE NAACP JAMBOREES
These neighborhood jAmborees. as
they were called by the NAACP
are nothing more or less than
neigh borhood meetings conferred
around the picture The Negro Sol
der" Ordinarily. all that one
would need TO say Is that they
were good and beneficial for the
general community spirit. There
were certain discussions that went
on In relation TO these jamborees
that indicated confusion about the
purpose Of such gatherings.
The Negro people In America
have been working. fighting and
living In the midst Of great deal
Of emotional and mental confusion.
This Is understandable when we
analyLe the conditions under which
Negroes live In America for the
most part. We have before us =
constitution that gives us equality
before the law and the right to
work as American citizens. We
have q religion. the Christian re-
ligion, which places emphasis on
individual work regardless to his
race and color. On the other hand.
we see the administrators Of the
law dealing out injustice to Negro
men and women. Numerous men
and women Of color run into the
denial of work because Of their
color. We find our religion dealing
lightly, as a whole, with economic
and social discrimination. In addi-
ton to all this, we have leaders
who are so emotionally tied up and
involved In acts Of discrimination
that they cannot give clear-sighted
leadership and direction to the
masses of the Negro people. The
masses of Negro people know that
they have a heritage of liberty.
but they don't know 1t well enough.
They know that the Constitution
guarantees TO them equality and
personal dignity. but they do NOT
know we'll enough the processes by
which these things can be guaran-
teed to themselves and their chill
dren. Because Of inadequate know
ledge and poor Orientation emotion
ally about what knowledge we have
about ourselves. there is likely 10
be confused, costly and meaningless
responses to our group desire for
full participation in what America
has to offer on basis of equality
and personal worth.
These neighborhood jamborees
or group meetings served, first, the
purpose OF acquainting the masses
OF Negro people with their contri-
button to what America is. The
picture. The Negro Soldier"
around which these meetings CEN
tered. showed how definitely the
Negro people have been and are a
part Of what is America. II de-
plcted the progress of the Negro
in manner that gave pride TO the
person looking at the picture. II
told the Negro masses in definite
and in certain terms that they be-
long to what is America. that
America belonged TO them, no more
and no less than it belonged TO any
American. II said 10 the Negro
masses Of people watching the pic
ture as it unfolded the story, that
individuals. groups and races OF
men belong TO America not by vir-
tue of an announcement OF that
fact, but by virtue OF the races or
the groups ability to achieve that
fact-a sense Of belonging.
To put this another way, Il Is
much more important, in the midst
OF our confusion, to give to our
people a real inner sense Of Sc
curity. 1t is the business OF leader
ship and program builders to keep
In mind that the way 10 prevent
frustrated activity on the part of
a group is TO give that group some
historical sense from where they
have come in relationship to where |
they are going with all the people. |
II is well that the masses of Ne |
groes have chance 10 know that /
where Negroes have contributed 10 !
the wealth OF America the culture |
Of America and the emotional dy- /
namics of America, they did il be-
cause they knew they had 10
achieve sense OF democracy. A
sense Of belonging comes from IN
side the group and is not extended |
10 group or race from outside |
Some people in discussing these I
neighborhood meetings argued that
the picture should have been shown
TO white people rather than 10 Ne
gro people Certainly white peo-
pie are confused and frustrated
about the Negroes role in develop
ing this democracy Of ours. II APP
pears that if the Negro people have
some sense Of integration about
themselves and the role they have
played and are playing in our on
ward struggle for world OF BROTH
erhood and a nation of human de-
cency, the illustration Of struggling
white people can be better dealt
with. II can be likened unto two
individuals who are having an ar
gument over apparently some in
consequential thing. II both people
! who are arPIunR over the incOn.