Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1944-05-12


ton to save the denomination and
its Negro constituency from the i'll
effects of Jim Crow in the future.
This quadrennial meeting, which
represents the largest Protestant
body in the world, adopted the fol-
lowing report presented by the COM
mittee on State of the Church: eve
recommend that committees ar
ranging for general meetings of
the church locate such meetings
only where suitable and equitable
accommodations can be made for all
delegates" The Entertainment
committee, headed by Judge Leslie
]. Lyons of this city, has been
severely criticized for its failure to
provide good and convenient eating
accommodations for the fifty-eight
Negro delegates and nearly two
hundred visitors. Many of the
critics of the Entertainment COM
mittee, which has two Negro mem
bers on it, say that the committee
was not as militant and insistent
as it should have been in trying to
secure equal accommodations for all
delegates. 1t is reported that the
committee was scored by the Coun-
ell of Bishops, which made public
apology to the Negro delegates
after which better eating facilities
were provided by the Entertainment
committee.
In its Program of Action" pre-
scented by the committee on State
of the Church and adopted unani-
mously by the 1872 delegates was
the following concerning the Negro:
1--WE stand for the recognition of
the rights of the Negro. To this
end we urge:
% The foundation within our
schools and colleges of special
courses and activities promoting
racial understanding.
(2) Equal opportunity in en-
ployment, upgrading and conditions
of work, in exercise of the full
rights of citizenship; in access to
professional and business careers,
in housing, in transportation and
in educational facilities.
90 We endorse the principles
underlying the Presidents Fair
Employment Practices Committee
and urge all agencies involved in
the administration of the act to i'm
prove that administration"
Jurisdiction Change Not Considered
The matter of the abolishing the
Jurisdictional system, which pro-
vides for six jurisdictions, one of
which is the Central Jurisdiction
organized on racial lines, in the de-
nomination did not get to the floor
of the General Conference. The
memorials from several liberal
groups including the Youth Fellow
ship, of which a North Carolina
white youth is the national presi-
dent, urging the discontinuance Of
the jurisdictional plan, which
divides the denomination into five
white and one Negro jurisdiction,
did not get out of committee. How
ever, there are Negro members. in
four of the six jurisdictions. While
older members of the Methodist
church were talking and deploring |
the fact that the Negro delegates
were not served by Kansas City's
cafes, restaurants and hotels, a
group of younger Methodists was
doing something about it.
Youths Down Jim Crow
The Seminary Singers, a group |
of thirty-eight students from the
Boston School of Theology, came
here to sing at the sessions of the |
General Conference. In the group |
was a Negro youth, Evans Craw-
ford of Temple, Texas, baritone.
The thirty-seven white youths who
make up the group refused to eat
where Crawford was not accepted. |