The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-02-12
THE FACTS
III OUR NEWS

Negroes and the Red Gross Blood
Bank - The American Red Cross
has had a little change Of heart
about taking the blood of Negroes
for the Blood Bank. They want
the blood Of Negroes now. They
need IL very much.
Devoted members Of the Ameri.
can Red Cross are running about
now asking Negroes to stop at the
Blood Bank station and give some
blood. Negroes are supposed to
look very flattered at this request
Negroes are not flattered ut this
request. There Is . certain disgust
ing sickness that pervades the
whole body Of . Negro when some
enthusiastic" devotee Of the Amer
lean Red Cross approaches him
tNegro) about stopping in at the
Blood Bank station. The need Is
great The impending European in
vasi0n will mean . great need Of
blood plasma TO care for the wound
ed" A great many Of these wound
ed will be NsEroes--no doubt about
that. Look at the number Of Ne
groes now In England. More will
be going every day now.
The first position OF the American
Red Cross was indefensible: that
Of refusing Negro blood for plasma.
Wasn't this terrific slap at all
patriotic Americans who were
sending their children into battle
with tears in their eyes and a hope
in their hearts? Yes! But Negroes
took ii standing up fighting. We
fought for the right to aid our
sons in any way possible. The
American Red Cross said "No."
Then it changed its hellish decision
after much pressure. Now the
American Red Cross says "Yes" in |
"left-handed" sort OF way.
It Is quite correct and proper for |
Negroes to resent the insult handed |
out by the American Red Cross.
There Is another point that every |
Negro will want to consider while |
resenting the insult Of having that |
offer to help win the war flung |
back In our teeth. The point Is
do we want anv American boy TO |
suffer and possibly die because we
resented an insult too Ions To put
II very bIuntIy. Negro soldiers are
being shot and are dying. They
too need blood plasma. Is It not
true that II there Is as much blood |
nlasma as Is needed available thai
the possibilities are greater that
the NEGROES who are wounded in
battle will ret some attention? Also
we are getting an increasing num-
Der OF first class medical men and
women In the army to serve. and
to see that equal medical facilities
are extended to Negroes.
The one thing that we must be
sure about is that we Negroes on
the home front must be able 10
answer to our returning soldiers
that we did all that we could T. |
help them when they were facing
gun-fre.
The Blood Bank demand offers !
us all an opportunity to answer ir /
the affirmative. The American Re1 |
Cross must be taught that Negroes |
fought to win against its ignorance /
and fear because WE. too. NE
groes) wanted to win the war with |
as little loss OF life as possible.
Negroes will give their blood now
We are not going to nurse" our
hurt over this dastardly insult Is
sued by the American Red Cross
at the beginning Of the war. We
Negroes have had - fight TO make
Weapo0s Ter eur sons. We had -
have . kn0ck-down-and-d drag out
nght to serve In the armed forces.
We are serving I'm the armed forces
on m unequal basis but we are
serving. We shall continue to fight
until every vestige Of segregation
and discrimination on account Of
race and color Is ban'shed from our
countrv. We owe II to every black
and white boy in the army.
We owe il TO every boy in the
army to. at least. make every effort
we can to see that he has a chance
at life. Negro boys are in the army
calling for blood plasma We were
hurt when we answered the call
and were told that we could not
answer the need because we we're
black. None OF us will refuse to
heed the call OF our own boys Just
because a few short-sighted bigots
insult us. We are mad about the
insult. but we are not foolish
enough to permit our bows to suffer
because we were insulted.
Be mad about the struggle we
have had to make in order TO take
our place in our democracy. but
never let it be truthfullv said that
we win or partially win faht
md refuse to act in line with that
for which we fought because VIC
were too mad about having to fight
Some OF the arguments Negroes
give for refusing to aid the Blood
Bank are interesting: One woman
Of education and experience said:
I'VE have no assurance that the
blood we give will not be poured
down the drain" Another re-
marked ANY organization the size
81 the American Red Cross which
would handle its public relations
so carelessly as to be a party TO
such unscientific arguments agains'
taking Negro blood in the first place
cannot be trusted to give help TO
wounded Nero soldier even il they
had blood plasma I have son
in the army" A factory worker
said, There are some things dearer