davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

story which newspapers run about either Negroes
or Jews is counter-attack upor master-rac
propaganda II humanizes members of the group
against which prejudice is directed To believe
in the superiority of ones own group is easy when
one is ignorant of the smiarities of members of
another group.
II is not my intention, however, 10 imply that
newspapers can be cure-a for race prejudice.
Favorable news accounts depicting extraordinary
intellectual, moral and military achievements can
not totally blot out race hatred. Just to inform
white people of the horrible consequences of white
discrimination against Negroes will not put end
to discrimination Obviously there are other prob
lens involved.
The white newspaper is, however in a position
to bring about decline in prejudice. Here it
can be tremendously effective. For IL can, if il
will substitute scientific facts and favorable ideas,
for false and unfavorable notions about Negroes.
To The extent that the conditions in which preju-
dice flourishes are dependent upon ignorance and
falsehood, the socially responsible newspaper has
a job TO do.
Its job is TO provide its readers with the facts
and to inform them Of their responsibilities as
Americans White persons. due to enforced Negro
segregation, rarely if ever have any contact with
the Negro middle and upper classes Too often are
their opinions OF Negroes based a single expe-
rience with menial or the southern mythology
Of rationalizatons
Unless their news organs tell them the other
Slue tney won get II. Wnen tney get IL, now
ever, in regular doses. their prejudice is modified
When they read about enough exceptions to what
they consider the rule, their rule loses It's validity
Regular reading about the achievements of Ne
groes in various fields gradually piles up so many
contradictory examples that the assumption of
Negro nferiority has to be discarded justi-
fca;ion for prejudice. Such indirect modification
Of prejudice is comparable to that which is gen
orally occurring result of direct contact be-
tween the the battefronts and on the
assembly lines. Both soldiers and workers have
had TO -urieafn many misconceptions.
Let's turn 10 another example. Millions Of
Northern whites and some Southerners would
willingly support FEPC, well as permanent leg
iSlatlon 10 abolish discrimination in employment.
They are Americans who believe in equal eco
nomic opportunity for all They want to do the
right thing. But how can they insist upon abolish
ment of unfair employment practice if they don't
even know Of its existence? How can they sup
port FEPC If they don't know about this
agency? Or II they have heard of il through their
papers, have only received the absurd and dis
torted notions expounded by Southerners who are
out TO wreck il? Last week. however. one De-
toit paper-and you know which one-three times
printed accurate information about the Committee
To abolish discrimination in employment This is
constructive and is encouraging. The effects of
such news are directly the opposite of race labelling
IN crime reporting
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

that no other minority group was thus designated
for unfavorable labelling. We said that selection
OF colored Americans was particularly disr,lptiye
since 1t reinforces the false notions already pos
sessed by prejudlced whites These know prac.
ucally nothing Of the real life Of Negroes True
facts would puncture their prejudice But when
their attention is periodically called upon TO read
OF Negro criminal, they get the impression
that all Negroes have criminal tendencies. Au-
tomatcally, 100000 persons are blamed for
the reported act of one. That of course. is char
acteristic OF prejudice which condemns all men,
bers OF group on the basis of single impression.
That all three Detroit papers, including the
Free Press News. and Times have discontinued
their earlier practice OF Negro labelling seems
evident in their recent reporting of crime stories
Not since the RaulSton case at the end OF March
has the race label appeared Whore Negroes
have been involved they have not been designated
as such.
This show of enlightened public responsibility
on the part of the white press is most encouraging
1t is a definite sign of progress IL means tina, the
curious notions about Negroes possessed by preju-
diced whites not being confirmed with the
help of the UesS. 1t means that decent colored
Detroiters don't have to smart under this add
tional form of unjust treatment
Moreover the white press has been doing con-
structive job In the interests of racial harmony.
All three Detroit papers have featured news that
is favorable 10 Negroes. Only last week they
carried account of the 73-year-od colored
mother who graduated with honors from Miller
high school Space was given by all three papers
TO the campaign for funds for Negro colleges Sew
eral excellent reports OF the efficient performance
OF Negro troops have appeared. Colonel Benjamin
Davis promotion reported The Free Press
has sought 10 focus attention the housing plight
OF Negroes in Detroit News of FEPC has been
carried. There are several other examples
All OF this is 10 the good. We would. however
like TO see lot more of 1t. For every favorable
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Rocism On The West Coast

And the California Citizens Council
OF Los Angeles. This organization
has been circulating petitions for
the "ouster Of the Japanese from
California forever" It's slogan is:
Remember a Jap is a Jap" Its
members are urged 10 place stickerS
on the windshields of their auto
mobiles. The sticker contains a pic
ture OF rat with japanese face.
Still another organization is the
American Foundation for the Exclu-
sion Of the japanese; and yet an
other is No Japs, Inc. of San Diego.
A. the present time another organ
izaton. the japanese Exclusion AS
soc!stion. is circulating petition
10 place a special initiative measure
on the November. 1914. ballot in
California. Drafted as an amend
ment 10 the Alien Land Act. this
proposed amendment. 4 adopted.
would make i virtually impossible
for japanese aliens or persons "of
the Japanese ancestry or other an
cestry ineligible 10 citizenship I'M
der the naturalization laws Of the
United States" who owe allegiance
to any foreign Government. En-
peror. Prince, or Potentate." to func-
ton economically in California. The
statute would place the burden upor
the Japanese American to prove that
he did not possess dual citizenship
The real force behind the anti
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

heading of American aviators were released. The
country was convinced that the Japanese were a
race apart, different from the rest of humanity.
Some Americans wrote letters TO the newspapers
saying the Japanese were Inherently" different
from other humans and we should treat them as
ANIMALS, not according TO humanitys rules.
Now our newspapers are carrying stories that
American avlatorS have been lynched in Germany
The German populace. like the Japanese populace
is said to have been so outraged az the American
bombings that il set upon the captured aviators
and put them 10 death, regardless Of international
law
Hard on the heels OF this report comes the news
story that the Germans have executed American
paratroopers who landed behind the lines during
the invasion OF France Some are reported as
having been stood against a wall and shot, and
others are said 10 have had their throatS cut.
No one holds any brief for these violations OF
the rules OF The young Americans who
bombed Japan and the young American para
troopers who invaded France were playing the
game il should be played. II they were be-
headed or lynChed or shot against a wall that only
proves what bestial enemy are fighting.
The point is that many people in this country
have sought to make this racal-or japanese
crime They have said that ONLY Japanese would
do things like this. They have implied that WHITE
MEN would not do such things. The great danger
of this war is that it would become color or racial
war.-We are finding out that war is war; that
enemies are enemies, regardless of their color.
The JapS are as bad as the Germans and the sooner
we blot them both out the better the world Will be-
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

jettiSon their bombs over the American Red Cross
hospitals We went further and said that Amer
lean planes IN chasing the Germans may have
shot up the American hospitals
Needless To- say made no such elaborate eX-
plantations with respect 10 the japanese. They
were just little yellow so-and-soS and We let II
60 at that.
Then came the reports that the Japanese had
executed American aVatorS. and had declared that
our bombing Of civilian activities was without the
pale of international law and the aviators would
be punished as ''murderers" The country was
flooded with news stories Indignation ran high.
Stories and alleged authentic pictures of the be-
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Is THE SOUTH TO BE LEFT
TO THOSE WHO CANT SAVE IT.

first met Paul Murray a little
over a year ago. when she was
thinking of giving up her law stud
les al Howard university TO take
a try al newspaper work. We didn't
have anything open into which we
could AZ her al the time, SO we
couldn't give her joo, but / had
dinner with her one evening in a
little lunch restaurant in
Brooklyn.
PAUL. looks Ike a high school kid,
quick and alert and gay, and car
ries herself with an air OF irresponsi-
billy that bellies everything inside
tina; head Of hers. She laughs easily.
out her eyes are serious. After you
have left her you begin TO realize
there is sorrow in her voice. Not
from anything she says. or even
from the way she says Il, she leaves
you with an impression OF wisdom
and courage.
This slight. w.ry. touSled girl re-
fleets. with SenSltivity | cannot
put IN words. the humanity of a
people who have learned Of human
nature from the harder. not the
softer. side. There were tragedy.
human dignity. strength. maybe
even a touch % destiny about her
that. il seemed 20 ne later. were
more than hers alone-aS II she per-
soNitied IN one small bundle the
whole Of her people.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

movement inS California, however,
is the California JOINT immigration
Committee, which speaks in the
name of the American Legion. the
State Federation Of Labor, the
Grange. and the Native Sons and
Daughters OF the Golden West. The
Native Sons. with membership OF
around $4,000. is particularly active
in the campaign. This organization
has additionally been. not merely
anti-Japanese. but anti-Oriental, an
ti-Mexican. anti-NegrO. In . brief
filed in . recent suit by which IL
sought to test the citizenship Of the
Nisei. or japanese Americans, the
organization contended that the
words. I'VE, the People Of the United
States" In the Constitution. refer 70
"the white people; and that the
yourselves" Of the Constitution in
cluded white people only" lapel
lan's Brief, p. ~, Feagan v. King.
The California Joint Immigratien
Committee filed . written statement
with the TolAn Committee I'm 1Sl4
in which IL contended that we had
made . great mistake In eenforrins
citizenship upsn The Negxs aftez ths
Civil War. These groups are, there
fore. adherents Of the doctrine 81
white supremacy and their prepa-
ganda Is directly predicated On 80
called racial" considerations.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

and first doubts Of ysnqui efficiency
among my countrymen. But the
contempt and hatred grew from the
attitude OF the norteamericanos to-
ward the Costa Ricans. The labor
erS were generally treated as a low
species OF animal II an order
spoken in English was not under
stood. IL was shouted. presumably
on the theory that any man can
understand English Z the speaker
yells loud enough. When the Iclls
failed. the laborer was sometimes
showed roughly toward ms task.
Though there were available many
experienced Costa Rican truck and
tractor drivers out Of work. the con-
tractors on the highway would not
hire them except as common labor.
The reason? The Good Neighbors
from the north refused to work with
the inferior natives"
A number Of my friends and !
were employed in professional ca
pacities such as office engineers, sur
veymtn. radio operators. craftsmen.
auditors. paymasierS. but 10 most
~ the nortcamericanos We were
"spicks" and "jigs." Though all Of
us had college educations and
thought ourselves fully the social
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
All Is Quiet


Ii is slow panstakng task. The port and the men who
doing the work quiet There is break in
the stiffness except for sudden shouted orders which
muted by the sound OF the surf.
Lines OF smbulances wait silently for the strechers
loaded and then just silently roll off let ambu-
lances take their places
The strecherbearers Negroes and everybody watch
ing is impressed by their OF the wounded They walk
gently down slippery panks carefully balancing
dens that no jolt will increase pain They smooth blankets
which rufled by the wind They lift strechers slowly
into the ambuances and adjust them with def motions
Then they walk slowly back on ship for more.
Every once in while there is stretcher tagged with
POW sign And with just as treat wounded German
is lifted OF ship There aren't many of these today
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

Costa Rlca. That man and many
like him were getting 81 so an hour
tplus time and a half for about
thirty weekly hours of overtime),
and food and shelter for learning 10
drive tractor while the United Ma
tions waited for the road 10 be fin
ished. Most OF the foremen and
some OF the superintendent ! came
in contact with seemed 10 have no
greater knowledge Of highway con-
struction than the Soda-jerker.
This type 90 competence being
widespread. caused bewliderment
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Listen Moe---Meet Joe

aAt AID mentally INTERIOR To the
white intellect The two should MOI
be mixed up-Dut here sues on TIA.
score. The facts are that the coun.
try as d whole spent $50 26 per pupil
on education, Checking on 10 south.
orn states. where most Of the Ne
groes are, We tind that S4g.30 : all
that - spent on the white pupil ana
slIO. on the Negro. When we
stafVe somebody, let's 40, criticize
ann for heiag hungry, ~ order a
congressional invests CATION IS TO
why SO few of them can read or
write. Nevertheless. during the
past five years, about 10000 Negroes
were graduated from college. This
5 more than the number OF Negroes
s.aduated during TIE entire pre-
N.uls history Of the Negro About
700 received their Ph.D degree--tn
AIgneSt honor conferred on anyone
oy the American university. An
other zoo were elected 70 Pm! Beta
Kappa and YOU know how YOU
wanted 10 sport one OF those keys.
More than 100 Negroes have been
outstanding enough to merit men
ton in Who's Who in America. Is
this q sample Of iuferior mentality
Does this show progress?
Now for the payof il YOU
have gone 10 college. you have
heard Of the Rhodes Scholarship.
the most covered scholarship in the
world. Mighty few ever obtain THIS
sir 2!e honor Alain Locke
brilliant professor Of philosophy Of
Howard university. achieved that
goal.
tTo BE Concluded
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Heroes And The Press

AIR-WAR heroes, home for q rest
are honored with = press conference
NJ the Iabrynthine PentagOn Bldg.
Yep. even the darklings like young
b. q. Davis. and last week. young
Mai. George Roberts Of the ssth just
back from Italy. At the conference.
nervous Army Public Relations Of
ficcrS hover over the hero SO be
won't say the wrong thing. A dark
ling hero pinned down by a nosey
coiored or white newsman on army
race discrimination always answers
A. he has been carefully coached:
We are too busy trying to do \
good job. to worry about that" His
invariably forced laugh which fol-
lows Is so nervous. merciful news
men usually change the subject.
Charley Cherokee In Chicago
Defender.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Forty-MiIIion-DoIIar Lesson
By ALVARo FAcIo
By ALVARo FAcIo

a Latin
Instead of the t. s contractors to whom the Army
gave contracts stretches of the road hired
body who walk their offices in the United States
and say truck tractor driver mechanic welder
dragne operator carpenter Apparently htte enor was
made To check the of the hired told by
one man on the job that he had been soda erker and had
never been on tractor his life until he landed in
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Lillian Smith At Home

Dynamic and daring Lillian Smith when she gave
Strange Fruit the book people reading who
before looked twice at book. Latest tribute
great white Southern friend is by author Henrietta
Buckmaser who Georgia before the novels debut
Miss Smith Overlooking with praise she relates
they walked down the mountain. Il heard Lilan's
howdy twenty times block. and listened with
derfu fascination long and exchange
gossip Whether she enjoyed chit-chat important
The thing important her quick smile. her friend
her little batteries the the best voiced
Southern style her gayetes the children the pretty dress
she She loved people, understood that and she
released them." --.-
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

who was repeatedly involved in
a crime. Everyone recalls how
all three papers sensationally
labeled an innocent man, Mr..
Carrot, as Negro" when he
was arrested in connection with
the Raulston case. In fact, one
Detroit paper even featured pri-
vate details in this mans life
on the day after he had been
exonerated.
The disruptive effects upon
interracial harmony Of such
discriminatory crime reporting
was discussed in this column on
March 4. At that time we noted
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

We begin now 20 try 10 shut out the
Japanese after the war we have a
chance Of accomplishing something.
Maybe the return OF the aliens
would mean that some of the Amer
ican-oorn would follow them"
Leaders Not Originally
for Evacuation
Who are the leaders OF this cam
pa.gn? What organizations sponsor
this movement One OF the most
active leaders in the ant-evacuee
campaign is DR.. John r. Lechner,
who functions through his alter ego.
| the A n er c a n i S m Educational
League. 1t is interesting 10 note
that DR.. Lechner was not originally
n favor OF mass evacuation.
Another anti" organization is the
Home Front Comaandos. Inc, OF
Sacramento. This organization has
inundated Northern California with
racist manifestos. One Of its recent
pamphlets carries the caption: Slap
the Jap Rat" and still another is
captioned: mo Jap is Fit to Asso-
cia,e with Human Beings These
statements are made. OF course. in
reference 20 American citizens OF
japanese ancestry. One OF the main
financial supporters OF the organiza-
ton IS Sacramento millionaire. Mr..
{. NJ Goethe. long prominent in the
affairs OF the Northern California
Council OF Churches and treasurer
Of the California Joint Immi grafton
Committee. He is the founder and.
7 srspac. tho chat ,,,a,,,har "a .l,o
EugenicS Society OF Northern Cali
forria. The weird bulletins OF the
society contain endless derogatory
remarks about Mex!cans. Italians
and. n fact. almost every ethnic
group n America with the excep-
ton Of what are termed old New
Englanders" and the Virgin!ans."
Still another anti" group is the
Pacific Coast japanese Problem
League. headed by Dr.. John Car
vu:hers - Presbyterian minister.
graduate OF Princeton, former pro-
fessor OF Religious History az Occi-
dental College. FOR FIVE years assist
att 20 the pres;den' OF the Univer-
sly Of Southern California. Like
Dr.. Lechner tanother ex-clergy-
-l4all', OE. NdIEl tneTs has not always
been anti-Japanese During the
years l92i-26. he was a director of
he Council OF International Rela-
tons, which was created primarily
20 combat ant!-Orieutal agitation on
the West Coast TeStifyirg before
a California Legislative Committee,
Dr.. CarTuthers recently stated that.
after az hour Of prayer in ":he pri-
vacy Of that precious American
heritage. the Christian home in
Christian city In a Christian land Of
freedom" he had come to the con-
clusion that IL was his duty to urge
the deportation. IL possible, by
every means possible. Of all Jap
anese from the American continent"
The japanese Americans. he said.
should not object TO his proposal.
since. II they were really Christians.
then they ought to be glad to be
showed out anywhere that they can
bear witness to the Kingdom Of
Then there IS the Ca,:forn a Citi-
zenS Association OF Santa Barbara.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

equal Of the average United States
ruckdriver. We were forced TO eat
At separate mess tables, to use diff
erent bunkhouseS and washroomS.
IL was not uncommon for one Of
the truckdrivinG aristocracy TO yell
At us I'm the mess hall to stop talk
ing that damn spik and talk Eng
lish."
The Army Engineers. who were IN
Charge Of al jobs. apparently never
made any ser, ouS OF consistent effort
10 control this discrimination. Since
that year of work on the Inter-
American Highway represented tho
only contact az hundreds Of my
coun.rymen with people Of the
United States. perhaps they may be
pardoned for feeling Skep;ical
about their Good NeighborS.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24

10 these reports were those that
the Japanese had bombed field
hospitals plainly marked with
the Red Cross,
Then. 10 our establishment.
came reports that the Germans
had bombed field hospitals IN
Italy and had attacked hospital
ships. We did the best We
could with the hospital reports
and even went to the length Of
explaining that the Germans
had made mistake We said
that they had been so anxious
10 down American fighting
planes that they had been
forced bv combat conditions 10
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Il Can Be Done

Marvin stephens. sheriff Of Muir
ray County. Oklahoma, recently
faced . huge mob OF hooded men
who had come 10 the county Jail 60
lynch = Negro prisoner. told them
about the federal anti-lynching law,
and persuaded them to 90 home.
The Nation
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
The Death Of Or. Carver
Nv ALEXANDER DUFFY
Reprinted from The Saturday
Review Of Literature)

Review Of Ltterature)
Shut my eyes with . willow wand.
shut my ears with . jungle dream:
MY heart will beat beyond
Your magic and your incantations.
Bury me here among the great
Far from the old plantations
Sing me q white mans lullaby.
Sing me . dirge In 1--WE,
Cut me Q tombstone tall and pale
To stand beneath the midnight sky
A milestone on the black mans
trail.
Enscroll my name TO suit your pride.
Beat back the fires Of prejudice,
Whip up the cause anew.
But xeaiots all. remember this:
No matter. what your chant may be.
The black, the white, the red, the
blue.
I died and went where no man
knows
My death belongs TO Me.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
Now We Know

Mansfield. Ohio. reports that the
Of diapers is due in part
to the fact that 5000 \ month are
being used by the Westingh house
plant At Mansfield to polish the
lenses Of Army binoculars and tank
telescopes.
The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-06-24
BY BERNARD CITTELsoN
CONDENSED from The Jewish Forum)

in
Cd
II think native white American some So
called Americans believe they and that all your fore
fathers native white Americans you're under
deusion. The fact that all your
Americans is fairly obvious shan spend much time
that The fact that they always pure white is