The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-03-18
Negroes Are Determined

| Negroes
5 BY
Reprinted from The Witness)
q The title OF Roi Ottleys recent
book, New World Adjoining. Is
probably as prophetic as II Is in
formal and characteristic. The au-
thor writes OF Negroes; and he
writes from first-hand knowledge
and with keen observation and un-
derstanding. II has q wide reading
public. not because II Is q classic,
but because he deals with one OF
the most absorbing and unpredicta.
BILE sectors Of society. And one OF
the least known.
The stery Of that ignorance n enc
Of the blights on American church
life. The church has been the Gus
todian ef conventional Segregation.
The Negro was ever there - the
symbol q course II the ether side
Of the railrosA track" Peace II a.
sured 70 both - leng - he was
kept there. (It b not precise - SAY
stayed there.") Slums developed
that were breeding grounds Of 81
cial discomfort, conflict. and even
disease. Besides. exclusion was leg
islsted In one section Of the ceun-
try and ineculated int the practice
Of the ether. And wherever the
church has been established. Il has,
with few exceptions, tended - take
on the social color Of IT. particular
lscale.
Society changes radically only
under the impact Of personality or
exigency. Negroes are being &C.
cepted today because OF q shortage
Of snanpower and not very much
on principle. Certainly the church
has little or nothing to do with 1t
They have gotten jobs because the,
were Abundantly Avaf1Albla In u
] face Of al other rapidly waning ~
; sources, because Of q c0ntinuou
. feUnent for placement kept aliv
by undaunted Negro Leadership, anl
because Of wild though increasinl
demands made by some spokesmer
and agencies Of the federal gov
factors. But one must not forge
the measure of goodwill In the
hearts Of Christians and non-Chris.
tians. church people and I'm.
churched, who have made open.
ings for Negroes deliberately or
the basis of principle and human
give-and-take. Nor must it be for.
gotten that by and large the con.
trary 10 general expectation, Ne.
! groes themselves have more than
proved their worth in direct proper
ton to opportunity given. .
One Of the most significant
things, Of course. mentioned very
seldom but recognized nevertheless
Is the natural concord that obtains
where Negroes and whites work
side by side. There has been real
migration. external and internal
I could scarcely believe my owl
eyes and judgment when visited
an enormous government building
In Washington. d. c.. and saw Ne.
gro executives. Negro secretaries q
high-ranking white officers. Ne.
groes and whites eating 1t the SAM
tables and counters. Streng eem.
radeship has grown up And the shell
Of prejudice superinduced BY I'M
examined traditions has fAllel
away and person has ceme 70 knew
persen-esch enc heretofore lgns.
rant Of the ether.
Actually all this began from bar.
rem need or unacceptable edures.
The federal government In many
instances Is party 70 q demonstra
ton OF latent goodwill that TIT
church In reality affirms as an I'm
possibility. Certainly IL can be az
gued that this Is all temporary ant
people are willing and ready Il
keep their tongues still about thi
situation as readily as they give vi
their sons TO the jungles OF tn,
South Pacific or their butter from
their tables. That's . little too sim
pie. isn't Il? Both result from great
er or less necessity. but one will
distinct implications Of almost ir
revocable social relationships. W,
all know Il cannot be temporary
that's the thing. Negroes will neve
60 all the way back where the.
came from. In one sense this Is tn
first real emancipation that Ia
doomed over the social horizon sine
the Civil war. And even now
leaves much TO be desired. So di,
the first one. But Negroes coun
on the same things now that the.
: did then only now their assurance
is stronger. more inclusive in scop
and based on sure experience The
count on their own potential caps
= billties Negroes have faith /,
: themselves not even second 10 west
ward pioneers. not so adventurou
: but as certain. They count or IN
|. faith that people have In then
which they hesitate 70 proclsi,
unless the Circumstances are NOR
than generally favorable. And Il
rslly. and perhaps most importan
they are determined.
The church has its supreme OF
portunity in this generation. Tar
, IFS and ornaments, and sluns. an
; inadequate education. and unem
ployment. and war are basic prob
lens 20 which the church must ad
dress itself in working and teach
ing and praying for the progress
!. Of the Kingdom in the post-ws
> world. But second 10 none OF ihes
8 actually. and involved in sewers
: Of them. is this immensely huma
problem OF racial understanding an
accord. Certinly let no one thin