The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-01-20
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS

& BY HORACE A. WHITE )
S~~-~~s>~s~~~~~~-~~~>~~ >~.~~~~~~~~~~~~~S
THE VALIDITY OF NEGRO
LEADERSHIP - Last week GER
tain of Detroits Negro leadership
was up on its ear about the resume
OF the Negroes progress in Detroit
for 1914, which was written by
your columnist. II has been diffi-
cult for your eolumnist 10 see
what they are all excited about.
They cannot deny that there has
been progress. The resume was
purely resume OF the progress as
one person had seen il. and 10 some
extent had participated in il.
Negro leadership Is valid. II Is
useful and has . purpose. For me
TO admit that the NAACP has spent
thousands OF dollars, written thou
sands OF words. attended hundreds
OF conferences. and none Of these
has produced any results, would
mean to me that the leadership OF
the NAACP Is invalid, and there
fore ought to be disbanded II this
were true. The gratifying thing
about Il all Is that II Is not true.
The NAACP has done a noble job.
II has certainly contributed its ef-
forts successfully in getting more
housing for Negro war workers. II
certainly has helped to bring about
a new understanding in the police
department for 1914.
The churches have certainly con-
tributed a great deal TO better race
understanding in 1914 Some of
the leaders OF the churches have
made a contribution TO civic rights
and justice in 1914 There is not
a great denomination in this coun-
try today that is not dealing with
the problem OF better racial Under
standing in America. One very
blatant clergyman felt that the re-
sumo was all lies. For his own
peace Of mind and comfort of spirit
every claim made in the resume Is
substantiated and dOcumented.
@ Your pcolumnist does not blame
Negro leadership for getting upset
over the fact that one person In
Detroit has made the statement that
there has been progress made in
race relations in 1914. Negro lead
ership still. for the most part in
America, Is following negative the
method Of leading. We are still
motivated by the slave psychology
In such matters. You will remem-
Der during the Reconstruction days
that no matter how q Negro was
getting along. whenever . white
man asked him how he was getting
along. he always scratched his head
and said, "Not so we'll boss" This
answer was made with the very
obvious wish that the Negro was
trying to. fool his neighbor. This
brings us to the next point of
criticism. Some Negro leaders say
that II you admit any progress to
white people. they will stop helping
the situation to progress. Now
your columnist does not believe
that Negroes have any more sense
than white people. He does not
believe that white people are COM
plete ignoramouses about what Is
being done to improve the race
relations Of the whole town. White
leadership isn't so degenerate rs to
think that statement that the
issues have been Joined (met) In
Detroit in the matter Of race re-
lations will cause white leadership
to stop its efforts. White leader
ship knows as well as Negro lead
ership that there Is a great deal
more to be done. but certainly Il
Is not imprudent nor Is II appease-
ment to look back and evaluate
constructively what has been done.
1t appears that the Negro is be-
coming of age, and that he no
longer needs TO camouflage the
progress he is making. He can be
open and frank about 1t with the
assurance that there is no great
conspiracy against him. What the
Negro needs 10 do is TO think posi-
lively and act constructively with
his neighbors on every issue. This
Is not intended in saying that in
so doing he will not run into
bigotry, race hatred and diserirn-
ination. But, however, when these
things have been overcome in GER
tain instances. the Negro can admit
that they have been overcome Be-
cause an admission Of positive ac-
ton and the results therefrom en-
courases other people to act more
often positively and democratically
on the race question.
Labor has been Disseminated
against, bludgeoned and beaten
back at various times in our his
tory. Their path to recognition by
the employer and the right to bar
gain collectively with their en-
ployer Is strewn with dead bodies
and spotted with blood. There still
lie ahead Of labor many grave
problems. There will he many
more struggles. Labor has made
certain progress that II will not
deny. and which II is glad TO tell
the world about. II labor says that
II has made no progress, then work.
ers would Nave a right to look
! upon Its efforts as an invalid ex-
penditure Of their money. There
fore. labor rushes to tell the world
about its progress. because its prog
ress supports its validity as an in
strument Of the workers.
Some such reasoning may always
be applied TO the Negro in this
country. We do apply it when we
talk about how much progress we
have made by our own bootstraps.
We stick out our chests and say
that we have come farther than
any other race in the world in so
short time. Somehow. we get a
hurricane Of the frontal lobes OF
the brain whenever we say that
labor, church. civic organizations.
interracial committees, Council OF
Social Agencies and business
groups have joined us in the issues
that confront us. Well. your coll
umnist can understand this. and
you can understand il. II docs not
vitiate the fact that we have made
progress in 1914 There is room
now for some Of the progressive
organizations TO stake out the goals
for l945. rather than mortify their