The Omaha guide., 1945-05-12

cannot buy a ticket to the Ice Cap
AIDES even though they are the No. ]
attraction here tonight?" rs Uline
fair to Parks and Bivins? They are
night but not good enough to see
the Ice CapadesY'' why is it that
fight? He stated that DECENT
white people of Washington do not
want to sit with them at the Ice
Follies. Is it that he needs Negroes
money? Or is it that Mr.. Uline
doesn't consider the white patrons
here tonight DECENT"
But there were still Negroes out
side fighting to get in from reports
1 received from Washington. 1t
would appear that Negroes in Wash
ington would have more sense on
this matter than all Negroes living
in any other place because the
Washington pressure is so heavy
upon them they should, by all res
son unite on a program if for no
other purpose than self-preservation
and s~elf-respect; but they don't.
Negro fans load up by the hun
dreds with blankets. flags. horns
and other apparatus to follow the
Washington Redskins to the Polo
Grounds in New York City to play
the Giants. These roofing sections
of Na0raac cuppartipor q +aan, r,pap
which no Negro football player can
ever hope to play. is rs strange to
the eyes of fans in New York City
who know the score in Washington
as would the sight of Jews parading
down the street behind Hitler. The
no bones about its intention of keep
ing the game lilywhite and it has
yet to take a Negro under consider
alton since the early 1905 when
Joe Lillard of Oregan and Duke
Slater of Iowa played for the
last Negroes to don the uniform of
a national professional league clul
and probably will be the only ones
so long as Negroes act as they act
in Washington.
The Uline fight is small in COM
parison with the general problem.
Since Washington is a jim-crow
town despite the fact that it is the
seat of the national government
Negroes should be as clanish as
possible on the race question be-
cause it is factual that they are
barred from practically everything.
The Tribune fight is worthy Of sup
port and the situation has national
implications because what goes OF
in Washington could very well in
dictate the course Of action to be
pursued in other cities. But when
people in nortern communities
where jim-crow laws. exist notice
how simple Negroes in Washington
act in regard to breaking their neck
to see what they want to see, they
cannot help but draw their own con-
illusions and continue doing the
same thing.
OF course, the building of an
arena by Negroes in Washington
could be undertaken because there
is enough money floating around
down there among our people to
build a Madison Square Garden if
they were Of that mind. But it ev-
identity seems that they are not Of
such mine and instead would rather
take their money to Mike Uline who
won't let them in to see an ice show
because it is too educational. but
who will take their money for a
boxing show because it IL 'savagery
and Mike Uline thinks Negroes ap-
preciate savagery.
Washington is a good town for
cports right now IN account Of the
and because of the influx Of
workers in governmental de-
partments. If there were enough
Negroes with the ability and leader
ship to outline the proper procedure
to pursue in establishing Negro
sports as such in Washington. Mile
Uline could be effectively combat
If a stadium were built BY
Negroes in the Capital. there would
no worry about support. The
attractions naturally would come
Ray Robinson. Joe Louis.
Jimmy Bivens, Henry Armstrong.
Ike Williams. Willie Joyce, Bob
Montgomery. Beau Jack. Tommy
Bell. among the boxers; the Harlem
.lo~betrotters NOM the PRO bas-
ketball teams and all the Negro
colleges along the Eastern SeabOard
at least could be shown to packed
Financially. the venture
would prove a smash hit success
a rival enterprise to persons who
hold to jim-crow theories. like Mike
it probably would be the
which would push such per-
sons out Of the picture because in
sports, such as boxing and basket
ball. Negroes are the prime attrac-
tons.
1 hope these few lines might
an eye or an ear here or there
in Washington and somebody COM
es to the fore with enough courage
and money to take the proper steps