The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-07-14

ernor from Georgia was In
town to speak to a liberal po-
litical group. Now the Georgia
governor is a good southern lib
eral. For the South the COVER
nor Is away out In front of most
politicians. He has given the
right TO vote to more people
than any other living man.
The governor of Georgia is
southern liberal. He is doing
great job under very difficult
conditions. The governor Is not
\ liberal in terms of liberality
as Negro leadership in the North
understands Ii. In this same
connection let us see that II the
governor of Georgia were liber-
al in the sense that northern
liberals are liberals some other
person would be the governor
| of Georgia. The kind of liberal
that the governor of Georgia Is
today permits him TO lay the
ground work for the coming of
true liberality in the state Of
Georgia. The ground work has
been started. The governor OF
Georgia knows this.
Some people in the North and
South. too. for that matter. think
that the present governor is only
"phony' liberal. He has not al
lowed himself 10. lead into the
position OF putting last things first
in his struggle Ia really make
Georgia a progressive state. The
governor knows that the DOGGY
man" Of social equality has been
used to suck the life's blood OF
both Negro and white workers in
the South.
III YOU want to teach a child
that there is no such thing as
ghosts i'm the old attic. you take
the child into the old attic with
YOU to look for something other
than the ghost about which he
t~~ d~~D fear The governor
OF Georgia knows that II he Is
&c en- men to work together
for economic and political ad-
vancemcnt. he must not start
with the ghost" of social equal
ity. Social equality is inevita-
bile where men have learned the
value Of working together to Sc
cure bread, meat, housing and
education.
Negro leadership has been
kicked around so often IN the
North over this social equality
business" that one OF the first
tests il applies 10 mans liberal
ity is whether the so-called lib
eral is willing TO cat and social
/ ize with Negroes. This is under
standable. but in some ways it is
quite silly.
Negroes want 10 he accepted
as individuals and as citizens Of
our beloved country. There are
so many ways used to show Ne
groeS that they are not ac-
cepted. The method used the
most Is the personal affront
method. To deny a man little
cup of coffee just because he Is
/ black can be worse than hitting
him. When man Is denied a
cup Of coffee just because he Is
black. a blow has been dealt to
the ego of man. Personal re-
buffs are more meaningful than
the need for food or housing I'm
the development of PERSONAL
ties.
Negro leadership has had lis ego
! hit so hard al times. until now II
! tests the worth Of A mans LIBERAL
ity by his social reactions on So
/ cial occasions. Who would dare
I say this is not right when Il IS
understood that social rebutfS
mean so much 10 an on-going self
"a self with confidence and de-
termination.
On the other hand there Is
something pathetic about the
Negroes plight when he runs in
| to white man who claims To
! he liberal and gives personal
rebuffs in relationship to the
main struggles Of the people.
The white man is denounced.
cursed. damned and consigned to
hell in manv, many sneeche>.
This Is as II should be. The ours
ing and damning helps the re-
buffed Negro to gee back his
ego and self-respect The ours
ing and damning also show that
the life OF the rebuffed Negro
is without too much inner pow
er.
Negro families are 10 blame for
this state of affairs. The family
yhould give material 10 the child
that will serve as an inner fort
ress when the sharp winds Of So
cial struggle converge on the per-
4 sonality. II strength is given by
/ the family 10 young Negroes
there will not be these express
/ sions Of hunger when so-called
4 liberal is not liberal, but trying
to be liberal
II Negro Young people arc
given the full meaning Of social
struggles there will not he the
tendency to Jump" into the
arms of a person lust because
he has said few liberal words
on some announced occasion. IL
is 60 silly for Negroes To hug
a liberal Ia death. Let a man be
liberal and take the position
that for him to be otherwise
would cause only mild surprise.
This emotional hunger which
some Negro leaders express
through their disappointment
over the "shortcoming" of some
supposedly liberal white man Is
the result of the lack Of strong
selves.
The one big task before th"
Negro family Is 10 meet this
need Of acceptance on the p IT
Of ones general surroundings by
substituting a great deal Of ac-
ceptance in the family. Where
there Is a great need for emo
tionaI acceptance unfulfilled. the
social fight gets all mixed up
with ones personal needs. When
this happens confusion and frus-
tration reign and little progress