davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
We Doy With Three More Wqrs to Fight!

celebration We day restrained
keeping the ahead Most
pirate religious of thanksgiving Realistic Mime
sotans perhaps realize that all of have
fight and before have the right for celebration One
group, the Negro has three win!
vanquished the Negro like all other peaceovng
people will begin struggle by joining the fight for
peace objective the achievement the Negro
his third wharf.-the continued struggle
for first citizenship and justice in his country.
fight the Negro well his
energy intelligence money accomplishment three
main detectives:
/. Buy War Bonds and stay the job.
Urge the U take the lead in ending colonial systems
8. Support the NAACP, the Urban League and permanent
FEPC.
The number objective will keep production moving and help
the end of the with Japan Under number the United
would high ground and international machinery
colonial and thereby much of the for
Third and by supporting the membership and raising
drives NAACP the Urban each working
specive field of activity the American Negro will the
stimulus and direction practical each of the effective
nterracal organizations of this generation 1t through the
these that the individual do battle for essential
rights and justice the home front.
Efforts toward legislation make the Fair Employment
Practices committee is only through fair nondiscrimna
tory employment practices legislation that real be made
fixing the future job security of American minority
We day other believe
in right, still have three to fight!
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

tons are exceptions rather than
the rule. would like to quote here
a credo once published by the Des
Moines Qowa) Register: (for
those who may not know, this is
a white daily paper.)
Newspapers are often casti-
gated for printing crime news, for
printing sordid things which tell
about human conduct as it really
exists.
Newspapers, and the reference
here is to those in the United States
and the British Empire which oper-
ate without coercion or intimida-
ton by the government, perform
the function of telling what has
happened, what will take place, and
of commenting and interpreting.
They have other functions, too, but
the main duties are those cited.
"At Owensboro, Kentucky, one
morning last week, $4,000 persons
crowded into a small enclosure to
see a man hanged. Here are few
sentences from the story of that
Roman holiday:
Souvenir hunters ripped the
Landmarks hood from the face of
Bethea Immediately after the con-
victed attacker of a 70 year old
white woman was hanged.
"'Bethea still breathed when
few persons from the crowd rushed
the four-foot wire enclosure about
the scaffold and scrambled for frag-
ments as momentoes of the spec
tacle.
"'The crowd came in automo-
biles, wagons, and by hundreds of
freight trains.
Throughout the night the spec
tators pushed into choice positions
to watch Bethea die. Thousands
milled about the streets converg-
ing upon the scene.
"'About half of those who fought
and showed to get closer to the en-
closure were women, young girls
and children. Babies in arms and
toddlers by the score chung to their
mothers.
"'People stood on roofs of near
by buildings, hung from telephone
poles, leaned out of windows, stood
on automobiles, to witness the ex-
ecution.'
This is not a report of cruel
Saracen nomads anxious for the
lives of Christian martyrs, nor of
the cries Of Magyar priest scream
ing for a human sacrifice, nor a
band of Doodoo worshipping saw
ages in darkest Africa.
at is a report on the behavior of
a part of those people who choose
to call themselves the most civilized
race of human beings in the world.
Newspapers are but the mirror
of life. Details of the Greensboro
hanging were printed after the
event took place, not before, and
therefore were a reflection of what
took place, not a textbook on
future course of action.
mo, human nature will have to
change before crime, horror, scan
dal, and lust can be eliminated from
the pages of the honest newspaper.
when these things cease to be,
newspapers will not have to report
them"
Getting back to the "rewriters"
and the squawkers, it might be
noted here that the most vivid
simile that 1 can recall is that of
a well-known leader of a powerful
organization who calls up the Ne
gro newspaper office, if he is in the
town of that particular paper, and
says: 81 understand that you had
something in there about me last
week. Will you please send a
marked copy of the paper to my
office? Thank you very much"
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
Worth Every Thought and Deed

There has BEEN will there be substitute for mother.
Too of fail appreciate mothers until it's late
Mothers will their Sunday
they will kind word said about them Te
along with the lofty tributes will be in order for the
phrases noble sentiment tribute
No need tell honor the of the mother who
gone. You will white flower your
again for the day
Our advice which giving well taking directed
those who have living mothers Do kind deed for today
and every day she lives close by Write her often
other community.
every thought you lay her shrine
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
After the Honeymoon-Whut?

Some months in this space the local
Negro community approach the period with definite plans for
its development and maintenance of
pasis sharing jobs housing and the good life of the
set forth desirable goals.
the editorial suggested be beneficial
those who had thoughts plans suggestions the abza
ton of the community make them available the public letters
this By this method could be feasible
ideas which might be used pans
postwar living
Vocal and verbal response the suggestion wide
spread but practical written ideas and dscouragngy
small.
Some local Negro leadership has busy engaged making
money and doing its bit the simply made
money and had good time By and large
table problems which the community will face when
Japan appears o be negligible
In the matter Of employment alone confronted
with problem concentration of Negro workers in
war plants which will likely be peaeme production
offers challenging situation discussion and
plans lad to cushion the impact Of ayo? Manv
individuals will have to make adjustments many need
and expect the help of leading citizens The
moon with wages will be over
ms Negro community in
war course As matter of fact the community appears
70 be similarly lacking in for postwar development never
tneess the Importance of such planning disputed
This again calls the urgent need IN do
some community planning now.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

Then he hangs up. There is no
mention of a purchase in his entire
conversation. In fact, the editor
is expected to be so elated that the
great gentleman" condescended to
call him to ask him to send a copy
of the paper containing a reference
to him to his office that the matter
of payment for the same never en-
tered the question.
Multiply this pompous gentleman
by five thousand or ten thousand
and a newspaper would go bank
rupt and, don't worry, there are any
number of Negroes of this ilk who
castigate paper for honestly por-
traying the happenings of its COM
munity, whether those happenings
be murder, robbery, scandal, or
whatnot. These same Negroes do
nothing to support a Negro news
paper or give it hope that by a
complete changeover of news policy
from the sensational to a more con-
sentative presentation of news,
both in subject matter and in pres
entation, that such paper can win a
larger and more responsive reading
public.
Our newspapers exist mainly on
circulation and advertising. Until
the so-called better element wakes
up and supports Negro papers
right down the line, as does the So
called unintelligent masses, l fear
that the complaints will have to
continue in the form of letter writ
ing and talks because most papers
are going to stick to that which
keeps them alive and they cannot
be blamed for doing the same.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
We DoY. Graduation Commencement
(By Charley Cherokee

What does We to the Negro Well chum replace that
question mark with exclamation point and that's what
What does We day to the NEGRO!"
Now happens lot of smart white boys who raised
hate Negroes have been doing seeing thinking
coored boys wounded and killed they
built roads, They these boys undauned by the
prejudice Of their white officers and tired
ing, volunteer for front line combat duty.
When white and black boys stood together rife hand looking
at pedup mutaed bodies in German prison the white
boys who buhed with shame for white When black
white boys stood watching Italian mobs kick Mussos
boys thought of mob back home Mississippi
thought OF the look in Halle Seasse when he pleaded with
League to stop the Italian invasion of Ethiopia.
We day. end of in Europe be
owshp White boys just back hating Negroes
parents intended The Negroes pfu little
days. we'll become tragic too much
days.
We asked wife what We day
answered joyousy at Hebers coming
other and she said sadly 1T John going Pacific
And there have it, We be lust
not period, commencement and an end.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

and State which require that NO
discrimination be practiced. If we
took the subversive attitude: -
What's small matter like the
Constitution between friends ?" we
could drive any class off citizens
away by giving them poor service,
small portions, showing discour-
tesy, etc. But this would not only
violate the laws and the Constitu-
ton but would also violate the laws
of Christianity and the laws of our
own conscience. We operate a pub
lie place under the laws of this
land and we will not violate them
or our conscience even though we
lose all our guests. Our business is
not so dear to US that we would
preserve it by helping to under
mine the moral foundations of
goodwill, the ideals for which, at
infinite sacrifice, men are fighting
this war. You can refuse US your
patronage and we uphold you in
that right. But challenge you to
read the law, the Constitution, the
court decisions-or the Bible and
then open a place of business your
self and hang out such a sign or
subscribe to such policy. My sons,
brothers, friends, and l myself
have served and are serving our
armed forces with men and wom-
en- who, in their sacrifices, are not
Disseminated against on account of
race or creed. The first men to die
in this and the former world war,
had black skins. If colored skin is
a passport to death for our liberties
then it is a passport to Clifton's.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

it. Uncle Winston has the key to
India and he intends to hold it and
Uncle Sam is furnishing supplies
to strengthen both while he is sap
ping the U. S. of all its resources.
Out on a crossroad somewhere in
the West, big and little, great and
small, are working on just and
lasting peace with four freedoms
for all. What America needs to do
is see what peace means, and find
out what it stands for, then We will
have peace without so much prayer.
American way of peace is going
to find tough shedding, in the minds
of forty-nine nationalities of men.
Knowing and seeing in this war the
way they treat their colored
soldiers and ninety per cent of
these men are in their countries.
If white officers would take hatred
out of their book of rules, their
efforts would be sprayed with
Migrants for harmony, bringing
good results for both officers and
men without any trouble. Colored
soldiers have fought with white
soldiers in foxholes and in the hills,
fought, starved and died for ideals,
they thought were right. They
were in their right place in strife,
for Rankin" But on the to-
morrow, peace is now in sight. They
find "two roads" to peace SO it
seems. But after peace we do earn
estly pray that the roads for white
and black will join and flow in the
stream of life, for just and lasting
peace for all with no flaws.
Yours truly,
EARL BELL,
1745 Edgerton,
st. Paul, Route 6
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
What Is Peace?
Earl Bell Asks
JAIN NEAL,
Honolulu, April 20, 1916.

Earl Bell Asks
Editor: Peoples of all races and
nationalities are praying for peace,
but they do not say what kind of
peace or where it is supposed to
come from, just SO it is peace.
Peace for some means relations
coming home, to some it is the end
ing of the war, to others it is slow
ing up of production and others it
means nothing.
One would wonder why so much
prayer is offered by so many people
for a peace they know so little
about. The peace they are praying
for is an American peace with no
anchor to hold it down. Fourteen
million people are asking for peace
without fear and strife. Must they
live in hopes for that much after
so much prayer? That is the wrong
kind of peace. That is just for
few. Its spray has an inductive
aroma of RECOMMENDATION toward
darker races.
Uncle Joe has the key to the
peace situation and aims to retain
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

These readers charge that the
playing up of murder, robbery, race
infideity, ETC., tend to tear the race
down and to hold the group up in
an unfavorable light for the rest
of the world. The attitude is that
Negroes should hide as much as
possible of their faults and write
only of what can be accepted as
good.
These complaints can be broken
down and analysed if one would
take the trouble, and the subject
is fitting for comment here. The
person who sits down and writes a
letter to a newspaper editor, COM
planning of the playing up of the
so-called unwelcomed crime story
all over the paper which he or she
would not deem good reading, has
usually a greater interest in
(white) daily papers than a funda-
mental desire to see improvement
in publications of his own race. OF
course this is an extreme view in
some cases but can be found to holu
water when universally applied.
these "rewriterS" fall mainly into
a class with which social workers,
ministers, lawyers, doctors, society
folk, and others of the profess
sional group are identified.
The Negro newspaper that has
one-tenth circulation, or finds the
Oulk of its circulation among these
people, is fortunate for such circu-
latlon putting them over the ten
or twenty thousand mark because,
Brother, there "ain't" that many
of them.
These chronic complaints are
penned by persons who demand
that an entire race conform to their
view of how they would want the
white man to see US. The Negro
who shoots craps, beats his wife,
gets drunk on Saturday night,
steals basket of potatoes from
the corner grocery store, is re-
garded as a strange animal with
whom no thinking Negro should
want to be identified. Further,
this same Negro has no counterpart
in any other race, according to
certain way of thinking that pre-
walls among the 'rewriters"; conse-
quently, to identify him with the
dignity of attention in a news story
is an objectionable error, so think
the "rewriters."
The same might go for the man
who kills fellow in a fit of anger
or shoots up the bar, strangles a
girl, rapes child, robs a home, or
Stays an unfaithful wife. To the
"rewriters" none of these things is
worthy of comment. Instead, the
good, as outlined by them, would be
mainly long-involved stories about
a Negroes suing some restaurant
for refusing to serve him; heavy
stories in the efforts of the N. A.
A. c. P, or other organizations to
win the right for a Negro to sit
down beside white man on train,
bus, or reside with him in a hotel,
or stories about inter-racial ban
quets where sleep-producing talks
are delivered by the hour and the
participants sit side by side with
big-name whites.
To disagree, l would say that
crime news, as such, is just as i'm
portant a part of a newspaper COW
erage as its editorials. Crime
stories, while admittedly morbid,
nauseating, as we'll as disturbing
to sensitive readers, do more to
mirror the temper, morale, and
habits of community than any
other news story.
The crime story is basic in a
Negro newspaper as we'll as any
white paper, and those papers
which shy away from the formula
as old as the craft of communica-
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
Letters
SUBSCRIBES FROM

SCoAONANADLSo NJ"
HONOLULU ISLES
Editor: Enclosed find P. o.
money order for one years sub
scription to your paper. 1 have
received from friends at various
times a copy and enjoy reading it
very much. I've been away from
st. Paul quite some time, but Pm
always glad to read about my old
friends. hope to be able to visit
your offices after my completion
of present contract here in 1916.
Hoping you continued success in
your endeavors in the future, 1 re-
main,
Sincerely yours,
JACK NEAL,
Honolulu, April 20, 1916.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
Carolina Paper Lambasts
Dan Gardner
(From Carolina Dunham. N. CT Times

From carolina (Dunham, n c. Times)
Last week. Dan Gardner in his TALK"
the CAROLINA TIMES other Negro newpapers
throughout the country the task on
Of Jim Crow and discrimination stores
the south Mr. Gardner further article also says that
Negroes in the South should have solved relating
trade with whites whether Jewish Cracker"
We think readers willing the CARO-
LIMA TIMES that pull punches the rights
Negroes the South anywhere country We live edit
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

MadhOuSe
The following iSmade in the in
terest of Clifton's During the
past 20 months l have seen a Num-
Der One cafeteria degenerate into
a madhouse l ate regularly my
three square meals . would still
eat there but for the fact that I'm
enveloped by the colored race =.
When l mention Clifton's
among my clique now, they say in
a serious tone: Why, didn't you
know that no one eats there any
more who thinks anything of him
sef?' This proves am
not alone in my conclusions . =.
But before l made my final decision
to stay away E. I asked one of the
hostesses in a subtle manner
what they thought, saying 4
didn't know Negroes ate in here
to which she replied Tt IS a
recent thing ..v
of course, if that is the set-up
you want, l, like so many others,
will eat elsewhere even though we
prefer the environment of Clifton's.
But it seems to US that the
name Clifton's had built up until
few months ago would not
be harmed if sign on the door
read: White Race Only"
A Representative for 16
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

City Man Renews
Paper in GrinnelI
Editor: Every Saturday l go to
my mail box eagerly looking for
your paper. This Saturday was
disappointed and only found the bill
for new subscription.
Certainly want to continue TAX
ing the paper. Enclosed is payment
for next year, and thanks for send
ing it down here when 1 left the
city this year.
LEE KLEISS,
Grinnell, Iowa.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
CAPT. FRED HUTCHINSON JR
White Race ONLY
Bv Geo. L. Lee

The world famed Cftons California
their fine food Several months LIFE
pages to the firm and its
In the April 26 issue of the Cfons FOR THOT weekly
bulletin issued by the unique establishment appeared from
former white who complained that he quit patronzng
because it served Negroes.
The letter and the reply told powerful story we reprint both
Here is the patrons letter:
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
REPLY OF CLIFTONS

Answer: Thanks for your past
patronage. The surest way to go
out of business would be for a
cafeteria to put up such a sign in
violation of the Constitution of the
United States, the laws of our City
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
So True, So True?

requires no governmental authority permission to start
paperNgro oherwe-bu requiring increasing capital
outlay intelligence newspaper knowledge journalism and
and business management to keep one
Editor Publisher Editor and Printer.
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11

Every editor of Negro newspaper, from time to time,
into barrage of complaints and squawks from his read
the topic of crime his front page These
plants in the form of O letters to the editor ) per-
sona telephone calls or discussions and (3) refusal to
he
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
Minneapolis Primary Elections

minneapolis has primary election Monday a. Nominees
for various city Offices including of mayor will be selected
Every citizen should vote Monday citizens
responsibility in the matter of exercising
In TINS section of the where
any from casting ballot for the candidate choice Negroes
should take full advantage of the their
Knowing the situation other have no paence with
any Negro who lives where he do So
Japans leaders have gumpon they'll throw in the towel
Uncle (Joe Louis) Sam is readying a knockout punch
Snow fues and 81 weather in Nav make Us wish for
March with its balmy breezes degree temperature
Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1945-05-11
Crime News In the
Negro Newspaper
By Dan Gardner

By Dan Gardner
Average Publication Found Only Mirroring It's Own
Community In Honest Report of What Is Going On
Evening star., 1945-05-31
Revival Of Anti Jew Law
Proposed in Commons
BY the Associated Press.

By the Associated Press.
LONDON, May 31.-A revival Of
a medieval British statute restricting
the rights Of Jews was proposed in
Commons today by Capt. A. H. M.
Ramsay, a Unionist member of Par
lament who was imprisoned four
years ago under the British Defense
Act.
Capt. Ramsay was jailed after or
ganizing the Right Club" In 1899
with the avowed purpose of saving
Britain from the Jews"
His motion calling for reintro-
duction of the ancient statute said
it protected Britons from Jewish
extortion and exploitation"
The statute, enacted in 1890, re-
quired all Jews over 7 years old to
wear a yellow badge, required them
to live only In towns approved by
the King and forced them to pay
heavier taxes than Christians. The
law was repealed in 1886.