The Omaha guide., 1945-02-10

cellent opportunity to tell you how
and why a group of distinguished
citizens and journalists happened to
organize what we call THE Wen
dell l. Willkie Awards for journal
ism in the Negro Press.
1t was just two years ago that I
came to Detroit during my journey
through the war centres. | was told
at once that | could not do social
studies on the impact of war upon
this city without writing about the
difficulties that confronted the Ne
gro population. Ny respect for a
complicated situation to which |
could not do justice in a few days
kept me silent at the time. But af-
ter | had seer a similar, if not iden
teal set of circumstances in com
! munity after community, / decided
that my own city Of Washington was
the best and the worst illustration OF
the fundamental problems between
| the two races, and that the real test
Of my sincerity lay in facing then
| right in my own home town.
What struck me most forcibly, a
/ part from the material battle for
more jobs, better housing and edu-
cation, and more adequate health
provisions that beset the Negro, was
the muffled isolation that every
where drives him back upon himself
Yet | found that this psychological
and social problem, as we'll as the
material needs of the Negro, are
| point by point the problems of the
average white man, although for the
Negro as for other minority group.
they are aggravated and intensified.
/ AS a result of my educational exper>
FENCES IN our chaotic war centres, ]
have devoted myself to what | con,
slider n of the fundamental needs
OF Our country, the establishment of
order III III social structure through
the reorganization Of our public and
private community services on the
local, State and Federal level. This
would not only make our social struc
ture more efficient in coping with
postwar problems; it would give it !
solidarity that will afford each in
dlvidual an opportunity to obtain his
rights and to exercise his responsi-
bilties toward the common good.
The extension of economic security
that is now contemplated, the EN-
phasls upon jobs for 5000, 900 peo-
pie IS Of fundamental importance.
But only through an Indignation Of
the individual with an active. mean
tul world will we achieve the mora.
and mental security which economic
security alone can never give.
There IS no other way to check
the anarchy and drift, the dangerous
isolation of the individual in Dur
competitive migratory, trailer-mind
ed society. There are no other
means that l can see to restore the
feeling of brotherhood and friend
Illness which our people through nc
fault of their own, have been stead
lily losing. In such an ORDERLY
world, the Negro, 1ikeany other cit
izen, would naturally and inevitably
find his rightful position in the body
polite and begin to function norm
ally as a member of society.
Since the Negro press also suffer.
from this isolation, the Willkie a.
wards. fay friends. is nothing 0
nor lessfthan an effort to establish
IN the field of journalism and letter,
that same sense of solidarity which
l consider so important a goal in the
social scene. 1t is an attempt to
build a human and friendly bridge
between your journalistic world anG
that of the white press.
am convinced that the Negro
has many contributions to make to
the nations culture, to our political,
social and moral thinking and to our
common education in national anc
international unity. The Willkie a.
wards are a modest step toward the
encouragement and the general rec