The Omaha guide., 1946-06-15
| OUR
| GUEST
| Column
Edited nv Vprn0 ID Harris
D THE
O
By George Edmund Haynes
Executive Secretary The
Department of Race Rela-
tons The Federal Council
of Churches

The recent renouncing of e 2
regation by religious bodies car
ries with it a challenge to Negro
Churches, Christian Association
branches and wherever Negro peo-
PIE are organized. Opening ranks
without segregation applies to
Negro ranks as well as white.
The excuse given by Negro peo-
pie that they would rather be to
themselves in their own organiza-
tons does not hold any longer, in
view of progressive steps toward
interrogation being taken by the
white bodies. Recently, the Uni
ted Council of Church Women
nominated and the Golden Rule
Foundation elected a Negro woman
Mrs. Emma c. Clement as 1916
American Mother. In what wav
will Negro organizations view this
in their own extension of honors
to women or their records, white
or Negro
Negro churches as well as the
white now face the necessity Of
changing their policies and pract-
ices of segregation in membership
and in fellowship as well as in the
service they render through their
schools, colleges, hospitals, and
publishing houses. Negro branch
Us now have the chance for a
major move against Jim Crow by
opening their doors and ranks to
whites. The national organization
of which they r a part have Off
cially renowned segregation.
The pronouncements of such
bodies. of course. are not action
even if all the members of these
organizations verbally accept them
but they do have value. They in
spire, teach & illuminate the goals
of the future. Only, however, when
they are ~inpleented and result in
changed conduct and behavior pat
terms do they have real effect on
the people an upon Jim Crow The
action must be fostered by all the
hurches and all the Christian AS
sociations, Negro as well as white,
if indignation is to replace segre-
cation.
Many Negro delegates shared in
the debate and voting at the re-
cent Atlantic City onventions of
the YIN and YWCA. They have
Negroes. or their stats and nat
ional governing boards. The four
largest Negro denominations have
been official members of the Fe-
deral Council of Churches since
its founding. They elect their re-
representatives. to the Federal Coun-
Gil and its executive committee.
They had able representatives at
the Columbus, Ohio, meeting in
March who were vocal members
in all the sections of the gather
ing, especially the section on Com
Cmunity. Tensions that framed and
presented to the general body the
statement renouncing segregation.
A noted Negro churchman, DR..
Benjamin Mays, is vice-president
of the Council.
Despite all this, some Negro
leaders say: IF. we take the in
itiative and urge white people to
9come into our organization, they
will say we are trying to butt in
on them. What if they do? What
is the meaning of the Gospel call?
Why should not Negro Christians
take the initiative in calling white
Christians to membership and fell
lowship as well as the reverse?
1t is a two-way street.
It is the business of Negro chur-
ches and allied agencies as well
as the responsibility of the white
organizations to transform the
community into an integrated So
ciety patterned on justice and on
goodwill. There are instances on
record where a white ~congrega-
ton has made an urgent overture
to receive Negro churchmen of
their denomination into full fell
owship only to be told that they
preferred to have a separate set
up. Japanese-American leaders
are also finding that many of their
number returning to the Western
United States are attempting to
establish separate religious organ
izations even where local churches
offer them membership. Like Ne
groes. they are influenced by the
old inner fears and inhibitions.
There is a long, hard grind ahead
for Negro churches as well as o
the whites. In many of our large
cities now there are regularly or
ganized interracial fellowship set
ups. Many members of the minor
ity racial groups look upon them
with some question. One can I'M
oagine what would happen If hes
white fellow-worshippers should
be heartily sought for membership
and fellowship by some of the Ne
agro churches. 1t would not only
bring many white churchmen TO
our church but would break some
of the other barriers to democr-
acy and brotherhood in this land.