Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1946-04-05
POLITICS. RELIGION AND
INTER RACIAL PERSONNEL

INTER.HACIAL PERSONNEL
Most whites we find in inter
racial movements are there be
cause of religious or politica
motives. 1t is very rare that VIZ
find them in the swim out Of {
purely natural and sincere desire
to right wrong or to help Their
fellowman. That is the aboli-
zionist spirit-to right wrongs, to
follow the Christ-pattern and dc
unto others as you would have
them do unto you.
For example, the Catholics are
in the midst of a wide campaign
to do something concrete in inn
proving racial relations and the
other day, a young lady, previ-
ously without contact or expert
ence in inter-racial matters, ap-
preached me to discuss the pro-
gram upon which she was
working. Her thesis was that her
religion had decreed that we are
"all brothers in Christ" and that
she was now out to prove it. She
set her own conditions upon
which she would engage in the
working out of the statement.
Il hope" she said, that l never
meet any bad Negroes. l hope
they all are well-mannered, clean
cut people. II l meet the bad
ones, l am sure I'll be disap-
pointed and disillusioned."
Another young white woman
came to my office with some
publicity material regarding an
inter-racial affair involving the
Japanese American Citizens
League of New York and wanted
me to appear on a program that
would include the celebrated
Japanese-American war hero,
Ben Kuroki; the Chinese-Ameri-
can movie star, Keye Luke, and
the Broadway columnist, Ed Sui
Ivan of the Daily News. Her
leanings were to the left, as or
CARNATIONS and letterheads car
rying her name among the spon-
sors, indicated. Right here she
was interested in presenting to
New York City picture of Negro,
,Japanese-Aperican, Irish-Ameri.
'can, and Chinese-American en-.
gagged in an affair that would
prove they all could get along
together without fussing and
fighting.
Somewhere, somehow, I sens
ed that she was motivated into
her course Of action because of a
political reason and not because
of an innate, sincere desire in the
first place to bring about a better
race relations setup. l might be
presumptious, but somewhere,
believed she was told to do this
or that; better yet, taught to dc
this or that through a prescribed
course of political action ano
thinking. / got the idea that il
she hal been instructed to take
a counter course, she perhaps
might have done that without q
qualm.
A prominent young Negro
woman in Harlem is engaged ir
publicity and promotional activi-
ties for various national organi-
cations. Her ability is unques-
toned. She gets results and is
very much in demand. However
she enlists her services in or
CARNATIONS which approve of her
political and social convictions
Thus, she is far removed from
the great masses of our people
since her work brings her in con-
tact mainly with inter-racial
groups and organizations. Were
she told, however, that her as
signment next would be door, to-
door work in the tenement dis
trict, l am positive she would &c
about such duties with all the
intense enthusiasm she has and
is still exhibiting in her present
position.
Above and beyond the 81 was
told this wa sthe thing to do
motive" is the school of thought
hat occasionally produces Wen
dell Phillips, an Elijah Loveioy
or a John Brown. The hundreds,
yes, thousands of whites who join
inter-racial movements mainly
because religious instruction is
the main influence, or those who
take part in such activity because
the political complexion has to-
day a black hue instead of yes
terday's hly-white, do by their