St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-12-27
Durr Urges
Federal Help
For Education
By ROBERT DURR


BIRMINGHAM, Ala. - In Will
mette, Illinois, last week a dele
gate to the Race Unity Conference
from Cleveland observed that "the
race problem has moved to Cleve-
land" - that prosegregationist,
white and colored, are combating
forces working for the abolition of
such segregation and a better way
Of life based on the fatherhood of
God and the brotherhood Of man.
doubt very seriously if we
would ever had secession of the
South and a Civil War, had it not
been for the presence of slavery in
this nation. The Civil War resulted
in the emergence Of a real United
States-a United States, which to-
day has the undisputed ad-
vantage insofar as furnishing world
leadership.
The cause behind the so-called
race problem, which like a poison
Gus adder, is crawling down the
corridors of the nation, must be
rooted out, condemned and de-
stroyed by education designed to
enable men to understand that to
stand idly by, while the unen-
lightened people of the South work
to keep colored people uneducated,
unorganized and unarmed, is to aid
and effect the spread Of Commu-
nism in these United States, and
the eventual destruction Of demo-
cratic, free enterprise.
Ignorance Born of Denial
The SOuth's gift to the nation
and the world is the sO-called
Negro problem as represented
by the ignorant, bOisterOus, para
siticaI, emotional type of cOlored
people, who by their bad con-
duct born of denial Of educa-
tional opportunities, are making
it most difficult for the race as
a whole everywhere. The cure
for this situation, it seems to
me, is equal opportunity for edu-
cation for complete living, espe-
eially for all the people Of the
South-equal to the best in other
sections Of the nation, by the
government Of the United States.
Since it is more or less the set
tied policy Of the unenlightened
political South to maintain and
perpetuate the counterpart Of
nazism, known as white suprem-
acy," by keeping colored people
uneducated, unorganized and I'M
armed, and therefore subservient,
passage Of a federal-aid to educa-
ton bill would only help whites
in the South, if the funds were not
distributed on the basis Of need
under a setup which would vest
control Of distribution in a federal
board free Of political ties and
responsible to the President Of the
United States only.
Adequate Opportunity Impossible
in South
In the South, adequate educa-
tional opportunities are impossi-
bic under a dual educational sys-
tenn. Students Of both races, there
fore, should attend graduate schools
at least together. For the time
being, schools up through the high
school level should be made equal
in facilities by the federal govern
ment. In the South as well as else
where, children of all races and
colors, should attend school to-
gether. Americans must learn to
live together as Americans by be-
ing taught so to live in their youth.
On this question Of federal
aid to education on the basis Of
need in the South, think the
federal government should make
II possible for any boy or girl,
now being denied adequate edu-
eatiOnAl opportunities, to secure
such educational opportunities
BY assisting good schools out
side the South, where both races
can attend the same schools to-
gether. to expand their facilities
to accommodate millions Of stu
dents who could be sent out Of