Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-03-15

NOW, IN statewide mass meet
ing sponsored by the Mississippi
Education Council. the worm has
seemed 10 turn. The Council met
to petition the Mississippi Legisla-
ture now in session for better
schools, better pay for Negro
teachers, nine-months schools. con-
solidAted rural schools, bus trans
pOrtation, "A state university for
Negroes with all the necessary de
partments and other things.
II you know Mississippi, you also
know that no Negro raises his
voice too loud unless he is openly
inviting destruction or bodily harm.
IN the past, Negro Mississippians
have been heard vocally in prayer
meetings, church conventions. in
OratOrical contests and whatnOt,
| but seldom in making open de-
mands on the entTenchcd white
minority. Look at some Of these
"whereases" embodied in the reso-
buttons making up the petition:
Whereas the Negro is a citizen
Of the State Of Mississippi. and
therefore citizen Of the United
States;
Whereas. the Negro has always
striven to do his full duty as a
citizen, both in peace and In war, TO
protect and defend this nation;
Whereas. under the constitu-
ton Of this country. all citizens are
entitled to equal benefits from and
protection Of, the law Of the land;
Whereas, the Negro citizens Of
Mississippi are too often denied
the equal protection Of the law Of
this state:
Whereas, the Negroes Of Mis-
siHsippi receive only One-tenth Of
the educational benefits accorded
whites, and even less. In many in.
stances,
Whereas, the Negroes do 80
per cent Of the farm work In Mis-
sissippi, but less than five per cent
Of the agricultural high schools Of
Mississippi are devoted to the train
ing Of the Negro youth;
Whereas, there Is an agricul-
tural high school In practically
every county in this state for
whites, but only about three aRri-
cultural high schools in Mississippi
for Negroes:
Whereas, the Negro and white
population In Mississippi Is about
equal (the Council seems To be
leaning bit here to establish
some point: Mississippi's Negroes
! outnumber the whites. the ratio
} being about 5ta to 4-D, G.. yet
more than 800 has been invested
In Mississippi for higher educa.
tionRl facilities for whites to every
: 81 that has been invested by this
state for higher education Of Ne
groes: white teachers are paiC
I about three times as much ms Ne
! gro teachers. and In some parts oi
. the state. four times rs much
d though Mississippi was called up0r
70 to send n Negro soldier to the wal
every time white soldier wR'
y sent: Negro school terms are much
shorter than the terms for whites
= and worth while rural Negro SchOo
y houses, Ra n rule. non-existent."
h Warming up Ia the subject. IN,
, Council went on record as demand
I ing full Justice In the courts o.
Mississippi: repeal Of the poll tn
a law and all other "impediments L
n n fair. untrammcled expression %
= the will Of the people"
I'VE are citizens Of Mississippi,
the petition states. I'VE love he
clay hills and fertile valleys, bu
her discriminatory record In tn
n matter Of the races has not bee,
n such rs 10 make hundreds ~ thou
u sands Of MissiSsippiRns iuStl
, proud VI many Of Mississippi
!. laws. nor the way they are onl
Is too often discriminatorily admin
=" istered, As n result, Mississippi |
~ much the loser. Mississippi stand
N to lose several hundred thousan
Il Of her good Negro citizens With
" the next few years. and why Sim
Al ply because they feel that they ca
better their condition In some othe
d. states. II this Is true, then ther
u is something wrong with MiSsi'
- sippi Why wait for the courts I
D. he asked 10 come into these mat
At tcrsF Wouldn't il he infinitely bel
al ter for the state itself to handl
such things ?"
Mississippi policy over the year
has been based on ignorance an
re ia results, A favored few white
~ rolling In ill-gotten gains from n
in labor ~ unpaid millions " black
81 shuttle back and forth between n
beaches ~ Florida, Virginia NJ
California. leisurely loafing the
10 lives away while an underprivilegt
II people is held In complete hondaG
On pain ~ death, while elected OIL
cials thumb their noses at decenc
at respect ~ their fcllcwmAn and
N the world defying one and all
do something about Il.
h. The only way the chains can !
m struck from the ankles " the in
- prisoned black MisSissippiRn Is Z,
ia him to take the first step. Tho,
ns outside Of Mississippi 49, despi
brave talk and much gesticulatio
are rarely the ones to 90 into Il
or Rilbo stronghold and beard Il
A devil himself Rut they will 10
70 In and fight the battle step by ST
IL they are convinced that now
long last. the Negro MisSissippi'
in Is awakening and is saying al
a, doing things for himself.
he Their Own Opinion