Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-08-30
ers are sticking their heads In
the sands will solve nothing.

ers are sticking their heads In
the sands will solve nothing.
The veterans blame the War De-
partment for condoning, perpetual
Ing and expanding segregation and
second class citizenship where IL
never had existed In the states
before and over seas. They say
that II Uncle Sam can protect for
eiRners against abuse from Hitlers
he can do something for them In
the south. Their faith In the FBI
and "Uncle Sam" IL almost child
like. ! found them 10 be discouraged
but by no means afraid. The fact
that they are crowding the citadeIs
Of learning 10 the bursting point
Is glowing testimony that they wish
10 qualify as useful citizens.
The illiterate fringe, an integral
part Of a struggling people, simply
say with fiTm conviction, We've
been here as long rs they have and
we amt going nowhere" These
people are valuable. They are the
guinea pigs who sacTiiice their
safety 10 test the Supreme Court
decisions. They are the bus travel
ers. They are the ones who sit
on the fTst seat behind the driver
and announce in bad English but
with unfaltering pride that I'm
not gonna move cause the Supreme
Court says don't have to-"
| say they are illiterate only in
the sense that they are limited in
formal education. | witnessed an
incident in Durham recently at the
election polls. An elderly woman at
tempting TO vote was told by the
registrar that her name wasn't on
the books. The old woman took a
deep breath that drew her bosom
almost under her chin and said,
We'll, know it's there cause
put 1t there and you know it's there
cause you signed me up, and you
might as well find 1t cause amt
nobody gonna vote till do"
Another old woman hearing about
Mrs. Clement being selected as the
mother OF the year remarked, "It's
about time cause we done raised
the best black ones and white ones
ever since slavery and done a pretty
good job too"
These people are right. Win,
lose or draw, they must stay here
and fight, In the courts, with bal
lots and even with bullets II
necessary u the south and the
country II 70 be saved for de-
mOcTaey. The most urgent prob
lem II 10 educate the poor white
man who thinks that his skin
color In q panAeea and q God
given right 10 rule.
Oddly perhaps, / neither view
with alarm nor point with pride
ut the happenings about US. think
the outlook Is brighter than ever.
As a prelude TO action, the south
Is beginning to talk. II Is beginning
10 express its shame as the world
holds the mirror for them 70 see
their ilk.
Hardly does a day pass that we
don't hear someone say, THE world
must be coming to an end" and
at times we are almost convinced
that they are right, but history
reminds that when the glory that
was Greece came to dust and the
grandeur that was Rome turned to
ashes, THE Golden Age" was yet
to come. The Christians must have
felt the same way at the cruel
hxion, the south Mt AppomattOx,
and the japanese at Hiroshima.
AS we embark on a new age, n
new lethRl society Of atomic energy
and jet propulsion, these people
who helped build America and
fought in all her wars hail the
dawn Of the atomic age though they
have never known the convenience
Of running water and electricity.
II Is really thrilling to he in the
corner OF the under dog. Maybe
because my roots are here too,