Jackson advocate., 1946-04-13

education, and opportunity, the
color Of mans skin is no handi-
cap
''In 1881 there were few Negro
farm owners or Negro farm ten
ants in the United States. Sixty
five years later-today, while we
are taking stock, let it be noted
that there are 100000 Negro farm
owners and $4,000 Negro farm
tenants. There were no Negro doc
tors in the United States sixty
five years ago. There are 1000 Ne
gro doctors in the United States
now. That is not enough. There
are $4,000 Negro teachers in the
United States now. That is not
enough, either. There are 286,000
Negroes operating their own busi-
nesses in the United States. We
need more.
BADLY EQUIPPED SCHOOLS
Notwithstanding the great
progress which has been made by
the colored people of America III
education, on the farm, in busi-
ness, and III the professions, it is
nevertheless true that today most
public schools provided for Ne
groes are poorly equipped. Many
Negroes who are well prepared by
education for good jobs are un
able to secure them because they
are black. In most stores, clerks
including clerks who sell to Negro
customers-ar white. The con-
struction industry is operated al
most exclusively by white men.
Street cars, railroads and buses,
groes, are operated almost alto
gether by white operators. If two
men-one black and one white
are equally qualified by education
and experience for job, the white
man gets the job.
"This condition can be improved
to some extent by a permanent |
Fair Employment Practices Com
mittee. 1t can be helped by abol-
ishing the poll tax. 1t can be aid
ed by education of white people.
A revival of religion in the hearts
of all the people will help. The
real answer, however, lies else
where. This, | believe, is the an
swer. When by education, you at
Tuskegee and at other schools
throughout the land have prepared
the Negroes of America to do use
full, skillful and remunerative
work, they will be capable of and
ready to go forward happily and
prosperously in prosperous
America.
WORK AT FAIR WAGE
"All we need, then, is such an
America. We must have continu-
Gus full employment opportunities
here at a fair minimum wage. The
average American laborer, farm
er, school teacher, and profession
al man lives in fear. He has seen
depressions before. He expects de-
pressions again. When he sees a
Negro operating a street-car, ne
thinks, Tomorrow, business will
be bad. This Negro is taking a
white mans job. There must be no
Negroes operating street-cars.,
Some carpenters, bricklayers and
farmers feel the same way. SO do
all white Americans who feel in
secure.
at is your dut.-, and the duty
of all of us. to work diligently for
education, and more diligently for
full production, full employment,
full use of all our resources and
more abundant life in America.
"When full employment is
achieved, When the fear of inse-
curitv is gone, all of the races
which make up this great country
can dwell together in peace"
"Founder's Day" at Tuskegee
saw the voluntary retirement of
Colonel William Jay Schieffelin of
New York as Chairman of the
Board of Trustees and the naming
of the Hon. Basil O'Connor, also
of New York, in his stead.
Colonel Schieffelin is the oldest
member of the Board of Trustees,
and was rounding out 80 years
of service as a member of the
board, of which % had been spenI
as chairman. The members then
unanimously elected Col Schieffe-
lin as president emeritus at its
Saturday meeting in Dorothy Hall.