The Omaha guide., 1946-03-30

some publicity material regarding an interracial affair in.
volving the Japa~nese-American Citizens League of New
York and wanted me to appear on a program that would
include the celebrated Japanese-American a hero. Ben
kuroki; the Chinese-American movie star, Keye Luke, and
the Broadway cOlumnist, Ed Sullivan of the Daily News.
Her lcanngs we're to the left, as organizations and tier
heads carrying her name among the sponsors, indicated.
Right here she was interested in presenting to New York
City a picture of Negro, Japanese-American, Irish-Americ ],
and Chinese-America engaged in an affair that would
prove they all could get along together without fussing and
fighting.
Somewhere, somehow, l sensed that she was moivated in
to 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 setup. might be presumptuous
but somewhere, | believe she was told to do this or that;
better yet, taught to do this or that through a prescribed
course of political action and thinking. / got the idea that
if she had been instructed to take a counter course, she per-
haps, might have done that without a qualm.
A prominent young Negro woman in Harlem is engaged
in publicity and promoional activities for various national
organizations. Her ability is unquesioned. She gets re-
suits and is very much in demand. However, she enIists
her services in organizations 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
contact mainly with interracial groups and organizations
We're she told, however, that her assignment next would be
doOr-to-door work in the tenement district, / am positive
she would go about such duties with all the intense enthus-
iasm she has and is still exhibiting in her present position.
Above and beyond the Il was told this was the thing to do
mOuNe lS Tie scnOO D IL tnOugnI mat occasionally prO0Uc-
es a Wendell Phillips, an Elijah Lovejoy or a John Brown.
The hundreds, yes, thousands of whites who Join interrac-
ial movements mainly because religious instruction is the
main influence, or those who take part in such activity be-.
cause the political complexion has today a black hue in
stead Of yesterdays lily-white, do by their very weight of
numbers contribute something tangible to interracial re-
lationships, and sometimes, to interracial harmony. But
many times they confuse issues and kill the very thing that
should be nurtured into full bloom. They continue their
own petty hates and politics nthe midst Of a bigger issue;
they seek to use the new forces with whom they are thrown
into contact as reinfOrcements to win their own particular
points.
Party almost forgot there was a Negro problem where be-
fore BrOwder assumed leadership of the party, the Negro
was Number l on the agenda. That is what got Angelo
Herndon off the Georgia chain gang; what shocked the ma.
ton into forcing by pulic opinion, the freeing by the State
of Alabama most of the Scottsboro Boys; what brought
Richard Wright and his 'Native Son. to the front. Under
BrOwder, however, the emphasis turned to Roosevelt and
to the Russian cause in the war.
The Catholics today are engaged in a relentless war with
national and international communism. To rally support.
they are taking any and all who will subscribe to the faith.
including the Negro in larger numbers than ever before.
The Communists are now debating a return to their for
mer active stand in champiOning the cause of the Negro
through the ranks of organized labor. Yet, in each in
stance quoted here, the political or religious motive is para
mount. The human is secondary.
The subtley of the situation is shown in what happens to
Negroes when the power of persuasion of a political belief
is allowed to range unhindered. The way out Of the diem.
ma is for those of us in positions to do so to demand with
increasing vigor and di'ectness, more complete devotion to
the cause of interraciaI amity and relationships than TO pol
itical and religious ideologies as a price Of our trust and
confidence. Sooner or later, we must face the issue.