St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1946-11-15

i
-unning with the
and, and colOred people may rent,
Duy or occupy homes only in areas
abandoned by white people or where
here are no such covenants or such
covenants have been removed.
The District of Columbia, with
taxpayers money, operates sep
arate pools, community centers and
social centeTs in public owned build
Ings and recreation centers.
In the municipal hospital separate
wards are provided for white and
colored patients. In the District
Jail white and colored prisoners are
housed in separate wings or on
separate tiers. The District of
Columbia Fire Department has a
colored engine company. The Police |
operates separate boys
clubs for white and cOlOred boys.
Separate homes for delinquent
white and colored children are
maintained.
Race segregation is recognized
public policy in the District Of
Columbia. Its basis is the dual
school system. II segregation
is to be successfully attacked
here, IL appears that the attack
must be made upon its practice
in the school system.
Last summer a radio workshop
was conducted here for white and
colored teachers in a federal build
ing. Nobody objected. But after
the school term a class in radio
utilization, conducted by an expert
from the local station of the Co
lumbia Broadcasting System, has
been open to white teachers only.
1t is being held at Wilson Teachers
College. There is no similar class
open to colored teachers held at
Miner Teachers College.
Obviously, the school authOri-
ties, who ought to know better,
are disregarding the law as laid
down by the Supreme Court Of the
United States in the celebrated
Gaines case. The court in that case
ruled that a governmental entity
must furnish within its borders
educational facilities substantially
equal to those provided for white
persons or break down the practice
Of separate schools.
In the District Of Columbia three
members of nine-member school
board are Negro, and there is a
| first assistant superintendent IN
charge of colored schools. The
Board of Education must have APP
| he IN ~ a
ton at Wilson Teachers College or
else it would not have been offered
What were the colored members Of
the board and Garnet c. Wilkinson
the first assistant superintendent
doing when the proposal came be-
fore the board7
The ideal way Of correcting
this racial discrimination would
be to open the course at Wilson
Teachers College to cOlOred in
service personnel. Surely white
and cOlOred teachers may attend
the same class without friction.
Such a course would be a small
experiment in democracy. If II
works there, mixed classes could
be extended to the two teachers
colleges and then gradually
throughout the entire system.
II democracy cannot be made t,
work in the public school system
Of the District of Columbia, thel
it is folly to attack race discrimina
ton piece-meal. What is needed i
an about attack upon it, beginning
with the public school system an
extending to every place in tn
District which operates under
public license. including the Lisne
Auditorium Of George Washingto
University, the National Thcatr
and Uline's Arena. But race dis
elimination and segregation in tn
local public school system must h
, destroyed II the Nations Capits
, is ever to be rid of these twi
evils.
LIMITATION OF CRITICISM
There is growing tendenc
among minority groups to deman
the legal limitation of criticism d
, rected against them and to expires
resentment of real or imaginar
reflections upon them by interior
; ence with public rights.
The right to accuse, to denounC
and to condemn is inherent in An
erican citizenship. Criticism is tn
:, impelling force which inspire
= change and creates progress. As
d right it cannot be denied on II
e plea that it is animated by prejl
d dice or born of intolerance. 1t
t fair to say that the invocation {
I counter measures designed to stiff
e criticism or to deny civil lbertiI
0 is form Of sophistical pleadir
n and an admission of weakness.
The suppression of criticism /
d direct or indirect methods is Il
s keystone of the arch Of total
n tarianism, and has no place in Il
;. law or the ethics Of the democrat
4 state. Criticism does not necesSa
n lily have its genesis in intoleranc
;. II can and does represent hone
o disagreement growing out of r
: tional opinions which are difficu
II TO reconcile. S. Barlow.
ir AS the United Nations comes
make its capital here, one Of O.
tasks is to show them that Amer
ID cans of Negro descent can
)" gentlemen and ladies.
I, at is not a mark of inferiori
t to he courteous to the old; TO a
20 pardon humping into a pedestria
lie TO give tired white woman
y seat; to help a burdened bla
=" mother; to be good-natured, kind
it considerable and self-sacrificing.
is not a mark Of superiority to y
X and push; TO show off in publ
a to be rude because others are rud
D. to over-paint your face and wa
to your legs because white folks {
vs. 1t still remains worth while TO
Y, dignified, decent and well-bred."
rs W. f. b. Du Bots.
81 think that colored soldiers c
rs he used as effective combat
d. fantrymen in large numbers OF
I'd in mixed units Of white and color
as troops, fighting and living toGetf
d. and holding ratings on ability a
merit. II that is not our ultimS
III goal, we might as we'll admit
Is and save ourselves the needless {
II pense of sending useless divisio
s. overseas and the needless buncom
is Of trying TO justify it."-Ca
lie Warman Welliver in Harpers Ms
II. aZine.