Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-09-05
RY ROBERT DURR

I may not know music but ]
know shouting when | hear It. And
believe me, the proStituted playing
and singing ofgood music, 90.
psciAlly Of theSpirituals which
we're born out ofths suffering Of
our ancestors un-d the lash Of
the slave drivSF,is In my opinion
blasphsmy. The great Fisk
Jubilee sIngsrsand the TuSkegss
Singers sang 10
open the doors Of those who, after
hearing spiTituals well sung, would
see the beauty Of the souls Of black
folks, get u more sympathetGe view
Of their burden bearing In the heat
Of the day. and their unrsquitsd
longings for q richer and fuller life
10 the end that the decidedly more
advRntaEsd and philanthropically
Inclined listener might be inspired
to invest in the development Of
men and women Of character with
In tho race set free when Lincoln
signed the Emancipation Proclama-
ton.
Their singing was for u noble
puTpoae--nOt for the amusement
Of tho children Of slaVoefats, men
who fought to keep them NJ their
property. q fight which still RACES
In areas where ignorance and pow
srty are covered over by u thin
layer Of culture on top and u
sssthing mas Of unSducAted, UNI
trained and ill-conditionsd people
at the bottom.
spirituais We're Prayers
The old spirituals were mostly
prayers for strength TO endure,
10 tramp forward toward q better
day, for deliverRnes. They were
sometimes Teeitations Of things
heapsd upon our forSfathers which
We may forgive but can hardly
forget because our aim should b.
a world where no race would suf.
fer as the black man and woman
suffered for 80 long In tbs deer
South and elsewhere. The spiritu'
ala. therefore. are sacred. They are
the voice, the blood-eurdlinE
screams Of anguish Of our chained
RrandfAthers and great grand,
mothers ~ they cried out as the
Alavemasters' whip tore their bod
lee into shreds for not having
picked 80 much cotton, hoed sc
many rows Of corn, or performed
other set tasks, though their ema,
eiated bodies. a. often was tn,
case, were tortured by hunger, dis,
ease and sickness unto death.
We dream Of . day when thes,
old spirituals and the FIRE out Of
which they came viii be- so under,
stood and appreciated by all free
dom.lovinR peoples that they viii
be looked upon ~ sources Of In,
spiration for great crusades fui
frSsdom, and will be among th'
rsvsrrd thinga we win not sci
for money or life itself
They built In the black felix's d
the day sf their anguish . sense OI
patieRee--ths Mind % patisRe,
which trapped men must plant !,
the garden ~ their seals. the root
% which are bitter but whose fruit
are sweet.
New Age With uRclsaR Hands.
We live In q new age now--Ni
age In which men must dream good
great dreams, sacrifice and Civ
all of their soul. might An'
strength to make their dreams
come true. IL IL an age IN which
We enter and become part Of IN,
great symphony Of peoples Of on
~orid-a world which 10 eeset b!
clouds 81 distrust and suspicion
and court into which so many com,
with strong but uneleaR hands.
A. no time In all the history o.
the world has the race Of nAnkin,
needed great inspiring and iuvig
Grating songs which win lift mel
up and waft them toward unifieA
ton In social institutions Of divin,
origin. move men 10 achieve . re
aliHation Of ths praetieality Of unit
ing the worlds peoples in one cul
tnrs and one civilized order,
We must have new songs which
win move men TO selfless, unuSua
and unmeasured sacrifice that jus
ties may prevail morS than sVSl
in this hour ~ wS stand at In
cross roads Of civilization. To-day
atomic bombs are being built. tw'
Of which. according 20 . rVp0rtsS
statement by fr<saSs=s Rsher'
HuteAins Of the University Of Chi