The Omaha guide., 1947-11-08
NAACP COUNSEL DECLARES
CIVIL RIGHTS REPORT is
BASIS FOR ACTION NOW


New York-Pledging fullest sup
port" of the recommendations Of the
Presidents Committee on Civil Rights,
Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel fol
the NAACP, called for all groups in
terested in first-class citizenship for
all Americans to redouble their efforts
to bring the Committed proposals in
to reality.
Marshall said the NAACP was
naturally gratified' by the report of
the Committee since the suggestion
that such a committee be appointed
was made to President Truman at a
conference in the White House Sep
TENDER 10, 1916, by a committee Of
citizens assembled by the NAACP
following the Columbia, Tenn, dis
turbance and the Monroe, Ca, lynch
ings of last year. The Marshall state
ment:
THE Report of the Presidents
Committee on Civil Rights will go
down in history as one Of the most
important documents yet produced in
this field. The export is not only a
carefully documented indictment of
our present system Of dual citizenship
in this country, but it creates for itself
an unique position in governmental
reports by pointing out not only a gen.
eral solution to the problem, but de-
tailed steps to be taken to bring about
this end. When it is fully realized that
this is an official report by a constitu-
tional commission with all of the au-
of such a commission, its eft
fectiveness can be fully realized.
The carefully documented mate
of the conditions in the country
today are not new to minority groups
and indeed they have been made
to many Americans. However,
these conditions have never been
brought home to all Americans in such
clear-cut fashion as in this report
has been given the fullest pub
licity through all media. The problem
Of the Negro and other minority
groups is now before the public in a
manner never equaled before.
The program of action combines
the major portions of the programs OF
action Of all groups fighting for full
citizenship rights for all Americans. 1t
forms a common ground upon which
all such groups can work. 1t pre-
sents a minimum program for legisla-
tive and executive departments of the
States and the several states.
1t prsents a program around which all
can unite in bringing forth a
new Bill Of Rights, a new Magno
Charta, or a new type of phrase for a
body of laws, regulations, and execu-
tive enforcement to make the Declare
ton of independence and our Con
stitution mean what they say.
'HThe report gives the program Of
many so-called liberals and calls for
action now. So that now there is no
longer any reasonable pretext for fol-
lowing the traditional stumbling block
embodied in the phrase, the time is
not ripe There is nc longer any
need for tolerating or permitting seq
regation any place in the United
States. The NAACP will support this
report to the fullest as will all of its
branches and members. 1t is necessary
that all Negroes and others interested
in full citizenship for all American
citizens band together and redouble
their efforts to bring about the enact
ment of the Legislative program pro-
posed as well as require the executive
action proposed.
The full significance of the need
for the enactment Of the program Of
the Presidents Committee is obvious
when we realize that this carefully
documented report of admittedly 'un-
American activities within our coun-
try and the carefully-worked-ou pro-
gram were prepared in a period Of
eleven months. This should be COM
pared with the demonstrate nof the
interest of the United States Congress
in 'un-American activities by its Com
mittee on Un-American Activities
which has been operating for years
and years and has reached the point
of combining all of its time to an al
legged investigation of the beliefs Of
some Americans and some writers and
directors in Hollywood.
IF the Presidents Committees re-
port is to mean anything, there must
be the fullest cooperation Of all Ameri-
cans to reform congressional proce-
dure in order to require Congress to
take action against the un-American
activities in the Report of the Presi-
dents Committee instead Of wasting
its time and efforts in seeking to i'm
pose 'thought-control on American
citizens"