St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-05-23
The Southern
Viewpoint
BY ROBERT DURR

!
such as Birmingham, Atlanta, New
Orleans, and other large urban cen
tiers all over the United States.
Did you ever notice the general
department Of the masses on street
cars, sidewalks, in theaters-the
loud talk and filthy language with,
in the hearing Of the most respect
able and sensitive people?
Have you noted how often you
have been disturbed in church OF
the theater by some folks who come
late to some important meeting and
carry on conversations while the
meeting is going on? What about
the women who bring bowling kids
TO meetings? Can these be made to
realize that no baby has the right
to make it impossible for a house
full of people to enjoy a sermon or
a show?
And we have to do something
about our kids who hog the side
walks as they go to and from school.
What are we going to do about
those who eat and wallOw on front
pOrches, lOiter on the streets and
make indecent cracks at women and
girls they do not know?
Those folks are holding whole
Negro race down. They do more to
fortify and justify Jim Crow than
the color Of ones skin ever could
do. We are going to have a hard
time getting anywhere as long as
we have them with US. They are
the ones by which we all are judged.
They tell me some white people
who want to give visitors, who
do not know and understand that
Negroes are different" true
picture Of colored people take them
on an automobile cruise through
the Harlem" section Of large cities
in the evenings.
If you have ever been on Fourth
Avenue in Birmingham and similar
colored thoroughfares in other
cities, into which hundreds Of thou
sands of coIored people are jammed
when Bear Mash, Buzzard ROost
Ten Commandment and Hell's Halt
Acre folks come to town, you know
what they make the whole race
look like. It's awful.
All, white and black, are re-
sponsible. A ''n----r" is something
you make by neglect, bad housing
lack of adequate educational anc
recreational facilities, and race
discrimination and segregation. I'm
prOvement of the situation lies II
our recognizing the Importance OF
making life and living more attrac
tive to those fortunate enough L
acquire education and character
evolvement to the end they the!
will want to migrate to and stay
in the South and wrestle with the
task Of improving our people.
As it stands today, most of the
most capable people come to thu
point where, because of low, ba'
educational and recreational euvir
onment, they feel that they JUS
cant stand it, and move away v
are constantly in the process o
preparing to move to sections wher'
conditions are not 50 depressing
constantly insulting and COnduciv,
to hackwaTdness.
Some sort of uplift organization
should dedicate itself to the tasl
OF helping the big mOuthed, un
couth, ill-mannered and what hav,
YOU among our people see them
selves as they are seen by others
The facilities of the motion pic
ture, posters and semi-pubic places
advertisements in newspapers anC
magazines, and well-worded appeal
over the radio and through
churches would help II great deal
1t has been said that five aver
age colored children on play
ground in some sections of tn,
country keep more noise than a
many as one hundred white chll
2 dren.
know of an exception to this
found it at Gilbert Academy il
New Orleans. This institution il
situated right in the heart of al
aristocratic white community. An,
you have to get inside before yul
know all the students are colored -
they are so quiet. Upon a visit t,
thune-Cookman College recent
~, encountered a similar eNpcr
fence.
There is really no place in Amer
lea. or the world for that matter
for people whose thinking. &c
tions, and general conduct are Gu
Of line or different from that whicl
is the best.
If our people can be brought I,
make themselves abSorbable int
the general cultural stream If tn
best, doors will I've opened whicI
NO man can shut. Fifty per cen
Of our effort to progress shout,
be directed toward making tn
masses Of our people make tn
best possible impression or nom
at all.
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