Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1948-11-27
Mrs. Bethune
Receives Rebuff
From The Daughters
OF The American
Revolution

president of the National Council
of Negro Women, Inc, has now
joined that group of Negro women,
who have sustained slaps in the face
6rom the Daughters of The Ameri-
can Revolution. Marion Anderson
was the first to be insulted by the
OAR when they refused to allow her
to sing in Constitution Hall; Hazel
Scott second, when they refused to
allow her to give a piano recital;
and now Mrs. Bothune.
In a communication to Mrs. Roscoe
C. O'Byrne, president-general of the
OAR, Mrs. Betthune asked for the
use of Constitution Hall cor the pur-
pose of the National Council of Ne
gro Women sponsoring a concert
to raise fnuds for the National Counr
Gil. Mrs. Bethune stated the noble
purposes for which the council had
been organized; its more than $780,
900 membership, and the real need
Hor the council to raise funds in or
der ito continue to supply America
with the finest Negro female leader
ship.
-C)Gewil 600 FFWY w F. FIFE
The action of Mrs. O'Byrne in
dealing with Mrs. Bethune in this
instance was even more insulting
than resounding slaps in the face
heretofore issued to Marion Ander-
son an dHaZel Scott.
The attempts of the sponsors OF
Miss Anderson and Miss Scott to Sc
cure the use of Constitution Hall
was fort hem to perform on the
stage of Constitution Hall a purely
this instance Mrs. OeByrne and the
HtR have not simply denied an ar
tiste tomake a living, or to ad to
their income by singing at Consti-
tuition Hall; rather, they have de-
Hvered a resounding slap into the
faces o6 the combined strength of
major sororities, chuch organizations
Negro womanhood which represents
social institutions, civic goups, etc.
Fo the National Council of Negn
Women today unquestionably epre-
sent the best educated, welthiest and
most politically alert group of Negro
women in America.
Indeed, it will be interesting to
note (to seq if the National Coun-
Gil of Negro Women will bow to
this Insult to their National presi-
dent who was seeking the use Of
the Hall in berala of THE total or
ganization, or whether they will &C
cept the challenge of the OAR who
have proved to the world that they
have no intentions of changing the
demagogic and archaic restrictions
against Negro artists in particular,
and Negro people in general.
Mrs. O'Byrue answered Mrs. Be-
thunes request for the use of Con-
stitution Hall, not by extending Mrs
Bethune the courtesy of a phone call
or of a conference where the matter
could have been discussed amid so
cial amenities, but by referring Hrs.
Bethune, the venerable and outstand-
ing woman, the founder and presi-
dent of the National Council of Ne
gro Women to the OARS hired rent
ing agent, Mr.. Fred Hand, who OBJ
viously could not rent Mrs. Be
thune Constitution Hall and who
Mrs. Bethune reported was greatly
embarrassed. Mrs. O'Byrne shifted
the weight oa a situation upon Mr..
Hand, which has proven extremely
embarrassing and distressing in the
past.
Now is the time, it seems 10 this
writer, for the members of the Ma
tional Council of Negro Women to
band together as never before to
close their ranks around their leader,
Mrs. Bethune, and to accept this
challenge on the part of the OAR to
thwart the ambitions and aspirations
of the Negro people OF America. The
Dixiecrat, Hitlerean policies of the
OAR as they relate to the use of
Constitution Hall by Negro singers,
Negro pianists, ETC., must be chang
ed. The day is now. The iron is hot.
The National Council of Negro Wo-
men shoul stdrike the blow that
would wipe this barrier against Ne
groes away forever. In the shadow
of the nation"s capitol such a blow
cannot the struck too hard.