Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1948-08-20

AlN NAlaiA wiz wills NAAAa 81
iation in the south is Ray Sprtgle,
reporter and staff member of the
Pittsburgh Post Gazette and win
ner of the Pulitzer prize.
Sprigle, disguised as q colored
man, along with a real Negro
companion selected by Walter
White. NAACP executive Secre-
tary. travelled on jimcrow railroad
cars, drank from "cOlored" water
fountains. used "colored" ent-
RANGES and subjected himself TO
all the other Inconvenience Of
being colored during this period.
He has reported his experiences
in the south in a series Of IL copy
righted articles called in the
Land OF Jim Crow"
Throughout the tour he was Ae-
cepted aS \ light skinned Negro,
His race was detected only twice
during this period, both times by
eOlOred persons.
Speaking Of the prejudice and
life ne encountered in the south,
he said:
For four endless, crawling
weeks | was a Negro in the deep
south. Don't anybody try TO tell
me that the north diScriminates
against the Negro, too, and seek
to use that as a defense against
the savage oppression and the
brutal intolerance the black men
encounters in the south.
Difference Between sections
Discrimination against the Ne
gro in the north is an annoyance
and an injustice In the south 1t Is
bloodstained tragedy.
In the north the Negro meets
with rebuff and insult when he
seeks service at hotels and res
taurants. But al least in states
like Pennsylvania and others, ht
can take his case 10 court and he
invariably wins. But In the south
he Is barred by law from white
hotels and restaurants.
Riots, North w. South
The Pulitzer prize winner wrote
that in cases of race riots in th'
north both races are punished
but in the south only the black
ones climb the steps 10 a gallow'
or serve terms in a cell
In short. discrimination against
the Negro in the north is usually
in defiance OF the law. In tht
south Il is enforced and main
tanned by the law"
The writer was FIRST indoctrtn'
ated into the jimcroW pattern
when ne took the segregated
coach on q southern train from
Washington, d. c, He spoke oi
the excellent service he received
in the diner in the segregated sec
ton behind the jimcrow curtain
Of course.
On the train, however, hi
wrote, he began 70 undergo 1
change In thinking. Ne began Il
think like q black man insteat
Of q white,
Speaking Of his change ir
thinking, Sprigle wrote:
Already was in the pattern
Already ! was experiencing th'
thing that was 20 grow upon rn'
through the succeeding weeks
These whites already were a PEG
pie entirely alien 10 me, q people
set apart from me and my world
Already I had begun TO dislike
them. Il did no good 20 tell mysei
that I was white--or that I woult
be- white again four weeks hence
was beginning 10 think like I
black man.
To tell the truth doubt II
ever viii regain the satisfied
superior white psychology that
took south with me"
Mothers Have Tough Job
In Atlanta he learned earl,
that the colored mother not ONLY
must teach her child . set Of fact
about the world at large, but Sh'
had 20 teach II about race Withou
giving IL . sense % infsriority.
One Of the first things he saw
vas the case Of . mother hsvini
To break up . young friendship
between her little girl and . liz
tie white girl
II seems that the two childFeI
Bethesda Baptist Me