Evening star., 1948-09-16
SEGREGATION IL the Target

To the Edltor OF Inc Star:
The Star in its editorial Of September II, en-
titled "Virginia's Negro Schools" says that the
real issue is whether Negro children are to be
provided with facilities substantially equal to
those Of whites" and "the real issue is being
overlooked" The Star Is in error. The tenn
porary and present issue is equalization. but
colored citizens everywhere recognize this as
but . step forward. Separate but equal phi
losophy Is but legalistic myth.
Segregation was . device to deprive Negroes
Of their rightful privileges as free American
citizens The infamous laws of the Black Codes
were designed to serve as q technic to keep the
Negroes from voting, from serving on juries. and
In general to exploit them. Until Booker T.
Washington appeared On the scene, southern
Legislatures were granting practically no money
for the education Of Negroes beyond rudimen-
tary lessons In building shacks. Had 1t not
been for Northern Christian churches and edu-
cational missionaries and philanthropists, there
would have been even less education for
Negroes.
DR.. Washington appealed to the utilitarian
common sense, the pride or vanity Of South
erners by pointing out that q cleaner, healthier
Negro, able to cipher and read little, was an
asset to the economy Of the South. Where
upon a little more tax money went to some
schools. But the device OF segregation enabled
the school superintendents to dole out money to
colored schools according to their consciences.
For instance, a superintendent of a county
system near Washington told the writer in ex-
planation Of his neglect Of the colored schools:
WELL we have to look after our own first" and
"since Negroes pay less tax money, they don't
deserve as much" OF course, many Negroes
pay more taxes than poor white people. but
segregation afforded the argument.
1t has been said that here in Washington 1t
would take $50,0 900 to equalize facilities and
this would afford only temporary relief But
most important from this writer's point of view
is the terrible price we now are paying in the
cities because of this shortsighted policy in
the South. Many of the adults now with us
have had no education and no chance to alb
sorb cultural patterns. Also, they have been
under the pressure of fear to the extent that
when they come to live in our ghettos they
feel a sense Of insecurity. Unable to secure
many Of the jobs that even their work ability
warrants them, they easily can become prey
OF racketeers and soon learn to commit petty
and then major crimes which often are shock
ing
The real issue is the elimination of segrega-
tion the sooner the better in light of world
turmoil. We have fought two world wars to
rid the world Of the PHILOSOPHERS Of racial fas-
cism It is time we went to work on 1t here.
1t will not do to scapegoat this duty by label
ing those Of us working for citizenship Com
munists," as fascists do. We love America for
its principles Of government. We are imbued by
what Englishmen did to wrest civil rights from
King John at Runnymede and what our revolu-
tionary ancestors did at Valley Forge. From
the standpoint Of economy in these days OF
burdening taxation and because we are q
Christian nation, The Star should favor the
elimination Of segregation.
e. B. HENDERSON,
Vice President, D. G. Branch, NAAP
Editors Note: Mr.. Henderson misrepre-
sents The Stars editorial. The excerpt
which he quotes was not q general state
ment, but referred to the order of the
court in the case, of Gloucester and King
George Counties. Under that order the real
issue, and the only issue, is that of equal
facilities. Mr.. Henderson may well be cor
rect Of course in his own statement that
equalization IS only q temporary issue 80
far as the Negroes are concerned; that their