Evening star., 1948-12-30
buncheB|ames
Negroes in Part
For Segregation
U. N. CoIored Aide
Hits Practice Here,
Urges EquoIity Fight

Hits Practice Here,
Urges EquoIity Fight
DR.. Ralph j. Bunche, acting
United Nations mediator for Pales-
tine. last night declared that Ne
eroes themselves are partly respon-
sible for the existence of racial
segregation in Washington.
DR.. Bunche, himself a Negro, told
a convention of Alpha Kappa Alpha,
national Negro sorority. that there
are practices in the Nations Capital
that make a mockery of democ-
racy," but he added that there are
many Negroes who are either too
punch drunk" or too "complacent"
to help correct them.
He assailed what he termed the
"racialist' attitude of some Negro
leaders and called for a united
effort to achieve for his race "a full
integration into the mainstream of
American life"
DR.. Bunche's speech, made in a
packed Commerce Department au-
dltorium, was one of the first he has
delivered since his return to this
country 10 days ago from his Pales-
tine assignment.
Cites U. N. Work.
He defended his decisions as act
ing U. N. mediator, post he as
sumed following the September as
sassination of Count Folke Berna-
dotte, as uninfiuenced by his Negro
background He declared that THE
Palestine mission is the best exam
pie of interracial integration and
cooperation that the world has
yet seen"
There has never been a moment" :"
he said. when any member of that
staff has had any thought in terms
of race. To the best of my knowl-
edge. no one has ever thought OF
my race, and I certainly have not
had time to do So
1t was partly in reference to his
own role as mediator that DR..
Bunche attacked "racialist think
ing among some of his fellow
Negroes
A veteran Negro leader. DR.. w. E
B. Du Bois, at recent meeting in
New York. voiced IAN apology to
the Jewish people for the Negro
people because of my deeds in Pal
estine." DR.. Bunche said. The sug-
gestion, he continued. was that the
"persecuted' Negroes should es-
pouse the cause Of the prosecuted
Jews"
Assails Viewpoint.
DR.. Bunche assailed this viewpoint
as ridiculous. emphasizing that it
meant Negroes would be disqualified
for the role of mediator.
ITO disqualify a race because of
the struggle it has made is the
sheerest nonsense" he declared. .
Some of us have become so
obsessed with the uphill struggle,
which we as group have had to
make, that we have become a bit
ounch-drunk.' DR.. Bunche told his
audience. Others would probably
become unhappy if We should sud-
ienly win the fight-because there
would be nothing left to fight about
Still others" he charged, pay
,nly lip service, if that. to the
of Negro rights. These are
he complacent Negroes, and they
ire liability to group struggling
or so many years for elementary
tights"
The result, he said, is that Ne
groes do not always hear oppor-
tunity when it knocks" The Negro
has to shift his thinking and teach
Negro youth to shift its thinking
to a view that Negroes are not a
separate group, but are nothing
less. nothing more" than all other
citizens, DR.. Bunche de-
clared
Urges Unrelenting Fight.
Calling for an ''unrelenting"
campaign to free the American
Negro of the segregation and
ghettodom which now press MIN
down." Dr. Bunche warned Ne
groes never would be content with
less than full equality with other
citizens, and he added:
I'm my view the Negro cannot
fail to win this struggle"
Referring specifically to the Ma
tons Capital, the former State
official and Howard
professor said he knew
from personal experience" that
many foreign visitors have been
as regards the position and
rights of the Negro here. He de-
;lared:
The struggle to free Washington
rom this blight is struggle which
belongs to every sound thinking
citizen. This struggle and
protest should and must go on un-
,easingly.
Negroes, in insisting on equal
lights, are merely playing the role |
If good Americans" he added.
Returning to New York.
DR.. Bunche, who is returning to
lis post as director of the U. MS
division, was to leave last
hight for New York, where he has
lived for several years. He is on
cave from the faculty of Howard
University, where he taught political
science before entering Government |
service in the Office of Strategic
Services and later the State De-
oartment. He is member of Phi
Beta Kappa and holds a doctor Of
philosophy degree from Harvard.
Miss Frieda S. Miller. director of
he Women's Bureau. Labor Depart
nent. also addressed last nights
on the topic. "Women's
Role in the National Economy"