Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1948-09-24
BY CAhOLYN McWA1

Civil War, but the South Stili
dominates the population. The
Civil War as II has been truly
said did not free the Negro, II
freed the poor whites.
Charleston is q city Of contra
dicti0ns. The coloTed population
Is integTated throughout the city
and In the hills. which surround
II but the schools are segregated
and the movies" and other
places Of public entertainment
are barred 10 Negroes. There are
q number Of county schools, two
junior high schools and one sen.
Tor high school.
Negroes are not served In res
tauFants, the bus depot, drug
stores 90 any eating establish
menta.
With such q small number Of
Negroes, the colored children
could be easily and more eco
nomically assimulated into a one
school system. The two colored
and white teachers have equal
pay: in the city and county
schools. and so the colored intel
ligentsia (seachers) do not COM
plain for they are not certain they
would be absorbed in q one school
system.
There are about five Baptist
churches, Ave Methodist, and one
Seventh Day Adventist church.
There Is one real drug store and
two that are really liquor stores.
There are other minor business
establishments, but none out
standing.
The Negroes are we'll integral
ed in employment, A large Du-
pont plant IL located there, the
largest Of lis kind in the United
States. II employs hundreds Of
coloTed and white labor in skilled
and unskilicd labor at equal pay.
The plant Is never closed and one
can see the myriad lights shining
along the river or across. the river
for miles,
There are many Negroes and
whites employed in the coal
mines at equal pay. and In many
smaller plants and in the trades
There are the chemical plants
which employ hundreds Of intG-
grated laborers.
Negroes can and do work In
many trades with equal pay II
they 50 desire, OF course. as IN all
groups, there are "drtfters" who
look for work but pray to God
they won't find II, but that trait Is
not confined to any race or group.
II il universal,
There does not seem to be any
militant group who could bring
pressure TO bear to break down
some Of the race prejudice in
Charleston, There Is "laisseE
fare" attitude among those that
are getting on and the unlettered
group are satisfied with the sta
tus quo"
The better class" Negroes will
ride 20 miles 10 Montgomery, up
In the hills 90 a theatre commen-
suratc with our nctghborhood
theatres to see FIRST class pictures.
or rather movies" and there they
are rsleRated to one of the side
aisles--a section 50 small that
often the Negroes cannot be &C
cummodatcd No matter how
many seats are vacant in the
white sections. they must await
their turn OF return Ia their
homes. 30 miles away
There Is one Colorcd movie"
in Charleston run by a man. who
some Of the population allege
sold out to white prejudice 20
make money, The story goes and
| quote Some years aEo the
movies and public entertainment
were not barred TO the Negroes
This man went TO tho authorities
and told them that II they would
bar Colored patrons from the pub
lie amuSementS, he would open
movie 10 accommodate them ex-
cluSively His theatre is worse
than our third class movie"
houses in the Twin Cities. His
pictures were all released several
years ago, I. myself, saw q
movie that had shown in 81. Paul
ten years ago.
districts especially in the hills
where one hnds hundreds Of
white mining families, those who