Arkansas State press., 1949-02-11
We Have Come A Long Way

epro baseball on the way York." headline
In one Of weekly contemporaries dramatically summarizes
Negro progress little Negro baseball Then
white promoters owned operated partly developed ana partly
exploited Then Negro club and owners came on the
scene Finally managers Big League teams scouting
Negro The impossible yesterday the actual today
century ago. the AME Church handful of Negroes
with promise Today of the big of the
world with millions of dollars and high paid employees
Peter Jackson tried in vain for chance at the champion
ship his prime Today there outstanding Negro
world that hard keep track Of them Joe Louis
and Henry Armstrong champions of champions.
Scores of Negroes in state, county, and city offices
Governor HASTE is at the head of the Virgin Islands Ralph
Bche the UN in the explosive Palestine situation
Locally Negroes were given good school building some
time Equal is given to teachers Money has been voted
for recreation.
And the story goes The Negro has long way.
We Have A Long Way To Go
Nevertheless the Negro is still the 'untouchabe"
American system still the farhest down. Ostracism
from the main of American life accomplished by sub
terfuge in the North and legislation in the South The Civil
Rights has been explosive the ansayery
ment New of dsfranchisement devised Restrictive
Covenants find way perpetuate themselves The
Khan the March, Locally inequalities
mention The most boosted Negro school in the system
Is many students it was built for and published proposals for
elementary buildings already inadequate
space Employment of Negroes in county, municipal
lines joke Negro woman cannot get title of respect in
local newspapers
As Mencken said long ago. the colored brother is as
well off as he thinks he is
We Have Help
Lined to assist the Negro in his long hard climb up
tory Foremost are the principles of democracy These prnc
pies are the professed life of France England the United
States and most of the western hemisphere They include
the Negro or the old order will change Yielding
Are'dy second world force the Red Tide engung
words OF Winche ten nations sweep of Asia and
Europe and is the nightmare of democracy Plessy exploits
the weaknesses of democracy with mnoe Just from
the scene the greatest humanitarian the ages
ano Roosevelt to whose tribute paid min
critics are mentioned Succeeding him dominating
world scene President Harry Truman genius
OF democracy in his plea for democracy democratic
Parallel to him and working with him the host
OF Americans who wish for live the principles they
profess There forces the today powerful
tnan these No minority has before recorded history had
such an array behind it.
We Must Help Ourselves
Through the long night of depression oppression the
Negro must help himself Mencken indictment of
me Nero by citing weaknesses which is that he is
incapab of acting bloc where interests are con-
cened With his natural genius and fourhs century
tueage under the greatest segoveng the Negro must
earn TO utilize the forces shaped him. must re-
there We lay too much the New Testament
ather should lay stress Cornelius whose worth and
value reached to heaven caused to Peter and
changed Tie history of religion in the New Testament The only
vad ubcrfuge remaining to foes should fail to
exhibit aes worth saving The final in our salvation
m the World the nation this state city Is that we orr
selves Learn from experience and become supremey worth
while, ' ~