Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1949-03-11

"a Strong Citizens ASSOCIATION Tor the AccNmphs
WILLIE WILKINSON. now an inmate of the Ar
kansas State Prison. before his conviction two years
ago in the jefferson Circuit Court on charge OF
voluntary manslaughter in connection with the
death of two white the Cornerstone Road,
was member of the "Overtone Five OF Fairfield
one Of those common jubilee singing groups in this
area few lines of song which the group sang
out at Gospel Temple in the Loop weekday
night moved me this the second anniversary OF
the famed Wlkerson case to pass to the readers.
The group was featuring the appearance of Willie
Wilkerson who was out on bail pending appeal
to the Arkansas Supreme Court, and would begin
The musical program and early in the program,
Willie would into the group on stage and
send up a prayer. The words which lnger with me
now are "One day He took my feet out of the mry
clay! Willie uttered those words the group sang
in a prayer that justice would triumph When the
chronclers get busy and write the struggle of Ne
groes in Jefferson County they will find that ONE
DAY A BLACK BOY, WILLIE WILKINSON LIFT
ED THEIR FEET OUT OF THE MIRY CLAY! EV-
erybody can send word OF prayer for guidance
and comfort for Willie and Albert his bother, who
is serving sentence OF tWenty-one years, and VIII
probably serve the full sentence unless there IS
substantial change in the attitude of the court Of
fcias who must recommend parole Willie has been
advised by the Board OF Pafdons and Paroles that
his case is not to be brought up again until the
piraton of his sentence Willie and Albert were
convicted of killing two white men II seems there
fore that when a Negro kills white he is not
to be accorded the benefits of pardon and parole
ONE DAY WILLIE WILKINSON WILL RETURN
TO US AND I TRUST THAT HE WILL REJOIN
HIS GROUP AND SING AND PRAY TO HELP
US LIFT OUR FEET OUT Or THE MIRY CLAY
WALTER WHITE HAROLD FLOWERS will
be the theme of the regular meeting of the Pine
Bluff NAAGP, Sunday, at Merrill High School Wal
ter has written to all the members OF the Pine Bluff
Branch suggesting that the resolution which was
passed recently by the Branch asserting that it
would consider Withdrawing from the Association,
be placed the agenda for the Sunday meeting,
and RESCINDED. The prediction here is that Wal
ter White will lose this fight despite his direct APP
peal from his high place in the leadership of Ne
groes of the Nation for he has entered into combat
with one whose record Of public service and the
confidence which has been reposed in him, has
been equaed only by those of the CALDER of Walter
White Walter has been ill-advised and but for the
sincerity Of purpose and the high regard which
Harold has for the great struggle which is being
waged for fun citizenship the feud would be-
come a source of great detriment to the people of
fidence which the Pine Bluff NAACP has in Harold
Flowers! The record of the Pine Bluff Branch
speaks for itself and that record reveals that pow
erful leader has kept the common touch and has
brought into the fold and women of every
walk of life who working with all they have
for the success of the struggle for freedom and
justice in time Harold Flowers will not lose the
battle
TT WILL BE A DAY OF TESTING and Walter
has advised that representatives from the regional
office viii be present and that will be grand 1t
might be observed that the money spent to circu-
larize the Pine Bluff Branch might have been used
TO help in wagng the fight against injustice in
Pine Bluff The Branch could have used it
very profitablv in promoting its program BUT,
COME SUNDAY THE PEOPLE WILL DECIDE
WHETHER HAROLD IS WRONG ON WALTER is
RIGHT
AS result of the announcement that suit will be