St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1949-02-25
Honor Comes To Cities


first community citation for outstandng strides improving
race relations and treatment Of mnorc announced
maiIy Sunday over nationwide radio network
The award presented by the National Conference of Chris
ans and Jews by Nelson Rockefeller national chairman of the
served
No two communities in these United are more cscrv
inf for the attempt that has been made extend their
called minority groups full equality and opportunity No
communities have mustered much support from all classes
the majority group reputation for which
they hOnored
Here the labor unions the small business people, industry
me PIA the women groups lncGdng such groups tn"
League of Women Voters the College Womcn's club the
churches, the and the radio have joined together in
search for common ground which to extend full equality
al origin.
Possibly the outstanding which brought the
award to Minnesota the SfSurvey sponsored by the Mime
apols Mayors Council Human Relations The council itself
was set in l94S by the arsceng social minded Mayor
bert H. Humphrey who is Minnesota junior t. s. Senator
The councils explored the racial religious
attitudes and practices of the ciy people which ncgacd en-
Joyment by mnores of equality in cmploymcnt education
health housing and public Accommodations What they
recorded cOordnaed and correlated by Fisk Unvcrsys de-
partment of research and sociology.
The survey enlisted the direction service of many of the
ciys leading people, and revealed what members Of
already knew that prejudice and religious bias was pre-
vaent in Mnneapoisas is prevalent in other American
cities, in varying degrees.
Other factors in national recognition received by our
towns from the other activities of the Mayors Council
which together with other groups notably the labor unions
spearheaded the enactment by the Minneapolis city council of
city FEPC ordinance, the first of its kind in nation
Overlooked somewhat in the publicity concerning award
was the valuable work Of the Joint Commicn on EmnIy
Opportunity which cooperating closely with the industrial
rotary of the Minneapolis Urban League opened up employment
to Negroes in retail stores in jobs formerly closed them
Similar progress in this job in st Paul
by the industrial department of the Paul Urban League
When retailers in each Of the cities became aware of the large
public support for Indignation of Negro the sales
force they became extremely cooperative
The Minnesota Jewish Council has been active and
alert force in combating all kinds of religious racial bias
and has backed most handsomely the efforts of Minneapolis
Mayors Council and other similar agencies
The Governors nerraca Commission nnuguatcd by now
Senator Edward Thye while he Minnesota chief
has had its work strengthened and
Luther Youngdah Its books pamphlets on race relations
Minnesota excellent material which nrr the
envy Of other states.
Another Of the chief in the battle against
bias in Minneapolis, St Paul and the has been
Governor YOungdahl himself lie has hammered away hun
dreds of speeches of the need and practice h
relations The Importance of having governor who
the courage advocate FEPC law and Indignation of
Negro Americans the National Guard cannot be ovrrcS
mated when considering the of the trend for human rights
in Minnesota.
Former Mayor John Nc Donough helped give impetus 10
the human rights in St Paul by helping up the
Paul Council on Human Relations
The award to the Twin Cities particularly gratifying to
this newspaper for has watched and participated the growth
of and religious understanding in these
1t knows the large number of white citizens all classes who
have braved the of minimizing associates stand up
the right and justice for all people
1t knows the labor unions who have stood and been
ed for justice to Negroes Jews Nsc and any other
cued group within the communities 1t has watched Of the
business firms who have joined the right
has watched the daily take almost crusadng roles the
matter of human rights.
All these signs have been encouraging this medium which
among rather lonesome and few of II
years ago who worked hard the community and
against the religious and racial bias which Spewed poison
into the two communities, almost unchalengcd.
There still much work to be done Paul and Mime
apOis The brotherhood Week award should strengthen
resolve of many of citizens make the Twin Cities of Min
and the entire of the Upper Midwest
hbt and example for real brotherhood in the wide wide world