Arkansas State press., 1949-10-21
STATEMENT OF POLICY AND DETECTIVES
OF NAACP CIVIL RIGHTS COMMITTEE

With the end of the first session of the S1st Congress at
hand, it is now apparent that campaign pledges to pass eff
tecuVe civil rights legislation have been openly and flagrantly
repudiated. If this legislation is to be enacted in the second ses-
sion Of the Slst Congress, the people of America must be mo-
bilized as never before to this end.
The National Association for the Advancement of Color
ed People, which for forty years has been in the forefront of
the fight for civil rights, calls upon its entire membership as
we'll as upon all other Americans honestly committed to the
principle that democracy recognizes no racial distinctions, to
exert their utmost influence upon members of Congress Of all
parties and from all sections of the country to enact the legis.
lation pledged in the 194S platforms of their respective political
pafues' Inc Association is demanding OF these Congressman
honest performance for honest votes. They were elected upon
these platforms and have an obligation to the American people
to fulfill their responsibilities.
During this crucial period of international unrest, the fail
ue of Congress to act has not only undermined unity at home,
but has also dangerously impaired the prestige of our nation
abroad, particularly among the hundreds of millions of non
white peoples who constitute twothirds of the worlds popula-
tlon. II this nation is to make itself secure as a democratic
oastion and restore its moral influence abroad, it must proceed
without delay to the eradication of jim crow from all phases of
American life.
We call upon the American people to join in a crusade to
remove the stigma of discrimination and segregation from our
national life. To this end we invite the cooperation of organized
labor, religious bodies of all faiths, fraternal organizations, CIV
&c associations and other organizations and individuals who be-
lieve in civil rights for all to join with us in demanding affirm
alive action by the 81st Congress.
First and foremost is the imperative need for enactment of
a falr employment practice law. The gains made by the Negro
and other minority group workers under the wartime FEPC
are being steadily whitfield away as the spectre of another de-
preston looms. Our first and most urgent task is to see that
Ni6i'So tat ILi1 d q pelUldHeHl leueTdl agency TO
outlaw job discrimination.
We call also for the abolition of the poll tax as a voting
requirement ana for federal action against the barbarity of
lynchlng. We urge passage of the omnibus civil rights bill pro-
vdng for a federal civil rights commission, for the strengthen
ing OF civil rights work within the Department of Justice, for
the abolition of segregation in interstate transportation, and
Tor the Strengthening of present federal civil rights statutes and
more effective enforcement of these laws. We further call for
he fortnight and complete abolition of segregation in the Army
and the end of jim crow in the nations capital.
To assure the success of our crusade we shall initiate a
registration drive IN uuahfv yDters arffctlatIv In n rtM.l
balance-of power states. We intend To develop action at tie
grassroots level political action in terms clearly understands
BILE to members of Congress and other politicians. We call upon
all our members and members of allied organizations to see their
respective representatives and senators while at home on re-
cess and to tell them what is expected of them, and to let them
know the voting strength Of the combined forces behind the civ.
il rights program.
From November ID through the end of the year we shall
conduct an intensive civil rights campaign in a thousand local
tiles throughout the nation. As a climax TO this campaign we are
inviting delegations from our 1000 branches and from other or
CARNATIONS TO converge on Washington for a mass meeting and
conferences with their elected representatives, January 1917
1850. Only through such action can we attain our objective =