Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1950-03-17
The Deep South Speaks
OPIUM CALLED PROGRESS"
BY Robert Durr for ems

The story goes that spell binding sputering and spit
senatorial candidate said to an audience of Indians THE
man and robbed you of your eountry-a thing
did approVe-but you have made great progress To this the
dams ehorused and applauded by beating their palms ap
their lips which gave forth yeah yeah sound The sen
cmaxed his praise of the great progress" the Indians
made by concluding with "And if you keep you viii a
control your country He got their votes The Indians ra
IN vanishing American atmosphere until they dseoyerd
all the senator said was just alkpain old phhoey-tha
Indian had retrogressed since he let the first white m
sell him on the idea that he his friend Those now alive
tell you-if they dare to speak their hear-ha they made
one mistake group such theirs only makes one time w
they took too much for granted in their dealing with their
aggressor
Every time hear white speaker point Negro gr
Your race has made more progress in the eighty years
your emancipation than any other of people in all
worlds history, almost vom because know that here
yonder individuals have progressed in real of the word
the great of Negroes have been prevented from pro
ing that is as impossible for them really progress with
the frame of work of white domination as it is for tiny
to break his way out of glass Jug by butng his head ag
its thick hard walls of glass
That old hookum about the great Progress" we have mi
is pure unadueraed opium brazenly administered to n
pie who for the most part inclined to be much too o
in encouraging such dope pedders in their godplayng she
gans to which its always appropriate to ask the pedder
you kidding"
We have been largely dependent sti are upon the VIZ
man of the South and his fellow travellers in the North fol-
qurements to improve our status and consumer
white society Our rise here and yonder in politics is of|
means to providing others with resource material Much
progress we have made in building UP service business
priSes is thing which is permitted decoys In almost J
large Negro community in the South few Negroes n
mted to seemingly attain stature in the community why
10 the end that the may be begued into feeling "
what Jim has done they do When as matter of fact
ca controls have been that pretty well known v
the score VIII be with the from century century
We can make real progress but certainly not as H
bon copies of the decaden segment of white people If we keep
mind that people just people and that no child white or
comes into the world loaded with cargo of ability nhen
from his ancestors And further that all each day
is dependent upon what they exposed to from CHILDHOOD
maturity and even afterwards
In this connection it is well to also keep in mind that there
really no bascally superior individuals and peoples. Noun
more Nothing less And further that real progress is inv
evolution The acquisition of material things such great
of money prominence in business church and political life
bring with II certain satisfaction and comfort hut Is not
confused with progress And any peon'o @ relax IN
struggle for first class citizenship 0d "solue equality by
opium called progress, eopardises gains already acme
within
Progress is measured by the degree c progress III
sense of responsible citizenship ah'v 70 produce 'O
the world needs and is willing to pay for e '' degree TO
gain equitable representation in the HIGH places where
rules under which spend and benr spent are mace
administered