The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1950-04-05
EXTENSION OF REMARKS OF
HON. JACOB X. JAVITS
of New York
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRE-
SENTATIVES
Wednesday, March %. 1850

Negro press is well exemplified
by the appended editorial from
the New York Amsterdam News
of March 4, 1850, on the event Of
National Negro Newspaper Week.
1t is the most eloquent testimony
of the reliance by Negroes upon
the validity of our constitutional
process, and the sense of justice
and fair play of the American
people that they are placing their
greatest efforts behind the win
ming of public support through
disclosure of the facts and dis
cussion of their implications, the
particular function of newspapers.
The editorial is as follows:
Oar Major Challenge
This years observance of Ma
tional Negro Newspaper Week,
February &c to March 4, marks
the one hundred twenty-third an
niversary of the founding of the
Negro press by John Brown Russ
wurm. Newspapers founded, pub
lished, and edited by Negroes
more than 100 years ago, served
similar purposes in their time as
the minority newspapers do today.
They were and are largely organs
of protest, watchdogs of civil and
citizenship rights, and reporters
of life and activities of their COM
munities. Each Negro newspaper
has had to meet the challenge of
its own era and attempt to solve
the problems of its own time,
region, and needs.
The history and service of the
Negro press, like those of other
institutions, are praised by some
and blamed by others. But it is
not easy to find another institu-
ton in the United States that has
given and achieved so much with
so little material support from
those whom it has served. In the
meantime, however, the Negro
press has grown in influence,
power, and service. Today, it's cir
culation runs into millions of
printed copies and many millions
of readers drawn from every walk
and activity of life.
President Truman cited the
Negro press as vigorous cham
pion of minorities, and declared:
In recent years it has become
increasingly a reporter of the con-
dition of human rights the world
over. " Gov. James Duff, of
Pennsylvania, praised the Negro
press as a guardian of constitu-
tional rights. The Negro press
can claim with pride the praises
and honors bestowed upon it by
Presidents and governors; it can
also claim much more than they
have mentioned.
Champion, guardian, defender
of rights, liberties, and privileges.
the Negro press has also served
as leader, reporter, interpreter, of
the cause of Negro progress and
the democratic way of life. Its
sponsibilities are to race COM
munity, Nation, way of life, and
to the world. In these days, when
the future and welfare of minority
groups are so closely related to
the welfare of larger groups
throughout the world, the Negro
press would do well to prepare
itself for a larger and more i'm
oortant role in shaping the
thoughts and directing the actions
and lives of its community Of
readers.
The decline of Europe, the rise
Of the United States, the Soviet
Union, and the nations of Asia
and the Pacific have placed Africa
and the peoples of African descent
in a new setting and given them a
new Importance in the economy,
government, and defense plans of
the world.
A new and larger world view OF
human problems, their implica-
tions and relationships must now
take a more important place in
the scheme of the Negro press
than they have ever taken in the
1913 years since the publication Of
Freedoms Journal.
The so-called Negro problem in
the United States is not what it
was even 10 years ago. 1t has
heightened into only one of many
vexing problems which a growing
Nation of all races colors creeds,
and nationalities must face cour-
! ageously.
The role, then, of the Negro
press is becoming more and more
one of devotion to principles, ac-
curate knwledge of issues and
problems, and courageous leader
ship on local, national, and inter-