Arkansas State press. [volume] (Little Rock, Ark.) 1941-1959, 1950-04-14
The Deep South Speaks
NEGRO JOBS-WHlTE JOBS
BY Robert DUR

During the 1888 depression large modern office building
in Deep South State had its grand opening Its six push button
elevators named by light skinned Negro boys.
Presently poor whites seeing the elevator operators
did not have to pull the door shut that the whole
operation push button affair." informed the building sup
erntendent that their and children hungry
they him fire Negro operators and put them on
The superintendent told them he could not do that be-
there certain jobs for whites and certain jobs
blacks in the Souththat such jobs elevator operators
swnges spit tomb cleaners and general unking Negro
obsthat he didn't think Negroes should clamor for other
types of jobs and whites should always remember if they
Negro jobs would be like the old saying Birds who flock
together get the feathers His not wanting to
fire the Negro boys and employ whites knew the
whites would form clamor for
better working conditions and bargaining rights
elevator service but the Negro sold on the idea that
he did not need union because he would always the
boss and tell him what he wanted the could
fire him for doing other he elected to
do And that If he lent the Negro sums of money he
could keep him from thinking what organized work
ers think and learn about So he kept the Negroes on the lob
his precedent followed by other building managers and to-
day he has about two third Of the office buildings in that city
under his management with Negro bringing complaints
from the others him.
This Negro spokesman is quite fellow He is an expert
begger He doesn't mind letting his lap under his chin
some times as he pleads for of his fellow workers 1t works
too His employer thinks this peader is good leader of his
people This Negro agrees with his employer to an
end that there are Negro jobs and white jobs.
If you will note that theme almost all the way
through the movies what with Rohesers Aunt Jemmas
and what have you gamorzng the uny type of jobs where
annd the white mans condeScendng kdnes he always
his Negro by his first and his Negro always calls him
Mr. or Boss, which that millions and millions are I'M
consciously sold the idea that "a are ae-horn TO
either be the white mans slave his servant
There nothing wrong with being funkey so long as the
cause OF progress is not arrested retarded is
such thing doing the ordinary thing extra ordinary
way but the Negro be aware that there is ter
rifle effort going in thousands of ways sell him on the
idea that certain things in life for whites exclusively with
the Negro taking what's left
To show you how lot of unenightened whites feel on
this let relate the gist of conversation between
Negro policeman and white policeman in Deep South city,
the white policemen too had the idea that Negroes shad
their places and whites in theirs he Negro
fcer you don't want to my dances wouldn't like it
saw Negro dancing with white girl to the tune of Let me
Call You Sweetheart And you would like see me dancing
with colored girl TO the tune He continued by porting
to the 1850 Lincoln automobile the Negro officer owned and
saying, Now that's white mans Negro should never
ride in anything but Ford Later the came down from
the tenth floor of Negro home and the lobby
beautiful nurse along eating chocolates -o
officer reached and got himself and began mincng it,
When he had this beautiful coored girl he forgot all about
Staying in his place."
1t reported that top flight Negro reporter who resides
Northern state where civil rights written into the