St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1951-12-28
An Open Letter To
Nell Dodson Russell

ton as the FEPC. Your article on
that subject was very interesting
and informative.
Therefore, Nell, cannot quite
understand your piece which APP
peared in this paper a few weeks
ago to the effect that the Jewish
people are exploiting the Negro
people in their capacity as store
keepers and landlords.
l am still trying to figure out,
Nell, exactly what you attempted
to accomplish by your article. II
we grant merely for the sake OF
argument (although l myself do
not believe it, that there is a
grain of truth in your statements,
I would still like to know what
good your article will do. Do you
think that you can change the
conditions by your article? Grant
ing that you do want TO change
things, do you think that you
chose the right method?
AS a Negro journalist, fighting
for the enlargement and extension
of rights of your race, haven't you
come across persons who said
pretty nasty things about your
race? Haven't you been pretty Of
Tended by the things the Bilboes
and Rankins and others too num-
erous to mention have said about
your people? Let US assume, Nell,
that, just for the sake of argu-
ment, there was just a grain of
truth in what they said. Do you
seriously think that they were
really interested in helping the
Negro. in removing the bad things
they criticized? I am quite sure,
Nell, that as an intelligent journ-
alist, you don't.
l am quite sure that you knew
that the lies and infsmies these
men bruited about were calculated
to and did harm the Negro race in
their search for equality. Do you,
can you, really think for a mo-
ment, Nell, that an article Of your
type, which is really a facimile of
the type the Bilboes and Rankins
repeated, could help relations be-
tween the Jewish and Negro peo-
Piles one whit? On the contrary,
acquainted as you are with propa-
ganda techinques, isn't it quite
possible that you are laying the
groundwork for a schism between
between the two people that could
work to the detriment of both ?
After all, it is a matter of record
that the Jewish people have
materially aided the Negro peo-
Piles in their fight for civil rights.
Many a Jewish lawyer has de-
Tended a Negro in a civil rights
trial. Isn't it possible, Nell, that
you could be doing harm to both
races?
I believe, Nell, that by virtue
Of your article, you have abdic-
Gated your right to act as
spokesman for racial equality
and the democratic treatment
of minOrities.
You know, Nell, that during the
past decade the position of the
Negro people has advanced very
greatly, This has been partly due
to the spirit of the times genera
ted by the liberal influence of the
administration of Pres d e n I
Franklin d. Roosevelt but also
not in a small measure to the mill
tant Negro press, which continu-
ally attacked discrimination
against the Negro people and
made sincere appeals to the con-
science of the white population.
These appeals to the con
science of the American people
has yielded results, Nell, al
though certainly there is much
TO be done. The moral position
OF the Negro people In its quest
for equal rights was unquestiOn-
ably clear. However, Nell, what
will be its moral position II II
allows attacks on other min
ity groups to appear in its col
umns?
I think, Nell, that the Negro
press suffers more from incidents
of this nature than the group at
tackled, for it has taken away the
very foundation of its existence!
If it does not believe in fair play
for others, what right does it have
for fair play for itself?
I am very saddened, Nell to see
an intelligent journalist like your
self fall for the kind Of malarkey
that you debunk in others. And !
am also saddened by the fact that
your boss. Mr. Newman, did not
see fit to set you straight on these
things in his editorial solumn. AS
a fighter for equal rights it was
his duty to do so. sincerely hope
that I have awakened you fighters
for your own rights TO also re-
spect the rights of others.
Very truly yours Max Void
200 Portland Ave
Minneapolis MINI.
Editors Note: We extend to Nell
Russell, our columnist, the same
privilege we assume for ourselves,
tO-wit: TO criticize NegrOes
whites. JeuS or Gentiles. ProtPs-