Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1951-04-14
K ( N D RIX
co M M ( N IS
LOVE THAT MAN

decal johnson of Howard Univers-
lty took a new type of glance at
the whole matter Of race relations
and democracy here the other dav
when he suggested '1ove" as an
end.
Speaking before the final ses-
sion OF the Palmetto State Teach
ers Associations convention. DR.
johnson asked his audience TO love
the southern white man and
through this love aid him in over
coming his weakness.
Stressing this love angle. the
howard proxy noted that the OBJ
Ject OF his suggestion, love, is the
center of our national leadership
and that this leadership has in thu
palm of its hands the power to
destroy or save the nation.
Then DR.. johnson went for
ward:
"The southern white man is SO
strategically and powerfully relat-
ed to the power of this nation that
he has it in his hand to determine
the destiny of this nation. Within
the next decade, it will be the
southern white man who pulls the
decisive throttle of destiny.
eff he pulls it the wrong way.
our nation will lose the chance of
world leadership. If he pulls it
the light way, our nation will have
chance at leadership that has
never before been accorded a ma
ton to be the beloved and esteemed
leader of the world.
"There are about five chances
cut OF a hundred that he will do
it right, because in the area of
life that counts in this crisis, he
is a weaker man than he thinks
he. is. The point where he is
weakest You are stronger than he.
"You must love him for he is
weaker in the heart than you. Use
all your powers OF persuasion to
get him to do what you want for
youl people. You might turn out
to be the best friend he ever had,
for the chief weakness of the
southern white man is his lack of
faith in God and democracy.
"de has no confidence in his
own ability to launch his relation
ship with US or equal basis. He
has never tried to find out what
a pure hearted relationship could
do. There has been very little ex-
perimentation with democracy in
South Carolina.
'The white man is honest in his
Lack of faith and because he is
honest he can make an honest
change. You must do everything
you can to change him-do every
thing in your power to persuade
the southern white man that he
mas, within himself, the power to
solve this problem.
Therein was wrapped much of
DR.. Johnson's advice on love-,
A few days before, | had lis
tened to DR.. Benjamin E. Mays,
Morehouse College ,prexy launch
into an attack ON communism dur
ing his stand before the North
Carolina Teachers Association at
Raleigh. His talk also gave en-
phasis to the role of democracy in
our position of world leadership.
To me there seems to be some
close relationship between the two
subjects of two of our leading in
stitutional leaders - 'Love that
Man" and "Why l Hate Commun-
ISM" This relationship is quite
simple-democracy must be made
to work here if the spread of com
lnunism is to be halted abroad.
DR.. Johnson's reference to the
national Leadership status of the
south put the responsibility for
home-front democratic advance
ment squarely in the region where
the best examples of our laxity
of democracy are found. So MWJ
feels that Negroes have the obi
cation to cultivate.
Cultivation of friendships on the
behalf of democracy is of the wor
thiest of worthy causes. And such
can be no better achieved than in
the south where democracy's task
is considered greatest. If "love"
will nelp then try the Johnson for
mula.
There is no doubt that many of
our goals will be achieved through
mutual respect and understanding
that will come out OF friendships.
But at the same time, / know that
DR.. Johnson would want US to hold
the ballot and courts in a hand
free of "love."
Yet there was a vast amount of
something noteworthy in the John
son theme-you can't love one if
you DO not know that person.
knowing people brings under
standing = understanding democ-
racy. | believe.