Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1951-12-08
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FOR WHITES ONLY"

FOR WHITES ONLY"
Houston, Texas = Some white
people offend without intent.
This column is meant for those
whites who would not deliberately
insult you and me, but do so when
they refer to us as something that
falls somewhere between Negro"
and "n--r." 1t sometimes a.
mounts to "Negra" or Negro" or
there abounts.
Whites who have 10 deal with
Negroes should know that any,
thing short of Negro" is definite
ly offensive to US, and if for some
reason the term is difficult to
reach, "colored" is an easy sub
stitute. 1t is likely that too many
whites have always used the term
'n---r" in reference to US.
Further, there are certainly
those who have come cut of en-
ylronments which have provided
no other usage of this racial desig-
nation other than that which we
detest. A vast lot of these, | am
sure, would not elect to offend, if
they only knew.
Regardless of the causes for this
misuse of our tag, those whites who
wish to sell us cars, ideas, pro-
grams for community betterment,
must learn that once they flat the
word Negro" into "Negra" or
"Negre" we lose the sales poirt,
while we wait the coming of
"n--r.
have seen as much happen on
too many occasions. Only the other
day, | listened to a report by a
school administrators was a
good report, issued in all sincerity,
to be sure. But, unfortunately, the
reporter did not or could not say
Negro. His pronunciation was in
the n-DetWeen.
And SO was his audience.
Awhile back, | had a hand in a
tribute to the first president of the
Republic of Liberia. A now former
governor of the Commonwealth of
Virginia had set aside a day in
honor of Joseph Jenkins Roberts,
the first president of Liberia.
When national network offer
ed airline for a program in con-
junction with Virginia's tribute to
Liberia, this governor graciously
accepted a role on the broadcast.
His address exemplified his pride
of participation. He was happy to
have been party to a state honor
to the first president of Liberia.
No other state could claim the
first chief executive of two newly
founded republics-Virginia could
in George Washington, first presi-
dent of the United States, and
Joseph Jenkins Roberts, first presi-
dent of the Republic of Liberia.
The governor liked his assign
ment and his quite scholarly manu-
script showed that he had spared
no pains in seeking that he had a
good presentation for that Joseph
Jenkins Roberts Day broadcast.
But he lost his audience-gradu-
ally through twelve minutes he
slipped from Negro down, down
and almost to ''n--r."
Very few persons in the studio
audience, of the Negroes present,
nor the Virginia State College
choir, which occupied the studio
with the governor, got the real i'm
port of that excellent address. 1t
was reflected in the singing of that
wonderful choir. The kids lost
spirit. The studio audience faded.
| suggested to the governors
secretary that he spell it
NEGROW.
While on the subject, Negroes
feel that the word Negro" de-
serves a big "n" and that their
names should have handles. In
many instances, members of your
race who must deal with whites
never use their first names. In
stead, they use initials. So if he's
Sam A. Jones, he will likly use
S. A. Jones. You get it.
| have written this not for you,
but if you wish to pass it on to
someone who needs it-you have
my blessings.