The guardian., 1952-12-13
SOCIAL CALENDAR
By ALMIRA PARK

In this week which has beer
designated by Gov. Dever a
Civil Rights week with the re-
quest that churches, schools anC
organizations hold appropriate
exercises, it was fitting that
group friends held meeting
Wednesday night at AGA Mass
ave.. with Mrs. Maude Trottel
Steward, editor of The Guardian
and fighter for civil rights, a:
special guest on the occasion
Equal rights is now common
topic of discussion whereas for
merly the term was spoken Of
by the powers that be with bated
breath as though they were
ashamed OF it. And well they
should have been for the bring
ing about of full citizenship
rights for colored people and
other minorities has Jagged woe
fully, owing to this apathy OF
the governing powers. Mrs.
Steward said among other things
that she could look back over
many years and recall the injus-
tices that had to be fought, some
Of them successfully. In her mem
ory she recalled that at one time
white churches grudgingly well
coined colored people who sought
to worship in them. They had a
habit Of seating colored worship
ers in the gallery or in the rear
and all together. Sometimes these
unweIcome guests were smart
enough to elude the usher and
find seats where they wished to
sit. In the theatres also coll
ored people were given seats in
the gallery or in the rear. Col
ored people had to ask their
white friends or their fair
skinned colored friends to pur-
chase tickets for them. And then,
she said, there was the matter
of text books in the schools
which contained derogatory ref
arences to colored people or else
nothing to their credit Of the
part they had played in the adj
of the country, often
referring to them by insulting
licknames. It is no wonder that
white children when grown up
lad perverted idea of their coll
red brothers. She recalled the
ervices of that great Mayor
quinn Of Cambridge who only
ad to be told about such books
nd forthwith he had them re-
aoved from the Cambridge
chools. DR.. Robert Simmons
rho presided at the Wednesday
meeting could remember
favor Quinn, she said, for in the
arly days he fought along with
er brother, the late William
Aonroe Trotter, against all such
and injustices. There
vas time, also in her memory,
vhen white BARRIERS refused to
erve colored men until forced
o do so by law. She said that
schools in Boston were
abolished before her time and
oefore her time, also, colored |
oeopls were forced to ride in
he rear Of street cars. Even the
great Frederick Douglass was
ons time elected from a street
eaR because he refused to sit in |
,ne rear, and this incident |
FASTENED the day when the re-
striction was removed. So, the
haat for equal rights went on;
Il Is far from being won and it
may be many years before con-
ditions will be ideal. We have
to remember, she said, that all
races have had to make the fight
for their civil rights. The very
ones who now seek to deny
colored people their civic rights,
were themselves denied these
same rights. No one among us,
she said, was a more ardent
fighter for equal rights than the
late Jack Lee whose passing is
so grievious a loss to the Civil
Rights cause. So valiant a
champion was he and so gener-
ously endowed with qualities
suited to the hghtl The Mem
orial Service for him at the Walls
AME Zion Church on Walnut
Park next Sunday at 5 PM, will
pay him deserved honor and
friends will express their sin
cere admiration for the brave
young crusader. Mrs. Janet john
son, chairman Of the committee
for the Wednesday meeting,
opened and pinned on Mrs. Stew
ard a beautiful eorsage.
The many friends of the Aristo
Club may be interested to know
Of the change made in its meet
ing schedule to take care Of the
many demands made upon its
members and to keep abreast of
changing interests: first Sunday
In each month, business and cul-
tursl meeting at 3 Pm. at the
home of a member; quarterly
business meetings at 5 Pm. at the
League of Women for Commune
ity Service, $50 Mass. ave-, Bos-
ton-the next meeting to be Dec.
IL. The December meeting, Sun