Jackson advocate., 1953-02-07

Mr.. Chairman, Officers, Mem
bers and Friends Of the Parish
Street Young Mems Christian AS
sociation: 1t is with very deep
sincerity, revered anticipation,
humble devotion and profound
gratitude that come before YOU
at this time to address YOU in my
feeble way in connection with your
observation Of "Y" Sunday. ! wish
to congratulate the Negro citizens
Of Jackson for having a good Y.M.-
CA. in Jackson. Any community
which is privileged to have a good
G.M.C.A. is a better community in
which to live. Too frequently, the
Negro boy must find his recreation
and associates in the iuke house
instead of at the "Y" where he
could engage in clean, wholesome.
supervised recreation which helps
make the boy a real citizen Of to-
morrow. | understand that the
Negro churches Of the city have
joined in the observance of this
day as 'Y' Sunday. This is as It
should be. have always looked
upon the "I" as the right arm of
the church. If more of our young
men were participating in the pro-
gram of the "Y", we would have
more of our young men participat-
ing IN the program of the church.
April of 1851, found Mississinni
in a spirited campaign to elect a
governor. One of the leading candi-
dates at that time in the campaign
was Attorney Ross Barnett of this
city, who possesses one Of the best
legal minds in our state. When ask
ed for a statement of his views
on the veXing problem OF segrega-
tion in the public schools Of Mis-
Slssippi had this to say. In Mis-
sissippi, we could do nothing more
fundamentals destructive to our
economy and society than to breal
through the practical system Of
segregation. | take my stand" SAYS
Mr.. Ross Barnett, "in favor Of our
present system of segregation IF
the races from the viewpoint Of
universal benefit, economic stabili
ty, social progress and in Difference
to Southern traditions" Recently.
the Associated Press called upon
three Negro leaders in our state for
a statement concerning the much
discussed issue Of segregation in
the schools of our state. Two Of
these Negro leaders gave state
ments to the Associated Press
which agree in their entirety with
the statement made by Nr. Ross
Barnett Of your city. .s-
The selection of a topic to speak
upon today has given me grave
concern. Knowing thatI would meet
a group of Educators, Professional
men and women and students here
today, who have been trained to
think, | dared to prepare an ad-
dress on the subject, "The Dignity
of Equality'.s This subject, "The
Dignity Of Equality" seems ap-
propriate, first, because Negroes
in Mississippi in this year of our
Lord, 1858 are being called upon
to take their stand as free. first
class American citizens enjoying
all the rights and privileges that
this democracy offers her citizens
and guaranteed to the Negro race,
especially, through the thirteenth,
fourteenth and fifteenth Amend
ments of the Constitution of the
United States of America.
Secondly, this subject, "The Dig
nifty of Equality" seems appropri-
ate today because of the social
political crises in which the world
finds itself On one hand there is
the temperamental warm war"
and on the other hand, there is be-
ing enacted at this very hour the
worlds greatest social revolution
in the near and Far East and in
Africa, and right here in Mississip-
pi.
This period or age in which we
are living today bids fair to end
an epoch of European domination
and exploitation of Asia and Afri-
ca. and the end of absolute white
supremacy and the end of segre-
gated travel, educational and pub
lie facilities in the entire South
and this includes the sovereign
State of Mississippi.
/. CONCEPTS OF FREEDOM
AND DEMOCRACY:
q ,,o;no,.itv oroI1n in this ma