Jackson advocate., 1953-01-31

Fame" is segregated institution.
1t is not. Perhaps a little under
standing of my background will ex-
plain my reasons for wanting to
establish such an institution.
knew nothing about segrega-
ton until after | had entered col
lege. | was born in an all-white
community-attended grade school
and high school with my brothers
and sisters, and we were the only
colored students who attended. My
father was barber and my moth
er was a seamstress. We became
an integral part of the community
The question of segregation wa:
never allowed to enter our minds
we attended the churches in the
community; we engaged in all ath
letic activities in the communit1
and were a part of the social lif
of the community.
Whenever we were not invited t.
party of social gathering, VIC
never took it upon ourselves to
think that an invitation. was no.
extended to us because of our color
we merely felt that these par.
tlcular people did not want US.
| grew up with this philosophy
until, after my collegiate days,
went to hotel with a professional
football team. They told me tn.
last room was gone Instead of feel
ing humiliated, my attitude wa
that Il was too good for the hotel.
Ii went into restaurant and they
appeared not to want to serve me
my attitude was the same.
When | went to the coal regior
of Pennsylvania to play profession
al football, | was threatened. a
police escort took me to the game
stayed on the field at half-tim
TO give me protection and took M
from the field after | had played
GO grueling minutes of football.
A week later | was invited tc
The grade and high schools to lee.
ture. However, | learned later that
the real reason they invited me
was to let the children in the Goa
region see what modern Negro
looked like. | took no Offense, but
felt proud | was a Negro and tha'
| had "equalized' myself to such
an extent that | was accepted.
With these things in mind ani
with the experiences | had, | fel
IL necessary to establish such al
organization and name it the
NEGRO Athlete Hall of Fame, Sc
that the people of this countr.
could realize that Negroes arc
capable of doing many things fol
themselves and to encourage thi
Negro, not with the idea of segre
cation, but with the idea that a
Negro organiza ton does not have
to be a segregated organization.
Our Negro Athlete Hall Of FAM
could take in such men as Coach
Brown Of the Cleveland Indiana
Bill Veeck, Branch Hickey, Herman
Hickman of Yale, Otto Graham ot
the Cleveland Browns, Bob Water
field of the L. A. Rams and Other
outstanding heroes who have stoot
by and helped the Negro athlete
becOme famous.
1t appears that the majority OF
our complaints have come from
people who themselves have at
tended Negro grade and higf
schools, and Negro colleges. Some
have become doctors, and have
been forced to go to Negro hospi-
tails for their interneship. These
people, of course, are sensitive
and react unfavorably to any pro.
ject or organization that is LABELED
Negro. | hope they will remember
that our designating Negro Hal
of Fame has been done with tht
desire to eXtol those Negroes wht
have achieved, and all others wht
have helped to make it possible, 81
that future generations may bt
aware of the fine work of oul