St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1954-05-28
Rowan Tells Fla.
Audience Negroes
Wont Equality

Special to Minneapolis spokes-
man and st. Paul Recorder. -
Miami, Fla. - Carl T. Rowan told
the Miami Urban League at its
annual meeting Sunday that the
Negro wants social equality.
He said that the people who say
that the Negro does not actually
want social equality are not being
truthful
He declared:
TITS time for Negroes and
those white citizens with courage
- to stop pussyfooting and say
plainly and honestly that the Me-
gro wants every kind Of equality.
Yes, he does want social equal
ity."
Rowan, staff writer for the
Minneapolis Tribune and winner
of the Sigma Delta professional
Journalism fraternity's general
reporting award for 1858. defined
social equality as:
In a democracy, In a free soci-
ETY., any two people or groups of
people with a mutual admiration
and respect for each other ought
to feel perfectly free to get to-
gether socially or in any other
legal situation they deem desir-
able"
The former president Of the Mill
City Urban league pictured the
| Supreme court decision abolishing
school segregation as an "emanci-
patton proclamation" for white
southerners.
He told the interracial audience:
THE Supreme court has made
II possible to lift from the shout
ders of the white southerner the
stigma of being different White
southerners who long to cast off
the yoke of racism no longer will
be burdened by a regional inferi-
ority complex.
"Your children will not have to
go about trying to prove that they
are as good as other Americans,
for the legaiized segregation will
mean there is only one kind of
American"
Rowan also warned Negroes
to beware of intimidation that
viii lead them TO say that
they actually prefer segre-
gated schools.
Rowan called on his fellow mem
bers of the Junior Chamber of
Commerce land all similar organ
izations devoted to a better Amer
lea" TO speak out for the ending
of segregation in other areas of
life.
stop for moment and try to
square with your consciences," he
said. "the fact your fellow JAY
Gees, fellow Americans, fellow hui
man beings. must ride in the back
of buses. are turned away at
hotels, at restaurants"
Rowan warned Negroes In the
audience that they will continue
to suffer these indignities until
they make II clear that Negroes
want to be free and, with the
blessings of God, Negroes will be
free"
The 2s-year-old reporter, who
won several national awards for
articles written in 1851 on the
south, and for his book, said hon
est, educated citizens of both races
must beware of the peddlers OF
cliches."
The ''cliche pcddlers" are
constantly busy spreading
ciiches designed TO arouse the
emotions OF people, ito take
away from YOU the ability TO
reason out these problems"
They drag out the old bugaboos
of 'mongrelization or social equal
ity' in the hope that in a moment
of senseless frenzy you viii forget
that what is at stake is not the
very personal matter of who has
whom TO dinner but the very Con-
stitutional matter of the rights OF
American citizens" Rowan said.
They want to create another
generation of frightened. mealy-
mouthed pussyfooters who are UNI
able to rise above their selfish in
terests. II you allow them to sue
coed. the cause of liberty win be