Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1954-08-14
The Meaning OF Assimilation,
Indignation And The
Mississippi Negro

Since we wrote something last week on the subject
on the front page of the JACKSON ADVOCATE, Mis-
sssipps greatest Negro Newspaper in which we state
our views and opinions without fear favor have
been faced with constantly recurring desire and urge
TO point out something more in regard to the meaning of
assimilation and its high place in what historians and
scholars point to the great American idea and ideal as
compared with that of ntegraton almost wholly new
term in it's relations to the growth and development of
the United States nation of many races ethnc and
national gathered together from the four
of the earth.
Those with eyes to see unaded by high education
and scholarly atanments need only to look around them
to learn the meaning of assimilation and the part it
has played from the very discovery of America, and
all through the various stages in the growth and de-
veopment of the United States up until the present
time when is recognized the worlds greatest nation
From the discovery of America when the call went
out for its colonization through the time of the American
Revolution and the Declaration of Independence and
throughout the period which lead to the adoption of the
Constitution of the United States the greatest promise
which America, and subsequently the United States,
held out to peoples of all and creed ethnc and
tonal backgrounds, that of assimilation; which
followed by the guarantee of liberty and equality
under law, by the adoption of the Constitution of the
United States.
Coming because of the promise of assimilation and
the guarantee OF liberty and equality under law,
tanned IN its constitution the United States has become
peoped by members of all races, creeds colors ethnc
and national groups, each of which, wherever brought
together in sufficient numbers, first established their
own separate churches, schools, and social institutions
and set about to establish business and employment OPP
portunltes for members of their group their OBJ
vious purpose being to avoid becoming dependent upon
any other group
Any Negro in Mississippi or anywhere else in the
United States with to aided by high schOl
arshp and educatiOn look about him and Italians
Greeks Jews, Chinese Japanese and members of other
racial ethnic, and national groups, with business of all
kinds giving opportunity to their people, crying out
not Tor lnegratlon although many of them still vic
TINS of certain types of discrimination, but crying out
only when denied the liberty and equality under law,
which includes the right to be separate under the great
American idea, ideal, and promise of assimilation.
Indeed there are many stories known to Negroes in
0ifio nhnr1t fho In;+oI
where members of other and groups having found
success in the United States in direct contradiction of
the idea OF negration have sent back to their mother
country for wife from among their people, and for
members of their families to share in their success and
in the great American promise of assimilation and
The great American promise of assimilation, the
right to be separate and independent liberty and equality
under law, the road to which the Negro was being
pointed by the late great Booker T. Washington and
ward which he was travelling at admirable speed be-
fore his DETECTED and retarded and his
eyes turned toward uncertain goals by Dr. W. E. B.
Dubois and other critics of the education theory and
philosophy of Booker T. Washington Having all but lost
sight of the goals set for him by Washington whose
theory and philosophy of education has since been
adopted and proclaimed throughout the educational
world there those who would hold up the Negro
lntegraton as the only for his ills
Yet in all the history of the United States no racial
or ethnic group with the exception of the voices
being heard from certain sections of opinion among
the promise of assimilation the right be separate and
Independent, and the guarantee of liberty and equality
under law, as contained in the Constitution of the
United States.
The loss of race PRIDE of which the cry for ntegra
ton Is the first and best evidence, is already causing
many efforts of Negroes to establish business and give
opportunity to other Negroes to wther and die with
the trend pointing to disastrous results to
The great promise of assimilation, the right to be
separate and Independent, liberty and equality under
law also gives to each of the various racial and ehnic
groups in the United States, including the Negro the
right to resist ntegraton with any other group 1t is
this and because of this right that the demand
for ntegraton is arousng such bitter opposition and
causing the Negro lose so many friends and the help
that he receiving from white people in the South
in his effort towards the right to vote during the
past few years. when his aim only the right
to be separate, and liberty and equality under law as
guaranteed by the Constitution of the United States
In the above views it should be plain to every think
ing Negro that the demand for ntegraton will never
become the foundation upon which to build mutual re-