St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-03-02


pledging cooperation to the fam
lily and in extending heartfelt |
sympathy against un-American
actions Of a few bigoted neigh
bors. AS a result one Of the in
stigators Of this near riot was
forced out into the open He |
weakly denied that he objected to |
Negroes moving into his neighbor-
hood, claiming to have been mis-
quoted in the press.
Also in the summer of 1855, a
young couple rented an apart
ment in North Minneapolis. De-
post money for the apartment
was paid by mail and followed by
a check for the first months rent
When the operator of the real
estate and rental agency found
that the young wife was a Ne
gro, he tried to violate the terms
Of the rental agreement. He later
offered the couple an apartment
in the building after NAACP in I
tercession, but by this time the
couple had already rented other |
quarters, and il was inconvenient |
for them to move. II was thought |
that this rental agent might have
deliberately delayed fulfilling his
agreement in order TO discourage
the young couple. A suit for punt
tive damages is still pending I'M
less a settlement can be reached |
out of court.
The examples listed here pre-
sent a cross section of complaints |
of discrimination in housing |
which are constantly being |
brought to the attention of the |
NAACP
In the legislative field the Min
neapolis Branch contributed of |
its funds and energies towards the |
successful campaign in the 1855 |
state legislature for the passage |
of an FEPC bill. The bill was
drafted by the legislative COM
mittee OF the Minnesota State
Council for FEPC, under the !
Craftsmanship of l.. Howard Ben
nett, who is now the branch presi-
dent. Other NAACP officers and |
members testified before legisla-
tive committees and lobbied for |
the bill in cooperation with the |
Minnesota State Conference OF
NAACP, and as members Of the
Council.
The non-discriminatory clause
in the contracts, deeds and other
conveysnces connected with the
GlenwoOd area Redevelopment
plan were also originally drafted
by Mr.. Bennett and Is was largely
through the insistence of NAACP
representatives, with officials OF
the Urban League, Mayors Coun-
Gil On Human Relations, Joint
Committee on Equal Opportunity,
and other groups, that these
clauses were incorporated in the
plan.
All of these incidents and act-
vities have been described in
this ewspaper. This is
by way Of review and may be
said to present a picture Of pro-
gress in Minneapolis.
While we do not intend to dis
count progress, and while the
NAACP in Minneapolis is proud Of
the role it has played in the great
campaign TO eliminate segrega-
ton and discrimination as set by
the association, we are disturbed !
at the lack of cooperation which
we receive from the public in this
city.
We submit that while thus far
we have not had to face up to |
terrorism, rioting, and economic |
reprisals in Minneapolis, while |
we have not heard Of the forma-
ton of Citizens Council, such as
are prevalent in the south, here !
in Minneapolis, the NAACP pro- |
gram and goals have not been |
reached.
We have just scratched the sur
face. The fight in the south is our
fight too. The 1854 Supreme
Court decision gave us a mandate |
to continue our militant and force
full compsign here in Minneapolis
as well as all over the country.
Contrary TO a recent statement |
by a Negro political leader in
Minneapolis, ours is not a mod
crate" campaign, but hard hit
ting and aggressive battle in
which smugness complacency and
gradualism have no part. This is
also in contradiction 10 state
ments made by any candidate or
candidates for the presidency Of
the U. s.
Minneapolis residents, Negroes
in particular should awaken from
what we consider as a disturbing
~ lethargic and self-satisfied
apathy and give Of their time and
money to the campaign for fun
citizenship for all Americans.
II they are Mortified by the
brutal murder Of Emmett TIL and
the treatment Of Autherine Lucy
the best way to show it Is by sup
porting the NAACP program
through its local branch.
The main reason We never
enjoy small talk Is that II In
yariably comes In large dOese.--