The Omaha guide., 1956-03-09
The Other Fifty-On e Weeks
BY Harry Gersh


It's Brotherhood Week again, time for the official and formal ex
pressons of comfy between all the dsparate groups that together
make America great Some of the statements made by important
people will be expressions of a yearlong attitude. And some of the
statements will come from men who think it is good business or good
politics or good publicity to be a Brother this one week of the fiftytwo
which cannot detract from the innate goodness of the first group or
from the idea of Brotherhood Week.
The press will take care of the important people who hail the idea
of Brotherhood on this week. This columns job is to continue to cite
a few nameless persons who worked at brotherhood the otber 81
weeks. They didn't really work at it, 1t came naturally. Which makes
their actions more meaningmL
There was the nameless student of the University of Alabama who
said hello" to Autherine Lucy in her first class on the first dy of
her attendance in Tuscaloosa. This was before the cries arose and the
mob took over. 1t was just ar unthought-through expression Of greet.
ing from one human being to another.
Then there was a speaker at one of last years Brotherhood Week
banques. A decent man owner of a fairly large business, active in
civic affairs. He hadn't thought of Brotherhood a. such until the COM
mitee asked him to speak as the representative of the business COM
munty. He didn't mind, in fact he made a rather good speech.
He went home that evening and found some mail from his golf
club. 1t reminded him of something, so he went and got a member
ship list Not one Italian, Jew or Negro. Yet he kenw of several
BILE. Then he remembered the clubs membership restrictions. Thew
were never written down, but were restrictive and folowd implacably.
The next morning he wrote a letter to his golf club, resgning his
membership and telling them why.
The last citation goes to a small boy who, in his innocence of all
evil, was the very symbol of all brotherhood.
He was playing in the shrubs with his equally small Negro friend.
They decided to do something to make trouble. But what? Finally
the little boy thought of a way to fool his mother.
Wen change clothes" he said "You put 0 my clothes and I'll
put on yours. Then we'll go into the house. And Momma will think
you are me-"
Maybe there1n be a Brotherhood Week some day when all people
will be as unconscious-as that small boy-of their neighbours color
and race and religion.
Capahosic, Va, A group of prominent educational and civic
leaders met here at Holly Knoll over the weekend, March ga, at the
invitation of the P~helpsStokes Fund, for an informal discussion of
the problems of race relations in the United States Particular atten-
ton was devoted to an assessment of some of the recent DEVELOPMENTS
along with their implications. in this troubled area.
Among other topics, the group gave consideration to the possible
ties of future meetings and cooperative efforts on the part of in1uen-
tal persons of both races. Their aim would be to achieve a more eff
fective use of reason and goodwill in overcoming the difficulties of
desegregaton in working tworad advances in interracal relations
Those present were: Ralph j Bunche, New York, City, Rufus E.
Clement, Atlanta, Ga; VIM. L. Dawson, Chicago; Lester B. Granger,
New York City; VIM. H HASTE, Philadelphia; Charles S. Johnson,
Nashville, Tenn; John G. Lewis, Jr, Baton Rouge, La; Charles H
Mahoney, Detroit, Mich; Benjamin E. Mays, Atlanta, Ga; Carl
Murphy, Baltimore; DR.. F. D. Patterson, New York City; Bishop Frank
M. Reid, Columbia, S. c.; Charles Fl. Thompson, Washington, D. c.;
Willard S Townsend, Chicago; W. ] Trent, Jr, New York City; J. E.
Walker, Memphis, Tenn; Robert c. Weaver. New York City; John b.
Wheeler, Durham, N. c.; and Roy wilkins, New York City,
The PhelpsStokes Fund is a foundation which devotes its major
attentinon to the education of Negro youth in the United States and in
Africa. DR.. F. D. Patterson is director of the Fund.