The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1956-04-21

y
made aware of the damage which
lies in the embarrassing plati-
tudes of the pro-segregationiStS
who continue to state their de-
termination to circumvent the
Supreme Court decisions.
Each time a legislator, or any
leading citizen, or any political
minded person seeking office,
speaks his peace concerning his
stand on segregation - some
where new evidence of emotion
al unrest rears its ugly head, or
some form of violence directed
against Negroes is reported in the
news. ....,
It is the firm opinion of exper-
fenced observers that the attack
against Nat Cole was prernedi-
tated. Whether it was instigated
by any White Citizens Council, or
was the action simply of hot
headed white men whose emotion
had been whipped up by Council
talk, has not been determined.
But it is a fact that from the
same platform on which Nat Cole
was singing, Asa E. "Ace" Carter,
citizens council leader, only a
month ago, made a caustic at
tack on "Negro music" which was
"animalistic" and which Carter
said was leading White youth
astray.
Reporting the incident in one of
the nations leading dailies. vet
eran reporter had this to say:
A vast majority of white per-
sons obviously thought it was
an outrageous action here April
10 when three white men from
Admission, Alabama-where a
white citizens council initiated a
move to drive crock and roll"
and Negro music from Alabama
jukeboXes - rushed to the stage
before an all-white audience in
the Birmingham auditorium,
mounting it to knock the singer
pianist to the stage floor.
The curtains were drawn at
once, but the audience b g a n
calling. A comedian on the show,
who had introduced Mr.. Cole
Gary Mortin went on stage
before the closed curtains and
announced that the company
was sorry but that Mr.. Cole was
hurt and could not continue.
Bring him back so that we
can apologize" shouted n e
spectator from a near front
seat. Some two or three minutes
later Mr.. Cole reappeared and
said, II just came here to enter
tain you. That was what 1 thought
you wanted"
coMPosuRE RECLAIMED
Backstage later, Mr.. Cole SEEM
ed to regain his composure Slow
ly. He had stripped to his ruffed
white dress shirt and walked
around carrying a soft drink in a
paper cup.
Asked if he would give the
second show scheduled for Biz
mingham Negroes, to follow i'm
mediately, he seemed doubtful al
first.
Later he decided, after talking
with his managers, to appear as
scheduled.
Mr.. Cole appeared, talking with
newSmen and members of t b {
cast, to regret the incident Deep
>ly. He said, give appeared in Bir-
mingham six or seven times
Nothing like this ever happened. >
He said also nothing of h {
sort had ever happened to him il
his show business career. Refer.
ring to the press, Mr.. Cole said
I'm sorry about the Who'll,
thing. They're going to balloo,
this up"
INCIDENT REGRETTED
Between the shows, Birming
ham auditorium manager F r e.
McCollum said: Il regret t h
incident great deal. In twent,
years in show business I've new
er seen anything like it."
An unidentified officer men
toned, with genuine remorse OF
his face, that the area had Jus
gotten over the Autherine Luc,
eXcitment at the University o
Alabama and said II uaS ssto,