Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-05-18

is Whine Rjghf7
Do Negroes Want To
Be White? No! Says
American Mercury Article
BY GEORGE 9. SCHUYLER
In June THE AMERICAN MERCURY

one that they all want TO be
white is not an exception. At any
rate, it is far less true than il is
thought TO be, or ever was. or ever
will be, The current widespread
militancy OF American Negroes Is
symptomatic Of something more
serious.
Whatever dreams or ambitions
Negroes may have had once in this
direction have been long since dis
sipated by their painfully disillu-
sioning experiences, and by their
observations OF the lofty Aryan
both at home and abroad
The general nteracy, the influ-
entail Negro press and church, in
creasing knowledge Of the African
background and advances despite
handicaps in every field OF en-
deavor have made the Darker
Tenth much less naive The stud
led and encompassing complex OF
persecution. prescription, ostra-
cism and insult has considerably
disillusioned the duslSy brethren
about white superiority.
In consequence of their pro-
gress. black has lost tremen-
dous amount of its unpopularity
among blacks. Once ruled by those
with light skins and good" (that
is TO say, Caucasianl hair and fea-
lures, colored society has under
gone a change Its present leaders
cannot pass" for anything but
Negroes, and none seems unhappy
about IL.
To be sure the national Negro
addiction to Strengthening hair
and Tightening complications by
generous Use OF cosmetics still
persists. Understandably. II has
given rise TO the not illogical as
sumption that Negroes are trying
TO become like white folks. Started
a half century ago. this lucrative
endeavor has enriched numerous
colored and white businesses and
enhanced self-respect by "improv-
ing appearances, especially OF
colored women. A light skin and
naturally straight hair remain
social assets.
With Spartan courage those pio-
neers eager TO approach the ma
uond standards OF pulchritude
glazing at them from every maya
zine and billboard, underwent I'M
flinchingly the rigors Of primitive
chemistry. The original crude
compounds, caustc and neceSsar-
lily powerful, often turned kinks a
bright red, SCARED scalps at the
hair line and marred dark skins.
One irrate chicagosn sued his
barber for damages when the hair
came off with the hot towel. Some
extremists took mild doses of ar
senis in the hope OF thus attaining
the right" color. Many a fiat nose
WAS hopefully pinched in infancy
that the features might grow 10 be
regular" Huge advertisements in
the otherwise race-proud Negro
newspapers praised a magic ell
ixir guaranteed 10 turn a black
person white in Three Minutes
BY The Clock" Today. similar but
less harsh compounds are advcr-
tised more circumspectiy in defer
ence 20 the greater sophlstication
Of the clientele. With the Negro
press no longer solely dependent
upon this type Of copy. II does
not dominate the pages as II once
did.
In his recent The Color Cur
tain" the Negro author. Richard
Wright relates a hilarious anec-
dote in his report on the Ban
dung Conference indicating that
these rites are not extinct. A
white woman writer sharing q
bedroom with a colored Bostnnian
reporter mistook her Acquaintance
for a voodoo priestess because
each night in the dsrksned room
she heated her Strengthening comb
over the eere blue flame from a
Stsrno can. When Wright had
aIlaysd the wonan's fears by sx.
planning the circumstance. she re-
called that her room mate spent
an hour each morning locked In
the bathroom. finally emerging
two or three shades lighter.
For fear erroneous Conclusions
may be drawn. u should ~ men
toned. on the other hand. tina,
the huge white cosmetic industry
- based largely on American fe-
male efforts 70 approach nearer
70 the wavy-haired fair goddess
ideal - gentlemen who prefer
blondes but 10 re has cited the~e
practices a. evidence % an IN
fsr1ority complex Of white e.
males
Nor - ne H1fity with which
sun tanning real OF ARTIFICIAL Il
prNrtced BY millions an ln6ioatior