St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-05-17

| Whte Blediu OF OuI DilBHA "Noi ~
/ cast
How far and how fast we 20
toward fuIfiIlment Of free and
untrammeled way Of life In this
country for Negro citizens In n
large measure depends ON our
own initiative, sacrifices and
willingness 10 perseyere.
Since my appointment 10 the
| White House Staff, many white
| citizens have written me letters
questioning on what facts and rea-
/ sonlng do we base our pleas for
| first-olass citizenship The poet
answered that when he wrote:
This land II ours by right Of
birth,
This land is ours by right Of
toll
We helped TO till It's virgin
earth,
our sweat is in It's fruitful
sail"
our strength and spirit, Drawn
and brain, have been part and par
eel OF nearly every endeavor that
has brought our nation 10 the top
OF the civilized world. We stumbl-
ed through the wilderness and
thickets OF North America with
the early surveyors who laid out
our land. We crossed the prairies
and the plains and the mountains
In covered wagons and on foot TO
explore the widening boundaries
OF our Republic. Our axes fell the
forests, our broad backs built the
roads and carved the mines out OF
the bowels OF the earth. We laid
the railroad ties that connected
the North with the South and the
East with the West. We TILED the
soil that fed millions OF mouths
OF our civilization. and we mixed
the concrete and laid the bricks
and mortar that sent the sky
scrapers towering towards the
heavens In our teeming, roaring
cities America is u.s. and we are
America.
Our music Is the true folk-mus-
lc OF our country. Our forefathers
put their faith In God. and with
deathless belief In His Goodness
and mercy, lifted their voices TO
the heavens In chants predicting
that Bye and bye. bye and bye,
I'm going 10 lay down this heavy
load This music has echoed
around the world from the golden
voices of Marian Anderson, Doro-
thy Haynor, Matiwilda Dobbs, Ro-
land Hayes and Others II has
moved the world by Its spiritual
and melodic qualities, and kings
J and queens have wept unashamed
as this music touched their very
| souls.
We have given our nation and
the world artists, statesmen, doc.
tors, writer's, inventors, ministers
educators lawyers and athletes, In
every avenue OF life, we have
made our contributions.
But this Is the story OF the past
History II not OF the past alone
10 goes on and on and In the re,
cord OF daily occurrences So W,
| you and I are a part OF the
history OF our times. II we want
future generations TO thrill e
their heritage and be proud OF II
AS you can be OF yours, you must
begin now 10 accept the responsi,
bilities that 40 along with the
privileges OF first-class citizen
ship.
Any Negro no matter what his
| political faith=who has felt the
boot and heel OF racial oppression
segregation and discrimination
should have profound interest II
dream OF the Eisenhower Admin
istration. lie should ask every
| candidate OF every party wht
solicits his vote, II he believes II
the Eisenhower philosophy o
democracy, and II the candidat,
cannot give an unqualified en-
dOrsement, we should be of anl
| running looking for one who can
And what Ia the Eiscnhowc
philosophy of Democracy 10 4
the philosophy OF fulfilling IN
American dream, the dream o
equal opportunity the dream o
| merit finding its own level; IN
dream OF a persons being able 4
rise In the world "a far as his ahil
ity and ambition can carry him
The dream has literally never becl
/ fulfilled by any group, white O
Negro, but its eternal quest IA
profoundly influenced the ch0raCt
or OF American society and II re
mains the norm, the standard. b.
which we Judge social proCcssc
and institutions,
Because OF my close association
with the President over PORTO
. OF four years, and the cNperienC
, OF a lifetime devoted 10 my race
! fight for unrestricted ciuEcnshi
! IN this country, | feel particular
, qualified TO make the tOllowin
| observation: without couragcou
, White House leadership, utiltg
, ing It's influence 10 sweep ava
, every barrier OF resistance {
, frst-Class citizenship for N,
I groes, there would not now be
I climate In most o. the countr
. conducive 20 acceptance OF m
I Supreme Courts latest conceT
> OF our inalienahle rights