Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1957-06-23
South S 'Moderotes'
Have Sharp Advocate

ton in the public schools unconsti-
tutional 10 the law Of the land.
Whenever United States Govern.
ment agencies want the South's
racial problems explained to for
eigners, II sends them TO him. So
far he has talked to hundreds Of
students. editors. labor leaders and
businessmen from about 20 ma
'tiOns.
Mr.. Fleming lives in suburban
Atlanta with his wife Jane and
two small boys in q three-bedroom,
den and two-bath home.
Boyhood in the Country
Mr.. Fleming was born in Atlanta
on July ~. 1922. the son Of Lor-
raine Hume Fleming and the late
Howard Hughes Fleming, vice pres
dent Of one Of Atlanta's largest
building material firms. A large
part Of his early life was spent in
Elbefton. Ca. where the Hulmes
are known as real Old South folk.
The Fleming side Of the family
came from Oglethorpe County, Ca.
Mr.. Fleming did not start out to
be. as he puts it, "a professional
do-gooder." In fact, he said, ~
wanted to be q newspaperman, or
q writer Of some sort"
So how did he wind up where
he is?
II don't know. I guess it goes
back to college. started to college,
Harvard, on a scholarship in 1940."
He remained at school until 1913.
when he was sent to Fort Bragg,
N. c.. and ultimately to officer can
didate school.
He wound up on Okinawa after
the fighting as Q captain In charge
Of q Negro quartermaster company.
II would say that going out Of
the South made me aware Of the
racial problem and I would say that
my Army experience made me think
about it deeply for the first time.
I lived. ate and slept with Il every
day. You were not only an officer.
but above everything else you were
the boss white man.
You couldn't duck the RESPONSE
bilities. Trying to get q decent shake
for your men from the brass above
was rough. These men felt keenly
the segregation and the fact that
they got the short end Of the stick.
'AOn the ship going over our men
had the lonsiest quarters. They
were last In the chow line and this
meant they got there after all the
good things had run out"
On Okinawa. Mr.. Fleming went
on. the ammunition was taken from
his company though the white
units retained theirs and even
though japanese guerillas still
roamed the island.
Among the good things that
happened to me. though" he said,
was the deep admiration I devel-
oped for some Of the men who, de-
spite everything, were good soldiers
and loyal right down to the core"
After the war he returned to Har-
ward. where he was graduated In
English and the social sciences
magma cum laude and with q Phi
Beta Kappa key.
He got back to Atlanta in 1947
and heard Of D special writing lob
with the SRC through Ralph Nc
Gill, editor of the Atlanta Constitu-
ton and one Of the founders Of the
SRC IN 1884.
II took the writing job for the
summer. had planned to 70 to
New York In September, possibly
to work for 4 publishing company,
but then I got interested"
One Weakness
How does he view his new lob?
In this field Of human relations
the big weakness has been the
highly emotional good will aspect,
often of amateur do-gooders.
II think we are moving in the
direction Of professional-agency
type Of work. a consulting service
for community leaders and q
source Of factual information"
How does he feel about the
Southern racial situation and its
future?
II think" he said you have to
start with an appraisal Of what
the situation is. The situation is
no longer one Of whether, but how.
when and at what cost to the
economy and the human beings in
volved.
There are historical forces at
work. Therefore the Job Of a group
Of white and Negro Southerners Is
to try and assist in the inevitable
transition and make 1t as orderly
as possible. After all, the South
dashed itself to pieces once before
on these same historical forces.
THE council is conceived as n
very practical movement. We've
never felt we had the final an
swers, but we do not believe the
answer lies on the level Of mud
singing.
"The hidden strength of this
movement, though. is the fact that
1t is made UP Of Southerners.
people who have been there. They
grew UP with the conventional
views and yet have come to accept
people as human beings"
For the author Of the once IA
nous First Epistle to the selec-
tees" which appeared in the Feb
ruary 10. 1914. edition Of the Army
newspaper. Yank, the situation is
slightly ironical.
In that epistle. Mr.. Fleming
wrote: The wise man searcheth
oR tne Easy details. but only 4