Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1957-04-26

Het ahf7.a % HFa ~ % y 81 ~ VI
posed 90 the national Negro med
iaus like the DEFENDER the
COURIER the AFRO AMERICAN
an newspapers which pti3I no pgu-
ehgs Ia advocating freedom for ghg
Colored people These papers have
thousands 81 subscribers go she
southern states where the local Ne
gre press usually maintafas re-.
strained editorial approach -- Tor
understands bic reasons ThIs ma
tiauRi press has a tremendous role
iu helping form apigl0u among both
NEGROES and whites OF the south
land
Through the influence OF this
press Negroes and white % the
North contributed thousands OF
dollars 20 the Montgomery Im-
proyemert Association ~ Alabama
20 help IL carry on rs successful
passive resistance against 3imcrp
public transportation
Let 81 not De assumed that the
Negro press even tu ITS earliest
days sviuced uo interest ia the gen
eTAt problems or the total com
maudy, aside from the area Of
race advancement and conflict For
example the earlier papers were
tu advocating woman suffrage.
Early Negro editors ilks Fred
Douglass were vocal and autsEAaH-
Ing advocates for votes for women
u. % course must be admitted.
that rs CHIEF role has been ln the
advocacy Of q square deal FOR the
Negro Ia this land % ours
Ia the past 90 years lt has cons
ceTnsd iJsef 90 a great degree with
the economic position af the Ne
EFo. Constant projection OF dis
elimination against Negro workers
I'm the Negro Press helped create the
original FEFE Ity backing this
movement the NeEfo Journals help
gd Increase widely the number and
types 81 Jobs 0pnu 90 Negro work
cFe. Ints 5f course Increased the
purchasing power ~ the millions
% Negroes and their standard af
living To 20 years the NFEra.a buy
ing power tFousumtr- uurah4aEnu
powcrJ has Increased from 10 bill.
Ton dollars annually 20 ls billion.
which ls lof Of dollars FuIIaF emo
piuFweut opportunity FOG tha Ne
gro has helped che entire nation D.
economy, not just the Negro alone
Granting that these increased ru-
plGNmrnt opportunities UHI not
come from the efforts OF the NEGRO
Press alone, the various 0rERu8za-
tons, the more enlightened see
tipns Of Industry ali viii admit bot
that Tor the role this prose- PLAYED
iu this particular area the great
change Tor the better iu employ
meut would not have come SO econ
II could even be argued with a
degree Of truth that the role the
Negro press played iu obtaining
wider job opportunities was self
serving for the result affected IA
YarAbly thousands 81 at8rtkeeprrp
ana tho auto dealers who ln turn.
or course often became advertisers
lu thts press This ala not hy any
stretch OF Imagination dtspIsaas the
editor or publisher or Advertising
salesman
by Ita role this Press has IN
fiunucod every facet OF American
life through ne advocacy % foil
citizenship a. well as rcsUuusIhllI-
ties for those Americans 81 Afrl-
can descent
II has fought for sound civil
rights ana Kept Americas. failure
20 extend all people proper pro-
lection, constantly before the ma
tlnu and the world
u helped create an Atmosphere
Tor equal pay for Negro school
teachers. which the MACE success
Hfuly advanced through the courts
~ assisted Sea projecting the an
fairness 81 barring Negro students
from the tax supported state uul.
versailles, IA eEampllfed bY the
famous Gaines ease which develop
"a right here IN this state As a
volunteer unpaid publicity bureau