The Miami times., 1957-05-18

It occurred to me a few days
ago that perhaps some people
might have the wrong opinion of
my feelings about Florida and the
South. And perhaps a wrong inn
preston might have been Gre
ated by other militant whites and
those Negroes who work and speak
out for freedom.
OF course we do not hate the
South-we love it, because it is
our home. We hate only the mani
fe=tations of traditional Southern
customS-namely racial injustice
and segregation. It is these things
that have brought disgrace and
shame to the South. And these are
the things we are fighting.
Just a few days ago I was
thinking of the many happy days
spent in South Carolina as a
little girl. AS thought about the
Christmas season there, I could
almost smell the smoke from the
pine fires, and breathe in that
crisp, sunny air you seem to find
only in South Carolin around De-
ceniber and January.
was thinking, too, of the last
time saw Charleston when I at
tended the S. =. Regional Con-
ference of the NAACP there last
year. 1t was quite an experience
for me every day to walk past the
Old Citadel where my father had
gone to school, on my way to
sessions Of the Conference. Yes, I
have many happy memories of
South Carolina, and love for it,
too.
And Florida, now, has become
dear to me. For eleven years
have lived in the Miami area, and
have travelled over most of the
state. Palm trees have replace the
naples of the North in my affec-
ton, and the sunshine and trop-
ical plants and flowers of South
Florida have become a part Of
my life.
l have fished for Bass in black
branch water from a wooden
bridge near Eustis. I have cross
ed the numerous bridges on my
way to Key West and felt in
significant and humble as / look
ed at the wonderful beauty of the
ocean. have smelled the indes-
cribaIble fragrance of orange bios
SONS in Orange County, and have
tasted the tangy, delicious juice
of the nature fruit. I love the SUM-
shine and the ocean. In other
words, / love Florida, and I love
the South.
Therefore, because of my love,
l want to be proud of the South.
1 want it to return in honor
to the rest of the United States.
l do no want the South to keep
on losing respect before the other
sections of our nation and the
world because of its policy of
segregation and discrimination.
I don't think it at all improbable
that Harry T. Moore of MINIS,
Florida, felt the same way / do
about the South. With all his life
long struggle for Negro rights
and the cause of justice, the
equalization of Negro teachers
salaries, with his background OF
life in Florida as Negro with all
that this means, and his death by
bombing-yes, even so. beneve
Harry T. Moore loved Florida and
the South, or rather, what Florida
and the South could be.
The Rev. George w. Lee of Bel
zoni had the same feelings, / ann
sure, as did Harry T. Moore. His
s2ecial desire was to vote. This
was quite a dream to, have in
Mississippi. Negroes just don't
vote there. But 1 think the time
is not far off when Negroes will
be able to 60 into the voting
booths there and when they do,
they will remember Negro min
ister by the name of Lee who gave
his life so that freedom might
come to Mississippi.
And old Mr.. Gus Courts OF Mis-
eissippi who was besieged on all
sides because he, too, had one
dream. "For years I've wanted 10
. be a first-class citizen and vote, ;"
Mr.. Courta said, when he retold
the tragic happenings that led TO
rhoot;n0 in Belzoni. Mississippi