The Miami times. [volume] (Miami, Fla.) 1923-current, 1957-05-04
Between The Lines
THE OTHER CHEEK


South Carolina a Negro minister
who bought a small tract on the
outskirts of Columbia. 1t was
bound on one side by a tract own
ed by Negotiating white man
who became furious at the thought
that Negro would live next door.
He accordingly resolved to make
life miserable for his n e w
neighbor; and did in numerous
ways. Whenever the chickens or
livestock of the colored man
would cross the line there w a S
always a squabble and oftimeS a
shot gun was used on the trans
gre-sing animals. But the colored
man offered no word of hate and
bitterness, which in some cases
would seemingly have been justi-
fed?
This state of affairs went on for
the first year with no relief in
sight for the colored man and his
family who were the objects of
the white mans wrath. And then
things hapc ened. The white man
fell i'll in midwinter and lowered
between life and death for weeks
and when he was better he could
not prepare his farm for planting.
When the colored man was pre-
pairing his own farm for planting
he let his boys prepare the land
of his white neighbor and when
planting time had come he plant
ed the white mans farm along
with his own.
Whenever anything happened
around the white neighbours farm
that the wife could not handle
the colored man always lent a
helping hand. When the crops
were being tended our colored
man and his family tended the
crops through and through and
finally the crops were made and
"laid by" without the turn of the
hand of the white farmer. And
fine the crops proved to be, and
when the white neighbor could
creep out and see what a great
thing his colored neighbor had
done for him he was overwhelm-
ed with surprise and gratitude.
One morning bright and early
the colored man heard knocking
on the door and went out to find
his white neighIbor waiting and
asking to come in and talk some
things over"
And when he was seated he be-
gan to apologize for all his mean
ness through the many months
and became repentant of the
many evil things he had done to
make life miserable for his col
ored neighbor. Said he, 81 am
sorry to my heart that ! have been
so beaStly brutal and all I am
asking now is that you give me a
chance to live down my ugly past.
81 am begging that you will
forgive my foolish ways" T h e
colored man of course forgave
him and tells the happy story
that he thereafter never had
neighbor so neighborly. Life be-
tween the families was as happy
at the last as 1t had been unhap-
by at the first. A mean Negro
hating white man had been won
over by kindness and the spirit
of Jesus Christ. The zone
cheek" philosophy had won a
great victory.
It will win other victories where
defeat seems inevitable. This bit
Of interracial history was recalled
by recent visits to the South Of
two northern Negroes, Jackie
Robinson and A. Clayton Powell.
Both reared in the North and
truly Northern Negroes with the
Northern point of view.
The thing that interested this
writer in the speeches made by
these Northern Negroes to their
Southern fellowmen was their
lack Of bitterness and their un-
Outstanding of the situation that
made them tolerant and patient.
There was no call for retaliations
and counter-hatreds.
Both speakers counseled pa
tience even as Reverend Martin
Luther King Of Montgomery has
counseled turning the other
cheek. The "other check" rhilos-