Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1958-01-04

40 Filth Ave-, New York City Murray Hill 2-546
The Indignation Dilemma
Positive Program For South
From: The State Times Jackson, Miss.
EDITORS Note: This is the fourth of series of five
editorials by J. O. Emmerich, editor of the McComb
EnterpriseJournal calling for reapprasal of racial
ations with view to what the Negro contribute to
the prosperity of both races.)
BY J. O. EMMERICH
Editor, McCOmb Enterprse-JO
Mississippi Negro educator said privately: what
the South needs is second emancipation We have had
white people,"
What he meant emancipation from negative
thinkng-the fear of losing the status quo in far
as the southern Negro is concerned
This fear of losing the status quo is detrment
to the South. 1t handcaps Southern leadership which
seeks most earnestly to preserve Southern traditions
because traditions which founded in fear cannot
endure.
BY the same token leadership outside the South will
fail if attempts to use force Particularly will this be
true if effort is made to superimpose a different
philosophy in where the philosophy will be de-
termned by public opinion.
X X
There is little likelihood that the United States Su-
preme Court will reverse its decision school ntegra-
ton aespte the fact that the courts decision of May
II, 1854 was reversal of several previous supreme
court decisions.
The decision will stand. But fact overlooked by
individuals outside of the South is that the Supreme
Court has not ruled that segregated schools illegal
No pupil be denied admittance to school because
OF color creed But contrary to opinion outside
the South many Negroes want their own schools-and
This means that public opinion in the South-the
opinion OF white and Negro people-and not the Su-
preme Court will ultimately decide this current contro-
versy
Both the Southern fear of losing the status quo and
the use OF Northern force to compel integraton in
Southern schools will prove disastrous to the respective
views dominant in this school dilemma
If Southern leadership animated by fear, resorts to
the extremes OF boycots, economic pressure, public
school abolition, the threat of violence the entire de-
tense mechanism of the South will be negated by law
Ii Northern leadership presumes against the truth
that the Supreme Court has decreed that Southern
schools be ntegrated and if Northern leadership flag
rantly rallies force to compel its will the Northern Of
tense WILL bog down in wave of public resentment.
X X
The South will inexoraby fail if it does not quickly
expedite the building of adequate Negro schools
Furthermore if the Northern leadership believes
that matriculatng two four, six eight pupils in
casional Southern school constitutes victory for ine-
gratlon II ls die for an sgonizing awakening When
pressure is removed and choice can be made there is
no that these pupils used ntegraion guinea
pigs weary of it ALL will not to schools with their own
people.
Leadership in the North can easily misca,cuate the
bateral respect for racial integrity in the South and
underestimate the truth that millions of Southern Negro
people prefer their schools.
Leadership in the South will be grievousy lacking
to be accorded the dignity of the individual
Paradoxically, the North cannot force inteerated
schools upon the Southandand the South cannot force
perpetuation of segregated schools
The North Overestmates the percentage of South
ern Negroes who want integrated schools The South
underestmates the number of Southern Negroes who
prefer schools of their Southern Negroes however
are unanimous in wanting good schools.
4 X
The South has ace in the hole but doesn't know it,
With good schoosand respect for the wishes of Ne
groes who want a voice in their schools-vountariy
segregated schools can be maintained This would be
victory for both the North and the South because the
attainment of good Negro schools would be triumph
for America
strange aspect of this situation is that the North
thinks Of token Indignation "a couple of Negro pupils
being admitted in isolated Southern school, here aud
there) a victory.
The South thinks Of "a foot in the door" as i'm
nominious defeat.
Actually, if good schools are promptly provided to
81 Negroes Of the South this situation will right itself
Not in the foreseeable future will the schools of the
South be ntegrated With time the fears of the South
Win subsde and the force Of the North will disspate it.
sek.
BY no stretch Of the imagination can the North con-
dder token compliance q victory. Nor by the same
reasoning can the South rightly conclude the foot in