St. Paul recorder., 1958-02-28
The Negro 4 Minnesota's Centennial
An EditoriuI-Sforv
Ediforiol-SfoFy
BY CECIL e NEWMAN
Editor-SpOkesman Recorder Newspapers

E NEWMAN
Editor-Spokesnlan a Recorder Newspapers
Minnesota Negroes have right to be proud along with
Others the observes Centennial of the contributions
which they have made life and progress of the North Star
State.
The black man even before the shackes of slavery
sheared from his limbs affected the life of the state while
territory and when it became of the states of the
union the status of the Negro still of the chief questions
of political debate and action affecting the constitution
of the state.
Much of the history of the Negro in Minnesota may
be fully told 1t has only been the few months that
real sincere effort being pick up the threads of
legend about the Negro separate the truth from
fiction about the Negroes this state Recently
roup has been formed in the state under the aeg of the
Minnesota Historical Society search out and place
record the early life and times of the intrepid Negro
families who braved the wnry northern of the us to
settle in Minnesota.
1t understandable why the record is not complete
complete the of the early white
settlers who here to conquer the forests and establish
what we fondly refer to as civilization.
There is enough history however for us to know that there
Negroes escaped slaves and few freedmen living in this
before Minnesota became state good number of them
slipped by the remarkable Underground Railroad up
through Minnesota with their final destination to be
free Canada good of them got further than some
of the Minnesota Indian tribes who themselves being
pushed further away from desirable land and rivers by the
pressing white settlers who trade till the SOIL cut
the timber and erect towns and cities
History north
speculation prospect the wild unsettled brought
along escaped with the aid
sympathetic majority whom abhorred
economic conflict between free labor and slave labor
Readers Of this paper may recall that the famous
ognaton Smelling and that the final
outcome and supreme Court decision had great impact on the nation
the final showdown between the anti
slavery North the slave states of the South.
1t was thus that early history great
the population
was nevertheless beyond
Minnesota
the political cultural community
Negro ancestry approaching the figure Of 10000
less per the total population
hardy souls the
cotton
received by welcome
northeners sympathetic there
many them labor threat and did
competitors market The Negroes
Industrious source cheerful and determined to establish
themselves despite the odds "hch were syed against e IN
ambition useful parts Of the izeny they had the
Yankees who had moved west to ab
sh the flour mills the lumber camps and carry on industry Tey
Republican then the Lincoln
had the help the GAR Of whom had made great
ces to the union from dsntegaton and finally free the
human bondage When things got tough
shop John Ireland to raise his voice in mighty indignation and run the
an Negro elements to
As much as anything the Negro also had on his side the
the white population which settled in this section
largely Godearng people who dsdaned
prejudice which adversely affected the well the
recipient
early Negro grew slowly numbers did the odd
jobs St. Paul and ST. Anthony NInneapol As
grew hotels did
A few coachmen
entepng the operation Of barber shops
peculiar the
Negro whites exclusively
they wealthy
service atudnal patterns which
bondage for economic
practcng type snobbery
said this that
liz followed the customs and patterns Of the time
Early Negroes they controlled the market for
household help in the southern tier Of states because
slavery patterns North they compete
NorUgans household
maids and gardeners
acadaca rather
plantation did well with
European household in the old
country o steady and productive servants.
Hotels kept Negro period because they
Of dining the white who
jobs the majority of homes able
Up to 1900 and the century Negro
advent Of railroad
| expansion gave i'm good foothold the state
Social pressures Negro many
tell
Negro his they made
preston the a
Up Negro population the
Of community activity where largely
working people good
/ family people
At Of undesrables began
agencies blind"
appealed cheap
Minneapolis police
apt deciding bconscousy
sderaon the Negroes up
substantial
Icrmi ity and make for