Minneapolis spokesman., 1959-09-25
Mass Meet Hears
CuFfeF Describe
Community Problems

Below Is the final installment Of
the transcript recorded on tape Of
the August 10, mass meeting called
by the st. Paul NAACP. 1t in
cludes the concluding remarks Of
Branch president Leonard H. Car
ter and a statement by Patrolman
James Mann.
(COntinued)
Chairman, Leonard Carter
Now, Hubert Humphrey is a
great liberal statesman, so 1t says,
and he Is campaigning for the
president Of the United States.
Probably in the area Of Civil
Rights he has gone further then
most others who are vying for
the position but back home In
Minnesota Hubert Humphrey has
lot of work to do here to i'm
prove on some Of those under him.
Let's see If we can't improve
ourselves. Let's see If we can't get
ourselves registered. We are going
to form a committee very, very
shortly and they are going to 60
out and they need a lot of help.
They need people to walk all up
and down the block to check all
the people in my block, check all
the people in your block-the only
way we can do II and when he Is
not registered you have to embar-
rass him. You have to go and get
him and take him downtown be-
cause he doesn't want to 60 and
when election day comes you have
to 90 get him because he'll say
he doesn't feel too wen or he
needed a baby sitter or some other
superficial excuse that he couldn't
90 two or three blocks to the
polls.
When you start voting in Mime
sofa you'll find that the number
Of Negroes who have been crowded
into this section have considerable
weight and I want Mayor Dillon
DOWNTOWN know the press is
here and are going to carry this
down to him-they carry every
thing else-most everything else
we've said-we're going to watch
very, very closely what he does
between now and next May be-
cause he has been a failure for
four or five years and whether the
liberal democrats say he is the best
man or not for a change I'd like
some Of the people in this neigh
borhood to say he's not the best
man because he's fooled us, he's
backed down on us-he Is hiding
from US now. He won't come out
here now.
I don't like to incite these kind
of things but ] have been mad
for a long, long time about that
man and I think it's time that you
wake up because If you're going
to improve your lot you've got to
stand together. There's no such
thing about the economical situa-
ton of the people in this area max
ing one better than the other
one so get it out Of your head.
There's no one living up near Lex
ington who is better than a single
soul down here on Western. If we
don't stand together we're not
going to get anywhere. The NAA-
CP is big enough for everybody.
That's the way it's formed. It's go
ing to remain that way. get pres
sures too because some ten me I
should fight all the people down
here. I'm not going to fight be-
cause they belong to the NAACP
and the program of the NAACP Is
to further the cause Of Negroes.
They are the people we need to
further the cause. OF course they
are living under the great hard
ship and strain and we need the
help Of everybody. Let's improve
ourselves-let's quit this law viol-
ating. If the police want to ask
our name and address-let's give
it to them.
I seriously hope there will never
be a cause for or a need for another
meeting similar to this one and on
this point I think we will adjourn
the meeting.
Mr.. James Mann: .(Patrolman,
st. Paul Police). Mr.. Carter, may
have a few words?
Mr.. Carter,-rm policeman by
choice. My name Is James Mann.
I've lived here only eleven years.
This makes my work extremely
difficult because I want TO go do
a good job and at the same time I
want to be a good neighbor. These
sociological factors that came up
tonight they affect me too but
I'm not going to lose my head
about it. I'd like to move out on
County Road D with my wife and
children also but I can't do it so
I'm not going to lose my head.
What makes my job extremely diff
ficult-Tm one Of four Negro po-
licemen and I'm proud I'm one Of
two that work on the street. !
don't think that I have worked in
the Negro community over three
times in the seven and a half years
I've been up here on the Job. I
work the Selby district which is a
considerably rough district - I
worked Seventh and wabasha and
the Midway.
Now, what is to make my Job
extremely difficult. I can see my
self on the mans desk because
I'm going to stop a lot Of people.
I'm going to stop them II those
are my orders-Tm going to ask
them for Identification and IL they
refuse to give II to me I'm going
to use the necessary measures to
take them downtown to explain il
to someone else because those are
my orders and I hope that the
people in this community can see
the same light because II you hav-
en't done anything you've got
nothing to hide.
Mr.. Leonard Carter. Chairman:
/ would like to thank the Chief of
Police and the people that are
here.