Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1960-03-12
The Time Has Come For Southern
Negroes To Start Thinking
For Themselves


The .reat migration during the period leading up
to this nations entry into the first world took many
thousands of Negroes from every section of the south
to the north where they settled and began raising their
children This first generation Of off springs of the
southern Negro migrants born raised and educated in
the north must be looked and regarded north
ern Negroes.
Although their forebearers were in the main, car
red to the north free passage by agents recruiting
labor for the greatly expanding war industries Of the
north, they have made their children believe that in
each and every with exceptions that they
forced to flee from their home in the south the
terrorism practced by southern whites and hence this
first generation of northern Negroes has developed
studied hatred of southern white people, and studied
contempt for southern Negroes yet is this first gen.
Grafton of northern Negroes the highest leader
ship positions that is doing the thinking for south
ern Negroes, and whose advice and examples are being
followed by southern Negroes.
IN the light OF contemporary happenings, and the
forbodngs of an increasingly harsh and unhappy future
we think the time has for southern Negroes to
start thinking for themselves.
The National Association for the Advancement of
Coored People, which has assumed the leadership of the
southern Negro during the past decade and up til
point whose advice and example is blindly followed by
southern Negroes is the voice of this first generation
Northern Negro, with his studied hatred of southern
white people, and studied contempt for southern Ne
groes.
That the time has come for southern Negroes to
Begin thinking for themselves can be easily seen by
looking at southern Negro progress in all directions be-
tore their leadership taken by the NAACP
and the northern Negro progress engendered by the
wise leadership of southern Negroes leaders who help
possible.
The wisdom of southern Negro leaders may be seen
IN this brief look at history During the reconstruction
period when Negroes being terrorized nv the XVI
klux Klan, with many other powerful forces arraved
against them despite the urgings of the Carpetbaggers
ana others from the north, Beverly Nash Negro dele
gate to the South Carolina Constitutional Convention
mad the and wisdom to say: In these public af
fairs, We must unite with white fellow citizens
the southern white man is our true friend, friend of
the Diack man. During the same period Jefferson
DAVIS the President OF the Confederate States of
the most brilliant proslavery advocates and the leader
of the secession movement following the death of John
C. Calhoun of South Carolina was brought to trial for
treason On the jury before whom he tried were six
Negroes all Of whom voted for his acquitta These &C
tons were not long followed by the great racereatons
speech of Booker T. Washington at the Atlanta Cotton
Exposition III 1895, thus created the atmosphere
despite excesses OF the reconstruction period which
mas made 1t possible to with truth that Negroes in
the nlted States made greater up to the pres
ent than any other group in similar period in the his
Tory OF the world A progress made possible by the
friendly help cooperation and assistance of southern
white people
Let us look at the southern Negroes efforts towards
voting and political participation, desire stimulated by
the teachings and examples and precepts of democracy
gwen during the first world war; and not by the NAACP
taking the Mississippi Negroes for example who began
first around 1870 to be followed by Negroes in all
ne other states OF the SOUTH In 1910 there than
goo Negroes actually qualified to vote in the entire state
yet beginning then despite deep seated opposition by
1870 when the Supreme Court of the United States
outlawed the white primary there already over TO-
ooO Negroes In the state registered and qualified to vote
ers in the state constantly growing prospects, which
was only halted and brought to virtual standstl be-
cause OF the advise of northern Negroes demanding in
tegaton of the schools who ignored and rdiculed the
advise of southern Negroes who pointed out that the
greatest and only need of the southern Negro was the
VOTE in order to work his way up to frst-cass Amer
can citizenship.
Now the NAACP is belaboring itself trying to help
get the southern Negro the vote which he already had
and was developing before it came upon the scene
We contend that in the matter of practical ap-
proach to the solution OF the Negro problem in the
south, the NAACP change from its demand for equal
y under the law to its demand for negration was the
greatest mistake in the history of the American Negro
Take q look at the contemporary scene Now this
greatest OF all mistakes is being compounded by NAACP
endorsed demonstration Of Negro students with no pos
sble results put to create further tension and anmos
ties between the two groups move farther away the de-
Be resumed and thus defer the full emancipation Of the
southern Negro -
IN conclusion. " say again that the time has come
Tor southern Negroes to start thinking for themselves