Jackson advocate. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1939-current, 1961-10-21
U P
A n D
D 0 W n
IA R is H
S 7 R EET
BY PERCY GREENE

PARISH STREET SATUR-
DAY NIGHT: Whilst l was
setting down eating my fish
and drinking my beer 1 got to
thinking about the signs up at
Velma's Beauty Shop, Wells
Furniture Store, Comic Barber
and Beauty Supply Store, and
Willard Johnson's Dotty Cab
Grill, urging the members of
the tribe not to attend the Ne
gro state fair. But l don't have
to say what l was thinking
cause / decided to jess let you
read what Leon Claxton the pro-
Queer of Harlem in Revue"
long popular with fair goers
had to say about the boycott.
Here it is:
Eleven other members en-
dorsed the action of the life
members through a spokesman
here Tuesday afternoon.
Leon Claxton, a longtime life
member of the NAACP, and for
many years one of the nation
top Negro performers, who
numbers among his friends over
the nation all of the best known
Negro performers in America,
categorically denounced the &C.
ton of the local Branch of the
NAACP for it's boycott of the
fair. Claxton is manager of
Harlem Revue" a Royal Amer
lean Shows attraction at the
fair.
Claxton stated, 81 do not want
to be misunderstood in this mat
ter. If / thought the local MA
ACP was doing something here
that would result in something
good for my people would be
100 per cent for it, but l think
they're making a mistake by
seeking to deprive the more
than rs Negro performers
many of whom are supporters
of the purpose OF the NAACP
the opportunity for making
living"
Claxton continued, Owe beer
coming to Jackson for more
than rs years, and | say thi:
fair is one of the finest things
for the Negro in the state.
am not speaking out in thi:
fashion simply because a boy
colt may mean l am losing some
personal revenue. 1t goes fur.
Their than that. After watching
the lack of opportunity for my
people to display their many
fine products and livestock ane
the work of their high schools
and colleges at the regular fair
/ went to the forefront in this
effort to have this additional
three days SO that these accom-.
odations would be made possible
to them. Right now, the State
of Mississippi is giving more
than $4,000 in premiums te
these kids coming to this Fair
Can the NAACP match this OF
what do they propose to dc?
"If they should succeed ano
there is no Mississippi Negro
State Fair, what then does the
NAACF' propose to do? l don'1
believe in taking everything
away from people and giving
them nothing.
81 went to Medgar Evers per
sonally and told him my view:
concerning this matter, but hi
chose not to listen. l told hin
that we play all over the coun
try. I told him that / was MOI
against him, but / thought hi
was going about things in the
wrong way. l told him that we
abide by the LAW and no mat
ter where we play until the Law
is changed we abide by the law
II personally feel that the
NAACP needs more diplomacy
in handling these matters and
it seems, they need better
sense of direction. No one suf
fers in this effort staged here
but the Negro child because the
white child has already been t.
the Fair and nothing worth.
while will be gained here by thi.
action. Something could be
| lost"
NON VIOLENT STUDENT