Evening star., 1962-09-18
ALBANY
ALBANY
Negroes Seem Sure
Of Victory in Time
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that the Negro boycott Of
white shops and stores has
actually hurt business. He
said the press has pictured
the town as violent one.
I'VE have had no violence
here" he said.
Albany" he continued, "is
not ready for integration."
"And yet" he said softly,
sthey want the theory of
equalitarian tire atment
adopted across the board"
Could the town take it If
ordered to integrate?
1T is hard TO say" the
Mayor said. I'VE would have
to close the pools. And I
think we would have to take
the chairs out of the library"
DR.. Martin Luther King,
jr., acknowledged leader Of
the integration movement
throughout the South. and a
frequent visitor to Albany.
told a reporter the city would
be integrated because the
weight of history is against
it."
Albany will surely resist"
he said. But Albany will de-
segregate. The Albany move
ment has Strengthened the
backs of the people. The
whites have been riding the
backs of Negroes for a hun
dred years. The movement
has caused Negroes to stand
up straight and, walk like
men, demanding the respect
and rights to which they are
entitled by law and human
dignity"
Editor Replies
There is nothing immoral
about segregation" said
James H. Gray, 46, editor and
publisher of the Albany
Herald, a daily newspaper.
ut is practiced throughout
all cultures. 1t is a fact Of
life. II it comes, 1t will be a
poor mans interrogation.
You won't find all these lib
erals mixing with the races.
They have the money to
avoid it,"
Mr.. Gray, who feels the
problem has been blown out
of proportion, is Northerner
who has settled in the South
and adopted, enthusiastically.
its conservative way of life.
Segregation. the separate
but equal philosophy. has
proven ITSELF" he said. 1T is
the only way the two races
can live in harmony this far
South.
You can look at it another
way. In Albany, Negroes are
responsible for rs per cent Of
the crime and they pay less
than five per cent Of the
taxes"
He was asked If the boycott
of his publication had had
any effect.
NO." he laughed, I'VE
never could collect, anyway"
I'VE read the Atlanta Con-
stitution," said DR.. Anderson
in another section of town,
''and the New Yoork Times.
The Herald is a rag, and
Negroes have Cancelled sub
scriptions by the thousands"
Business as Usual
The manager Of a Sears,
store. a white man, reported
it was business as usual.
despite the boycott.
But I do know" he said,
: that the people in the out
lying areas don't come 10
shop in Albany anymore.
They don't want to get in
volved in a demonstration.
Some people think the dem
onstrations are going on all
the time. And these people.
! think. when you look at it
closely. are also afraid Of
getting hurt. .-,
I'VE still get some colored
customers. Some break the
boycott.
I'VE hope to gradually
start hiring Negros in re-
r .sponsible jobs. But If I did it
now I'd have an internal
problem on my hands. And if
I did it anyway I'd probably
loose all my white custom
ers."
But he said he was COM
< Portable in Albany. MY roots
are deep here, now. I decided
TO quit trying to become presi-
dent of the company and
settled down."
Firings Reported
White residents, Negroes
report, have fired maids who
have been associated with
demonstrations. Laborers
also talked of losing their
Jobs when their children
have been spotted in the
marches.
Meanwhile, the boycott has
improved some Negro busi-
neSses. A cut-rate drugstore
expects to gross about $780,
600 this year, double its VOL
ume for 1861. A record shop
has added television repair.
Senate Unit Back.