Minneapolis spokesman., 1963-09-19
Let's ALI Face Our
Responsibilities

There has been a tendency for some of ouI
friends to blame bad housing or economic condi-
tions", other such evils for the recent outrages
committed by Negro youths IN and around Central
high school in St. PalA.
For the sake Of the cause of good housing, as
wen for the best interests of the young offenders
themselves hope this technique OF dispensing the
blame and dluting the responsibility is not carried
any farther than it already has been carried There
has been too much looking around for places 10 put
the blame and responsibility, and not enough self
analysis in this whole picture
Let's start at the beginning. The beginning ot
the recent outrageous acts OF violence committed
usually against defenseless and moffendng persons
was with the young hoodlums who performed the
acts. They have done fmmeasurable harm to their
schools and their community Worse, they have un-
done, Ito degree shall be able to calculate
the great work of brave and self-sacrifcing sol
6ers' in the fight for civil rights and equal oppor
tInities. While these brave soldiers place their
safety their economic security and their very lives
on the line, bunch of mindless young hoodllms go
around St. Paul creating Il told you so" ammunition
for our enemies.
The offenders should be identified and appropri-
ately disciplined and restrained If this calls for
police action, so be it, It calls preferably for action
in the home action in the school by school author
tides, by Negro student leaders, and student leaders
generally It calls for action by the Negro communi-
ty, especially by the churches It Is up to the Negro
community to impress upon these offenders the
larger meaning Of their offenses and to teach them
the lessons of patience, endurance, self-res1aint
and self f-discipHne which great weapons in
the national fight for equal opportunities.
One of the troublesome developments In the
present problem has been the tendency to pass the
buck" We know that bad housing and economic op-
preston contributing factors in such violent out
breaSs, but we can't stop present violence by cam
paigdng for better housing time in the future
We stop it by stopping It. ProNdmate violence is a
police problem, but the city authorities tend TO
blame the school authorities. The offending young
Negroes land other, better disciplined Negroes too)
have been subjected TO a fdencfsh and very well
organized campaign OF provocatfon-taunts insults
and worse-UInder the eyes and ears of the Central
high school authorities but the school people pass
the buck to the police.
Let's start over again Let's each of us, indviiu-
ally and as organized groups look for own re-
sponsbGHdes in the matter Let's hope-wdthout
maltng big issue of it-that the other fellow will
do the same. The Negro community needs to work
with the families of the offenders and help them to
understand the grave injuries they doing not
only to their victims but to themselves and Negro
people throughout the country We need to create a
public opinion among our people that will enforce
greater discipline. We need to encourage student
headers who Negroes to wear two hats" and to
take special leadership responsibilities among Ne
gro students
st. Paul police spokesman recently have repeat.
ed the complaint that they accused of prejudce
when they act against Negro A lot of this is non
sense. However it calls for reaffirmation of the
position Of the responsible Negro community, thai
we expect the police 10 enforce the law protect the
community and make necessary arrests without re
gard to color. We will continue we have in the
past to back UP the police in the proper discharge
of their duties.