Evening star., 1963-05-16
Racial Unrest

CAAJOA AeAAy ANAA a OWSAA y A@AeASA
Bourgeoisie.' 4" Together with
the accompanying cartoon, it
can do much, we hope, to
dampen the rising fires Of
racial tension in the Wash
ington area, which Congress-
man Powell seemed to be fan
ming in such demagogic man.
ner. Zone could almost sense
a hope for violence in the
printed text of his words.)
While our colored fellow
citizens may still experience
discrimination locally, I'm
sure that, by and large, they
are better off here than in
many another U. S. city;
within my own experience. I
must say that their job
hunting and holding OPP
portunitieS are competitive
with my own, all factors con-
sidered. I'd suggest that the
Negro in Washington is "al-
most accepted" by the major
ity of the whites, already
he can only spoil this ac-
ceptance at this point by
resorting to violence in this
area.
Gilbert J. Brockman
Was your editorial on the
BLACK Bourgeoisie." in
tended to encourage skilled
and professional Negroes to
maintain their isolation from
the fight for genuine and
total equality for all Negroes.
or was it by way of a pater-
nal pat on the heads of the
safe, good Negroes who can
be depended upon not to rock
the boat?
Whatever it was intended
to accomplish, it was un-
necessary since middle-claSs
Negroes need no encourage
ment in complacency. The
Negro middle-class owes its
middle-claSS status for the
most part, to the segregated
situation in this country and
is a direct product of the
ghetto, from which it derives
its Influence and affluence."
AS a Negro. it does not give
me the same satisfaction that
you seem to derive, that some
Negroes have made it" in
the image of the white mid
dle-class and therefore feel
that they can afford the same
complacency, conformity and
mindlessneSs. The profession
al Negro has a responsibility
to represent the needs Of, and
to protest the abuses suffered
by the great masses of Ne
groes in this country, espe-
cially since there was avail
able to them resources that
the masses do not enjoy.
They appear to prefer not TO,
sometimes for the most base
of selfish reasons. It is this
sellout of responsibility that
Representative Powell de-
nounced, and which you seem
to encourage.
But however much you
might like to paint wishful
pictures of a bourgeois work.
ing class in this country (Tell
1t to the California migrant
workers, the Kentucky and
West Virginia coal miners,
the New York hospital work.
ers, or the hosts Of unskilled
and unemployable Negroes
and run for your life), or to
pretend that with a little
patience and moderation
we'll all be bourgeois In the
great bye-and-bye, this is
not so.
The fact is that Negroes
fortunate enough to secure
educations are experiencing
new frontiers in opportunity.
but over 10 per cent Of all
Negroes are still able TO get
only rudimentary educations.
Over SO per cent Of all un-
skilled Negroes are unem-
ployed. washington Evening
Star, Sunday May l2.) Worse,
many Of those currently en-
ployed are faced with the
prospect Of being automated
out Of their jobs. (Automa-
ton takes the least skilled
Job categories first. This
means that there is a WIDEN
ing gap between the Negro
middle-class and the Negro
masses.
Be assured that people who
have nothing 10 lose will
hardly be reassured by your
editorial, nor do they need
Representative Powell TO "en-
courage" them TO bitterness
and possibly violence.
Mike Thelwell
RRA
Your editorial concerning
Adam Powell's comments on
the black bourgeoisie" IL
another splendid effort on
your part TO inject some
sanity and logic 10 the con-
fused racial situation In the
District Of Columbia. Mr.
Powell's attempt TO divide the