St. Paul recorder., 1963-03-21
SeIecfiVe Buying
Drives Continue

CONTINUED from Page ~

NCOnGlnueo rom rage
Captain Boycott and wouldn't have
anything to do with him.
The strategem first was used
by Negroes in the 1930s, when
southern clergymen counseled theil
congregations a ainst buying
where you can't work." according
to Edwin Berry, an official of the
Chicago Urban League.
Not all Negro leaders approve
of boycotts. Berry is among the
opponents. They prefer to give fair
employment practices laws "time
to work" before resorting to econ
omic pressure tactics.
Avoid Word
Negro leaders who back boy
colts carefully avoid the word for
fear of lawsuits and restraint OF
trade charges; thus the phrase
"selective patronage campaigns" "
The church is the rallying point
for the movement, patronage
tacticians say, because Negro lead
ers feel that only churches can
successfully launch such cam
paigns without fear of retaliation
DR.. Carlton B. Goodlett, Direc-
tor of San Francisco's National
Association For The Advancement
OF Colored People (NAACP)
chapter and publisher of a Negro
newspaper (Sun-Reporter) said:
THE Negro church is the only
area where the recruiting can be
done and the word effectively pre-
sented to the people.
In my business, if I attempted
to organize such a boycott would
lose revenue and I still wouldn't
have reached all the people who
can make such a boycott effec-
tive"
In New York, the Southern
Christian Leadership Conference
has launched a "selective patron
age campaign" against a large
dairy firm (Sealtest). Last sum-
mer the conference sponsored boy
colts of stores on Brooklyn's Full.
ton Street with partial success.
In Philadelphia, a group Of Ne
gro clergymen recently called off
an effective patronage campaign
against one of the nations largest
food retailers "a & P stores) by
telling congregations the company
had more than met their minimum
demands from employing Negroes
in the Greater Philadelphia area.
Began In 1860
Philadelphia Negro clergymer
launched their first boycott In
June, 1860, against a bakery (Tas-
ty). Since then they claim to have
successfully boycotted d several
other companies and forced them
to hire more Negroes.
In Atlanta, Negro ministers
claim that 500 social and civic
clubs are supporting their opera
ton breadbasket" aimed at fore
Ing a bakery (Highland) to hire
Negroes.
Last year Negro leaders set UP
picket lines at a bus terminal
(Greyhound) and a brewery (Luc.
ky Lager) in Los Angeles. The
brewery hired a Negro salesman
and the bus company a Negro dirv.
er. The pickets were withdrawn.
In Denver the Urban League anC
the Congress On Racial Equality
teamed up last summer in a pick
eting-boycotting drive which end
ed when a department store (Den,
yer Dry Goods) hired more Ne,
groes. The Negroes then negotiat
ed more jobs with two major su
permarket chains (Furrs and Safe
way).
In Detroit three Negro minister
organized a "selective patronage
drive against a dairy (Bordens).
Frisco Activity
A San Francisco taSd firm (Yel
low) was boycotted for two year
during the Korea war and stores
were picketed In 1860.
Not all the campaigns have beer
successful. A Los Angeles autC
dealer was picketed in an effort
to force him to hire a Negro sales
man. He refused and after two
months the pickets were with
drawn.
At Cambridge, Md, a "don't
shop where you can't work" cam.
paign last August by the Non,
Violent Action Committee resulted
in the hiring Of seven Negroes by
a department store (Sears), varie-
ty stores and supermarkets.
The campaign was revived last
Christmas, but 1t died when a gar
ment plant closed and the purchas-
ing power Of 200 Negro workers
was cut, Backers said the boycott
might be resumed in the spring
when the canneries and seafood
processing plants reopen.
In Cairo, Ill, a supermarket was
picketed, but the boycott ended
a.