St. Paul recorder., 1963-09-26
Picket Mill City
AfhIefic Club
Continued from Page IL

uSNSb HVlNa
Athletic Club
Continued from Page IL
sources have been exhausted. The
Urban League, locally or national
" does not participate in pickettng
activity as an organization.
The Minneapolis STAR Of Tues
day, September "a, said the pic
lets stated they were connected
with" the Minneapolis Urban
League, United Fund agency and
the Minneapolis chapter Of the
National Association for the Ad-
vancement Of Colored People.
Curtis C. Chivers, president Of
the MIL City NAACP stated the
organization has not authorized any
pScketing activity and that no in
ddwdlral or individuals had been
authorized by the branch to par
tictpate in any picketing in behalf
Of the NAACP.
The NAACP, he stated, had re-
ferred the Grey case 10 the proper
city employmen enforcement
agency and would not feel disposed
to interfere with the negotiations
of the FEPC director and the
employer.
However, Chivers further said,
"NAACP will remain Ngilant to
see TO it that the Fair Employ
ment law Is enforced where dis
criminaltory practices may be
found to exdst."
DR.. Thomas johnson, 1915 Port
hand Av., whom radio and TV
sources said headed the five pic
kets at the Athletic Club, Is a
former practicing physician. For
two years he had been very active
in the civil rights field and worked
to organize the Minnesota March
To Washington contingent, serving
as treasurer
DR.. Johnson headed a author
lied NAACP sympathy picket line
in front of a downtown store sew
eral months ago in a national drive
in recognition of the sacrifice Ne
groes and white pickets were max
ing in the South, where many
pickets were Jailed.
Despite his hard work in behalf
of the financial drive, DR.. johnson
did not accompany the Minnesota
delegation to Washington, because
he refused to sign a non-Wolence
pledge which the national group of
organizations sponsoring the
March required of all official par
Elephants.
In speaking on the implication
in the STAR Tuesday night that
the new organization was affih-
ated with the Minneapolis Urban
League Robert Williams, executive
director stated:
This organization is not affili-
ated with the Minneapolis Urbar
League. The group had agreeC
however to work with the Urbar
League in conducting an inventory
among Negroes in Minneapolis
along with the INSTRUMENTATION
al Ministerial Alliance"
Williams stated he attended {
meeting Monday night called by
the organization. He arrived latC
at the meeting, he stated, after {
decision to picket had been ap
proved by the organization. vii
hams said he told the group tht
Urban League could not work will
the group within the league frame
work and limitations.
Williams said he told the groul
that the League does not partic
ipate in pickets, boycotts or dem
onstraions that were directed
against any individual employer
labor union or institution in tn
community. The policy Of the Ma
ttonal Urban League and it's 10
GALS" he said, "is that the Leagues
can participate only in those dem
onstrations such as the March Il
Washington which are directed a
general inequfties in the America
community"
Louis Erwin, executive directo
Of the Minneapolis FEPC wit
whom a complaint had been hle'
against the Minneapolis Athed'
Club was noticeably chagTine'