Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1963-05-02
Missionaries Should
Hove Converted
Home Folks First
CONTINUED from Page 1,

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rican goes to the missionary's
country and attends the very
church which sent him a mission
airy, he is kindly asked to walk
out. Immediately the African
starts wondering as to why the
missionary was sent to him. Is it
because Of the love? Definitely
not. AS the African walks around
this foreign Christian" vicinity
he finds notices: mo niggers al
lowed" and newspapers replete
with news Of Negroes imprisoned
during demonstrations. When he
tries to find out what is being
done by the church which sent him
a missionary he sees Billy Ora
hams "cool off" go-slow admon-
ition to the Negroes and in many
instances the churches are quite
amicable to this benighted color
prejudice. Immediately the Afri-
can wonders why the missionary
who came to him did not try to
make his blind brother at home
see the evils of the devilish color
prejudice and then come to Africa
next. What makes him like the
African Negro more than the
American white man. Is it because
a prophet is without honour in his
home country?
To the extent that missionary
work has rested on hypocritical
loveless foundation, the so-called
missionary achievements have been
achieved despite him and not be-
cause of him.
Let us turn to the African
American Negro relationship. How
ever, must say this is a very COM
pick issue to discuss in such a linn
tied space.
The proper understanding Of the
two groups has, I believe, been
com plicated by psychological,
stereotype and social reasons. The
African coming from a culture of
prolific family-tie feelings and
nationalism may find it a bit diff
ficult to adjust to the American
, Negro western-type rather loose
family ties and Observation-Disclosures
tic behaviours.
However once the American Ne
gro has learned to understand the
African Negro and vice versa, the
former shows inner feelings, in
terests and more open heartedness
than the white man.
At first contact the American
Negro does not seem to under
stand the African on account of
stereotype notions on Africa which
he might have obtained from some
lop-sided sources. Whereas most
American Negroes, especially, the
more educated and the truth-seek-
ing ones, are very anxious to learn
the true side of the matter, few
still cling to their crude notions
and accept the African Negro as
a victim of ridicule. Thank God
such are the minority, but I am
convinced that something can be
done by those who know how to
make these brothers of ours under
stand the present-day Africa.
Yet another problem comes
from those who struggle to pur-
posely widen the gulf between the
two groups by carrying, spreading
and preaching false differences
among Afro-American Negro rela-
tonship. This, and I write from
experience, has had a tremendous
psychological impact upon certain
individuals.
One thing Is, however, very in
teresting about the two groups:
they greatly take pride in each
others achievements and when
conditions allow, they try to help
each other. The two are not only
historically bound, but they share
certain social problems the sub
iugation of which can greatly be