Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1963-08-01
Pressure

tar1an group from Biloxi, union
people, three Methodist ministers
who had signed 'manifestoes Of
conscience against segregation
There were some newspaper friends
and the only two State Legislators
who voted against Barnett's hate
Legislation"
The Methodist ministers ha6
also been under terrible pressure
Harkey said. One from Caswel
Springs north Of Pascogoula haG
had crosses burned In front Of hi:
home.
Imagine burning a cross on Tho
lawn Of a minister" Harkey said
1T shows the diseases people car
get from hate"
Loneliness
But the dinner did not end the
day-to-day loneliness, and, finally
Harkey came to California for g
vacation and some human com.
partnership" He was in San Fran.
cisco for his first visit since his
Navy combat days in World Wa,
II.
Harkey's course into loneliness
began in 1919 when he left the
Times-Picayune In his native New
Orleans TO buy what was then the
weekly paper in Pascagoula.
He made changes swiftly. First
he dropped the tag, "colored," at
ter the names of Negroes in the
news.
Where race was pertinent, a
in the description Of a fugitive,
wrote Negro with a capital M /"
Harkey said. That's pretty radi.
cal in Mississippi - using a CAPT.
tai M
SoPROAS
Then started using Mr. anc
Mrs for Negroes. I remember
catching hell once for listing the
death Of a little Negro child II
the same story as the death Of
two white children. I said colol
didn't matter anymore where they
were"
But until the riots began at the
University of Mississippi aftel
Governor Barnett tried to bar the
entry Of James Meredith from the
campus, people in Pascagoula sup
ported the paper without com.
plant.
AS a matter of fact, even the
boycott finally fizzled out. The
papers circulation, which dropped
precipitously, is now higher than
ever. Six major advertisers who
cancelled their business for a while
are again using the paper.
Disag reement
And If the people in town won't
talk to Harkey, at least they are
willing to deal with his reporters
all of whom disagree with his
stand on segregation.
Nor do the citizens Cypress
Harkey's wife, who has been sep
arated from him for the last five
years. The couple has six children.
Harkey said that like many
Southerners he never believed in
white supremacy.
MY mother, who was born in
Tennessee and raised in Jackson,
Miss, told me all people were
alike" he said.
While at Tulane University
where he was a Phi Beta Kappa
student, HarlSey met a group Of
educated Negroes-young men al
Xavier University, a Catholic
school.
II was astonished to learn that
the Xavier track team coached by
Ralph Mebcalfe, the Olympics
champion from Marquette, had
two national AAU title holders
but the New Orleans papers never
carried a line about them.
II was also surprised to see al
the students at Xavier wearing
suits, white shirts and ties while
we were dressing like slobs at Tl'
lane. Metcalfe told me the students
at Xavier were taught they would
have to look and dress better thar
other people to get ahead"
Chance
There Is also a change In Negro
dress In PaScagoula, Harkey ADD
ed. Now you see the young mer
and women on Saturdays In neal
clothing" he said. These arr
people from the country who uset
to dress in shapeless rags. But
now they have self respect
The time for the things Bar
nett Is trying Is gone and done
The terrific courage Of the South
ern Negro Is sweeping away thu
past"
New York Lonsshoremon
Asked To Open