St. Paul recorder., 1963-10-03
irresponsible Picketing
Not The Answer

Not The Answer
The picl0eting of the Minneapolis Athletic Club
last week is an example of the irresponsibty which
can be product of the resentment and Illustration
of the American Negro over discrimination in many
areas of employment.
We call the pdckeHng irresponsible" because
the Minneapolis Athletic Club, private organiza-
tton which has services 1t sells to the public, has
a hong record of employment of Negroes.
Many of the leading Negroes in Minneapolis had
their first jobs at this private club and there
still about 40 Negroes employed there A complaint
had been lodged against certain alleged dscrimin-
atory internal practices Of club management with
the Minneapolis fair employment practices commits
sion. This complaint was being investigated at the
time the picket line established.
We fail to the logic Of pdclxeting a private
club which has long record Of employment of Ne
groes and which has no services which sold to
the Negro population, especially when there are
dozens of business firms in downtown Minneapolis
which hire Negroes in any capacity and firms
which hire them and discriminate in upgrading and
promotions.
In the struggle for American Negro rights
which is going in the United States and even in
the armed forces overseas, this newspaper thinks
that the technique for protest and advancement
should vary in detail with each community, and be
based on the situation it exists in the cities.
In Minneapolis and st. Paul this newspaper Is
in favor of direct protest picetng, and demonstra
lions only after the ordinary channels of comunica
ton and negotiation which exist and have been built
UP through the years have been exhausted and
fail to bring results.
AS early 1884 20 years ago this newspaper
organized an effective picket line on the Minneapolis
Northside which brought number of jobs for the
Negroes, whose patronage was keeping number Of
t11a firms in RIT ClyetS
only last resort and only after negotiations and
conferences failed TO bring satisfactory results In
those days picl1eHng and demonstrating not
the popular pastine they Nor did they have
the wide public appreciation and the possibilities
for individual fame and prestige.
This newspaper has supported and been in
volved in a number Of picket hnes-always after
communication had broken down between the Negro
community and the offending parties One such
picket line was the which marched 20 years ago
before a downtown theatre which showing the
angled ant-Negro film The Birth of the Nation" ;"
which was discontinued after the public protest cut
down the receipts. We can remember among those
pdcleting the theatre such we'll known persons
as Mrs w. D. Brown, Sr, Miss L. o. Smith the at
torney, and Hilda Simms the actress.
In Minnesota each Of the three large cities have
fair employment practices commissions where dis
elimination in employment can be dealt with If
oompBainantS Will file their grievances. The state
has agency which has been set up for the same
purpose.
IF these governmental units have not made a
real dent in the still too prevalent job discrimination
in Minnesota the fault lies as much with the people
the agencies were set up to protect as with the
small budgeted regulatory public agencies These
agencies are not set up TO go out and hunt job bias
but must act only complaints furnished by per-
sons who claim their rights to employment have
been denied on account of race or religion.
For several reasons, public apathy being one of
them, none Of these agencies do effective job as
they ought Negroes and other minorties do not use
their services and often when they do they expect
miracles to be accomplished with poor cases.
In the meantime If those who are so anxious
to picket would do their demonstrating before COM
mercial firms catering to the public where Negroes
annually spend thousands of dollars they will obtain
public support from both white and Negro provid-
ing of course there has been prior attempt to
negotiate with offending firms
There is widespread sympathy in the white pop
ulation of the Twin Cities for greater extension Of
job opportunities to Negroes. Many corporations
which have dragged their feet for years are now
buEly and seriously recruiting Negro workers at all
levels. This has been going on for weeks without
picket lines and for the communitys sake we are
anxious that the progress continue and not be ham
pered by preciptate action Of ambitious and some
time well meaning persons seeking recognition and
power, without consideration for the solid progress
which is being made here, and the great number Of
friends the Negro community enjoys in its struggle
for equality.