St. Paul recorder., 1963-04-25
Negro Press midwife
And Fighting Arm Of
Group In America
BY GORDON B. HANCOCK

BY GOhDON ID. EANOOCh
When great old Socrates was in
the flesh, he walked about the
streets of Athens a philosophical
curiosity, likening himself to a
midwife in the birth of truth. The
midwife has played glorious part
in history, and as such has put
humanity under heavy debts Of
gratitude.
The Negro newspaper could cas-
lily be likened up to a midwife help
ing to deliver great inspirations to
the Negro newspaper, for there is
great difference between news
papers and Negro newspapers.
Before the coming of the Negro
newspapers, newspapers carried
accounts of Negroes; but too often
these were disparaging accounts.
Before the coming of the Negro
newspapers, the newspapers in
general were long on the Negroes
short comings and short on his
longcomings. The Negro was paint
ed to the world as a thief and
criminal and as an avowed enemy
Of society.
The Southern newspapers with
few exceptions were to all intents
and purposes propaganda sheets
in so far as they pertained to Ne
groes. The intense prejudice of the
white Southern newspapers in very
fact were aligned as enemies Of
the Negro race, and how the Ne
gro survived this enmity will ever
remain one of the miracles of his
tory. But by the help of God the
Negro lived through the period of
unrestrained prejudiced Southern
journalism.
Then came the Negro newspaper
Circumscribed as it was by a pre-
JUDGED surrounding, it had to
struggle for existence. But the Ne
gro newspaper lived. The first
pronounced dawning Of pride in
the race came through the Negro
newspaper and in very truth it can
be said that it was the Negro
newspaper that played the part OF
midwife in the birth Of a races
pride.
It Is well nigh impossible to
develop race pride in a situation
where the race Is constantly dis
paraged and belittled.
The first consistent portrayal Of
Negro achievement was made by
the Negro newspaper which today
is a source of race pride. The story
of Negro achievement is strug'
Cling to be told even today, but II
was first chartered by the Negro
newspaper. Today's newspapers ir
general are beginning to pass
along the story of the Negroes ar
rival, but the place of that story
was made first by the Negro
newspaper.
Our justifiable pride in our race
and its achievements and POSSIBLE
tiles can be definitely traced to the
coming Of the Negro newspaper
Just as the Negro newspaper has
been the midwife in the birth OF
a races pride, so it is today the
races fighting arm in our strug'
gle for full citizenship. History
tells us that the early soldiers who
went into battle carried a shield
in one hand and the sword in the
other. The right hand and its
sword for fighting and the left
hand and its shielded for defense,
The Negro newspaper is the races
fighting arm today.
It Is disturbing to even i'm
Sgine just what the Negro would
do In his current fight TO full
citizenship without q newspaper
to tell Of his aches and urges.
Tho only Negro who should be
ashamed of himself In these crit
ical times Is the Negro who does
not support the Negro news
paper.
It is not enough to wish them
well and appreciate the magnifi-
cent fight they are making, but II
we would fulfill our righteous OBJ
legation in the promise we must
purchase and read Negro news
papers. I know a nobly inclined
white woman who reads twelve
Negro newspapers regularly and
It makes me wonder how many
educated Negroes do likewise.