Page Two
THE BENNETT BANNER
October’ 1945
HIE BEmETT BANNER
•'AnyOiiiis Worth K-aliii;>, We Writ’”
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EDITORIAI. HOARD
Chairman - Nancy L. Pinkard '46 Feature Editor Miriam McTeeb '47
News Editor Thelma Thomas 47’ Business Manager Edith Bishop ’46
STAFF ASSISTANTS
Assistant Business Manager Secretary Melba Davis ’49
Betty Powers '47 Assistant Secretary Jean McCord ’47
Exchange Editor Circulation Manager
Gwendolyn Alexander '47 Louise Armstrong '47
Assistant Circulation Managers
Christine Hartsfield '49 Vivian Greenlee '49
TYPISTS
Lucille Brown '47 Viola Holland '47 Ethel Johnson '47
PROOF READERS
Orial Banks '46 Betty Ann Artis '46 Ruby Love '49 Marian Able ’46
REPORTERS
Margaret Caldwell '46 Gwen Cann '49 Camille Dunham '46
Willie Ruth Coles '47 Margaret Henderson '46 Sylvia Rock '49
Barbara Sandeord '47 Helen Davis '47 Rose Hogans '47
ADVISER - A. A. MORISEY
EDITORIALLY SPEAKING
'I'Ik- school year got iMitlcrway wiih an cxc:cpu;iially tine slari and
we lace this new year with tlie high liope that the jjrevailing school
sjjirii will remain at the same high ebb thrciuglKJiil the term.
The liiunier is yoiu' spokesman and it is our aim, at all limes, to
make the papei' so worlluvhile and inlormative, that yon will eagerly
aniicipate its arri\al “oil ihe jjress” each month. Jn every isstie we will
strive to print the news which will be ol greatest interest to yon.
llowe\ei', in order kj reach the goal ol actually making the Banner
"yoin"' school paper, we must have your cooperation. I’heretore, we
tnge yoti lo use the liannm as the "voice” ol yotn' opinions and to share
wiih yotu' schoolmates yotn hidden talerus.
W'e, ol the StalT, are strongly determined to make this year the very
best in the history ol liennett. I'hrotigh a common understancUng and
uniiy ol pin [)ose, we can make otu paper “the democratic: spokesiiiaii”
ol oiu' (amjjus. W'ith yotn staiuich support and willingness to be a part
ol the Ihnnti'Y, this can be clone. Remember, we are depending tipon you
to keejj the news rolling and to use the Banner as yotu' means ol' ex-
jjression.
The Inquiring Reporter
This year more than ever we will
be faced with various post-war prob
lems. We, as Bennett students must
become “world conscious”. The
forming of a N. A. A. C. P. Organi
zation on our campus would help us
toward this common goal. It is up to
everyone of us to begin now in build
ing a strong foundation for our fu
ture world.
Question:
Are you in favor of seeing a N. A.
A. C. P. organization formed on
Bennett’s campus?
Answers:
The N. A. A. C. P. should be a
necessary and active organization on
every Negro College campus. Col
lege students will be the future lead
ers of our race, and since the N. A.
A. 0. P. deals with Negroes and
their problems, the students should
have a clear understanding of the
various problems being faced now so
they will be able to help solve wise
ly the future problems that will un
doubtedly come up.
—EDITH IKE ’46
WHERE, DO WE GO FROM HERE?
I'he end ol World War 11 placed a great responsibility (jn the shoul
ders ol .Vmei u a, beeairse she, probably more than any other nation, will
|)lay the most prominent part in shaping the destiny ol the pecjples ol
ihe wcjrld.
Dtn ing the totnse ol the war we did everything htmianly possiiile to
help oin allies — sent bundles t(j Britain, supplied them with food and
(lolhing—and [jrovided lor their maintance throtigh lencl-lease.
W'iih the arrival ol V-E Day the (ierman enijjire collapsed, but Ger
man business is still a menace. "W'e still have to beware ol Na/i incltis-
Irialists; although they are tindergrotnid, their tinancial power is still
iniact. Only by being e.xiremely cautious and ever \ iligant can we pre-
M'Ut a similar oecureiiee such as that succeeding World War 1.
The close ol this war has again j)lacecl the world at the crossroads and
il a third great disaster is lo be averted the issues at hand imist be
solved with extreme precaution.
I lere, in .\meriea, the sudden closing of vast numbers of war indus
tries ihrew millions of people out of work. Henry W'allace said that
dining this recoiuersion period we would need (io million jobs. 'I'he
nations most tngeni task now is lo establish an economy that will pro
vide jobs for all.
liowe\er, with labor and management freed from the restrainis of
war, ihe (|uestion now is—“In the event lhai the two will not continue
lo work logether lo meet the tremendous needs of jjeaeetime produc
tion, shotdcl the government enforce labor jjeace?" Experts in the field
are agreed ihal the government should not step in to compel industrial
harmony. The majoriiy hold lhat the government should encourage
emj)loyers and labor to solve iheir jJioblems voluntarily; but, also acl-
\ocate certain possible actions and stej)s that should be taken to facili
tate working relations between the two.
Europe today is ;i continent of 71,000,000 uprooted, homeless, and
sooii-to-be-disloclged people. I'liey are people wlio have been unmerci
fully struck by tlie swirling tides of war. W'hat is to become of them?
One of our main sources of interest concerns the future of Japan.
[a|)an still bears c l(«e watc hing. I'his is e\ ideni when we recall the
brutal treachery vvith which this nation entered the war, not forgetting
that at the very inoment I’earl Harbor was attacked her ambassadors
sal at the peace table “toying’' wiih the designs for peace, japan may
h:ive surrendered, her people may bear the marks of war, but her spirit
is still unllincliing and confident.
,\s 10 our allies, England e\'olved from the vvar with a tremendous
■'lend-lease'' debt, thus follovving in the same looisteps as she did in
World War 1. We are urged to have goodwill toward llie Soviet Union,
|)rimarily because she is potentially the Greatest of all Powers. At the
moment ihe stand our other allies are going to lake can't as yet be de
termined.
Everv day thousands of service men and women are returning from
abroad. What is .\merica planning for their future? In her strivings to
establish permanent peace will she remember the ihings lor which these
boys, re|)resenting all races, creeds, and colors, fought and died?
Will she remember that the true road to peace is paved with actions
rather th:in sentiment, and ihal before she can .set herself tip as an ex-
:ini])le ol true democracy, there intisi be peace in her own land among
all races and creeds of her own people.
If .\merica and ihe rest of the world in, planning the world of to
morrow will only remember that “all men are born free and eciual’’ we
(an go from here to that idealism of true and lasting peace.
'';es, we should organize a N. A.
A. C. P. on our campus. Bennett
stiives lo prepare each young lady
lo lake her place in some community.
The National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People is a
worthy organization, whose func
tions touch each member of the
Negro race daily. As young Negro
women, we should begin early in
this vital work.
—ORIAL ANNE BANKS ’4 6
“If it’s for the best it’s found at
Bennett,” and the organizing of an
N. A. A. C. P. chapter on our campus
would be emphasizing the preceding
statement. II would t>e one step for-
w ai d in our effort of .'seeking solu
tions for our racial problems. Many
are facing us at the present, such as
‘‘the Negro youth in the post war
world,” including treatment of edu
cation, labor and income, transpor
tation conditions, and democracy for
minority groups. Then we could be
come a member of “The Southern
Intercollegiate Discussion Group”
which has grown out of N. A. A. C.
P. chapters on other college camp
uses in the South.
—IVERY OUTTERBRIDGE!,
t, •.
Reader’s Retreat
'47
I would definitely like to see a
branch of the N. A. A. C. P. iniated
on Bennett’s campus not only be
cause we, as the future generation,
should have much interest in the
race issue, but because I could learn
what the association has done for
my race, what it intends to do, and
exactly how it functions. After grad
uation, I shall want for myself and
my posteri'ty equal political, eco
nomical, and social rights. If they are
denied me. I’ll know how to go about
securing them for myself and others.
The N. A. A. C. P. as an organiza
tion of action, would help me and
others realize these ends.
—RUTH SYDNOR ’48
The N. A. A. C. P. has always
waged a militant attack against those
people who have attempted to pre
vent the Negro from being accorded
first rate citizenship as provided by
the Constitution of the United States.
An N. A. A. C. P. chapter on a col
lege campus should arouse race
consciousness to the extent that
young people will go back into theiT
respective communities and fight for
their rights.
However, careful consideration
should be given to such an organiza
tion before any action is taken. In
many instances such an organization
jeopardizes the financial support of
an institution and does more im
mediate harm than good.
—^ROBERT Li. JACK.
BLACK BOY - Richard Wright
Life in the little southern rural
community was rather uninteresting
for four-year-old Richard Wrfght. He
was a restless little boy who con
stantly craved excitement and new
experiences. And he was a curious
little boy. He always wanted to kno-w
the “why and wherefore” of things.
Thus, when he set the living-room
curtains on fire just to see them
burn, it never occurred to him that
he might set the house on fire. For
tunately, no one was krlled in the
fire, but over half of the house 'was
destroyed. Richard’s mother, liter
ally, almost beat him to death, and
he was very ill for many days.
This experience was the beginning
of consciousness for Richard. Every
thing around him began to take on
new life and meaning. He began to
think.
Soon after, his family moved to
Memphis, Tenn., Richard, his mother
and his brother lived through bitter
days of loneliness and hunger, for
Richard’s father deserted his family.
Richard and his little brother had
to care for themselves during the
day while their mother worked. He
learned to buy groceries and to fight.
And he learned to roam the streets
all day, and to loiter around saloons.
At the age of six, he was a drunkard.
However, after his mother put him
in the custody of an old woman, he
gradually ceased to drink.
Richard was a smart boy. His cu
riosity continued to increase and he
began to think and ask questions
about the life around him. He began
to become race-conscious. He won
dered why “white” people were dif
ferent from “black” people and he
wanted to know why a white man
could beat a little colored boy for no
apparent reason.
He was late starting to school, be
cause there was not enough money
to buy school clothes. However, by
the time he did start, he had already
taught himself to read and write,
and to count. It was during this peri
od of his life that he also learned the
obscenities that unguided children
pick up in the streets.
Richard’s mother became ill, and
he was forced to remain out of
school. The family had no income
and it was impossible to pay the
rent for their dingy little flat, so
Richard and his brother were put in
an Orphanage. He hated it there. Af
ter an unsuccessful attempt to run
away, he was taken out of the Or
phanage. Then he, his mother and
his brother left for Elaine, Ark., to
live with his aunt and uncle. En
route to their destination they stop
ped off in Jackson, Miss., to visit his
grandmother and grandfather. Rich
ard’s stay there was an unhappy one,
for he unintentionally, hut constant
ly, bucked the strict religious atmos
phere of his grandparents’ home.
Richard liked his aunt’s home, for
he no longer had to go hungry. But
terror srtuck the household when
his uncle was killed by a group of
whites. Again Richard and the rest
of the family had to move. After liv
ing for some time with his grand
parents, they moved to West Helena,
Ark. For a while Richard lived a
commonplace existence with the usu
al playing, fighting in the streets,
and going to school. Then came days
of hunger again, for his aunt left for
the North with a professor that she
was to marry, and his mother could
not earn enough money to keep the
family supplied with food.
His mother continued to fail in
health, and Richard was finally sent
to live with his uncle Clark, in Green
wood, Miss. His brother was sent to
live with his aunt Maggie in Detriot.
Richard disliked his new home, as no
one seemed to understand him. He
finally persuaded his uncle to let
him return to his mother.
From his mother’s suffering, young
Richard developed a conception of
life that was to remain with him al
ways. At the age of 12 he looked
upon life differently from other boys
and girls his age. To him life was
realistic, because he had only pain,
suffering, poverty ,hunger, restless
ness, and uncertai-nty to look back
upon.
There were many more days of
hunger, household discord, and strict
adherence to his grandparents’ re
ligious beliefs, all of which made
Richard very unhappy. He was forced
to enroll in a religious school. It
was taught by his aunt Addie whom
he hated with such intensity that
twice he attempted to kill her with
a butcher-knife.
As an escape from his unhappy
home situation Richard began to
make up stories and write them
down on paper. He left the religious
school he had been attending and
enrolled in the public school, where
he was put in the sixth grade. He
got a job and began to work, much
against the wishes of his very religi
ous grandmother.
Every day, more and more, Rich
ard began to hate and fear white peo
ple. He began to realize that living
in the South as a Negro was hard
and cold.
When he was in the eighth grade
he had his first story published. He
dreamed of going north and writing
books. People ridiculed him because
of his ambitions. Yet he continued
to cram into his brain all the knowl
edge he could acquire. At the age
of 16 he graduated from the eighth
grade.
After graduation Richard was
again faced with the problem of
finding a job. White people did not
like to have him around, for they
thought he was loo ambitious, too
observing, and too smart for a Negro.
After holding a couple of jobs as
clerk and janitor in small shops, he
got a job as janitor and apprentice
with an optical company. His boss
was a liberal man from Illi'nois, but
the men with whom he worked were
Southern whites. They soon forced
him to leave his job.
Richard became more bitter, dis
illusioned and discouraged. The ex
perience stripped him of all self
pride, of all belief in common de
cency. He resolved to try another job
until he could earn enough money
lo go north. He worked first in a
drug store, next in a hotel, and then
in a theater. He saved every penny
he could spare. He even stole money
at the theater. When he had saved
enough lo start him on his way, he
kissed his mother good-bye and
started for the city of Memphis, his
first stop on his journey north.
In Memphis Richard look lodg
ings on Beale street. He got a job as
errand boy and janitor at an optical
company. While working there he
took many insults from the whites
who worked around him. But he
laughed the insults off, for he was
finally learning how to live in the
‘‘white man’s” South. He was learn
ing to calculate his chances for life
in the South as a Negro, rather clear
ly.
Richard continued to read, and his
knowledge of books Ijegan to include
those by great modern writers of
the world. From his reading he be
gan to grow in thought as well as
knowledge.
His mother and brother came to
live with him and the three set up
house-keeping. After his brother
found a job, they made plans for go
ing north. The accidental visit of
Richard’s aunt Maggie, who had
been deserted by her husband, com
pleted their plans. Richard left his
job cleanly and smoothly. He and
his aunt went to Chicago to prepare
(Continued On Page Four)