TAKM TWO
THE CAJMLINA TIMES SATURDAY, OCT. 22, ItSS
HOMECOHWC FOt THE lAIE N. C. NBtSIQ)
Whereas this newspaper in things tiwt he did for ^un- wno lor many years will wpn-
no wise condones the activi- dreas of A. and T. studoits Qer wnetner tnere are otners
ties which resulted in the who experienced trouble get- wnom ne could nave named
trial and sentencing of the ting an education. Honors as accessories or perpetrators
late Nathaniel Claudius Web- came to him in 1952 in the of tne a^eged crimes wmch
ster, former bursar at A. and form of honorary member- surround tu^ name today.
T. College in Greenstoro, we ship in the Letterman’s Club IromCaUy, Mr. Webster re-
must, in the interest of his- and earlier in 1950 when turned to ureensboro on the
tory, record that prior to the former students elected him eve of Homecoming, a season
chain of events which led to to honorary membership in of the year to wmch more
his ilness and death, he made the alumni association. than half of his life had been
a positive contribution to the Death has closed the color- dedicated to popularizing
extracurricular life of the in- ful career of N. C. Webster, a among his student iriends. it
stitution which he did much kindly little man with a twin- was a sad homecoming, but
to make nationally known. kle in his eye who was al- to those taitniul numoeis wno
Coming to the college as a ways sympathetic to the na- attended Kpiscopalian rites
young man, he served as tion’s press. He never com- for tiie dead and saw his in-
bandmaster, but he will plained when the press, of terment, it was a Homecom-
best remembered for his con- necessity, reported his change ing which was successful, be-
tributions as chairman of the of fortune. Like the athletes cause it was filled with p«>-
athletic committee. His vision he loved so well, “Nat” Web- pie. So, Nat Webster will
and toow-how built the ster could take it. And though live in the minds and hearts
Greensboro college’s athletic death has closed his personal of many people who he be-
program to a point that for career, there still remains an friended and nelped. The Su-
many years commanded the air of mystery about the cir- preme Judge of the Universe
largest crowds in Negro com- cumstances at the institution has decided his final appeal,
petition. And though he was which permitted irregulari- Perhaps mortal jurist may
frequently hailed as a pro- ties of the proportions which one day reopen the strange
motional wizard, few are laid at Webster’s door. Death turn of events that spotlight-
those who publicize the con- has "dosed Nat Webster’s ca- ed Nat Webster alone,
structive and humanitarian reer, but there will be those
DURHAM WELCOMES THE STATE NAACP
All Durhamites who be- newspaper is proud to recall Significantly, however, the
lieve in quality under the that some of the crusadmg N.^CP’s present chairman
law will jom this newspaper spirit which today mariu tne of the Legal Redress Com-
m its welcome of the 6tate xmAACP program started in mittee, C. O. Pearson, as a
NAACP branches here for Durham. We refer specifical- young lawyer, represented
their annual meeting October ly to the case of Tom Hocutt, Hocutt. And he also served
21-23. That tiiis organization a young Durhamite enrolled recently as chief counsel for
which has done so much to at wtiat is now North Caro- the youths who today are at^
protect and to advance the Ima College at Durham some tending UNC
civil rights of some minorities yeai* ago. Before the day of „ , , . . .
among us has also protected graduate and professional . ^ ^ocial^,
the civil rights of the major- school opportunities for the
ity is not olten imderstood by state’s Negro citizens, Hocutt ,
the organization’s detractors, applied to the UNC School of ®^so a fledgling lawyCT, made
Perhaps it should be recalled Pnarmacy. He thus became Ji^tory of a l^d that
that one of the compelling the first Negro in U. S. his- Kheraere^‘SSkSv
reasons for the abolition of tory to test tne validity of the ^
Negro slavery was that the South’s practice of excluding provide
existence of tne institution of qualified Negroes from state- , . Sf ^
human slavery endangered supported graduate and pro- S x®. speaous SouthCTn
the freedom of white men fesswnal sdiools. That ^e *ep^ate but
and women. In its dedicated was not immediately resolved ^ doctrme
fight to obtain first class cit- in Hocutt’s favor, but the case ^ leg^ disrepute.
izenship for colored Ameri- set the stage for what is now
cans, the NAACP. which becoming Liown as an *‘Age ^f.^Tehgioi^,
significantly had dedicated of Civil Rights Litigation.” A p^(||^MSi?e p^SSSonS
white citizens among its direct outgrowth of the Ho-
founders, protects the free- cutt case was the State Legis- sectiormlly insane.
kev. Albort Outler, profawor administrator, aiKMqrmoua, y-
oi theology at soutbem to«d tl^e niyn We hops the
Methodist iJniverid^, used istrator was yn iinrior^m£^ go
as lus text the K^ng James insecurei, temporary occupant
version equivalent oi Ciala- qj some responsible adBunis-
tians “iJor, brethera, ye jra^or s post in atrflitniw*
nave been called unto iibeiiyj d^i^are tnat criterion for
only use not liber||y tor an aaxmssion to almost any avant
occasion to the iiesn, but by ^ mg vicuuty of X^opti^ 6aro-
love, serve one anotner." Tne i,na uoliege s iNegro commun-
this week
the
dom and rights of aU Ameri- NA^’cpTeets' in Durham, a
1 “ty in the New South of the
The only method which the graduate and professional amendment variety, this
NAACP has used to obtain newspaper, whUe fully rec-
fuU and equal rights for its colleges. Jliose m- ognizing the insidious, cow-
m^bers has been the Uwftt^ and unfiatrioti® activif
use of the courts of our land. “ totally Mequate stop- individuals and groups
This is in keeping with the would kill freedom un-
highest democratic traditions Other states soon guise of a~ white su-
of our country. It has not re- “i^owed suit. premacy banner, is confident
sorted to terrorism, it has not And Durham has been the that the rightness of the
condoned violence, it has im- scene of other important civil NAACP’s cause will prevail,
posed no economic sanctions, rights litigation — the law The crusade, which the
and it has consistently tried school case, the public schools NAACP has spark^, we be-
to avoid demagoguery. Its case, and Durham provided lieve, will be a rallying point
lawyers have used as their the plaintiffs in the now fam- for all people everywhere to
-OTrijT'‘weapons the Constltu- ous c«e currefitly on appeal look wi& pride upon the great
tion of the United States of by state authorities for ad- euid courageous experiment of
America. Informed legal au- mission of qualified Negro the real American people to
thorities say the NAACP’s undergraduates to any and all bring forth a new heaven and
success with its civil rights state supported institutions, new earth in our Southland,
crusade is a landmark in hu- There appears to be some- In this spirit, the justice-lov-
man relations in the U. S. A. thing in the spirit of Dur- ing people of Duiiiam will
As a publication which has ham that love liberty and welcome the NAACP and
used its columns for' nearly equality under the law. The wish it success in the difficult
half a century in this crusade list of men and women who period that lies ahead for the
for FULL 14TH AMEND- have contributed to this spir- ungodly and the unwary.
MENT AMERICANS, this it would be a long one. :
"A NEW LOOK" IN HUMAN REIAIIONS FOt
THE AMERICAN LEGION AND OTHEIiS
An editor, recuperating Take, for example, some “Maybe the Legion constitu-
from illness, has ample time news stories emanating from tion guarantees all men equal
to read the day’s news and to the American Legion’s annual privileges but the fact re
give almost leisurely study meeting in Miami, Florida, mains that Southern Negroes
and time to some trends that At one session, this gathering aren’t getting such pri-
fit into rather clearly da- of predominantly World vileges.” Alexander said in
fined patterns represenetative War I “daredevils” killed a this state Negroes don’t have
of the attitudes of this 20th thoughtfully prepared report a voice in selection of a com-
centuy sf>ectacle of THE that said there is no basis for mander and they must “ac-
AMERICAN. the in^ired charges that cept” the rulings of the “sep-
A friend of ours tells the UNESCO is communistic, arate” white unit,
familiar story of the differ- atheistic, and working for If Mr. Alexander’s charges
ence between the “100% world citizenship and world are true, and no one has come
American” and the “200% government. At another ses- forward to refute them, it is
American.” The “100% A- sion, a presiding Officer ref us- obvious that American Leg-
merican,” _ according to our ed to entertain a constitution- ion members in North Caro-
cynical friends, “hates mere- al amendment calling for lina are unAmerican in their
ly Jews, Negroes, and Catho- equal rights for colored and approach to orgwizational
lies.” On the other hand, he white Legionnaires. The problems. But bom instances
says sar^tically, “The chairman ^eged the con- involving the American Leg-
200 % American” hates the stitution provided equal rights ion also raise anew the ques-
whole damn^ human race.” for for all members and said tion asked by a visiting min-
W^’d really like to think that the amendmmt was uneces- ister at Duke University last
there are species of Ameri- sary. Sunday, The topic of the
cans who are on the opposite "The spokesman for the clergyman’s sermon was “Fit
side from both the poups amendment, Zack Alexander to be Free.”
listed by our friend. A look of Charlotte, was quoted by a The visiting speaker at the
at the news last week was pr^ association dispateh as respected Duke Chapel Sun-
not reassuring on this point, raising this pertinent point: day morning program, the
SAITJBDAY
H. ALBEKT SMITH
M. E. JOHNSON . .
OCTOBER 22, 1955
L. ■. AUSTIN, FakUhter
CLATHAN A. BOSS, Bdit«r
. IbuMgliw Utter
BMteMi Muac«r
PublMxd Evei7 Saturday ky 11m UMllKL)
PUBUaanS. laeorporaM at fl* K. Fcttl(i«w at.
Bstcrad aa mecmd elaaa waf>T at 41h roat Ofttaa
at Piirfcaw, Martb OaraMaa aatar itta Aat at Manfe
>. i«n.
JV. AdvertlsliiK Mgr,
JISSI COFIELD Clrcnlatlon Manafer
No (uarantaa ot pubUcatton of unioliclted mate-
letter* to tha editor for publication muat ba-
■iCMd and confined to SOO word*.
Bubacrlptlon Batai; lOe per copy; Six monflu,.
M-00 (Forelcn Countrlaa, 94.(Xy
preacner didn't quote tn^ jjy ^ouid not to® tn® C(iior of
next vwse, as we recall, but ^ out one’s abiUty to
ne mignt well nave done so: ^ ticitet Iromcwy,
or an tne law is tuimied m ^jiie’s program of in-
one word, even in tnisj Xnou tercultural relations is a
snail love tny neignoor as a noax, a traud up-
inyselt" In essence, wnat we American democratic
got out of tne cleric s sermon, practices; and the perpetra-
dmong otner tnings, was tne ator ot tne embrrassment up-
Durnmg quesUon, appucable studenU snould be re-
to our leuow citizens of all moved trom office antt divest-
races and creeds,” “Are we qj nis autnority to deal
at to be Iree.'” public on tne basis of
U. S. Attorney Herbert his mept nanriiing of a simple
Brownell, Jr., speaking last fpso m Hnman relations,
ounday mgnt at tne annual , .
uinner ol uie interlaitti Move- Duke Uiuvej^ty ^officiAls
ment, inc., m i\ew Yofk, said who may be interrated m
mat "a smn 11 crust of freedom maintainmg the lily-wnite
10 a few" wiU not sustam tne complexion of their enrolir
American way of life. In a nient snould be concerned
speecn (see iront page) de- witn flagrwtly publicized in-
bcrioed as one of tne strong- st*mces of racial ^crimiM-
est civil rignts speeches by a tion. liixistmg as it does in the
member oi President £isen- Civil Rights-conscM^
nower's cabinet, he api>ealed mo^here of the Durhw
to the states and- individuals community, Duke University
to jom in making freedom a nught well start planning fM
"livmg reality" and create a time when the spotlight
"geitien age of civil rignts.” law suits shifts to private
Castigating “liatemongers” institutions enjoying consid-
who apply the “whiplash erable tax-exempt status. It
of intolerance” to mlz\ority ought to be sobbing to rfr
groups, Mr. Brownell said sponsible administrators to
"This infamous fraternity of recall Mr. Brownell s rec^t
professional bigots are just as statement that “Continuing
determmed and as dratruc- Federal interest remains in
tive as communists and fas- the implementation of the (U.
cists (American Legionnaires S. Supreme) Courts find-
m this category, please note) ings.” In his sjieech befOTe
whose foreign counterparts the Interfaith Movement, Mr.
have so clearly proven that Brownell stated unequivocal-
their ideology does not in- ly: “Segregation has be^
elude a behef in universal abolished in the Nations
civil rights.” With insight un- armed forces and projects
usual for a white American, maintaining segregation prat
Mr. Brownell added, “There tices are d^ed federal fl
are bloodier punishments nancial aid.”
than segregation but few comment appropriate
more degrading. Duke University stup-
And as Mr. Brownell de- idity and the Simd^ preach-
nounced segregation, some er’s common sense Christian-
un-American administrator at ity, Mr. Brownell concluded:
Duke University -proved his “If tolerance can not be found
point against the 20th Cen- in the schools and churches,
tury type American bigot of in the shop and market place,
the pseudo “egg head” vfu:- it will nowhere be found. It
iety. The “egg hea^” we take will not exist.”
it, is an intellectual, a species Intelligent Southern white
that ought not to be a rarity people who are interested in
on the campus of an institu- preserving Southern iiutitu-
tion with as much financial tions are falling victims to
backing as our city’s Duke their prejudices when they
University. The Duke student permit outworn creeds and
newspaper and a local daily practices to obscure the vision
say some Duke white'students of the Federal government’s
w«m1^ t9linvit^ soma handwriting on &e«alL Like
Carolina College Negro sttt-' it or not, segregation as A way
dents to attend a play at Duke of life is on its way out No
and to pay for admission. This amoimt of temporary eco-
is in no way contrary to the nomic sanctions or threats of
policy, for example, of the personal violence will long
Duke lyceum series, which withstand the determined ef-
through the years has provid- fort of an tdert Federal gov-
ed splendid if segregated oj>- ernment to enforce the ele-
portunities to some interest- mentary laws of justice and
ed Negro citizens, to hear ejuality provided by the Con-
the annual concCTt seiies In' stitution and reiniorced by
Duke’s Page Auditorium. The the U. S. Supreme Court.
RACE HATRB) MUST BE EUMINA1ED
Life Is Like^That
BY H. ALBERT SMITH
JUSTIFIABLE ANGER
There is a place for anger in
our daily scheme of things and
the social system in which we
live at this present time. For
with this system there is some
thing radically wrong. . And
that is so evident that even the
way faring man though a fool
cannot escape it. Indeed, he
cannot, because he is the con
stant victim of the pressures of
injustice and man’s inhumani
ty to man.
MAY SEEM STRANGE
Now, it may seem strange to
find in this column an endorse
ment of anger, especially in
the light of certain biblical in
junctions. One of these advises,
“Cease from anger, and for
sake wrath.” Another cau
tions; “Make no friendship
with an angry man.” The Book
sets forth that ■ “an angry man
stirreth up strife,” and gives
graphic examples of aiiger
manifestations harmful and de
structive. In fact, one can use
that book to make out a good
case against anger.
A PERSONAL EXPERIENCE
We can also do that from our
personal reactions to certain
situations and incidents which
we have either experienced or
heard about. I recall a personal
reaction induced by a reckless
taxi-driver who turned a cor
ner to nearly run me down a
couple of years ago and topped
it off by directing some vile
language at me. A momentary
anger welled up in me and ex
ploded in a verbal barrage that
I quickly squelched because it
suddenly dawned upon me I
was about to “hurt” myself.
DEATH INDUCED
I cite a tragic case in which
anger literally killed a woman.
She was suffering from hyper
tension and had been warned
by her doctor to avoid any ex
citement. Something occurred
one day which she did not like.
There followed an angry out
burst of temper that proved as
fatal to that woman as a pistol
shot. Anger, we might there
fore conclude is a bad thing.
BIBLICAL SUPPORT
But, as we read the bible,
we find much that supports the
thesis that anger may serve a
good purpose and has a legiti
mate status in pur emotional
life. That anger, however, is
not the raw biological feeling
of the animal or the blind fury
that temporarily deprives a
man of sanity or a bitterness
which crystallizes into a fixed
vindictiveness and a flint-like
purpose to harm and destroy.
For such an anger, we can find
no brief either in Scripture or
common sense.
DISPLAYED BY JESUS
The anger which I condone
and defend is commonly de
fined as righteous Indignation.
It is a quality of spirit that can
not tolerate wrong and injus
tice. It is even attributed to
God. We see it displayed in a
most dramatic .. nlanner in
Jesus’ cleansing of the temple.
An angry Christ, beholding
God’s House turned into a
house of merchandise, with a
scourge of small cords made by
his own hands, drove covetous
merchants and beasts from the
temple, as he tipped over the
tables of money-changers and
shouted:
“Take these things hence;
make not my Father’s house an
house of merchandise.”
AN EXPERIENCE RELATED
Some thirty odd years ago,
the renowned and eloquent
Miss Nannie Burroughs spoke
to a group of us students at
Virginia Seminary. She related
an unpleasant experience that
she had on her way from the
nation’s capital to Lynchburg,
Virginia where the school is lo-
'cated. She was riding in one
of those dirty, dingy Jim Crow
coaches reserved for Negroet
in those dismal days when race
hatred was so bitter that lynch-
Spiritual Insight
“CROWD PLEASER”
BY REVEREND HAROLD ROLAND '
Pastor, Mount Gilead Baptist Church
“Pilaie wishing to satisfy the
crowd...released Barrabas, Jes
us he delivered to be cruci
fied..." Mark 15:15.
Pilate made a shameful
choice in heeding the crowd
rather than right and truth.
Too often we too are tempted
to do the same thing in the
midst of life’s great choices.
Often we must decide between
being a crowd pleaser rather
than to do what is right. We
bargain our peace of consci
ence for the acclaim of the
multitude. We will sell our
souls for the applause of
the mob. We will walk the low
way with the mob rather than
the highway with righteous
ness and truth. Pilate rejected
^odness and embraced the
evil..“Pilate wishing to satisfy
the crowd released Barrabas...
Jesus he delivered to be cruci-
Ded...”
To his eternal shame, Pilate
sold Jesus down the Kiver. He
tried to sav6, glorify or dignify
Barrabas. But wrong can never
assume the status of dignity
and respectability. Dress up
wrong all you want to and
wrong is still wrong. He who
stands for right can make his
choice before the crowd
speaks.
It should not be^hard to de
cide between Jesus* and Barra
bas. Have you ever'had to de
cide between Jesus and Baita-
bas7 What is the difference?
Jesus is the essence of goodness
and nobilityl Barrabas is the
symbol of a degraded humani
ty. It is all right to be a crowd
pleaser provided it can be done
in honor and self respect,
pleasing the crowd is all right
if it can be done in righteous
ness. He who sells his soul to
please the crowd is guilty of
moral degradation. He who
chooses a Barrabas and rejects
the Christ is guilty of the most
shameful moral cowardice. If
there is a chAce of being a
crowd pleaser and being right-
right should always win.
He who pleases the crowd at
the expense of right is a shame
ful creature. The unrighteous
crowd pleaser must suffer the
pains of an outraged consci
ence. The unrighteous crowd-
pleaser cheapens himself in his
own eyes. He loses his self re
spect. He loses face moraUy.
In the great social struggle of
this hour for decency and jiis-
tice we are tempted on every
side to become morally degra
ding crowd pleasers. Let’s not
stand with Barrabas and Pi
late. Let’s choose to stand with
Christ for dignity and justice
for all men.
Let us refuse to stand with
the Pilates of our time who re- '
lease Barrabas and crucify
anew the Ctirist Let’s stand
courageously for right and re-*'
sist aU temptations to become
cowardly crowd pleasers.
ings were common, sometimes
involving burning a Negro at
at the stake.
AN IMPOSED INDIGNITY
Miss Burroughs went on to
tell how the dirty little coach
was crowded with passengers,
some standing, some sitting. A
white conductor, heavily
weighted with a superiority
complex and “attended’’ by the
inevitable Negrb porter, had
for his use two of the few seats
in the coach. In the non-de
script group, there were much
loud talking, laughing and eat
ing. It was an imposed situ
ation that embittered any in
telligent Negro, whether he
was educated or not, and left
him often burning in the heat
of the hot rage of baffled
frustration.
Sitting a few seats forward
from Miss Burrough was a wo
man busy with her snuff. She
opened a window and spat.
Said Miss Burroughs, "^e
wind caught that nasty spittle
in its cruel fingers and threw
it through the open window
where I was sitting and into
my face.” The lady painted a
graphic picture.
And, then, she added that
her anger flamed into a white
heat. She stated further, “I was
so angry that had I died then I
would have gone to hell.” Sub
sequently, after some reflec
tion, I could not string along
with her view.
STATED MY OPINION
Several years later, I met
Miss Burroughs here in Dur
ham, and reminded her ot the
occasion on which she had
made the statement about go
ing to hell. And then 1 told her
that it was my opinion that she
would probably gone to the
place she mentioned if she had
died at the time without be
ing angry. I made that state
ment then with all seriousness;
and, during the quarter of a
century since, I have had no
reason to repudiate it
Deliver me from that man
who has the type of love that
robs him of the power to be
come angry; who has so much
religion nothing anybody does
or says can make him angry.
(Continued on Page Seven)
REMEMBER: WE JSORTHERNERS
AREN’T BLAMELESS
In the town of Sumner,
Mississippi, United States of
America, a Jury of 11 white
men brought in a verdict of
“not guilty*’ after 68 minutes
in the jury room, freeing two
other white men ‘ who had
been accused of murder.
A polio-crippled adolescent
boy of 14 had b^n the murder
victim because, the prosecution
charged, he had whistled at the
sight ol a pretty young woman
who entered a store. He was a
Negro, the woman was white.
And that, in the code by which
members of the Mississippi
Jury live, was. the unpardon
able crime—the assumption by
a colored human being of equa
lity with white human beings.
One of the defense attorneys
who knew what manner of
men composed the jury expres
sed his confidence in an acquit
tal during his summation.
‘...every last Anglo-Saxon
one of you has the courage to
do it.” he said. He was right.
A man of a different stripe
was the special prosecutor, also
a Mississippi white man, who
pleaded with the Jury to con
sider only the necessity for dis
pensing justioe. He said:
“Gentlemen, we’re on the
defensive. Only so long as we
can preserve the rights of
everybody—black or white—we
can keep pur way of life. Once
we get to the point where we
deprive any of our people of
their rights we are aU in dan
ger. Emmett Till down here in
Mississippi was a citizen of the
United States; he was entitled
to his life and his liberty.”...
Another white Miasissippian
with a conscience is William
Faulkner, the writer, who ex
pressed his deep shame at the
crime committed in his home
state.
The brutal murder of Ne
groes in the South is the ex
treme manifestation of racial
discrimination, but it is by no
means the only one.
, £very restrictive covenant in
a real estate agreement—writ
ten or unwritten-has a close
kinship to lynching. Every re
sort to the Negro sterotype in ^
entertainment characterization
of the Negro as a childish, hap-
py-go-lucky, crap shooting, ra
zor-wielding, immoral indivir
dual also runs in the lynching
family.
Every time a Negro is de
nied absolutely equal or em
ployment opportunities, every
time he is forced into a slum
ghetto for denial of opportuni
ty to live elsewhere, he is be
ing lynched a little bit.
And these more subtle forms
of the lynching credo deposit
the shame of racial discrimina
tion right onto our own door
steps—we who are white Nor
therners and who shudder at
the thought of murdering hu
man beings because their skins
are darker than our own.
What are we going to do
about it?
How are we going to con
vince the colored peoples of
Asia and Africa—a solid ma
jority of the earth’s population
that racism is not part of the
American way of life? How are
we going to win them to our
side in the political competi
tion with Communism for their
support? —
Certainly not by shrugging
off what happened in Sumner,
Miss., and what has happened
far too often to Colored peoples
in our country.
Westport (Conn.) Town Crter-
Westporter-Heraid
lOWN
’^endllVl
eCwrfleM If85,