North Carolina Newspapers

THE CAROLINA TIMES 1 — "THE TRUTH UNBRIDLED" SAT. JANUARY 31, !»S9 A Half Centory of [Fighting for Deinocracy in May oi this year the Nr.tinnal Associa- tipii (or tUc A(lvaucfnimt of V\4ovi‘i I’lH'l’l? will ruiuul 5) of lojlliri.nlU *BU M the ri4;Kts «•{ W-.jL'nies. It is nut hard tt) visuaKz“ whrtt the )>lii^hl of tlu- raco wouci he now in lliis coinitry liad nut siicli an organization convc into i.icini; 50 years aj;u and continueU to figlit im all fronts fur tlu‘ iiu]iK‘nM'iUAtioii oi dentocracv. At tlif tiute llu; XAACI’ was born says a jtaniplilel recently issued l)v the urjjanizati(ni, “the Xejj'ni haJ been stripped ot his hasic ci- tizenshi)) ri>;hts which had been |)urcliased i;i bkxid lie IwU Uevu disfranchised and the raste restrictiin of slavery had l>een legaliz ed thronffhout the rej^ion ihroufjh revision if state cojistitutions. The United States Sup reme (.'ourt lw«l turned its l>ack on the Xeg'- ro's ]>lea .for enforcement of the fourteenth and fifteenth Amendments to the Constitu tion. Xeither the I’resident nor the Conj^ress of the I'nited States lifted a fiii}jer to shield him from the blows of his enemies, lie was beinfj driven from jobs which he had tradi tionally hell and his children were beinfj cheated of an education." It was across t)ie ])athway of such an on ward march ajjainst the rijj;hts of Xefjroes that the X.\.\C1‘ steppel 50 years af^o and fi^:urativeiy s|)cakln{j. said. “Hitherto shall thou come but no further." Then as now the leadershi]) of the XAACI’ was conijjosed of some of the njtiuii’s most brilliant minds in all fields of endeavor. Indeed, the early roster of to|)tlif,dit leaders reads like a “who’s who." “W. E. B. DuBois, thf brilliant leader of the ^Halented tenth,” came up from the Deep Soitth where he was occupying the chair of economics at Atlanta University. Down from Boston 9Mne William Mon- rpe Trotter, the highly articulate and impatient editor of the Guardian. Also from Boston came Moorfield Storey who had been secretary to Charles Sunmer and was to become the first president of the National Association for the Ad- A Loss to tlie People of Greensboro The dejKirture of I'jr. 'Edwin R. Edmonds from Greensboro on February 1 to assume the pastorate ot a churcii in New Haven. Connecticut will be regretted by one segment of that city's population and welcomed by another. Dr. Ehnonds represents that rare tyi)e of Xegroi tCcifher and minister which can better be referre.d to as a free soul. Such are more often found in one of our church schools and seldom if ever in a state or pub lic school. The reco.nl wiU sjiow that Dr. Ei- ninnHs mafic misefnble lor—the Lj nclo— Toms" and “Aunt Dinahs” in Greensboro, and they didn't rest until they got his sc;i IP Ills departure will probalily be the signal for a rousing celebfatior^ on the A&T College campus or the campus of one of the high schools. It will be a sad day among Negroes if the time ever comes when their church schools are no longer able to operate. Out of these educational institutions that ar^ usually fi nancially in distress have come .some of our most militant leaders. From Morehouse and ■\tlanta University in Atlanta, Georgia have come such well-known leaders of the race as Mordecai Johnson, Benjamin Mays, the late Walter White aixl Martin I-trthej Ki(ig, Jr. Himself a Morehouse graduate, Dr. Ed monds has |)robabIy sat at the feet of sotne of the same free-soailed teachers who inspir ed Johnson, Mays, White and King, Only a man with a free soail can inspire the desire for a free soul in ofliers. As ))resident of the Greensboro branch of the National Assodation for the Advance ment of Colored I’e»)ple, Dr. Elnionds light ed a fire under some of the “L'ncle Toms” and “Aunt Dinahs" in that city. Their will ingness to sell the race lo\vn the river for ■ th»ir iiwn jie.rsonal sccuritv. while pretending A Contribution to Interracial Goodwill Negro citizens will long remember and that with great appreciation the very high class manner in which the Home Security Life Insurance Compan)' conducted the open ing of its new hojne o{fic« building here. Without fanfare ^nd in atmosphere of the highest degree of culture and refinement the comj>any threw open its doors to all the citir zens of LXurham alike during its ojiening cele bration, The occasion, we trust, marked a new e]¥)ich in the life of Durham .and just goes to show what can be done \vhen intelli gent persons of both races are left alone by the cracVpets on both sides of the fence. Oa behalf of the Negro citizenry of Dur ham this newsfjaper extciwls its thanks to the officers and employes of Home Security for their splendid contribution to intcrracial goodwill. The occasion will long be rfuiem- bered wth gratitude and pride on the part of PlfkMthad MMv at Durham, ». e h/ VnkkaA ine. « ^ V- AigmN. freMdent Entered at $eeond cfauf at the Pott OMce Durham, Mmrtk CmrMma under the A6t f. It70. SUBSCRIPTION RATEf; $im PBft YfA» Can Destroy America Unless Eliminated LETTER TO THE EDITOR ▼ancement of Colored People. T||f Mid* \ by ^u^h j ^talwurt* •« I4i W*W*-Biw- «|d Celia Puriter Wopl^y qf Chi^- go, and by Charles P. Thwing and W. S. Scarborough, presidents, respectively, of Western Resfrvf an(i Wilberforp^ univer- ^jtie# ip Ohio. Jo|in Dewey, whfl WW IlCKimiaK grMt Wireer nt CplufttOW Mniwwtjf, was there. Also Rabbi Stephen S. Wise, Rev. I John Haynes Helmes, Rev. E. Moore, Charles Edward Russeii, Mary C9iurch Terrell, Bishop Aleipuider Walter^, Al bert E. PillsbMry, R, R. Wright, Archi bald H. Qrimke, Mary McLean, Leonora k O’Reilly, William A. Sincair, John E. \ Milholland, Lilian D. Wald, Frances Blas- coer, who became the NAACP’s first Ex ecutive secreteary, and ReV. C. E. Stowe, the son of Harriet Beecher Stowe. j|. William Hayes Ward, editor of the ^ Independent, presided at the opening ses- sion. There were scholarly papers 1>y such ^ authorities as Livingston Farrand, pro fessor of anthropology at Columbia Uni versity; Burt G. Wilder, neurologist of ') Cornell University; Edwin R. A. Selig- mi'Ji, professor of political economy at Columbia; Professor Dewey; and Dr, Du- boi&.” The'announcement this j'ear that the an nual iitfome of the N.\ACl’ had reached the million dollar mark is an indication of of the faith and trust the organization enjoys in spite of its enemies, ])rinci])ally in the South, where the lash of its whip is most often felt. i’'ifty yesirs from now' the work of the N.\- AC1‘ will iwobably be needed no longer. One can easily visualize an .America which has truly beconr^ a government of the people, by the people and for the people, without regard to race, creod or color. When that hour comes we trust that the race will never for get the great work done by those dedicated men and women of the NA.\CT’. RCLi^ipya r CPUQ HATRCp Johnson and the Catholic Church LETER TO EDITOR Your issue of January 24 con tained an article bji Kobert (I. Spivack, entitled "Did. Johnson Go Too Far?” and callins atten tion to the rough shod, hi!;h pressure tactics followed by Senator Lyndon .lohrtson, of Texa.s, in defeating ■ihu anti-fili buster legislation which was be fore the Senate. As the result of .Tohnsqn’s ac tions, the old rules of the Sen- .ite, existing since before the Civil War and making it possible for a Southern minority to kill any proposed legislation which the White-Supremacy of the South did not like, will contin ue to make it possible for a small handful ot bigots to kill any Civil Rights legislation by the simple expedient of drown ing it by the days or weeks or months or years if necessary, of “debate” wheih can vary all the way from quoting Shakespeare to discussing the probability that the moon is made of grefcn cheese,—anything at all to keep Ihe bill from a lin I vote. The point most to be consid ered by the Negro in this mat ter of Johnson’s great victory in maintaining the status quo as to Senate Uules, is that Lyn don Johnson is a Catholic, and this is ju.st another example of the subtle machin'tions of that church to deprive the Neiiro of his rights,—while all the time (ho Ohureh is making' a high profession of erniality for nil races. 1 suspect that Catholic Sena tor Kennedy's nice remarks a- bout Governor Luther Hodges’ being acceptable as a runnin"- mate for Kennedy in the 19(i0 presidential race, and his hav ing our Sam Ervin act as co sponsor of his anti-rackets bill, might have somethin!! to do with Kennedy’s stratagem to try to keep from losing North Car- lina’s electoral votes in I960, as did the Catholic Al Smith in 1928 when he ran for tho presi dency on the same De.mosratic ticket. Again I urge the Negro to know the true Catholic attitude toward the Uace, and not per mit himself to be used as a pawn by the Roman Catholic Church to put her men in of fice and into control of our country. Remember Spain, and Portugal, and Italy, and the South American countries, where Catholic control makes religious liberty practially nil. Sincerely yours, U. H. Miller RRM/R 1615 Acadia St. WATCH ON TilE PO lOMAC r.y KOnEliT SI’IV'ACK PRESS COMMENT Small World Of Johnson A M America ^ Washington A man’s public and private I postures are not always the same. In his public utterances Senate Democratic Leader Lyn don Johnson exudes sweet rea sonableness, conciliation and humility. At home the “LBJ” brand is imposed on every mem ber of his family. 'They ^re: Lyndon Baines Johnson' (hus band and father), Lady Bird Johnson (mother and wife), Lucy Baines Johnson (daughter, age 11); Lynda Bird Johnson (daughter, age 14) and Little Beagle Johnson (dog). Certainly a parent has the right to inflict his initi3ls on to be interested in tTie welfare of the Negro masses, was ex])osed. Now that they have succeeded in ridding the city of him they will rest in peace and be congratulated by “Mr. Charlie.” The Carolina Times hopes for Dr. Ed monds much success in his new' position as pastor of the Dixwell Avenue Congregation al Giurcb in New Haven. \Vhile he will no doubt continue to be a leJitler in th« struggle for human dignity and the rights of his j)eople, he will not find tbe harvest as great in a northern city as it is in Greensboro mid other southern cities. Dr. Ed- hibnds’ loss to the people of Greensboro will in time prove to be a great gain for the peo- l)le of New I-faven. all those who took time out to visit the neiff building during the period of its opening We believe Durham is on its w'ay to the broader concept of intcrracial goodwill. When it arrives at the point so devoutly to be wished, leaders of both races here will be compelled to look back over the, years and refer to Home Security as a pioneer in the field of better understanding l)etwoen citi zens of all groups. DAWSON STILL VOCAL Horace Daw'son. Jr., North Carolina Col lege faculty member now’ on leave from his teaching post for a year’s stitdy at Iowa Uni versity, has not permitted his changed status to dull his sensitivity to racial injustice, as his letter to the Durham HERALD of last Friday indicates. Colleges could use more like him. WHILE THE. CATS PLAY While Northhampton County residents w'ere worrying about that “pushy” Negro lawyer James R. Walker, and such things as keej)ing the Progressive Civic Union (orga nization of political!}' conscous Negroes from Northhampton and two adjoining counties) as ineffective as j>o»sible, their school st^)«r- intendent was “stealing them bKnd.” Con- vict^d of embezzling over $6,000, the Supt., L. Turner took his life before the |udge could pass sentence. any they have the right to protest. But what recourse has the pup py? Conflict of Interest? Sen. Thomas J. Dodd, the newly-elected Democrat from Connecticut, disclosed the other day that he was attorney for the Guatemalan government, af ter that country (with U. S. aid) got rid of its lefti.'t administra tion. Back in Juune, 1956 Dodd was sponsor of an amendment to the Mutual Security Act to increiise Guatemala’s portion of foreign aid from $10,(X)0,000 to $15,000, 000. That was while he was a congressman. Under the contract he held with the Guatemalans Dodd was to be paid $100,000 for a two- year period and the money was to be payable in advance. Dodd signed the contract with the Guatemalans four months after his term as a Connecticut Congressman ended. He termi nated his new agreement on Nov. 5, 1958—the day after his election to the Senate. Giving up the contract means that Dodd will lose $41,666 still due him. 0 4 The Mystifying Bfhavipr of ^'oycrner Almeiid The spectacle of a tortured man in public office is never pretty to behold. When a man of indecision becomes Governor of a great state, with a long tradi tion that goes back to the A- merican Revolution and beyond, as is now the case with Virginia, the .sight is sometimes absolute- ly shattering. J. Lindsay Almond was At torney General of Virginia be fore he became Governor. Com pared to some of the men who occupied the Executive Cham bers at Richmond, Almond was comparatively independent of the Byrd machine. He was not an outspoken independent, but he did occasionally dissociate himself from some of the ex cesses of that benighted orga nization. Eleven days before, the Vir ginia Supreme Court of Appeals —a conservative 'judicial body if there ever was one—joined the U. S. Supreme Court in strik ing down the Old Dominion’s “massive resistance” laws, the Governor met with CBS corres pondent Ed Murrow. In an interview recorded on that occasion, Almond readily conceded that if the state court knocked out the “massive resis tance” legislation certain schools in the state would bo permitted some degrco of inte gration. As Almond put it there would probably be integration in the case ot Negro students “whose rights had already been adjudicated.” Yet 24 hour.s after the state courut joined the federal court Alniond went on a statewide net work and madie an inflammatory speech that might have seemed appropriate at a Ku Klux Klan rally. In part, this is what he said: "To those of faint heart; to those whose purpose and de sign is to blend and amalgamate the white and Negro race and destroy the integrity cf boih races; to those who disclaim that they are integrationists but are working day and night to integrate our schools; to those who don’t care what happens to the children of Virginia. . . to those who defend or close their eyes to the livid stench of sad ism, sex, immorality and juve nile pregnancy infesting the mixed schools of the District of Columbia. . . to all of these and their confederates, comrades and allies, let me make it abun dantly clear for the record now and hereafter, as Governor of this state; I will not yield to that which I know to be wrong and will destroy every rational semblance of public education for thousands of the children of Virginia.” After hearing a talk of that kind, can Almond really be sur prised if some dynamiter blows up an integrated public school? The latest survey conducted by the Gallup Poll asked this question; “What man that you have heard or read about, liv ing today in any part of the world, do you adnfiife most?” Among the ten most admired by “adult” Americans is found the name of Arkansas’ Govern or Orval Faubus. Here |s y n(ian who is the foremost advocate of disrespect for the “law of the land”; the proponent of racial hatred; the man who has closed public schools with reckless dis regard for the education of children, and yet who according to the Gallup Poll, is admired most by Americans. ^ When the pebple of this na tion can admire and* set up a man like Faubus as an outstand ing American is there any won der that crime is sweeping a- cross this nation like wild fire? ‘ Something has happened to the minds and souls of the A- merican public when their sense of valueus has become so warp ed that they consider Faubus worthy of emulation. The result of the Gallup Poll is so astonishing that it is dif ficult to believe. It is sincerely hoped that there is an error in the conclusions reached by those who made the survey. For if it reflects the true attitude of the majority of Americans, this country is very sick; and unless something is done quickly to cure the undertaker will bd call ed to take over. — Detroit Tribune The NAACP... Then And Now SPIRITUAL INSIGHT By REV. IIAKOLD ROI.ANI) Prayer Must Be Devoid 01 Sell Is prayer a vain futile exer cise? This text contains a great truth for man’s spiritual aspir ations. ft declares the great spii rital truth that God hears and answers prayer. In our lack of understanding, we may pray and our prayers may not be an swered. We, In our pride and selfishness, may pray for things that may not be in keeping with the nature of things spiritually. Things we pray for may not fit into God’s divine economy. Very wfteR things we ipray for are not in l^eepiog wUh the will of God Almighty. Qmr pvai’erj may fit ia with a depraved hu-. man will but they may fall far thwt of God’s holy, loving will. Jesus s«t the keynote to real prayer as he prayed that night undej the vers shadow 0/ the cross in the Carden pf G^thse- mane; “Nat my will, but thip* be done. . ■” The wwd ol Gpd reveals a prayer-answeriog God. In this story a sincere, God-feariHS. Tightens ma« had PETfty^ ta God. It was iwrt a wavev fpr selt-aggrandvienient, glosy. His was pot « prt^yev (or $an[ie selflsh aim or purpo^ie.tOut of the sincerity o( h»s svHl. he pjayed to God f«r viR^eretand- ing, love and fellowship hU elvil^I«n- VRftP eavtli. He waits iri patienee hfypi»4 the how «f prayer. He PW«tf Ifft tbe re?.ulfe ia hands. Hfe prayed and was ready to be used by God to help an swer his own prayer. Sometimes God needs us to . help answer our own prayers. He waited in patience until God heard and answered his prayer. An angel came finally to the man qf prayer and said to him: "Ywr Sflwef has been heard. ” Gpd came power to answer his prayer. “ all need to pray to God sometimes to change us. If God change us, he can use us to help answer some prayers. chantes in our own minds, hearts and souls. Some . ttiin^, ii^ us need changing. Prayer will change things. Pray- ei: in this ' case had wrought great changed' in two - people. Fifty years ago when the Na tional Association for the Ad vancement of Colored People was conceived, the outlook for the Negro in America was black. The early demise of the race had been authoritatively pre dicted by a famous statistician. Negroes were being seeded a- long to this dismal ei>d by semi weekly lynchng parties which strung them up, shot them down, or roasted them alive. In between lynching bees, furious mobs, bent on accelerating the process of extermination, hunt ed down Negro men, women and children in the streets of Atlanta, Springfield, III, and other cities. In the South, the Negro had been shiped of his basic citi zenship rights which had been purchased in blood. He had been disfranchised and the cast restriction of slavery had been legalized throughout the region through revision of state consti tutions. The United States Su preme Court had turned its back on the Negro’s plea for enforce ment of the Fouurteenth A- tnendment to the Constitution. Neither the President nor Con gress of the United States lift ed a finger to shield him from the blows of his enemies. He was being driven from jobs which he had traditionally held and his children were being cheated of an education. Such Wat The Climate Strenuous efforts were being made to extend the southern doctrine into northern states, where the Abolitionist zeal vas beginning to wane. Segregation in education was taking hold in certain northern cities. Discriip- ination in the trade unions was widespread. Negroes were fre quently denied access to public law notwithstanding, accomodations, state civil rights Such was the climate in the nation when, on Th^ cenlennlal of the birth of Abraham Lin coln, February 12, 1909. a group of 53 white and Negro clergy men social workers, publicists, educators and philanthropists called upon “all believers in de- mocracv to join in a national conference for the discus.sion of present evils, the voicing of pro tests, and the renewal of tbe struggle for civil, and politieal liberty." The status of the Negro in A-| merica has advanced signifi cantly in the years since the Association was organized, Tbe Supreme Court, which in 1900 was the despair of the race, is now regarded as the bulwi.rk of civil rights and liberties. In stead of dying out, the race has nearly doubled in the 50 year span and now numbers 18,000 ,(X)0. The life expectancy of tho Negro has greatly increased. Progress The cultural and economic progress of the race has been nothing less than remarkable. The race has produced men and women who have achieved in ternational distinction in a wide range of activites. . . Ba se inequalities remain but, un like 1909, they are diminishing, not increasing. As the result of 50 years of fighting for freedom, the NAA CP can take pride in the role it has played in achieving the fol lowing results; Achievements Abolition of lynching, revival of Negro voting in the South, Enactment of Fair Employment (Cqittlaued On Page 8) And the changes in thesie two persons had to cme aboutu be fore God could do the wcffk. We can pray sp hard at times for God to change others when we need changipg ourselves. This ought be our pwer tp God of ten; “Lord, I want you ta do some changing ^nd I want yeu to start with me.” God ■ will answer ' righteous prayers which are in keeping with his Divine will. God heard tbe cry of Israel in the land of bondage. God answered this prayer by sending a deliverer. Our forefathers prayed long that the galling chains of slavery might be broken. And a little child was born in Kentucky and this was a part of God’s an swer to.their prayers. . .” Your^ prayer has been heard.” One thing I know; God hears and answers prayer. A God of righteousness hears and answer^ the prayers o{ his righteous sainti.