Newspapers / The Carolina Times (Durham, … / March 9, 1957, edition 1 / Page 2
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PAG^tWO^ THE CAROLINA Tnmss SATURDAY, MABCH », 1957 BMIUBIHOOD WEEK HYPOCRISY The Carolina Timac watched with unusual interest last month the antics ragaged in by many of our white citizens in North Caro lina in their attempt to celebrate Brother hood Week. A letter recently received by this newspaper from George M. Ivey, Jr., Regional Chairman of Brotherhood Week, quotes a statement ma^e by Governor Luther Hodges last year in his Brotherhood Week Proclamation, which, so far as thinking Ne groes of North Carolina are concerned, is downright mockery of the word brotherhood. Said Governor Hodges in that proclama tion: “The National Conference of Chris tians and Jews is endeavoring in an admir able manner to make brotherhood a living reality in our relations from man to man, alleviating frictions and encouraging friend ly cooperation in an educational effort to eliminate prejudice, bigotry and hatred.” Had Governor Hodges qualified the above statement by limiting it to white Christians and Jews he would have at least been within the bounds of common decency. But when he attempts to convey the idea that he is in terested in making “brotherhood, a living reality in our relations from man to man,” for all races, he becomes a joke in the fight of every thoughtful Negro citizen in this state. No man can claim real brotherhood with another when he advocates a program of segregation, which in turn means looking down one’s nose at another because of the color of his skin. No man can make such a claim when he has endorsed such a program as the diabolical Pearsall Plan. Governor Hodges’ Brotherhood Proclama tion may be alright for white Christians and Jews, but so far as the more than one million Negroes in North Carolina are concerned, it is hypocrisy of the lowest type. He deceives no one, not even the many 'tide Jewish cit izens of this state who need no proclamation or high sounding words to establish their be lief in brotherhood, s The Jewish people have put their words into action by paving the way for Negroes to get a chance in the world-of sports, thea- tel- and other fields of employment. This is more important than all the empty words of Governor Hodges’ brotherhood proclama tion. What North Carolina’s governor is do ing about brotherhood speaks so loud we can’t hear what he says about it. A. H. CORDON'S “WT HE'S FOR MODERATE AT HOME IN THE FICHT FOR CIVIL RICHTS" Dr. Gordon AHUU'S COWRIBUTION10 KOGRESS The Associated Press, usually a most re liable source for information, committed a most unkind injury to Negroes in America last week when it released to its member newspapers a feature story by one of its writers in foreign countries, Preston Grover, in which the author attempted to show that history is catching up “with the slow pace of colonialism in the world, and especially in Africa.” The article, so far as the South is concerned, is what the doctor ordered and should add considerably to the tempo of our southern white folks to further convince themselves that since time began only white was and is right. Says Mr. Grover in part in referring to the struggle for freedom and self-rule of Africans now going on ‘south or north’: Bat Africa, except for Egypt, lua nerw I^Tlded a clvUlsatloa of ite own and Us dark peoples bave been the most backward in tlie world... In Africa, werytlilnc baa to be ballt from icratch. Sncceadvely tbe PhoneelaM, the Orerts, the Bwmane, flie %faSer"2e15S5e5e, iBcUsb, Spantah and French establlahed colonies in North Africa, but the Afrleana, themaelTe*, except tor Egypt, never contrlbnted mnch... Contrast/ Africa with India and Cblna, India (or a long ttane was administered by the British, until 1947. l¥in}fifiurs (ate was o(ten determined by action o( (ore- Igners, Americans, British, Japanese, ftas- Bnt they never were anything like Africa. While they were long snbjeet to tha industrial »nd political superiority of Westam cann- triea, both had contributed their cnlture to a world which (or a long time was much poor er and more ignorant... Africa never waa like that. It does seem that with the preponderance of information and sources of information available on ancient civilization or civili- zstions of Africa that the Associated Press would not release to its member newspapers a feature story so misleading and full of un truths as that which appeared in local and other daily newspaers last Simday. In a book, the title of which is, “THE STORY OF THE NEGRO RETOLD,” written by the late Dr. Carter G. Woodson, noted historian and scholar, the author tells of the culture and civilization of Africa that pre dates any of China, India, Greece or Rome. On page 7 of that book the author says: In the lake region where the people were not supposedly far advancMl, tbe African learned flrst the use ol Iron and thns gave the world one of the greatest boons In history. Iron enabled the Atrlcans to become the greatest metal workers In the ancient world, and so stimnlated their Interest In commeree that they developed the overland trade across the Sahara and figurejl in the marketa of the Mediterranean. From the Industrial arts which the use of Iron help to promote, the early Africans developed the fine arts of painting and sculpture. By the commercial intercourse thus made possible African art Influenced that ol Greece, which waa taken up by Home and passed on to modem na tions. ^ In another book written by Dr. W. E. B DuBois, he quotes from another noted scholar and historian, Chamberlain, on “THE CON TRIBUTION OF THE NEGRO,” page 494 in which he says: It seems likely that a time when the Euro pean was still satlsded with rude stone tools, the African had Invented or adopted the art of smelting Iron. Consider for a moment what this invention has meant (or the ad vance o( the human race. As long as tha hammer, knife, saw, drill, and spade, and the hoe had to be chipped out o( stone, or had to be made o( shell we hard wood, effeetlve industrial work waa not bnynslMie, b«t ficult A great pfogress waa made wlwn copper (ound in luge naggets waa ham mered out into tools and later on shaped by melting; and when bronse waa Introduced; but the true advanoement o( industolal IKe did not begin until tbe hard iron was dis- iSbWrear^ SiettS not nnUkaly that tbe peo ple who made the marvelous discovery o( reducing Iron ores by smelting were the A(rican Negroes. Neither ancient Europe, nor ancient western Asia, nor ancient China knew iron, and everything points to its intro duction from Airlea. . At the time o( the great A(rlcan dlscoverlea toward the end ot the paat centnry, the trade of the blaek- smltha was found all over Africa, (rom north to south and from east to west. With his simple bellows and a dutrcoal fire, he re duced the ore that Is found In many parts of the continent and forged Implements of great uaefulneas and beauty. The above sources are only two of the many to be found about Africa in most any library of ordinary standing. That the Amo- ciated Press would aUow itself or one of its writers to convey the idea that Africa has contributed nothing to the advanoement of civilization appears to be part of the plan to gang up on the 16 million Negroes in this country who, like their brethem in Africa and other peoples in "Asia, are demanding human dignity for all mankind. So far as we are concerned, civilization is a relative term. What one may consider the zenith of such may be consido«d by others as total barbarianism. A century from now Americans who dropped the first atom bombs on cities in Japan, killing thousands of in nocent women and children, may be looked upon as only one step above that of gprillaa. THE CAROLINA TIMES MAIN OFFICE — 43C EAST PETTIGREW STREET Phones S-0671 and 2-291S — Durham, North Carolina Published At Durham, North Carolina Every Saturday By THE UNITED PUBLISliERS. Inc. Entered at tecond chus matter at the Post Office at Durham, North Carolina un der the Act of March 3, 1879. ^ ^ Publisher CLATHAN ROSS. Editor JESSE GRAY, Advertising Mgr. M. E. JOHNSON, Controller WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE — 364 N. CHURCH ST. — PHONE S-«M« MRS. VELMA HOPKINS, Manager 13.00 . 12.00 SUBSCEDrriON RATES One Year iTan Cents Single Copy . Six Months I4.A0 — Foreign Convtries. National Advertising Renreeentativet INTERSTATE UNITED REPRESENTATIVES, Inc. 545 Futh Avimn PHOnc MUbbat HIll - 2-54S2 New You 17, Niw Yon Facing The Issue 'PEACE AND LIBERTY" In an article published in the March, 1957 issue of The Pro gressive magazine, Dr. Fred RodeU, Professor of Law at Yale University states: "The big issues of our time are two and only two...The First is the peace of the world. The other big issue of our time is the business of saving our civil liberties right here at home.” The writer of the column agrees with this completely. The tragedy of our ‘time is that we are not trying to achieve either of these objec tives by the proper means. First, let us consider the ob jective of world peace. The nation wiiich lias tne greatest opportunity to do something constructive toward achiev ing this goal is our own coun try, the great United States of America. The responsible lea ders of our countsy are work ing hard upon the theory that world peace can be maintain ed by the United States main taining the most powerful and modern lighting force on the planet. We are spending over thirty billion dollars each year year on our armed for ces. The idea is that the only way to preserve peace is to keep so strong that no nation will dare to attack us or to endanger our security". In spite of the historical fact that all the great military powers in the history of the world from Assyria to Eng land have eventually gone down in defeat, our leaders still believe, or claim to be lieve, that military power is^ necessary Jm our “deteise” and that fywlU lava ■us.'^ because of this basic 4rror' that we have the so-called Eisenhower Doctrine fo^ the Middle East. All thoughtful people know that this policy, especially the military aspects of it, will not prevent war in that. final military show-down-in that section more likely. Such bigoted ignoramuses as the senators from Georgia, Rus sell and TaUnadge, are trying to cut out the economic aid provisions of the plan and fa voring the use of the military part. We should do just the opposite, that is, we should greatly increase our economic aid to the peoples of the Mid dle East and withdraw our military forces, etc. In that section. Asinine Policy Through economic aid, not to the rulers but directly to the peoples of the Middle East, we would Improve tbe standards of living in those sections and thereby gain the good will of the-people, and no amount of Russian mili tary power could persuade them to go communist. The only worth-while thing de monstrated in Hungary is that no amount ol military power can secure peace In a land where the people are convinced that the govern ment Is unfriendly to them. The Russians are too wise, If we are not, to explode any atom or hydrogen bombs in the Middle £Uist lor the sim ple reason that such action would destroy the oil fields leaving everybody poor—na ked and hungry—, it would “kill the goose who must lay the golden eggs.” In reference to the other great problem of the United States and the world, Qie matter ol Civil Libertiet, we are also following an asinine policy. Our civil liberties in this country are rapidly be ing destroyed by our disre gard of several amendments to our federal constitution, es- Ipeclally, the First Amend ment and the Fifth Amend ment. Edgar Hoover is trying hard to make the FBI the in strument of a police state. Hoover is a great disappoint ment. The Department of Jus tice neglects to Investigate Ku Klux Klan activities in tbe South and is too cowardly to name the WUte Cltisens Councils of the South as sub versive organisations. More snd more, it becomes clear that President Elsenhower is either prejudiced against N!- groea or dmply too cowardly (continued on jitago 7) PLANS Spiritual Insight "SPECKS AND LOGS" - By REVEREND HAROU> ROLAND Pastor, Mount Gilead Bnptiat Clnire& "Whv do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye..." Luke 6:41. Why are human beings so blind when it comes to their own faults? We have diffi culty seeing our own sins and faults. Here we have one of the tragic weaknesses of men. Yes, it is so easy for us to re cognize the faults, imperfec tions, errors and sins of others. It Is hard tor us to take an honeat look at NUM BER ONE. We just want to feel that we are angelic. And we want to feel that others are the very embodiment of deamonic powers. We have at our very finger tips the low ;hess and we take such sweA delight in analy zing the sins of others. We put on magnifying glasses to be hold the misdeeds of others. “Why do you see the speck that is in your brother’s eye?” And yet you are sO reluctant to look Inwardly at the...“The Log That Is Your Own Eye...” Let us guard against the very human temptation of magnifying the specks in the eyes of others. Let us use the big glass on ourselves. Wis dom demands that you take an honest sincere look at yourself. In the final analysis we have a big Job keeping Straight seye NUMBER ONE STRAIGHT. It takes all the time we have with the help ot God to keep ourselves in the straight and narrow path. Let us ask God to keep us from ^hla sweet/ delightful temptation of find ing fault in others. Let’s be honest for many of us are guilty of this sin. It is an ug ly, annoying sin. It is unbe coming a Christian. Let us try to^take of the logs in our own eyes and most of us want have any time left to worry about the specks in our own brother’s eye. Yes, folks, let’s put a UtUe more time on the Logs In Our Own Eyes. There is an old human trick of playing up the faults of-others to divert the attention of people from our own faults. Are you guilty of this kind of ignoble, unchris tian action? Let us be fair and honest with ourselves and with God. You can fool men for awhile. You can never fool God. The Psalmist was honest and looked at the Log in his own eye...“Against thee have I sinned...create in me a clean heart...” He right ly asks God to help him clear away the spiritual Log Jam In His Own SouL A look in your own aoul is essential to splritikl growth. You must see and with God’s help correct your own faults before you can grow spiri tually. Let us have a personal spiritual housedeaning. Yes, ^e need inner spiritual heal ing and cleansing. The accu mulated rubbish needs to be cleared from our own souls. When we have been honest »With ourselves, > we can achi eve a much ndleded personal spiritual house’^cleaning. We are ready, then;i in love and understanding to help our brother clear thO Specks Out Of His Eyes. By Robert Sgdwtck Watch on the Potomac BIr. Spivack THE BEDFELLOWS Politics, we are told, makes strange-bedfellows. Middle Eastern politics, it seems, makes the strangest of all. To begin with the United States and Soviet Russia found themselves lined up last Fall against France, Great Britain and Israel. Now we have Sen Hubert Hum phrey, the Minnesota Demo crat, and William Knowland, the CalifH7iia Republican, Joining together against pun ishment for the Israelis. While this is an odd coalition (It also includes Lyndon Johnson of Texas) it i» no more bizarre than the situ ation in the Middle East it- sell The point of it all would seem to- be that some U.S. politicians for their own per sonal reasons and motives tliink the State Dept’s mis- h»nHng of lOid-eastem af fairs will pey off in votes in 1»58 or liKIO. That is not to say that much of the criticism is unmerited. As Adlai Stevenson comment ed in San Francisco, Secre tary Dulles has gone from “brink to brink’’ and “blun der to blunder.” Now the time for an accounting has arrived. It seems to me, thougli, that there is even greater signifi cance in the increasingly sharp debates between The White House and Capitol HilL It is the sudden realization by tlie legislators that the President's influence is di minishing. The simple fact is that a President who caimot seek re-election himself Just can- jnot exert the power his pre decessors used to wield. He has very little to hold over the heads of the legislators or very littie to offer them. In consequence some Sena tors who were mute for those four years during which the foreign crisis crept up on us are now issuing forceful de clarations of Independence. There is some irony in the position in which the Presi dent now finds himself. The Republicans who pushed through the 22nd Amendment apparently thought Franklin D. Roosevelt would live for ever and they were dietermin- ed to reduce his influence. Now Dwight D. Eisenhower finds himself the principal victim of this grand strategy. POSTCRtPT The President must rely more tlian ever, for what in fluence he is able to exert, on the force of public opinion. Here, too, tiie political line the Administration handed out before election dajrs has returned to plague them. All those tranquillizers about the crlsU at Suez being “beliind us”'and Dulles’ assurances that the Allies were more closely allied than ever seem to have deadened public in terest in foreign affairs. Result: the public roQKnae to the President’s televised plea for backing of the Ad ministration position on Is rael brought only a lukewarm response and, by White House mailroom standards, a fairly small one. It Pays To Be Intelligent Remember that old TV show about how “it pays to be igno rant”? Charles Van Doren has pretty effectively spiked tlut one. But Van Doren is liaving some problems of the sort 1 imgaine all of us would like to have. The quiz whiz stands to save more than $13,000 in taxes if he can report his winnings on . the “21” show over two years, instead of one. Of tbe $143,- 000 was won in 1956. Speaking of Van Doren we pass on the following letter from Mrs. Nancy M. Brown of Cape Elizabeth, Me. to the Editors of Time— “Dear Shr: “If Van Doren makes the right choice about his future in relation to his- many TV offers, he might be able to convince some of us TV viewers that the acquisition of knowledge is a more re warding and meaningful ex perience than 1q>ftiding 00 per cent of our leisure time on our fat fannies being enter tained by a large order of nothingness.*' “^InMmtal InUUigence We always thought ot the British as a somber, tiirifty AN OPEN LETTER Editor’s Note: Following is the first portion of on open letter to Baptists from W. H. Jernagln, president of the Na tional Sunday School and BTU Congress. To the Baptist Constituency ol the National Baptist Conven tion, toe.: ■* I am probably the oldest ac tive living member of the con vention and' I believe I am ur ged by the Holy Spirit to offer some advice with love to all and with no ill toward anyone. In accordance with our con stitution, a new leader will be selected in Louisville, Ken tucky, in September and be cause of the existing situation of our convention much prayer is needed. Having sat tlu'ough the convention in Denver, Colorado last September and witnessed the mid-winter board meeting in Hot Springs this year, 1 re gret to note that there is more dissatisfaction among the lead ers of the National Convention than I have ever known in its iiistory. , I joined the National Baptist Convention in September 1899, and have been a loyal, active member ever since, having missed only one session, When I was on the high sea in 1921. 1 have supported every board in oiir convention, and cooperated with every president selected by the convention.. As Baptists, we face the greatest crisis in our history; and because of that fact, the greatest need of the entire de nomination is Peace and real cooperation generated by a man chosen of God to lead us out of a crisis such as we have never faced before. All leaders know that there . can be no successful program put over, in church or conven tion, with the majority of the leaders dissatisfied. With the spirit which we all know now exists in our ranks, the cause of Christ is suffering. The cause must be our greatest concern as it is always greater than any one person. When Christ left the earth. He bequeathed Peace ^ • to His church when He said: “PEACE I LEAVE WITH YOU, MY PEACE 1 GIVE UNTO YOU: NOT AS THE WORLD GIVETH, GIVE I UNTO YOU.” We, Baptists, do not have that peace now, though Christ is ex pecting the program .of His church' to be carried" on by “His believers who are at peace with one another. Some men have the idea that they cannot be useful unless they are in the leaderslilp of an organization, but that is not true. We have illustrations in the political world which prove such is not true. President Hoover was not re-elected as President of the United States in 1982, but was so interested in the welfare of his country that he made himself available to serye anywhere he could make a contribution for its betterment. Reward for that fine spirit is that, since that time, every President has found it wise to use him and he has made a great contribution, not only to his own country, but to ward world peace. He has ser ved willingly and is still ser- vi^. Just the other day, with all the differences which seem to exist between the former Presi dent and the present Presideut, Mr. Eisenhower found a place for former President Tnunan where he could make a contri bution toward the peace of the world and asked him to serve. If this is being demonstrated in the t>olitieal world, it should be stiown to a much greater extent for the peace, harmony and welfare of our denomination. The fact of the matter Is that all national or Internationa de nominations or Christian orga nizations are inviting into Christian fellowship and co operation outstanding leaders who have made valuable con tributions in the promotion of programs and projects to which these denominations have given great devotion. folk. But we’ve just learned that they wagered $1.2 bil lions last year on grej^otmd racing, the ponies and foot ball pools. The Tory govern ment thought so much of tbe nation’s gambling Instincts thesr’ve decided to start a na tional lottery. The first weeks, though, have been a huge flop for the lottery. Seems when Britons want to throw their money away they want to throw It away—not bdp l>ail out tbnir government.
The Carolina Times (Durham, N.C.)
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March 9, 1957, edition 1
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