North Carolina Newspapers

PAGE TWO THE CAROLINA TIMES SATURDAY, APRIL 13, lfS7 LEADERSHIP Al IK WOKSI A. H. GORDON'S When ministers of the gospel are so un mindful of their own professional dignity and that* of all humanity as to accept segregated accommodations in a theater to witness, of all things, a preview of a Bible picture, we think it is time for all Christians to kneel in prayer. • ^ I'w'o weeks ago, Durham witnessed the sorry spectacle of several of its Negro min isters entering the back door of a local thea ter and sitting in the segregated “Buzzard Roost” in response to an invitation extended them by its manager. This, mind you, while their fellow white ministers were accorded all of the respect that becomes gentlemen of the cloth and seated on the lower floor. We have no criticism for the management of the theater. People in such professions usually adapt themselves very quickly to the customs of the community in which they op erate and those that mean the most in re ceipts at the box office. We do have a kind of sympathetic contempt, however, for any human being, to say nothing of ministers oi the gospel who can listen to or read about the life of Christ and remain so unmindful of the human dignity He taught as to willingly ex pose himself to self-imposed segregation of any sort. Such a minister does not merit the support and respect of any church, and He should be denied the right to preach the gos pel anywhere on this earth where pure Christianity is taught. It may be argued—and we have listened to this one many times—that, as members of a minority seeking full freedom, we should be the last to deny any freedom to members of our own group. And, following this line of logic, we should not deny to any Negro the freedom to elect segregation for himmlf ihis argument appears plausible. But wtien it is pursued a step beneatu its surface, its iaisity is rveaied. it is plain that one can not enjoy the freedom from poor health un less he denies to hunself certam cravings to - lead a licentious, riotous life. It is a law of nature. Une must enslave certain desires if tie would actiieve larger and more meaning- tui ones, or, in plain words, you can’t have your caHe and eat it too. Down in Montgomery and Birmingham, Alabama; Atlanta, Georgia and other places in the deep fSouth, Negro ministers have ' tneir rignuul place in tbe forefront of the struggle lor tHe rights and Ireedom of their peupie. Many of tnem have gone to jail, had uieir numes and churches bombed and other- wu>e placed tHeir lives and property on tHe aiuur as a living sacrifice to tne cause ot cnrisuamty and Democracy. Those min isters in Durha^ wh^accepted the invitation to tne segregate tiieater deiiberately stab bed itieir leiiow ministers ot ttie deep Soutn m the bade wben they retused to deny tnem- ■ selves even the sacrifice of witnessing a mo tion picture under such circumstances. This newspaper will not let sucti an affront to otner Negro ministers pass without ex pressing for them their and our disgust. We are thaniaul to those stalwart gentlemen of the cloth who politely told the theater man ager that they could not under any circum stances accept his jim crow accommodations. This is Christian leadership at its best. To teach any man or woman by word, deed, or actions that he or she has the right to insult another because of race, creed or color, is leadership as its worst. THE PRAYER PILGRIMAGE 10 WASHINGrON The Prayer Pilgrimage for Freedom, scheduled to take place on May 17 in Wash ington, D. C., should receive the full support of every Negro citizen in America. That the organizers have set the number of persons expected to journey to the nation’s capital on the appointed day at the modest figure of 50,000, we hope, is due to the housing prob lem a larger number will create rather than the fear such could not be properly organized in the short time between now and May 17. This is no time to ask questions or to de^ bate the advisability or wisdom of the Pray er Pilgrimage. The reputation of the three leaders of the movement—the Rev. Martin Luther King, A. Phillip Randolph and Roy Wilkins—are well-known to every Negro of !ie TTABOXUnrTiMU Wishes to place its endorsement on the movement now under way by the employment agency of St. Mark AME Zion duiroh lb oj^rT up new areas oT employment for Negroes of the city. A similar project was begun several months ago by the Committee on Negro Affairs, but, for one reason or another, it never got off the ground, although the number of Negroes unemployed here continues on the increase. With the closing of schools in June, hun dreds of high school and college students will be pounding the sidewalks in a majority of our cities in search of some kind of employment. In many instances they will find the doors closed in their faces for no other reason than that they are Negroes. Many who get employment will be compelled to take the most menial jobs where the pay is in the lowest bracket. In a majority of our cities, stores and many other businesses are eager to grab every dol- average intelligence in America. That they have the confidence and respect of others of their race must be shown by the presence of 50,000 Negroes in Washington on May 17. The challenge is that of every- individual identified with the race, and it must be met. This newspaper calls upon every lodge of every fraternity to send one or more repre sentatives to Washington on the day agreed. We call upon every church, club, business and individual to do likevnse. Go to Wash ington on May 17 by bus, auto, plane, train, foot or bicycle, but go. We must impress up on the President and congress that 17 milli^n Negroes in this country are tired of being kicked around, and that they want the na tion^ government to do something about it lar a Negro has to spend without ever giv ing consideration to extending members of the race an opportunity for employment. Jobs in the city, county and state offices, even, are closed to them. With the exception of janitorial jobs, all others are manned en' tirely by white personnels, although the money for their maintenance comes out of the pockets of all the people. We think the people behing the idea of the Zion Church should be commended for tak' ing the lead in a movement that has been allowed to drag entirely too long. It is our sincere hope that the agency will have the support and cooperation of every right-think ing citizen in Durham to the end that new avenues of employment will be opened for Negroes which, in turn, will make it possible for them to more fully shoulder their part of the tax and other civil responsibilities. Dr. Gordon HAVE YOU REGISTERED YET? Saturday will be the last day the books will be opened for the City Council election to be held in Durham on May 18. In spite of efforts on the part of Negro leaders here there are still many members of the race who have failed to register. We think this matter is important enough for our civic minded citizens to do something about it by using their influence to get those persons registered whose names are not yet on the books. If 100 persons will call 10 others each, between now and the closing of the books at sunset on April 20, a total of 1,000 new names may be placed on the books. If 100 more will agree to knock on 10 doors and urge unregistered persons to register another 1,000 new registrants may be real ized. If 100 persons with automobiles will volunteer to haul 10 persons each, without pay, to the registration books another 1,000 new registrants may be realized. The result of this combined effort will mean 3,000 new registered Negro voters. This will put the total in the city and county well over the 12,000 mark and continue Durham in the forefront of the cities having the highest per capita of Negro registrants. MAIN OFFICE — 431 EAST PETTIGREW STREET Phones '5-0671 aad 2-291S — Darham, North Carolina Published At Durham, North CaroUtM Every Satiifday By THE UNITED PUBLISHERS. Inc. Entered as second ckus matter at the Post Ofjice at Durham, North Carolina un der the Act of March 3, 1879. ^ L. E. AUSTIN, Pii^liMhm- CLATHAN ROSS, Editor JESSE GRAY, AdvertiHng Mtr. M. E. JOHNSON, Controller WINSTON-SALEM OFFICE — M4 N. CHURCH ST, — PHONE 5-«Mf MRS. VELMA HOPKINS, Manager M.eo . SUBSCRIPTION RATES Om Tear Ten Cents Siagie Copy _ Six MMths $i.M — Forclca CmuMm. , Facing The Issue SOUTHERN EASTER Our South is In desperate need of Eaiter. Alai! there is very little, tragically little, of the true E^ter ipirit abroad in the land below the Mason and Dixon Line. On Eaiter morning we are told that Jeiui Chriit "arose from the dead.” Although some Christ tlan denominations Insist on emphasizing otherwise, the significant Christ who aroie froip the dead was not the phyiical Jeius of Nazareath but it was rather the spiritual Son of God or ai he seeming ly preferred to call himself, the Son of Man. In my own personal theology it matters very little whether the physii- cal body of Christ arose or not. It may be true, as some of His enemies claim, that his disciples stole his body away, but there can be no doubt that Christ rose from the dead in a spiritual sense. Two thou sand years of A.D. history of fer irrefutable proof that 'the spirit of the lowly Nazarene is abroad in the land. But what about the spirit of Jesus in the South. One who strives to be realistically candid must admit that in certain areas of our spiritual life the spirit of Jesus is con- splclous for its absence. In the are^ the South. Befor^ Jesus Christ experienced Easter he had to accept the "bitter cup” of crucifixion. The hand of Providence offered the South the “bitter cu?* of cruci- fixion in the form of Civil War. The ‘‘Old South”, the South of Slavery and politi cal demagogery, was Indeed nailed to this cross of brutal war for several years but it managed to descend from that cross without losing Its life. Since the old South didn’t die there can be no resurrection, no Easter, for the South. At least the Easter of the South is a poor and shabby one, only physical. Many years ago the great Norwegian dramatist and poet, Henrik Ibsen, wrote a profound play called “When We Dead Awake.” Ibsen, made the point that there were many people walking about In the society of his day who were physically alive- eating, breathing—sleeping— but spiritually they w^re-“as dead as door-nalls.” Most of the white leaders of the South, leaders in politics, re ligion and social service are dead to modem ideas and practices ot democracy. White Christians, especially In the South, emphasize the physical resurrection of the body of Christ, which may or may not be true, but they ignore the living spirit of Him who said “love one another as I have love4 you.” Someday the Sooth may have a real Easter. Until that day, which we hope Is not too far away. It must l>e said of the South as the poet said of MudviUe af ter Casey had struck out: “Somewhere the tun is shin ing, somewhere there ii peace and Joy" but here in the South "all is dark and gloomy” because the South ern Easter represents such a shabby little resurrection since most of the sins of the Seatk -iMve .y«t--beee- cmeUled. Here in the South, on Easter morning the sun will doubt less shine brilliantly, the flowers will blossom glorious ly, the trees wlU continue to bud vigorously but this Is all_ physical and we shall look largely in vain for the spiri tual Christ to permeate the hearts .of those who occupy the “seats of the mUhty." O, for a real Eiwter in our dear SouthlaodI BECAUSE OF CALVARY AND MEN WILL ODk(E PBOU EAST AND WKX AND FROM NORTH AMD 50UTH, AND AT TABLE IN THE k:iN6D0W OF SOD AND BEHOLD,5QWE are LA5T who will BE FIMT, AND 40ME A^2E F1|«T WHO WILL BE LAST* /3.\Z9.30) Spiritual Insight “CRUCIFIED, RISEN SAVIOR” Bj BKVKBSW HABOLD BOLAMD Pastor, Moant Ollead Baptist Chnrcli "Crucified, Risen Savior” “And they crucified him.. He is risen, he Is not here...Mark 15;25;16:6. Christ was crufifled on Cal vary’s cross. This life of su preme goodness could not end on a cross. A good man never dies. But why must Christ, the noblest embodiment of God’s matchless love, suffer and die on the cross? This is the price of our Redemption from sin. We in sin. Tffis. A world in Its insane, warped thinking thought it had rid it self of this disturber of its false peace and complacency. Think God the crucifixion was not the end. A life so "lull of the'loveli- ness of HOLINESS COULD NOT SO END. There was a glo rious triumph for the HOLY SON OF GOD beyond Calvary and its cross. Just a crucified Savior was not enough. Jesus was to become a Crucified, Risen Savior. Beyond the darkness of Good Friday there was to be the bright dawn of the first Easter morning. The Risen Christ with the hope of immortal life was to become the foundation stone of the Church. God gives the Holy Son victory beyond dark Cal vary. Beyond Calvary there is the Risen Christ In the eternal glory of the Easter Morning. The Crucified Christ comes forth with the first Easter Greetings..."! AM" HE THAT WAS DEAD BUT I AM ALIVE FOREVERMORE...” We. too, thank God have this same bless- ed criiaei- a»^ -death there is the blessed hope of immortal life in the once crucified and RISEN CHRIST. Good Friday and Easter gives us the hope of a joyous victory iver aH ouf enemies—SIN AKD DEATH. The Cross is the crowning agony of the darkness of PAS SION WEEK. At Calvary we see the intense drama of sin and righteousness. Evil asserts it self. And evil and sin go down finally to defeat. God’s eternal moral nature guarantees the victory for ri^teousness. An unholy combination arrays it self against Christ, the Holy Son of God on Calvary. These unholy powers Would defeat God’s eternal purposes. Not so, it will never happen. Pride and sin did its dirty work but they failed. Yes, Jesus is nailed to the cross—he is crucified. On the third day morning the tomb is empty. Jesus has arisen from the dead to LEAD THE FIRST ElABTER PARADE as the risen and everlasting Christ. Just three dajns beyond dark ce^4hat '%e)Ki«i-y«yjvaiv>fT~‘tffer8 is the dawn of the LIGHT OF ETEIRNAL I#1FE. On the first Easter morning Jesus stands as the mighty con queror of death, the fearful enemy of the human family The tomb is empty. Jesus la Risen. Behold him standing above the grave with the glo rious victory over DEATH ANIX THE GRAVE. GOOD FRIDAY HE DIES ON THE CROSS TO REDEEM FROM SIN. Easter morning he arose with our cherished hope of EVERLAST ING LIFE. And now he lives and reigna as the CRUCIFIED, RISEN SA VIOR. By Robert Spivack Watch on the Potomac Mr. Spivack The Probe The Bankers Didn’t Want It’s not very often that Speaks er Sam Rayburn steps down from the rostrum to engage in the House debate. He did so re cently in protest agaiiist the ac tivities of the Big Bankers' Lobby that has been having things pretty much its own way here In the Capitol. At issue was a resolution by Hep. Wright Patman (D. Tex.) to investigate the effects of the EUsenhower’s "tight money” policy and the restrictive eff^ it has on housing, schools, small business and agriculture. '...Many of the members have spoken to,” said Rayburn, “...have said;‘I have beard from all my bankers. They are all against this thing.” toqgreasmeew*- - -Uke' ' "finany other people, are probably mortgaged to the hilt and must listen carefully to what local bankers say. But, as one pro ponent of the Patman resolution said plaintively, "We haven’t mortgaged our souls—or have we?” • The plain and simple fact, of course. Is that the Big Bankers don’t want Congress to look Into their financial operations. The White House doesn’t vnuit any one to probe too deeply, either, ^St the Me of banker ii^uenc* in the Administration be docu mented. Rep. Reuss (D. Wls.) said during the debate: “The White House is displayn Ing about as much enthusiasm as having Congress investigate its financial affairs as Beck and Hoffa (of the Teamsters Union) are displaying about tiavlng Congress - investigate their fi nancial affairs. The man who carried the ball for the Administration was Rep. Howard Smith, a Virginia Democrat, and incidentally' president of the Alexandria (Va.) National Bank. According to WaU St. insiders. The White House worked closely with Smith and kept the resolution tied up in the Rules Committee until all but two Republicans In the House were lined up against It. Despite a plea by Rayburn the measure faUed by a vote of 220 to 174. ••••• Hie “Oreat” Debate With all the trouble in the Middle East and all the squab- guess what’s raising blood pres- bling over President Elsenhow er’s budget, you might , never sure in .the Senate these days. It's a behind-the-scenes argu ment over naming the five greatest Senaton of all time to a "Senate Hall ^ Fame.” Hm dispute ia gettlns ratiisr impassioned with some parti sans insisting that the North hasn’t produced any “great'' senators, while others insist most of those from the South have borne a strong resem blance to Fred Allen’s famous "Senator Claghom.” The names most frequently suggested are: Henry Clay Daniel Webster John C. Calhoun Andrew Jackson Stephen A. Douglaa Robert A. Taft Since word of the dispute haa gotten out there Has been great upsurge in sentiment tor the late Sen. George W. Norrla of Nebraska—father of TVA and the great power develop ments In the Northwest. A special committee has been named to make the decision. Its members are Sens. Kennedy (D. Mass.), Mike Mansfield (D Mont.)( Russell (D.Ga.,) Brid ges (R. N. H.) and Bricker (R Ohio). Maybe they’ll ‘conq>ro- mise’ and name themselves. ••••• A DEFINITICN OP “STATES RIGHTS”—"I understand that is the right to get what you when you can get it”—^Harold L. Ickea, during hearingi cm 'Hdelands Oil dispute. Disintegration Of A Comnninity Editors Note: This is the second and final installment in a series a story reeonnt- Ing the attempts to desegre gate schools at Clinton, Tenn Mi*. Clark, the writer, is pre sently director of workshops' at the EUghlander Polk School In Monteagle, Tenn. SHe was forced to quit the public schools because of her out spoken advocacy ot ftdl citl- senshlp for Negroes. The state eased the Guard from Clinton > as quickly as possible for fear of losing the Support of white supremacists and promptly brought Kasper to trial. And all the time Negro and white children went to school together with no apparent strain on either side. The state was unable to prove sedition on the paj;t of Kasper despite his many pub lic, printed utterances to the contrary. Kasper went free on the state charge and the house of the community be gan to shift on its foundation of sand. The White Citizens Council promptly rented a building in town and started to re cruit members. A junior coun cil was formed for the school children because despite the raging controversy among the adults, black and white child ren continued to leam toge ther. Judge Taylor issued a per manent injunction against those who would Interfere with the desegregation order. The inability of the state to cpnvict Kasper set the jackals to howllhj; for more. White students prodded by their parents began their campaign of torment against the Negroes. Cruel and ugly jokes were played on the Ne groes by white children who once had accepted the law. The malicious campaign continued for some time, im- molested by white authority, until it was no longer safe for Negro students to run the gauntlet of stones and vilifi cation. A local minister, the Rev. Paul Turner, unable to reconJ cile his religion and this breakdown of the law, stepped forward to help the Negro students through the ever growing mob. Police officials who bad failed to protect the Negro students neglected to aid thia one man yigUante and he was soundly beaten by the mob. Law and order bad disap peared ' from Clinton, Tenn. Local and state officials, staunch defenders of states’ rights^ bleaded for iederal help, unable or unwUling to defend the people of Clinton, Negro or white. The F.B.I. swooped in and headlines screamed that six teen of the leaders of Clinton violence were under arrest. The well known assailant of the Rev. Turner was also un der arrest by local officials. The charge, disorderly con duct. The attacker was promptly convicted and the local judge proudly proclaim ed the maximum sentence, a $50 fine. Sixteen citizens of the Clin ton area remained In jail for brief periods while ball was raised against the charge of^ violating the Federal Court injunction against Interfering with the Federal Court order to integrate the schools. Things were quiet in Clinton for several days with the F.B.I. In town’and the school board adopting strict mea- siures against students who participated in disorderly school conduct. Then the federal government gave hope to the pack by ask ing for a delay In the anxious ly awaited trial that promised jail for -the leaders of vio lence. Dynamite, a well known ob ject to rugged mountain tlm- bermen and miners, began 'exploding with regularity. Local officials were unable to find any clues, finally pinning the blame on a group of juve niles. The blasts continued. A supposedly responsible state legislature egged the ..vandals on by denouncing the Supreme Court In an ill ad vised resolution. The governor sided with the lawless when he asked the 1^ glslature to pass segregation legislation. Eight blasts have t>een re ported, residents of the area claim an explosion nearly every evening. The Rev. Paul Turner and others observed a marked in crease in crime In the area, burglary and other types of crime were apparently oo the Increase. Lawlessneas knows no color line. A Negro student unable to get protection frou| usual law enforcement isMariea waa p«>v^^'’toj|^P^rt ot de-