In 1*17, unde? a directive from Presi
dent Woodrow Wilson, the United States
entered WWI. Several years before,
rumors had cfarcuiated in the black com
munity that blacks Would be oHpiinafrd
ktotp serving in the armed farces. But tfao
NAAO> board hod already pcptfeosd for
additional units to be opened ter the
en stment at blacks. In addition, the
tlo rd promised that the Association
*<fdd take every conceivable Wap to
pr real dttettmination in the Ahmy.
Although (he NAACP scored a major
«<foryb|r securiag a training camp for
Mack officers, prejudicial treatment and
Jim Grow laws followed these cour
■gdous black patriots throughout the
Meanwhile, back in die states, the
Association Seared another legal victory
riien the Supreme Court, on November
L5, 1817, ruled that local ordinances
•egregating blacks into residential dis
tricts were unconstitutional. The
MAACP’s power in the courtroom, how
nrer, could not harness urban violence
tgsinst blacks. On July 2 of that year a
race riot broke out in East St. Louis.
hundreds of blacks
aUve in their homes;
left hnmriwri The NAACP
a hmd la raise money for the
28, lad 8 “silent
blacks
were lynched in the South for
wearing a uniform. The NAACP
John Shillady, its newly-elected execu
tive secretary and his assistant Walter
White to Texas to investigate NAACP
branch harrassment by the state govern
ment. Shillady was subsequently at
tacked and savagely beaten. He never
fully recovered physically and pnyrho
logically, and subskjuently resigned he
secretary. The NAACP labelled this
period “The Red Summer of lMt”
because of the rampant violence agntwa*
blacks in cities across the nation.
Now ten years old, the Association had
survived one of its mo6t difficult chal
lenges and morale was at an all-time
high. The conference held that year in
Cleveland was the largest and longest to
date. Membership had exceeded 56,000
and there were 220 branches nation
wide. The Crisis magazine reached a
record circulation of 100,000. A more
aggressive approach in the Tight against
lynching was established in the form at
an anti-lynching bill which would be
presented to Congress by Rep. Leonidas
Dyer. But most importantly, the NAACP
took on a new look. The Association that
was established by whites 10 years ago
was now being organized around the
country by blacks.
. Tony Brown's Journal" TV series can
be seen an public television Sunday, an
WTVI, Channel 42, at S p.m. It can also he
seen an WUNG, Channel 58, Sunday at
4:36 p.m. Please consalt listings.
-.a. -- —— . _
Had Any Fender Benders Lately #4
If m. Me tfce 1
231C Beatties FardlU*
Drive la Teday
AH warfc gaaraateed
jfhne Katfanatas
/CoU For Freedom
1 “Hie Longest Struggle”
By Tony Brown
Special To The Post
[ “All Niggers Are Want
V.ed Out Of Town By Mon
' day, 12 p.m. Sharp," read
the sign at the railway
station just outside of
Springfield, D., Abraham
Lincoln’s hometown, in Au
gust, 1MM. The tragic
•vents In America ignited a
fury among a group of
whites and Macks sworn to
~t put an end to racial in
•• justice.
The second episode of
"The Longest Struggle,’’ a
Black History Month docu
drama ea “Tony Brown’s
"v Journal,’’ follows the cre
l: ation of the NAACP and its
Struggle In survive in the
li lace of violent adversity,
ft the rare fearlessness that
jt characterized the Associa
jf- Lion’s founders is brought
M 4b life through dramatic re
enactments on Part II,
“The Call.”
- • Seen on the nation’s pu
-----
—
blic television stations
(PBS), “Tony Brown’s
•Journal” is America’s
longest-nmning and top
rahked Black-Affaire tele
vision series ft has been
sponsored by -Pepei-Cola
Company for nine consecu
tive years, ft frill be seen in
this area on WtVI, Chan
nel 42, at S pjaa. on Sunday,
February 12.
' ‘We nailed ore banner to
the mast,” said Mary
White Ovingtan, a white
ex-social worker and the
first member of the
NAACP. Ovingtan; along
with 59 other M«ck and
White Americans, issued a
"call” Tor a conference on
the status of blaejS^ttrthe
WQth anniversary of Lin
coin’s ktrthday-.-.; / .
Hoy White Oftkyton’s
dedication to w 4>lack
cause and her eSttts Jbo
stop lynchings are skillful
ly interpreted by -actress
Terria Joseph: ul- can
think of no more nauseat
ing work for a kindly set of
people than this task of
setting forth brutality. Wo
felt that it was the only way- 'J
to end a method of com- 'Ti
munity life In which a'?
dark-skinned group was ‘v
denied economic opportun
ity, and a full cultural life,
while another group, the
poor whites, also ill-educa- -r.
ted, penniless, were en-. ",
couraged to consider them- -
selves inherently superior <4
to the blacks because 'n
their own skin was white.”
Standing ah the tnost pro- ^
minent black figure in tbe'jtt
history of the Association, j
was one of UsTouhders, Df^'2
W.E.B. DuBeis, also foun-^5
ding editor at-. Sfce Crisis ^
i
gives insight into the great ;v
intedectual’s personality. j
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