THE VOICE
A NEGRO WEEKLY
“Dedicated to the promotion of
the cultural, social and spiritual
life of a great people”
Rev. Melvin L. Shakeep**re
Publisher and Owner
Business Address
2225 S Street Phone 5-6491
If no answer call 5-7508
Rubie W. Shakespeare
Advertising & Business Manager
Mrs. Joe Green
Circulation Mgr.
Member of the Assoc. Negro Pres*
Subscription rate $2.00 per year
10c per copy
Entered as Second Class Matter.
June 9, 1947 at the Post Office at
Lincoln, Nebraska under the Act
of March 3, 1879.
Does The Negro Find Justice In
The Courts Of The United States?
by Joseph W. Adams
The courts of “The United
States” care a great deal for the
minority races on paper ,but their
enforcement of it is a weakened
effort. As we can see from the
news about us the man on the
bench cannot enforce the laws.
He sees misjustice carried on in
his courts every day by the law
enforcement oficers and by the
juries which he has to use and
yet he does not have the power
to stop it.
We the people can do a lot by
using our power of voting to
choose the right kind of an offi
cer to uphold the statutes of our
courts. It is the people who are
the juries and they prosecute
their fellowmen. Why is it that
we have to see these deplorable
manifestations of racial discrimi
nation at home. They are ex
ploded to the people in Europe
when you travel abroad. Why
is it that you want to give justice
to these people in Europe and of
the world with your misjustice
at home.
Do you think that you can get
harmony in the world court of
the U.N. when you cannot get it
in your own state courts for your
own people.
... —A Veteran of World War II
-o
HOW LONG
“Go break to the needy sweet
charity’s bread,
For giving is living,” the angel
said.
“And must I keep giving again
and again?”
My peevish and selfish answer
ran.
“Oh, no!” said the angel, piercing
me through.
“Just give till the Master stops
giving to you!”
—Edwin Markham
Dark Merii
by
Kathryne
Favors
I
The Free Negro during slavery
It is interesting to note that
during slavery there were many,
many £ree Negroes. Some were
freed for loyal service by their
masters, and some worked and
saved their earnings and bought
their freedom.
There were many wealthy Ne
groes who were free during slav
ery. Jehu Jones was the proprie
tor of dne of the most popular
hotels in Charleston and owner
of forty thousand dollars’ worth
of property. Thorny Lafon in
New Orleans accumulated real
estate to the amount of almost
one half million dollars. In New
Orleans also was a woman who
owned a tavern and several slaves
Carter G. Woodson says, “A Ne
gro in St. Paul’s Parish, South
Carolina, was said to have two
hundred slaves, and a white wife
and son-in-law, in 1857. In 1833
Soloman Humphries, a free Negro
well known by men of all classes
in Macon. Georgia, kept a grocery
store there and had more credit
than any other merchant in town.
He had acumulated about twenty
thousand dollars’ worth of proper
ty, including a number of slaves.
Cyprian Ricard bought an estate
in Iberville Parish, with ninety
one slaves, for about $225,000.
Marie Metoyer, of Natchitoches
Parish, possessed fifty slaves and
an estate of more than 2,000 acres.
Charles Rogues of the same com
munity left in 1848, leaving a Ne
gro wife and children possessed
of 4,500 arpents of land, eighty
nine slaves and personal property
worth $46,000.”
All free Negroes, of course,
were not as wealthy as these.
Many of the Negroes, especially
in the south, were mechanics. In
the south, there were more favor
able conditions for the Negro
mechanics. By some, the Negroes
in the early nineteenth century
were ranked by many as econom
ically and intellectually superior
to any other group of such per
sons in the United States.
We might wonder about the
situation in the North. The slave
found it very difficult. There
was just as much prejudice in the
North as there was in the South
towards the free Negro. This
feeling still exists today to a cer
tain extent in the North. Some
states in the North, as one would
expect are not as prejudiced as
others. In California, I have no
ted, that all races may be seen
walking down the street and
chatting with one another.
Mary Beihune Literary and
Art Club Meets
The regular meeting of the
Mary Bethune Literary and Art
Club met Thursday afternoon at
the Urban League with the presi
dent, Mrs. Jennie R. Edwards
presiding. After the regular
business session a program fol
lowed with Mrs. Harry Peterson
in charge.
Among the guests attending the
meeting were: Mrs. George Ran
dol and her daughter-in-law, Mrs.
Elwood Randol of St. Louis, Mo.;
and Mrs. W. Mosely of Monroe,
La.
-o
Negroes or Colored
There has been much contro
versy over the words Negro and
Colored. Some members of our
group prefer one name and others
prefer the other.
Technically for means of racial
classification I believe the word
Negro is used. When referring
to individuals Colored seems a
nicer word. If I had to choose
between the two I would rather
be called Colored.
But why should there be any
differentiation at all? Very few
if us were born anywhere except
in the U.S. I understand there
are near 2000 members of our
race in Lincoln. I think there
■me only 2 who were born in Afri
ca. Those two are real Africans
because they were born in Africa.
Tf we were born in America are
we not American? If this coun
try is a melting pot of the races
of the world, why can’t those
people who are considered as be
ing citizens be just American and
check the word American instead
of Colored or Negro?
I think that we as a race tend
toward isolation by not stressing
this point whenever we meet a
racial situation. We should be
proud of our prominent people
because they are Americans and
not because they are Colored.
Every American regardless of
race has a just cause to be proud
of such persons as Marion Ander
son, Joe Louis, and the late Presi
dent Roosevelt, Will Rogers, and
other great Americans.
If we stress nationality or color
less, more opportunities would be
open to us. If we apply for a job
our race or religion should never
be asked. Our ability and refer
ences should be the only qualifi
cations.
I suppose I have a few who
would agree with me and I would
appreciate anyone writing just
how they feel about this.
Laura Lee
1,000 Enrolled
At Hampton Inst.
Hampton Institute, Va.—With an
enrollment of approximately 1,000
students, the largest number ever
registered in a summer term,
Hampton Institute’s 1947 summer
session began June 18, and will
continue through July 29 for the
six-week term, and through Aug.
20 for the nine-week term.
A faculty of over fifty persons,
including thirty - nine teachers
from educational institutions in
different parts of the country, will
teach the 117 courses and three
workshops scheduled as a part of
the session which proposes to pre
pare teachers, principals, super
visors, and other leaders to meet
successfully the problems con
fronting them in their schools and
community.
-o
"Many States Represented"
Texas, Alabama, Georgia, Mis
souri, Kansas, Tennessee, Okla
homa and other localities are
represented in the large number
of Negro students attending the
summer session at the Uni. of
Nebraska. Nebraska U. is really
becoming well known throughout
the country.
i ^
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*
Mrs. Bethune Warns of
Cvitical National Choice
Mrs. Mary McLeod Bethune in
a radio address on “Americans
All” program over WWDC, Sun
day night appealed to the nation
to be careful in choosing which
road it will take as it approaches
this critical junction in the his
tory of the world and the destiny
of the nation. ^
The easy, downhill road, she
said, is that of suspicion of other
nations, disagreement, conflict
and war which would blast civili
zation from the face of the earth.
It takes strong men to travel the
uphill road which is tortuous and
rocky. The road is that of na
tional and international under
standing, resolving of differences,
compromise, agreement and peace
she pointed out.
She names the uphill road as
being the democratic one which
would offer equal opportunity for
all men—regardless of his station,
his color or national origin. The
other road is designed for the ^
chosen few, the high born, the
select, for those of the “right” re
ligion or the “right” race.
She urged all citizens to fight to
make America realize the ideals
upon which its government was
founded..
-0
Rare U. S. Nickel
Turns Up in Liberia
Rare U. S. coins have a way of
bobbing up in many foreign £
countries. Recently one turned
up in Monrovia, Liberia in the
possession of Jacob Browne, a
local ANP correspondent.
The coin is a silver five-cent
piece, on one side of which is the
American coat of arms and .the
date 1836. The reverse side bears
the head of an Indian with 13
stars.
Mr. Browne says he will be
glad to dispose of the coin to any
person or persons interested. He
may be contacted at P. O. Box 20,
Carey Street, Monrovia.
* 4
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THE VOICE
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