Public I t, " A
Fair En.r_lo Be
Held Here Sat., November 19
KdltorUU .
Is a Fair Employment Practices Law needed in Ne
braska? That will be the question for discussion when the
legislative council sub-committee holds its public hearing on
the factual evidence that there is discrimination against
minority groups in their freedom to work. This is especially
true for Negroes, who are not the state’s largest or smallest
minority. _
Expected to testily at the hear
ing are a number of persons who
have studied the employment
patterns of Nebraska’s two cities
where 95 percent of the Negro
population of the state are con
centrated. In 1948, 95 percent of
'Omaha’s 20,000 Negro residents
were restiicted to employment in
meat packing and railroad
service work. Most recent sur
veys show that in Lincoln, an ab
normal percentage of Negroes
are restricted to employment as
custodians or laborers.
When a fair employment bill
came before the legislature’s
labor committee last winter, the
factual evidence of the need of
such a law was overriden by the
opinion of the small business as
sociation and a railroading
brotherhood.
“Education” has been termed
the method to solve the prob
lem of making “ability to pro
1 duee” more important than eye
. color or skin color in determin
ing whether a person would
make a good employee. Laws are
the state’s most often used edu
cational tool. If the subcommittee
is afraid that Negroes will out
strip all competitors, they will
say there is no need of a law. If
they are influenced by race
racketeers, thy will also turn
down.
The hearing will be held at 10
a. m. on Saturday, November 19,
and all interested persons are in
vited to be present.—CMG.
Chi Alderman
Presents FEPC
Ordinance
CHICAGO. (ANP. A Fair
•Employment Practices commission
for the City of Chicago will be
created by the City Council and
included in the 1950 city budge,
if an ordinance introduced by Aid
William H. Harvey at the request
of the Chicago Civil Liberties
committee is adopted in the next
two months. Public hearings will
be held in December by thr
Council judiciary committee
headed by Aid. Nicholas Bohling.
William Scott Stewart, chair
man of the Civil Liberties com
mittee, stated: “Everyone regard
less of his race, religion or na
tionality is entitled to an equal
break not only in tax-supported
jobs but in the big industries and
utilities which live by the pa
tronage of all the people. The
time is past when you can sa’
that a man is free—to starve or
sleep under a bridge.”
Ira Latimer, executive director
of the Civil Liberties committee,
said: “Human relations have
been accepted in recent years as
a part of the general welfare. It
is necessary for the government
tc protect the social health of
the community by exercising its
police power. The Harvey ordi
nance, patterned after those in
Philadelphia and Minneapolis, is
leg. l and constitutional under the
police powei’s of the city. It is
necessary even if Illinois also
adopts a state FEPC two years
hence and if the federal govern
ment creates an FEPC for inter
state commerce. These new ad
ministrative laws will help speed
new patterns of conduct which in
turn change individual attitudes
by the thousands over night in
stead of one by one over years.”
Aid. Harvey and Aid. Archibald
Carey are the only two Negro
members of the Council.
1
Roland IIa\ys Concert Here
Nov. 21; Singer For Kings
Library Of Cong ress Records
Roland Hayes, internationally!
acclaimed concert tenor, will
| make a real contribution to the I
| cultural life of Lincoln when on
j Monday, Nov. 21, he will appear
; in recital at St. Paul Methodist
; church. For more than three de
the polishing considered so im
portant for every top artist in
those days. George V heard of
him and commanded a perfor
mance, and from then on his
name was made. He appeared in
nearly every European country
and in 1917 returned to America
where he made his second debut
in New York. The golden clarity
of his voice became legendary
and his talent and interpretive
skill highly praised. His voice
has been recorded by the Library
of Congress.
Mr. Hayes appeared in Lincoln
several years ago at St. Paul
church. He returns Monday un
der the auspices of the Allon
Youth Chapel and the Hub of
Harmony male chorus.
Writers Name Don
Newcombe Best
Rookie Of Year
NEW YORK. (ANP). Big Don
Newcombe, Brooklyn’s youthful
Negro fireballer, has been chosen
the National league’s Rookie of
the Year for the second time in the
past two weeks. His latest honor
comes from the poll taken by the
Associated Press. Previously, he
was given the same honor by
Sporting News magazine.
Members of the Baseball Writ
ers association gave Newcombe
105 votes out of 116 thereby mak
ing him the second Dodger to win
the honor in the past three years.
Jackie Robinson earned the title
in 1947. _
Dr. Player to Serve
GREENSBORO, N. C. (ANP).
The executive committee of the
Bennett college board of trustees
elected Dr. Willa E. Player to
serve as acting president of the
college when it met in special
session here last week. Dr.
Player’s period of office will
commence with the vacation of
President David D. Jones, whose
leave of absence is to be an
nounced later.
A native of Akron, O., Dr.
Player has been a member of the
administrative staff of Bennett
college since 1930, when she as
sumed the postion of college
registrar
Also, during the meeting, Miss
Daphne Lawson, Greensboro,
was elected director of alumnae
public relations, and Mrs. Mamie
B. McLaurin, Greensboro, was
elected associate director.
ROLAND HAYES
cades Roland Hayes has been
considered one of the foremost
interpreters of singing art in
America.
Born in Georgia, the son of a
former slave, young Hayes
worked his way through Fisk
university, but took enough time
off for his musical interests to
become a member of the famed
Jubilee Singers. After graduation
he studied in Boston and there
began his career as a recitalist.
From the proceeds of his early
efforts he went to England to gel
George Randol
Guest Director
For “The Straw”
George Randol is guest director
for the Nebraska Wesleyan uni
versity production of Eugene
O’Neill’s “The Straw.”
Mr. Randol replaces Prof. Enid
Miller, who is recovering at her
home from an operation. The play
will be offered four nights, be
ginning November 16, in the
Plainsn^an theater.
Mr. Randol, who also directed
the Lincoln Circlet theater until
his resignation last fall, played
feature roles in such Broadway
productions as “Green Pastures,”
“Porgy and Bess,” “Anna Lucas
ta,” and others.
Blackburn To Speak
NAACP Has Its
1950 Election
Tonite, Nov. 17tli
The Lincoln Branch of the Na
tional Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People will
hold its annual election of officers
at the Lincoln Urban League
building, 2030 T, tonight, No
vember 17, at 8 o’clock, it was
announced by Rev. Robert L.
Moody, branch president. The as
sociation is in the midst of its
drive for 200 active members.
Haile Selassie claimed descent
from Solomon and the Queen of
Sheba._
Noted Sociologist To Be Key
Speaker At State Meeting Of
United Christian Youth Drive
Nov. 25 and 26, the Nebraska
Youth Council of the United
Christian Youth Movement will
it—..... ■«
hold a state-wide interdenomina
tional meeting at Beatrice, it was
announced by Rev. Carroll Lemon
of the Nebraska Council of
Churches last week.
The meeting is planned to give
a “top flight experience of wor
ship and inspiration” and will fea
ture talks by the Rev. Dr. Cleo
Walter Blackburn of Indianapolis,
Ind. Dr. Blackburn will speak
Friday afternoon and Saturday
morning on the themes, “The Job
of the Christian in the World To
day” and “The Challenge of
Christian Citizenship.” Smaller
discussion groups following the
talks will be led by Revs. Richard
Nutt, Rex Knowles, C. B. How
ells, Charles Kemp. Mrs. Mildred
i Benson, Laurene Schact and sev
eral others.
Youth leaders will play a prom
inent part in the conference.
Dr. Blackburn has been super
j intendent of Indianapolis nation
ally famous Flanner House, a
model in sociological technique,
since 1936. He is a graduate of
j Butler and Fisk universities and
has been associated with both
Fisk and Tuskegee institute as a
social researcher.
A member of many professional
and service organizations, Dr.
Blackburn has achieved an en
viable record and is recognized as
a leader in his field. He is vice
president of the board of direc
tors of the National Association
of Settlements. or> the executive
committe of the World Convention
of the Churches of .Christ, co
chairman of the department of
race-relations of the Federal
Council of Churches of Christ in
America and Secretary, Church
Conference of Social Work.
An ordained minister of the
Disciples of Christ, he has held a
number of positions in his denom
ination and is a member of the
board of managers of the United
i Christ Missionary society. He
1 served on the Indiana State Board
! of Education and holds the Indian
apolis Junior Chamber of Com
merce Distinguished Service
Award.
•He is married and the father
of three children.
Praises Virginia Medical
Society Past Presidents
For Brave Stand
WASHINGTON. (ANP). Dr. C.
Herbert Marshall, president of
the National Medical society, the
official spokesman for Negro or
ganized medicine, spoke out in
high praise this week of the
three white past presidents of
the National Medical society of
Virginia who proposed a resolu
tion that Negroes be admitted
to the organization.
Dr. Marshall said:
“Orchids to Drs. Walter B.
Martin of Norfolk, Hugh P.
Trout of Roanoke and J. Morri
son Hutcheson, all past-presi
dents of the Medical Society of
Virginia, who composed the spe
cial committee which proposed
and unanimously recommended
passage of a resolution to admit
Negroes to the society. It was de
feated by a vote of 37 to 31. Such
a close margin is indicative of
the changing pattern of attitudes.
DR. CLEO W. BLACKBURN
A Phi A Elected
To Interfraternity
Council at N.U.
Beta Beta chapter of Alpha Phi
Alpha fraternity was recently no
tified of its election to the Inter
fraternity Council at the Univer
sity of Nebraska. The chapter
was first recognized by the school
in 1927 and again in 1948 and is
the only predominantly Negro or
ganization recognized on the
Cornhusker campus.
Minn. Governor
Opens National
Guard To Race
ST. PAUL, Minn. (ANP). Gov.
Luther W. Youngdahl of Minne
sota announced last Thursday he
would issue an executive order
Nov. 22 making it possible for
Negroes to serve in the state’s
National Guard.
Governor Youngdahl’s an
nouncement which climaxed an
eight year crusade started in the
Stassen administration, was sent
in a letter to the Secretary of
the Army, Gordon Gray and Sec
retary of the Air Force W. Staurt
Symington, with a copy to Gen.
Kenneth F. Cramer, chief of the
National Guard bureau.
-The governor pointed out that
the 1949 state legislature’s pas
sage of a resolution calling on
congress to end such discrimina
tion was a clear-cut evidence of
the desire of the people to in
tegrate Negroes.
He stated: “I believe also that,
in view of this resolution by the
legislature, the chief executive,
as Commander-in-Chief of the
National Guard in Minnesota, has
the authority and the duty to ^
eliminate segregation without fur
ther delay.
"Consequently, it is my inten- ;
tion to issue an executive order
on Nov. 22 which will permit
such integration. I feel you should
be informed on this proposed step,
in case it requires certain action
on your part at the national level.”
The entrance of Negroes in the
National Guard the latter part of
the month will mark the first time
Negroes will be permitted to join
the group since prior to 1917, j
when they served in mixed units.