YoL 4, No. M ' Legal Newspaper Thursday, December 29, 1949
1949 Prog re , ,<ii In Some Areas;
Hopes for 1950 Are Much Higher
Before another issue of The
Voice reaches you, 1949 will have
gone the way of all years, and
the old world will begin its 1950th
trip around “ole Sol” since the
first Christmas. As 1949 bows off
the scene, and the great drama
of life and time continues with
the understudy (that may be
greater than the master) taking
over as the star. In looking at
The Voice for Dec. 30, 1948, we
were expecting that in 1949 an
FEPC bill would be passed in
Nebraska, that Truman’s civil
rights program would be passed
by congress and “with its passage,
much of the anti-American propa
ganda in other parts of the world
will be invalidated,” and some
thing about America becoming
greater than ever, “for it will aid
its citizens, all of them, to con
tribute to society the very best
of their creative and productive
capacities.”
Well, anyone who has kept up
with the news at all knows that
this hope was not fulfilled dur
ing the past year, yet still per
sists. However, there has been
progress in the fight for equality
and democracy for all people dur
ing 1949.
CIVIL RIGHTS
Most all of Mr. Truman’s pro
gram has been studied by con
gressional committees and those
portions that have been passed by
committees, will come up in Janu
ary—FEPC, anti-poll tax and
anti-lynch laws.
FEPC
In Nebraska, after a short cam
paign for FEPC, the legislative
committee tabled the matter, but
before the senators went home,
they resolved to study the prob
lem. This was a step forward,
and has brought increased inter
est of Nebraskans in the matter
of providing unbiased competition
for jobs. The last of public hear
ings on the matter were just com
pleted in December. The legisla
tive council will not have its find
ings printed, however, until they
are ready to report to the 1951
legislature. Meanwhile, fair em
ployment laws were passed by
Oregon, New Mexico, Washington,
and by the city of Richmond,
Calif. This makes seven states
and six cities with such laws.
FEPC failed in Illinois and Ne
braska.
CIVIL LIBERTIES
In May, American Indians were
admitted to West Point for the
first time and in June. Indians
were extended the privilege of
voting.
EMPLOYMENT
Early in the year (February)
the National Urban league an
nounced that this was a banner
year for employment but by fall
(September) the number of peo
ple out of work in the east
changed the picture a good deal
there. Locally William Hightower
0 received an award for 20 years
service with Consumers power,
Mrs. Willima Glenn of Omaha
was added to the clerical pool of
the legislature, in June Joyce
Williams also obtained employ
ment with the state under the
merit system, and in the sum
mer, Oscar Harriott became sec
retary for a state board of con
trol officer.
COMMUNITY
Passing mention of locally hap
penings should include the Urban
League cleanup campaign in April,
along with Barbara Moody
Charles Bonds piano recital. Jean
ette Vinegar got a drawing in the
public school show. Mrs. Ruby
Hurley of the NAACP youth
branch was our guest here in May.
June saw Teresa Littlejohn elected
governor of girls’ state then gyped
out of the opportunity to attend
girl’s nation. July, the Salt creek
rampage brought out the Red
Cross and the Salvation Army to
help its victims which included
Mrs. Corena Williams. Clayton
P. Lewis was also re-elected for
his sixth term as Grand Master
of Nebraska PHA Masons in this
month. In August Bryan hospital
opened its doors to Negro stu
dents. September saw Atty. Gen.
Johnson crack down on gambling.
November saw a change of pol
icy at Lincoln General hospital
regarding the use of Negro nurs
ing help.
RELIGION
In February, Bishop Carey
Gibbs, A.M.E., embarked for Li
beria and in July, South Africa
let down its bans against the
church and allowed Bishop Bon
ner to enter South Africa and
Rhodesia.
POLITICS
In January, President Truman
was inaugurated after a surpris
ing victory at the polls and in
sisted that he still wanted the
civil rights program passed. In
Nebraska, Gov. Val Peterson was
also inaugurated the same week
after a similarly sweeping vic
tory in the state. In congress,
William L. Dawson (d., 111.) be
came head of the committee on
expenditures in executive depart
ments (like Agriculture, Justice,
etc.). In December, William Has
tie was made a federal judge.
Sociology.
In February Mayor Cunning
ham, Omaha, appointed a human
relations committee to study con
ditions in the community which
adversely affect inter-group rela
tions. April saw Dr. Charles S.
Johnson, noted sociologist, re
spond to an invitation of the Uni
versity of Nebraska to be main
speaker at its honors convocation.
He advised young Nebraskans to
approach social problems with
understanding and lack of fear. In
July the World Town Hall sem
inar began its tour and in De
cember, one of its members, Dr.
Walter White, NAACP Execu
tive secretary on leave, told cam
pus audiences of his experiences.
The National Urban league con
vention in Denver in August at
tracted local affiliates of the or
ganization and represented a new
interest in solving the problems
occasioned by race in this section,
of the country. Came November,
and the UCYM conference at
tracted many young Nebraskans
to Beatrice where Dr. Cleo Black
burn, noted sociologist talked
about some practical Christianity.
Sad part was that a Beatrice hotel
refused to keep the world-famous
personality and left a poor im
pression of the state with one who
travels a good deal.
EDUCATION.
The great majority of advances
in experimental race relations
took place on the nations cam
puses, there being slightly more
enlightenment in colleges and
fewer fears due to ignorance. St.
Johns university, University of
Kentucky, University of Okla
homa and the Texas U. School of
Medicine, all admitted Negroes for
the first time last year. Racial
bias was condemned on another
half dozen college yards The Uni
versity of Chicago, Harvard added
their first Negro faculty members.
The American Association of Uni
versity Women lost a couple of
chapters in its insistance on non
segregated admission to the or
ganization, but gained many more
members. On the Nebraska cam
pus, thne Board of Regents elimi
nated its discriminatory policy on
entrance to the girl’s dormitories.
Civic leaders officially wel
comed the end of the 85th year old
, raciA* segregation policv in the
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\ yyisirL oL $00jC&? it)ilL
i V
) Bv G. Loyd Wilson m L’
• (A Resolution for You)
( Believing that peace on earth is possible only by fostering
/ individual and group relationships which are based upon mutual
i respect, sympathy, and good will, I pledge myself to endeavor
( always to:
I 1. Regard those with whom I come in contact as individuals
• and primarily as members of religious, racial, national, or other
groups or classes.
2. Form and develop my business, professional, or social re
) lationships with individuals with *whom I am associated without
• regard to their racial, national, social, or religious affiliations.
3. -Speak of no man disparagingly because of his race, national
) ity, or religious affiliation.
• 4. Accord to all others the right to their racial, national, social, w.
• and religious affiliation preferences that I seek myself. 2**
\ 5. Speak and work, in groups of which I am a member, on '
j behalf of tolerance, mutual respect, and good will toward all groups ;
: which may differ from those of which I am a member.
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May the New Year )
Be ever bright —
Ever right — jj
For you and youre ! |
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6. Speak pleasantly and respectfully to those of races, nation- (
) alities, social classes, or religions other than my own, and attempt j
j to meet even unpleasant reactions of others with consideration of :
! the strain under which men everywhere are now living. (
/ 7. Avoid jokes or other references which may give offense to /
^ others. j
• 8. Form a contact with at least twelve persons of other races, *
nationalities, social classes, and creeds, and invite them individually £
) or collectively to luncheon or dinner, either at home or in public, )
• as my guests during the ensuing year.
1 9- Ask each of these twelve men to do the same with twelve £
/ others of races, nationalities, or creeds other than theirs so that the )
j ripples from these pebbles of good will may literally embrace the i
world. I
( 10- Respect the integrity of each man as an individual entitled i
/ to life, liberty, and the quest for happiness according to the pref- )
• erences and dictates of his own conscience. «
) I will read this obligation at least once each month to keep it j
: always fresh in my mind and a charge upon my conscience. £
f Lloyd Wilson is a piofessor at the University of Pennsylvania, and teacher ]
• of the Men’s Class, Roxborough Baptist Church, Philadelphia, Pa.
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Harvard Student Council
Adopts Anti-Bias Measure
CAMBRIDGE, Mass. (ANP).
Harvard university took on a
futuristic outlook here last week
when its student council voted
7-6 to ban discrimination for
color, race or nationality” in
membership of 'all college or
ganizations. Backers of this
measure said adoption would
make it possible to put the ban
into the charters of students or
ganizations.
Now that Congressman Dawson
has been made vice president
of the Democratic National com
mittee, political seers are pre
dicting an increase in topside
jobs for qualified Negroes in
government agencies; jobs, that
is, having political preference.
Rev. Burckhardt
Succumbs After
*
Short Illness
Rev. Oliver J. Burckhardt, 81,
formerly of Lincoln, died Friday,
Dec. 23, in Omaha where he had
made his home since leaving
Lincoln several years ago. Rev.
Mr. Burckhardt
came to Lin
coln with his
wife, Anna
from Jefferson
City, Mo. March
25th, 1880. He
had lived at
1236 Washing
ton St., for
many years.
He had been Rev. Burckhardt.
president of the Inter-racial and
I n t e rdenominational Christian
Alliance. For more than 40 years
he had been associated with
work at the state penitentiary in
Lincoln and served as volunteer
associate chaplain there for
about 30 years. He was a mem
ber and former pastor of the
Church of Christ Holiness.
Surviving is a foster daugh
ter, Mrs. Ollie Love Jones of
Omaha with vhom Rev. Mr.
Burckhardt made his home fol
Court Awards Boy
$10,000 For Loss
Of Fingertips
WASHINGTON. (ANP). James
C. Horton, 16, was awarded re
cently $10,000 damages for the
loss of four fingertips in a
grocery store meat grinder.
A jury in the local district court
of Judge David A. Pine made the
award. It also ruled $300 dam
ages for the boy’s father, George
M. Horton.
Loser in the case was Solomon
Teichman, grocer, who owns the
store where the accident oc
curred. The jury decided its case
on the basis that James, who
was 15 at the time of the acci
dent, was too young to operate
such a machine and the grocer
was negligent without work
men’s compensation insurance.
The boy worked after school.
All 17 speces of penguins live
in the southern hemisphere.
Fire claims an average of 22
lives daily in the United States.
lowing the death of his wife June
20th, 1945.
Funeral service was held Wed
nesday at Umbergers with the
Rev. Trago O. McWilliams, Jr.,
in charge.