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About The voice. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1946-195? | View Entire Issue (April 12, 1951)
Tib® V@n<£® '_ n BUSHED II EBKLY_ "Dedicated to the promotion of the cultural, goclal and spiritua life of a great people."__ Melvin L. Shakespeare Publisher and Editor Business Address 2225 8 8trtvt Phone 2-4085 If No Answer Cull 5-7508 Ruble W Shakespeare . Advertising and Business Manager Dorothy Green . •. ..... Office Secretary Mrs Joe Green . . .Circulation Manager Member ef the Associated Negro Press snd Nebraska Press Association Entered as Second Class Matter, June 9. 1947 at teh Post Office at Lincoln, Nebraska under the Act of^ March 3. 1879 1 vear subscription. . $2.00 Single copy.Sc Out-of-Ktate 1 year Subscription J2 50—Single Copy 10c. EDITORIALS The views expressed in these columns necessarily a reflection of the policy are those of the writer and not of The Voice —Pub. Progress Is Needed Now Everyone is going to be watch ing the progress of the Urban League and the new executive secertary. It is just a human trait to watch progress rather than participate in it, and progress moves pretty slowly when it is watched. It is wonderful to think in terms of progress but it is an un comfortable procedure. There are those who would like to have things better but they will not co-operate. Then there are those who are doing pretty well and naturally they consider progress as a dangerous change. Some community leaders too, who know that community growth and progress would reduce them in rank, so they would let things remain as they are. We have; long been identified as a town in the grip of habit and ungrowth and we talk prepetually of prog- i ress—but it is just talk—we do little about it. Progress makes changes and changes bring on contention but there is nothing to be alarmed about. 470 Negro families in Lincoln who are crowded into 311 dwell-j ings, 40 of which are unfit for habitation, should have decent living quarters and adequate in comes to maintain their homes. Let us give co-operation that will help our community prog ress. I An Approach to Minority Problems I To the sponsors of the one-day conference we send our thanks for so unselfishly and so soundly launching a program not simply to promote Negro interest, as such, but for a better community and a better world, for the good of all. It must be clear to all that when we fight for the rights of a minority, we aren’t just fighting for ourselves, but for the common good of all. Wrong attitudes toward Ne groes will persist as long as they are condemned to the lowest occupational status in American industrial life. Resolution The Lincoln Council of Church Women passed the following reso lution at a regular meeting held in March: “Asking Lincoln firms to em ploy persons of all races according to their abilities and qualifica tions; that we send a copy of this resolution to Lincoln merchants, < industries and other firms, to the Lincoln papers and the chamber of commerce; that we ask other organizations, clubs, and churches to support this resolution.” We believe you will be glad to be informed of this expressed wish of these women, your cus tomers. MRS. H. E. SHELLEY | President MRS. C. H. LEMON Secretary j Lincoln Council of Church Women ASK YOUR GROCER FOR GOLD CUP BREAD . SUBSCRIPTION BLANK THE VOICE P. O. Box 2023 Lincoln 3, Neb. Enclosed find $ for years subscriptions to The Voice. Name . Street . City . Representative Cox Plumbing and Heating Co. Contracting Repairing Retail Plumbing and Heating Supplies 2-3077—140 N. 14 DONLEY-STAHL CO. LTD. 1331 N St. DRUGS—PRESCRIPTIONS SICK ROOM NECESSITIES WE APPRECIATE YOUR PATRONAGE !i ~ i BEAL'S GROCERY Fresh Fruits & Vsgetablss I » Meats 2101 1 TsL 2-6933 ^ When You Need PAINTS GLASS MIRRORS WALLPAPER PAINTERS' SUPPLIES Remember the: Van Sickle Glass and Paint Co. 143 Soath 10th St. 2-6931 Lincoln. Nebr. d&k1 ^ o NEB||SKA h IAMBS C. OLSON, S*f*rt*te»denf •TAT* ■■•TOBICAL AOCIATT An important question with those who went overland across | Nebraska in the days before the railroad concerned the best time to jump off from the Missouri River for the long trip west. It was more than 2,000 miles from the Missouri to California and Oregon. If one were going to make it before the snows of I winter set in, it was necessary to get started as early in the spring as possible. Also, there was a definite advantage in being near the head of the year's emi gration. Those who went early generally found grass and travel conditions better than those who followed. Then, too, during the California gold rush, there was a natural desire to be first in stak ing out claims in the new El £>orado. At the same time, emigrants who started from the Missouri j River too early in the spring found that it was difficult to get grass for their animals. The first band of Oregon home seekers started from the Missouri j frontier early in May, 1841. The, next year the emigration left the vicinity of Independence in the middle of May. The great emi gration of 1843 (the first mass movement to Oregon) left Inde pendence late in April. The early guide books and let ters of advice written by experi enced travelers frequently touched on the question of the best time to start. George Wilkes’ History of Ore- ' gon contains the following advice, ; presumably given by a man who 1 was in the emigration of 1843: “Emigrants should start as early " as possibel in ordinary seasons. The first of May should be set ' down if possible as the outside , limit, and even as early as the first of April, would do.” During the short-lived Colo rado gold rush, prospectors started for the Rocky Mountains at all seasons of the year, although, of course, most of them went across the plains in the spring of 1859. The Chicago Press and Tribune of Feb. 4, 1859 commented: ! “Parties are beginning to move westward to the new gold fields 1. . . Within the next few weeks | we presume all our thoroughfraes will be crowded with emigrants.” | Wuham N. Byers and John K. Xellom, in their Handbook to the Sold Field of Nebraska and Kan sas. wrote: “Quite a number of adventurers, residing or wintering along the Missouri river, are pre paring to set out for the mining region about the first of March. They will be obliged to carry with them, in addition to their own provisions and outfit, feed for their animals sufficient for twen ty or twenty-five days, making it necessary to have stronger teams. This plan cannot be gen erally recommended to those liv ing at a distance. The great mass of the emigration may calculate to leave the Missouri river. HY-LINE CHICKS Bred Like Hybrid Corn HILL FEEDS POULTRY SUPPLIES HILL HATCHERY 910 R 2-7025 Booker T. __ UP-TO-DATE and BEYOND - By S. J. Phillips, Pres. Booker T. Washington Birthplace Memorial Booker Washington Birthplace, Virginia COPVniGHT 199! Knowledge will benefit little except as it is harnessed, except at its power is pointed in a direc tion that will bear upon the pres ent needs and conditions of the race. —Booker T. Washington This is the 95th year since Booker T. Washington was born in a slave cabin on the Burrough’s plantation in Franklin County, Virginia. Historians place his birth date April 5, 1856, and here at his birthplace, we have cele brated this day for the past six years. As is our custom, the Anniver sary celebration begins the Sun day before. On April 1st, over one thousand people came here to be inspired by Dr. Mary Mc Leod Bethune, Congressman Thomas B. Stanley and Judge A. H. Hopkins. It was a dual cere mony; the first part was devoted to the unveiling of the name panel on a new three story build ing, to replace the one burned down last December; and the sec ond part, aside from the formal installation of Mrs. Virginia H. Phillips as permanent Postmis tress, was based upon the theme “American-Self Reliance.” The present national emergency requires a reappraisal of our po sition as American citizens; our rights under the Constitution; our .vay of life in a democracy; our •esponsibilities as citizens; and >ur preparations for sacrifices in » total war, if that becomes a •eality. In World war I, we as a group,! were the least prepared to shoul der our share or national respon sibilities. It is true that in the actual fighting our soldiers, sail ors, marines, airmen—all ac quitted themselves with distinc tion. On the home-front, we were not prepared. Some of our lead ers preached about integration . into defense industry—yet very few saw the necessity for ade quate large scale development of the required skills among Ne groes. In times of stress, the na tion or private industry doesn’t have time to train enough man power to meet the needs of our tremendous war-making poten tial. That reservoir of skilled craftsmen must come from the schools and colleges. It is obvious if we aren’t constantly trying to interest young people in this type of training, then when necessity arises—when war is eminent, and production must be accelerated to meet military requirements— we will be left behind. All the hue and cry will avail us nothing, because we are not prepared. It usually takes a war to make us realize how misguided we are. In the current emergency, we, at Booker T. Washington Birth place Memorial have launched a new approach to this vexing prob lem and I want to tell you about it. To fight Communism and ad vance the economic progress of the American Negro we are now concentrating our activities on S E C P, for its immediate and long-term benefits. SECP means SKILLED EM PLOYMENT FOR COLORED PEOPLE. the PEAK of QUALITY 0<1 Before colling, check the telephone directory first Ths$ will assure you of calling the right number. Answer your own telephone as promptly as you can. . Uo Give the person you are calling time enough to answer... allow at least ten rings. The Lincoln Telephone & Telegraph Co* Cvfnpany Serving Itt Peofii^