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About The voice. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1946-195? | View Entire Issue (March 26, 1953)
1 Another Road Brutality Case What began as a pleasant week end drive to Alabama for a Mem phis family was turned into a ter ror-filled nightmare when their car was halted and the husband chased and beaten by three white men. That is the story Walter Bulls, 35, of 2969 Yale gave the Tri State Defender last Monday morning in the presence of his Pastor, Rev. H. W. Henninng, on his return to the city. Wearing a patch on his head and displaying blood-splattered clothing, a local carpenter, gave the following account of what happened to him* and his family while enroute to Killem, Ala., to bring his mother, Mrs. Bazola Bulls back to Memphis for a visit with the family. TWO CHILDREN IN AUTO "We (wife, Ruby Bulls, 30; and children, Kenneth, 7; Bernadine, 6, and Shirlene,18 months)were near the Alabama state line on Highway 72 when it started. "At the time, we were riding along about 50 miles an hour (in the familys’ 1952 twilight blue auto) when the other car pulled along side us and commanded me to ‘pull over.’ "It stopped and three men climbed out of the car and came back to our car and asked to see my license. I gave the license to the short stock man who did most of the talking. Neither was uni formed, wore a badge nor carried a holstered pistol. They told me to turn around and follow them.” ‘WE LL SHOW YOU’ All this, Mr. Bulls said, hap pened about 8 or 8:30 last Satur day on a dark road near Iuka, Ala. "After we had traveled a ways, the car turned into a dark road leading off the highway and I pulled by the road and stopped. The three jumped from their ve hicle, came back to where we were and demanded (the short stocky one) ‘Didn’t we tell you to follow us?’ ” At this, Mr. Bulls stated he asked if the man was an officer. He said the man answered, "Damn what I am.” Mr. Bulls said the man then whipped out a pistol and retorted, "We’ll show you something.” THE ATTACK “They snatched the door open m _ and the short one started beating me with a blackjack. I broke away and ran toward a small store. When they could not catch me, one of them shot at me. “Meanwhile my wife and chil dren were running to and fro across the dark road screaming and hollering at people. “Still unable to catch me, the men climbed into their car and ran me down. I was taken to the Iuka jail where one of the men (the short one) turned out to be a deputy and told me to wash up and that a doctor would be in to look me over. THREATENED AGAIN “They went out for about three minutes, returned and searched me, demanding that I give them the gun. They said my wife told them I had one. . ." When he was found to have no gun, Mr. Bulls said the men left and went back down the road and brought his family to the jail. “About this time a uniformed man came up and asked what had happened? I started tellinfe him how I had been whipped without being told by whom or for what when the short man broke in, ‘don’t tell that lie, I told you I was a deputy when he first stopped you. He warned me if I kept talking that was not all I would get.’’ HE’S NOT HI RT* While they were shuffling be tween my wife and myself, get ting the same answers to ques tions, Mr. Bulls said, a doctor came in. “He washed my head land bandaged me up and told the 1 sheriff “he's not hurt’.’’ “Although a colored man there offered to get some place for my family to spend the night, my wife refused to leave the jail un ! til they released me. j So they charged me with reck less driving and resisting arrest, I fined me $30 and let me go. 1 re ceived no receipt for my money.” Mr. Bulls said he and his fam ily went on to Killem, picked up his mother and took another route back to Memphis. A long-time member of New Tyler AME church where he serves as a steward, Mr. Bulls is a veteran of World War II. a ma son, and member of the AFL Car penters’ local 1986. Today's Thought If one takes the sun with him he can find no shadows. As soon as the sun turns on a shadow, the shadow-darkness disappears. The same is true of life; if one takes God with him, who is the Spirit of Light, sorrows and troubles of life disappear. |Sioux City Leads in Fair Employment Editor’s note: (This article was taken from The Des Moines Sun day Register). Sioux City has pioneered fair employment legislation in Iowa. Sioux City’s two-year-old fair em ployment ordinance covering city government and city contracts is the first in the state. At least 24 other United States cities in at least seven other states now have some sort of fair employment or dinance—including Chicago, Mil waukee, Minneapolis, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Philadelphia and Phoe nix. Some of these cities adopted legal bans on racial and religious discrimination in employment be cause conditions were so bad. Sioux City did not have to be shocked into it. It has only about 1 per cent of its population Negro, and 1.4 per cent total non-white and the major union In its big meat packing industry has worked for years for non-discriminatory hiring. But when the Sioux City chap ter of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored Peo ple ran into deaf ears in its at tempt to get a statewide law against discrimmination in em ployment, it did a wise thing. It turned to see what it could do in its own backyzfird. Members of the association in Sioux City put a great deal of time and study toward an ordin ance banning such discrimination in all employment within the city limits. The city council wouldn’t buy that but it did agree to start in a small way, in its own back yard. So in February, 1951, Sioux City adopted an ordinance ban ning racial and religious discrim ination in city departments and agencies. It required all future city contracts to include a fair employment clause, and set up an unpaid, permanent Commission on Job Discrimination to help carry out the ordinance. When the ordinance was firs! passed, it was circulated widely among Negroes. So far, only one Negro is working for the city, in a laborer’s job. But Negroes are beginning to take civil service ex aminations. Four are signed up to take the exams slated for next April. Opponents’ fears that the ordi nance might “stir up trouble” proved completely unfounded. It is not a big step, perhaps, but it is a step in the right direction, taken in the most decisive place: right at home. SEEK CHEMICAL CURE The American Cancer Society announced that scientists have dis covered some 300 chemicals that affect cancer growth. Hope is held ! that some of these may eventually ‘be developed as successful cancer treatments. Help support this work jby giving to the 1953 ACS crusade. The State Highway Patrol As I See It I To say that I am shocked and hurt is putting it mildly. When I see how Highway Patrolmen, and: Police treat Negro drivers throughout Nebraska, it makes one wonder. We as Negro Citizens aren’t asking for any special favors, or special treatment, all that we ask! is fair and just treatment, the same that is afforded our white I brothers. The State Highway Patrol seems to think it necessary to lock-up all Negro speeders. This special treatment is fine, but is it just? When a person is caught for speeding, and has all of his neces sary identification, why is he locked up for the night instead of being given a ticket, which is the customary procedure? I know of several cases that have happened between here and Omaha, where a Negro speedster was taken to jail and not given a ticket. I have sat in a number of court rooms through out America and in many cases have seen judges pass out twice as much in fines or punishment, to Negroes as white, j For instance: “Negro charged twice as much for Negligent Driving, as the Wh\te man who leaves the scene of the accident and waits hours before reporting said accident. A judge has the right to charge any amount he deems necessary in fining a violator, but does he use a separate set of rules for Negroes? Being the lowest paid Citizen in America, the Negro is the first fired and last hired on any job. He can cook for the white man, help raise his children, clean his house, but heaven forbid fraternizing with him in public. Highway accommodations are denied the Negro Traveller. If he’s caught on the highway after dark, he makes the highway his bed. If you violate a law (who hasn't), you, The Negro, is kicked around and locked up, and fined ex cessively. A car is a material luxury of ! Sen. Morse Says U.S. is Judged On Bias Record Speaking at the 10th anniver sary luncheon of the Council | Against Discrimination of Greater | Chicago in the Hotel Sherman last week, Senator Wayne Morse I find.-Ore.) warned that discrim ination and segregation in Amer ica are worldwide matters. “Relegating some Americans to the role of second-class citizens is not only a national problem but it is bound up with our foreign policy,” Morse said. I An audience of more than 500 heard him warn that the eyes of the world are upon “what we do here at home on the issue of | civil rights.” Civil rights, he said, are “no i longer a state issue anymore than they were during Lincoln’s time.” Morse, formerly a Republican, now an independent, charged that not a single administration spokes man has given support to his non segregation bill for Washington, D.C., which he introduced in the ' Senate. the world, for the white man as well as the Negro. Each has to work to pay for it. Each is an American Citizen. Each has the right to a car of his own choosing. Why, then does the same white man think it such a crime for the Negro to own a car, whether it be a Limousine or a Model T? When caught on a traffic charge, the arresting officer in most cases is more concerned with “Where did you get such a car?’’, than the actual violation. Three weeks ago I was stopped for speeding. I was drug out of my car. No one asked for my driver’s license, I was merely pushed into the patrol car and rushed off to jail. I asked the arresting officer not to let*my wife drive the car as she was asleep and awaken only to see the officer drag me out of the car, so I knew she was in no state of mind to drive. How ever, three, (not one officer) offi cers insisted that she drive. On the way home she struck a parked car. After knowing the way we have been pushed around, she was scared stiff. We are not asking any special favors, all we ask is justice, and the right to live as decent, full fledged American Citizens. 1 Let’s wake up America, this Uhing of hate is not just against ;JThe Negro. It will be first The Negro. Then The Jew, or Catholic, or anyone who wears a grey hat, or talk soft or any one of a million things, a reason for hate. Then how have we progressed? Let’s make Democracy work for all the minorities, as well as the ma jorities. Elliott PTA Give Life Membership Elliott School P.T.A. met on Tuesday, March 17th, in the Auditorium of the school, at 7:30 p.m. The Special Awards Committee, presented three persons with Life Membership Pins to the P.T.A. organization. These persons were selected for their moral and edu cational contributions to the School and the P.T.A. organiza tion. Those receiving awards were: Miss Bess Bowen, who has been in the Lincoln School System 27 years and 24 years at Eliott, for | her past services and educational contributions to the school and the P.T.A, Miss Vida Beck, the | Assistant Principal of Elliott and also a teacher, and Mrs. Carrie King, who has done more than her share to bring about a better i relationship between parents, , teachers and students. | Miss. Preston principal of E1-* liott, says of Mrs. King: “She is the soul of co-operation, and a faithful worker. In all of her 15 years in the Elliott P T.A., she’s always given a helping hand to those who ask it. I am happy that she was selected for this very , wonderful award.” Mrs. King, to’ whom the award came as a complete surprise, .thinks that a "good helper" is the backbone of a successful leader. 1 These life memberships were paid for out of the Scholarshi Fund for Future Teachers. Mrs. King is the first Negro in the Lin coln P.T.A., to receive such an l honor.