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nm*~:-T^ The Only Paper of Hs
V-c uinana Guide Kind West of the
freqrWeek Missouri River
TPTHEUNE\
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VOL. VII.— Omaha, Nebraska, Saturday, February 25,1933. Number One. _
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!; "QI6ESTINfi|
'; Die NEWS" |
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Every Week from this Column J
J By CLIFFORD C. HLrCHEU. J
HELPING NEGRO PRISONERS
• ft
During the past few months quite a
few of the colored papers throughout
the country that carry this particul
ar column, and a few that don’t, have
also been printing a weekly release
of mine, “Prisons and Prisoners”, that
is written for, and orginally printed
in “School News”, a weekly public
ation by *nd for Jackson Prison in
miifi.
• • •
And while my weekly contributions
of thought t® our paper are for the
equal benefit of all prisoners without
thought express ion as to color, na
tionality or class, I recognise the fact
that the readers of this “Digesting
the News” column *re particularly in
terested in comment as it pertains to
racial affairs and, therefore, in writ
ing thii release 1 have in mind, part
icularly, Negro prisoners.
• * ’
As the direct result of the publicity
given my "Prisons and Prisoners” re
leases by some thirty-odd colored pa
pers I have received quite a few let
ters from prominent colored people
who not only compliment me upon
my efforts but show a willingness to
cooperate, as far as their limited
means will permit them, to help some
unfortunate prisoners.
• • •
Quite a few of the correspondents
indicate that they a re glad to help
and encourage the fellow who is
"down” and as proof of their expres
sion they relate the fact that they
are financial subscribers to certain
national organizations, etc. To all of
these correspondents I am grateful
and because I am unable to reply to
each one personally I take this meth
od of offering a few suggestions.
• • •
To offset some erroneous beliefs I
wish to inform some of my corres
pondents that in my nearly twenty
years of contact with the "underdog”,
especially prisoners, I have not yet
seen or beard of any Negro organiz
ation, national, state or local, who
has actually helped any Negro pris
oner that I have ever seen or came in
contact with. In a few instances, cor.
respondesKs has been seen, but no re
baf.
Of course, we have read of a great
many metance# of such help, but in
nearly twenty yean of contact*we
have ntrrer been able to cone within
done distance of any prisoners so
helped.
• • •
There are a great many prisoners,
with the Negroee in greater propor
tion, who need help. Not particular
ly of the financial or usual welfare
wanety. hut the moral assistance that
nr-jential members can give to pris
oners. There are a great many pris
oners, colored especially, who could
gain their freedom tomorrow, if they
enjoyed the contact of some reput
able eitiren who would lend their
moral aid m helping the prisoner to
rehabilitate himself. And there are
many prisoners who are sincere and
worthy of such assistance.
• • •
And penologist is able to refer you
to many worthy eases if you are de
sirous ef really Helping Negro Pris
oners.
Am the Indian Doctor's Display at
*o«a Drag.
I
FIVE KILLED IN TRAM CRASH
-- ■ ■ —.
Dr. Lennox On the Job
...... - ■ - - ■ ....-.
February 10, 1933
Mayor Richard L. Metcalfe,
City Hall Bldg.,
Omaha, Nebr.
Dear Mayor Metcalfe.
I am hoping you will not misinter
pret my meaning, but as one of a
community I am anxious to see each
department of our city elevated to
the highest efficiency obtainable.
Knowing that you are a humanit
arian, who believes in the betterment
of our city from every angle, we feel
proud that you have manifested all
efforts towards same.
1 do not want you to think that I
am making any criticisms whatso
ever, as I believe those holding offic
es as commissioners are true hearted
and conscientious in every way.
Observing in the last few weeks
the terrible disasters caused by fire,
and thinking of the many homes left
without husbands and fathers, who
have been the victims of the same as
a representative of this community1
I am writing you, knowing with your
assistance and cooperation added to
that of Gommassioner Towle, a more
safety protection will be worked out
for our firemen.
I do not mean to interfere with the
men who have prepared themselves
for such work, but I am sure you re
alize these disastrous occurrences are
touching to those dealing with the
i ves of humanity day after day. Es
pecially after having observed the in
jured and the remains of those being
carried away, victims of our recent
fires.
Thanking you for all consideration
and co-operation I know you and the
other commissioners will give in re
gards to this matter, I am.
Respectfully yours,
Dr. G. B. Lennox, President,
Working Men's Commrisioners,
2122 North 24th St.
February 14, 1933.
Dr. G. B. Lennox,
2122 North 24th St., Omaha
Dear Dr. Lennox:
Thank you for your letter of Febr
uary 10th. I would be glad to have
you call at the mayor’s office at your
convenience and we will go over the
suggestions you make.
I shall be grateful for your assist
ance.
Sincerely yours,
Richard L. Metcalfe •
Mayor
February 17, 1933
Mayor Richard L. Metcalfe,
City of Omaha,
Qity Hall Building.
Dear Mayor Metcalfe:
I highly appreciate the consider,
ation given regarding my letter of
February 10th.
As mayor of our city, I know you
are efficient and well qualified to
cope with different situations that
may arise for the betterment of the
city, and if ^he small view points that
I had in mind will be of any use, or
as food for thought, enabling you to
formulate a plan that will be benefic
ial, I shall give them readrily.
At the present I am over-crowded
and pushed for time, but the first op
portunity that I have, I shall make
an engagement with you regarding
same.
In the meantime, little points that
I may secure from association and
contact, I shall be glad to give them
to you also.
Thanking you very much for this
consideration, and appreciating your1
letter, I am,
Respectfully yours,
Dr. G. B. Lennox, President,
Working Men’s Conrmrisioners,
2122 North 24th St.
__
MEMORIAL SERVICES
TO BE HELD FOR
FATHER WILLIAMS
Memorial Services will be held at
St. Phillip’s Church Sunday after,
noon February 26th at 4 o’clock in
honor of Father John Albert Wil
liams.
Bi6hop Shaylet will be in charge of
the services, h^syor Metcalije eri(
Mr. John Hedeland will be the speak
ers for the afternoon.
DIXIE RAMBLERS AT DREAM.
LAND
We see that the Dixie Ramblers,
under the management and personal
direction of “Red Perkins”, are back
with us again after filling dates all
around us and not being able to play
for a race dance here in the city in
eighteen months.
We hear that Perkins has rounded
his beys into one of the best click
ing bands in this part of the coun
try and according to responses to
their recent radio broadcastings they
deliver more entertainment, along
with the best dance rhythm, than
many of the much, larger bands
heard over the air.
It may be well to know that Mr.
Perkins is the only leader and man
ager who has been able to keep all
of his boys together, and has not
changed or lost one through exchange
in two and a half years. This alone
accounts for their wonderful team
work and ensemble renditions.
The boys and their wives are being
entertained at a banquet before the
dance Monday Night.
NEGROES SEEK ENTRANCE LAW
SCHOOL OF N. CAROLINA U.
Durham, N. C. Feb. 17—A legal
battle to secure the entrance of Ne
gro students to the law school of the
University of North Carolina will be
launched here soon. Plans are all
aid and await the refusal of the
university to accept application from
a qualified Negro student who already
has an application blank to be filled
out and deturned to the dean of ad
missions.
The attorneys who are handling
the case are Conrad 0. Pearson and
Cecil A. McCoy of this city. They
have the advice and assistance of the
National Association for the Ad
vancement of Colored People. The
attorneys are basing their claim on
the United States Constitution and
upon the fact that the North Caro
lina laws do not forbid education of
both races at colleges and universit
ies, but only at elementary and high
schools. •
The plan to have Negroes seek en
trance was given wide publicity in the
Greensboro, N. C. Daliy News, and
the paper’s correspondent called the
young colored lawyers “radical mem.
bers of their race who are, of couse,
members of the NAACP.” The pa
per states: “The NAACP. has turned
some pretty spectacular tricks in its
time. It undoubtedly caused the de
feat of Judge John J. Parker—they
brought down some of the biggest Re
publicans in the country.” The art
icle gives the opinion that while the
Negroes may have a good case and
may have the advice of the best law.
yers in the country, they can’t pro
vide tuition in other states for Ne-,
groes who wish to secure profession
al training not available within the
State.
o -- o
Horrified
_ a.
MISS DORIS WEAVER
This charming young woman is
what all the fuss is about at Ohio
State university. President George
Rightmire and the white woman dir
ector of the home economics depart
ment wish to keep her out of a home
management practice house on the
campus. The NAACP. led by the
Cleveland branch, is carrying the
matter to the Ohio supreme court.
Miss Weaver is a Cleveland girl and
a senior at the university. The other
students with whom she was to live
in the practice house have no object
ion to her coming in, but Dr. Right
mire is horrified at the idea of a nice
colored girl living under the same
roof with white girls for six weeks.
CHARGE WHOLESALE JIM-CROW
AT N. Y. COUNTY RESORT
White Plains, N. Y. Feb. 17—
Charges that Negroes have been sys
tematically barred, segregated, in
sulted and even arrested at Playland
the million dollar Westchester coun
ty watering place and amusement re
sort. were placed before the West
chester county board of supervisors
here today by the Mt. Vernon branch
of the National Association for the
Advancement of Colored People.
Witnesses were introduced by the
branch who testified to the follow
ing charges from their personal ex
perience; that Negro citizens have
been barred from the picnic facilities
at Playland; that they have been de.
nied the use of bath houses and the
beach; that they have been denied
concessions at the resort, and that
such concessions as they secured by
mail applications were cancelled
when their racial identity became
known; that they have been charged
more than the posted prices of re
freshments and told frankly that it
was being done because no Negro
patronage was wanted; and that bus
and ship transportation companies
have been instructed not to haul Ne
groes to the resort on pain of having
their licenses revoked.
Playland is a public resort, built
with the taxpayers money. Thomas
H. Bridges, president of the Mt. Ver
non branch and Waverly E. Jones,
chairman of the executive commit
tee, said that if the board of super
visors does not end the segregation
following the hearing today, damage
suits will be instituted as soon as the
resort opens and starts Jim crowing
colored people. The Yonkers, New
Rochelle and White Plain branches of
the association, all in Westchester
county, are pushing the fight with
the Mt. Vernon executives. William
T. Andrews, former special legal as
sistant of the NAACP., represented
the national office at the hearing.
FIGHTS FOR NEGROES AS AM.
MERICAN LABOR
WASHINGTON, FEBRUARY 1«
Senator C. C. Dill, won the at
Jackson of Fratern
ity Barber Shop
Dies
Heart and Stomach Ailment
Cause of Death
Mr. R. D. Jackson of 2723 North
26th St., and for many years part
owner of the Fraternity Barber shop
which is located at 2420 Lake St.,
died at the County Hospital, Wednes
day night, February 22nd from heart
trouble.
Mr. Jackson is survived by his
wife, Mrs. R. D. Jackson and four
children.
He was an active member of the
Cleaves Temple Church. His body
was taken to the Myer’s F'uneral
Home.
tention of the U. S. Senate Wed
nesday when he introduced a bill to
require that all employes of Pullman,
club and observation cars on all rail
roads engaged in interstate commerce,
be Americans. Senator Dill eloquent
ly presented the cause of the Negro
porter as he discussed his measure,
saying that the Negroes were being
supplanted by Japanese and Filipinos
He said that these workers were great
ly best by foreign competition an that
they were greatly in need of federal
assistance.
RABBI DAVID A. GOLDSTEIN TO
GIVE TRAVELOGUE AT YWCA.
“My Visit to The Holy Land and to
Europe” will be the subject of a trav
elogue to be given by Rabbi David A.
Goldstein at the North Side YWCA.
Sunday afternoon, February 26th, at
four-thirty o’clock. Rabbi Goldstein
spent last summer touring the Holy
Land and Europe, and as a pictures
que and brilliant speaker will be
greatly enjoyed. There will be spec
ial music. Men and women, boys
and girls are welcome! Auspices of
Religious Education Committee, Mrs.
C. B. Wilkes, Chairman.
NORTH OMAHA’S BEST SPELLER
CONTEST
The stage is all set at the North
Side “Y” for the first of a series of
spelling matches to determine North
Omaha’s best speller. The Contest is
open to men and women, and begins
Thursday, February 23rd, at 8:30 p.
m. Sharp! Following is the schedule:
Thursday, February 23rd, (Ages 25
and up) Thursday, March 2nd, (Ages
18 to 25) Thursday, March 9th, (Ag
es 12 to 18) Thursday, March 16th,
(Finals),
Register now! Auspices, Health
Education Committee, Thelma Nor
ris Hancock, Chairman,
TO MAKE ,STUDY OF NEGROES
HOUSING CONDITIONS
February 21, 1933— A study of
Housing Conditions among Omaha
Negroes will be made by the Social
Research Committee of the Omaha
Urban League, as announced Tues
day by Dr. T. Earl Sullenger, Head
of the Dept, of Sociology of the Mun
icipal University of Omaha and
Chairman of the Urban League Soc
ial Research Committee. The purpose
of the survey will be to find out the
housing problems of the Negro pop
ulation and recommend any remedies
which may be apparent. Acordirag to
J. Harvey Kerns, Executive Secre
tary of the League, “Negroes are still
forced to pay exhorbitant rents for
the accomodations they receive in
houses. Many are living in base
ments and overcrowding is common
in many districts.” “There are many
cases.” he continued. "Where from 12
to 14 persona are living in 3 to 4
Auto-Tram Crash Causes
Death of Five Texans
FORT WORTH, TEX., Feb. 16
Five colored persons were killed
shortly after 2 o’clock Monday morn
ing when an interurban car crashed
into the automobile in which they
were riding. The accident occurred
at College Hill on the edge of the city.
Hurled Into Eternity
The machine was totally demolish
ed and its passengers were all dead
when gathered up from the scattered
wreckage. The car hit the machine
broadside and jumped the tracks, but
did not upset. It dragged the auto
mobile for more than 300 yards, bat
tering it against three trolley poles
and breaking them. The dead were:
BERNICE BLACKMAN, 29 frac
tured skull, arms and leg; A. C. Mc
KNIGHT, 29, fractured skull and
right arm amptated; ROBERT CALD
WELL, 49, head crushed and one leg
and one arm amputated; GEORGE
JAMES, 40, (driver) head crished;
A. Y. BRAZIER, 30, fractured skull
and broken neck.
Says Car /Sped Onto Tracks
A. W. Powell, 47 (white) motor
man of the interurban, who escaped
with a cut lip, said the driver of the
machine apparently did not see the
speeding car which he was taking to
the barns here.
“Suddenly the machine cut in front
of me.” Powell said. “I was only a
bout 25 feet from the crossing and
could not stop.”
rooms. Unsanitary living conditions
many of which are in violation to the
health regulations persist and tenants
are given little or no consideration
by owners when improvements are
sought.” Another problem Mr.
Kerns stated, is the loss of home
ownership by Many Negroes, who
have been unemployed. The Survey
will be directed by Mr. Kerns, who
will be assisted by twelve field wor
kers.
DISMISSED lOmO UNIVERSITY
PROFESSOR WRITES BOOK
New York, Feb. 17—A new book,
published February 20, called “Begin
nings of Tomorrow”, is described on
its jacket by the publishers as show
ing “the dwindling importance of the
white race.” The author is Dr. Her
bert Adolphus Miller, former profes
sor of sociology at Ohio State Uni
versity, who was dismissed from that
institution two years ago because he
Believed in and practiced equality be
tween colored and white people. Dr.
Miller’s sociology classes used to vis
it sociology classes at Wilberforee
and frequently at a social period, the
students would dance. Dr. George
Rightmire, president of Ohio State
who is now trying to bar Miss Doris
Weaver from a home management
house on the campus, objected to this
social mingling of the students and
Dr. Miller was ousted. His objection
to military training was used as the
excuse, but the real reason it is gen
erally believed was his belief in e.
quality of th races. His new book
is published both by Frederick Stok
es Company and Heath and Company
The price is $2.50.
THE NEGRO TRADE WEEK
The Negro Trade Week will take
on definite form next week. The
speakers are pounding away on the
subject so important to this occasion.
Sunday will find about 25 speakers
at various churches and clubs giving
their reasons why Negro business
should be saved in this emergency.
The night of March 6th has been
selected for a huge mass meeting and
good will reception. Sunday, March
5th. the Ministers have been asked to
preach special sermons on the im
portance of supporting Negro en
terprises. Prizes will be given a.
way at the mass meeting.
SCHOOL BOARD DIS
TRICTING BILL REVIV
ED BY REP. TEASOR
AND OWENS
THE NEBRASKA LEGISLATURE
(by 0. J. BURCKHARDT)
The forty-ninth session of the Ne
braska Legislature is setting a pre
cedent that will make the political
world set up and take notice. They
are conserving on ammunition and
shooting direct at the bull’s eye.
Now there are doubtlessly some in
this session like there have been in
former sessions, that don’t know
what it is all about. But when those
who do know get through explaining
there is but little excuse for anyone
voting ignorant on an important is
sue.
There is a Bill introduced by Rud
olph Teasor of Douglas known as
Hoiuse Role Number 31, which provid
es for the election of the school board
from districts. It read thus: “Mem
bers of said school board shall be
nominated and elected by a non-part
isan ballot. For that purpose, the
election commissionetrs shall divide
the city of Omaha into 12 districts,
as nearly equal in population as may
be, and comprised of contiguous and
compact territory. At the primary
and general election in 1934 and ev
ery 4 years thereafter, there shall be
nominatd and elected to said board
by the vote of the qualified electors
in each respective districts to suc
ceed the members whose terms of of
fice expire at that time.”
This Bill is now up for the third
reading and if it passes, the Negroes
will have a splendid chance to be rep
resented on the school board. This
bill, at one time, was assigned to the
waste basket, but Representative
Johnny Owens linked up with Teasor
and took the floor and, with his orat
orical persuasion, brought back this
Bill to the floor of the House. At
this writing, it has a splendid chance
to become a law.
Van Kirk and Varner of Lancaster
Senate, file 157. For an act to cor
rect the original plot of the City of
Lincoln. This Bill deals with a strip
of land running around the city of
Lincoln that, at the time the original
survey was left out because it was at
the time a swamp, but since then the
waters receded and a number of peo
ple, both white and colored, squatted
on this land and have made their
homes there for years. But Bill 157
would take all of this land away
from the squatters and give it to
those who own land adjoining it. So
-Mr. Bradley, chief custodian of the
senate, notified his colored friend
what was in the air and they got
busy, both white and black, and Suc
ceeded in getting said Bill amended.
So all of these squatters ean retain
their homes by beginning from now
on to pay taxes on the same.
The Negro's interest is being safe
guarded during this Legislature, as
in former times, thus for the race
has been given a*> equal break with
the rest of the citizens.
IMPERIAL JUNIOR LEAGUE MA.
TRON ACCIDENTALLY HURT
Mrs. Carrie Jewell, treasurer of the
Imperial Junior League, suffered a
severe shock Saturday evening at the
Urban League where she was attend
ing the League meeting.
The heel of Mrs. Jewell’s shoe
caught in the top basement step and
she was thrown about fifteen feet on
to the concrete basement. Her back
was severely bruised, one finger cut
and her left leg sprained. She is rap
idly limproving at this writing.
POPULAR COUPLE IN DIVORCE
COURT
Mrs. Bennie Ray has petitioned for
a divorce from Mr. Leon Ray, popu
lar automobile salesman, for non-sup.
port. The Rays are well known ini
the community. They have one
child.