‘Kerns Falsfies, Evades Question At Issue,' Says Horton
URBAN LEAGUE SECRETARY’S POOR
LOGIC REMINISCENT OF A FIFTH
GRADE RURAL ALABAMAN RATHER
THAN A SCHOLARLY URBANITE’
-—_
BY JOHN BENJ. HOBTON, Jr.
In the Jan. 19th. issue of “The
Omaha Guide”, there appeared one of
the most illogical, debasing, falsif ing
and antagonistic attempts at a sensi
ble answer to several facts expounded
by this writer against one J. Harvey
Kerns and “The Petersen’s Bakery”.
Kern’s answer mostly delved into per
sonalities and not facts in this writ
er’s accusations which dealt, principal
ly, with the part this “gentleman”
played in the celebrated “Petersen’s
Dinner for the Colored Old Folks”. It
seemed that in Mr. Kerns’ sensation
al reply, he falsified by setting up a
FALSE ALIBI to clear himself!
Kerns forgot to stick to the points at
issue.
This writer has tried to imagine,
but has been sadly disappointed, that
Mr. Kerns was even a semi-civilized
person, and has finally discovered that
tho Urban League Secretary's reac
tions or responses to certain stimuli
are more reminiscent of the 5th grade
rural Alabaman rather than that of
the suave and scholarly Urbanite.
Kerns finds no competent arguments
to rebut,‘the facts which were written
in the Jan. 4th., issue of “The Omaha
Chronicle”, so, he chose the alterna
tive of what we employ in scholastic
debate as REDUCTIO AD AJ3SUR
DUM, which means (to reduce to the
lowest degree of absurdity).
This writer’s opponent finds time,
also, even in the beginning of his
flimsy “answer”, to jest by calling
“The Omaha Chronicle” ‘the little
sheet which appears occasionally’, but
though he erred not in so designating
its actual size, he failed to realize
that its not the size of a Journal that
counts, but on the contrary its the
quality of material used which makes
for either its progress or failure.
The Urban league Secretary, when
“hit”, did the thing that m,ost FOOLS
do when the truth is told about them;
they seek to cover up behind a smoke
screen of FALSE ALIBIS and fight
back in their mentalH feeble manner.
Men of Kerns’ calibre, when under
fire, CHIDE THE TRUTH!
This individual tells us that “The
Urban League” assisted the Peter
sen’s Bakery in the dinner service
for the “Old Folks”. True enough,
but in the beginning, it was another
party who, it is said, was asked to as
sist the bakery in said service—a Mrs.
Borders living at 2622 N. 25th St.,
Omaha, and NOT Kerns! But some
how, Kerns “STOLE THE SHOW”
from Mrs. Borders and her associates!
We frown upon Kerns’ statement in
the second paragraph of hi3 grotesque
“answer” when he said that "Mrs.
Petersen did so because it has always
been the policy of this organization to
assist in a worthwhile effort”. Such
“tommy-rot” from Kerns is unbeliev
able! Mrs. Peterses has NEVER
done this type of charity for Negroes
before to our knowledge; she gave this
dinner because she was losing Negro
business and desired t-o gain good
will, so she used Mr. “Judas” to pull
her “chestnuts out of the fire”.
The egotistic “gentleman” speaks
indulgently and “deplores the poorly
written and burlesque articles” front
the pen of this writer. Incidentally,
Kerns has forgotten how he has, up
on numerous occasions, praised the
“Chronicle” on its fine brand and pro
gressive piece of Journalism. If the
“gentleman” has forgotten so soon, we
admonish him to think back on the
occasion of the “birthday banquet” of
“The Omaha Chronicle” on Sept. 8th,
1934 when he made quite an impres
sive talk on the program with emmi
nent journalists such as Ballard Dunn,
Editor of The Omaha Journal and
Dwight Griswold, Editor of The Gor
don Journal on behalf of this paper’s
progress. This writer remembers, ver
batum, the above quoted portion of
this certain “tool of the classes”. We
are not sure that the public takes our
articles as a “joke” as kerns infers,
for they continue to call our office
when there’s the least doubt in their
minds that our paper would Issue up
on the regular date; the business-men
also, continue to advertise in same,
and Kerns, evidently, is kidding him
self for if he considered the paper as
a “joke”, he would have refrained
from answering this writer’s attack!
Kerns makes “much ado about
nothing”, and goes so far as to call
this writer “ignorant”. To this, we
reply that if Mr. Kerns were truly in
telligent, he would never have “lost
his head” when he was criticized by
this writer. To the contrary, he would
have read with imperturbable suav
ity, kept his mouth closed and deemed
the aforementioned “burlesque” un
worthy of a reply.
We agree with Kerns “that the Ne
groes efforts at more jobs must be
waged intelligently and consistently,
but let me expound in simple language
so simple that even “Mr.” Kerns
would understand, namely. That WE
MUST IN MOST CASES, ALSO
FIGHT AND FIGHT HARD FOR
SAME! Caa the readers of this paper
th nk of a or other Negro in Omaha,
aside from Kerns, who might possibly
condone Discrimination against the
Proletariat or any other class of our
people on the ground that fighting
them ANNOYS THE DISCRIMINA
TORS? Such a man is of no value
to his race.
Mr. Kerns says he’s “never beea
dictated to as to how he should or
should not do on matters of racial in
terest”. We say: that it would not
be proper for “The Chronicle” ta
make an attempt at dictation if we
believed that Kerns was honestly
helping the race; but he’s doing just
the oposite in his underhanded way.
We would demonstrate to Kerns just
how we could and would dictate to
h m and make him like it, if it were
not for the fact of his leaving our
■ity. A very militant and prejudiced
Southern Senator once said upon the
floor of the National Congress, at a
time when Woodrow Wilson's enemies
were criticizing him after he had died,
on Wilson’s part in establishing “A
League of Nations”, in defense of a
man who had not the chance to speak,
(and we might nicely quote Sen.
Blease to better serve our purpose),
namely: “When Prometheus (a Greek
God) was slain, the vultures tore out
his vitals". By the above, this writer
infers that since Kerns is a “dead is
sue” here in Omaha, we see no good
reason to “devour his flesh” after his
‘death’ just because we wield the
‘whip-hand’ over him.
We do not engage in ‘cheap public
;ty’ as Kerns charges, and “The
Chronicle’s” criticism of Mr. Kerns
surely is Big Publicity and Important
Publicity, and it certainly concerns
the Negroes in Omaha.
Yes, our present methods “antago
nize some employers” as the “gentle
man charges in his answer”, and our
methods have antagonized Kerns.
Nothing inunderstandable about that,
is there?
We, perhaps, have been even more
so instrumental in molding public
| opinion through our “poorly edited
and burlesque articles” than another
of our professed but chicken-hearted
leaders; and the truth made known
about him will mould public opinion
against him.
We, perhaps, know even better than
Kerns where our place is in this com
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munity, fc’* “the press” supercedes
every other civic agency.
This writer claims, not, to be a poli
tician; but he appears te be in the
position to assist even more so in the
gaining of public employment than
even Mr. Kerns.
It is probably good for Kerns to
know that this writer has been inter
ested in modern journalism for 10
years, has written for a number of
substantial race papers, and claims
to know his business even better than
Kerns knows his. Though Kerns ex
poses this writer’s “primitive methods
in Journalism”, we answer with pride
that it is sometimes wise to employ
same if in so doing, it can enlighten
its readers on the chicanery of a cer
tain would-be leader.
This article would be incomplete if
it failed to relate a few of the many
truths on the administration of J.
Harvey Kerns' office as Secretary of
the Omaha Urban League.
First, when Kerns came to Omaha,
there were 23 colored women em
ployed at “The Medical Arts Bldg.”,
those jobs having been secured
through Mr. Ray L. Williams who at
that time was Executive Secretary of
the “Colored Commercial Club” and
who maintained in his set-up a “La
bor Board” whose object it was to
secure employment for Negroes. It
might be said with a great degree
of certainty that Mr. Williams,
when Secretary of the Colored
Commercial Club, made more place
ments in a given period for Ne
groes in Industrial employment than
Kerns would ever hope to make,
for Mr. Williams made no distinction
as to whether one Negro was either
LIGHT or DARK in complexion—Wil
liams cared not, only that the person
or persons so making applications for
employment were competent to hold
tho prospective job.
It is further alleged that Kerne
claimed tho glory for colorod elevator
girl operators in the Brandeis Stores,
but he falsefted in this claim for it
was largely through the efforts of
“The Omaha Guide” that we today
have Negro women operating those
elevators.
I'm informed that whenever the se
lection of members of his own raee
comes up for membership to the Ur
ban League Board of Directors, Kerns
does the selecting; he selects those of
his own group whom he can use to his
best advantage.
ihe Urban League, through Kerns,
formed an “Advisory Board” which
has never called a meeting to advise
him on matters of import to his or
ganization. Kerns didn’t want that
because he probably felt that such a
board was not competent to advise
him. Such a man as Kerns probably
knew far too much to be advised by
his “inferiors”. Just a sham, per
haps, for convenient purposes.
Kerns says that he organized 2 or 3
Boy Scout Troops in Omaha in one of
his Annual reports to his superiors;
but, I invite any of our readers to
trail Scout Hdqtrs., 300 Aquilla Court,
and you’ll be told that Kerns didn’t
organize same. This man Kerns sim
ply wanted to take credit for doing
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■something that he knew deep down in
his heart that he didn’t do, and be
sides, who would ever find out what
he placed in that report, knowing well
enough that he could easily fool his
white superiors—provided the Ne
groes wouldn’t “kick” ? Mr. T. P. Ma
hamm.it was the man who is largely
due the credit for organising those
Scouts.
A year or so ago, the Colored Hotel
Waiters Asen. was formed, and a
Mr. M. L. Harris was asked to head
same; and Harr s accepted the Presi
dency after his election. This writer
witnessed that electien as a member
of same; Kents injected himself into
the picture, and he used his influence
to keep those waiters from demanding
a larger salary. Kerns led the fight
against Mr. Harris in the above di
rection. Kerns’ business as a mem
ber was, it is generally agreed, to pla
cate the NegTO and keep him subser
vient to the wishes of the white Ho
tel owners and Managers. This rea
soning is correet, for Kerns has al
ways catered to Capatilistic interests
in order that he maintain an exorbi
tant income for work that an ordi
nary high school freshman could have
done. If Kerns had been working for
the best Interests of the waiters Assn.,
as its President M. L. Harris had been
doing, then WHY IN THE NAME OF
COMMON SENSE WAS KERNS AC
CEPTABLE TO THE HOTEL PRO
PRIETORS AND HARRIS WAS
NOT? WHY DID THE HOTEL
OWNERS RECEIVE KERNS ANT)
REJECT HARIS on matters pertinent
to the Assn’s future ? The answer is
clear; the Hotel proprietors knew that
Kerns could be used and thnt he would
probably, sell out his race to keep
within their good graces!
Believe me if yoa may that this mao
Kerns has bees ininimieal to the best
interests of our group and that his de
parture should NOT BE MOURNED
nor DEPLORED; its a God-sent
blessing4
Kerns falsefied when he said that
he resigned his post here to accept the
Kansas City Urban League post. Glar
ing headlines were published in an
other of our local race papers to that
effect; but a Mr. Webster, Industrial
Secretary of the Kansas City League
was elected recentl ■ as its Executive
Secretary. If you doubt this writer’s
veracity, read the Jan. 18th, issue of
“The Kansas City Call”. Kansas
Cityans were too .ntelligent te accept
6uch an unfit and unscrupulous person
as Kerns.
It’s alleged that Kerns has falsefied
also, in arranging his reslgnat on for
the position which he now holds with
this Omaha Urhaa League. It is com
mon rumor that he was requested to
resign!!!
Finally, Kerns must know and real
ize that he can’t cope with the press
and expect to win. He must know
that hie position in our community is
that of just another social worker;
ours is that of leadership, and that
leadership is NOT “FALSE" aa he
would have you believe; and that
leadership is vested in the masses and
NOT in the Editor of any paper—even
“The Omaha Chronicle”.
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