Trail Blazers, In Defiance
of the Klan
By Ben Davis
( Associate Editor, CNA)
Tn a quiot manner bespeaking
courage an<l determination, Sam
uel B. Solomon. 38 year old Ne
gro leader of Miami, Flu,, told
the amazing story of how he led
1 500 of hi= pei pie to the polls in
Miami last May 2, despite Ku Klux
terro.'.
"I don't ki.ow how i\ v, a. done,
and I can hardly tell it. But 1
knov. it was dene I never would
be sfcle to star in the city now if
the Negroes hadn't supported me
by voting, and if a lot of whi'e
people hadn’t helped me,” he said
modestly.
Sclo-mon told his story in a
special interview with the Crusa
der News Agency at 105 W. Leigh
St., Richmond, Va., where he was
stopping while attending the 30:h
Conference of the National As
sociation for the Advanccmont of
Colored People, held recently in
thait city.
“Ono thing I do know, the Ne
groes are going to vote from now
on in Miami, Klan or no Klan. The
days of frightening us out of our
rights by the use of white sheets
arc long gone.” he went on.
Solomon is about five feet, seven
in height, slender, and weighs
about 135 pounds- He speaks
scarcely above a w'hisper, and is
very retiring in manner. He talks
deliberately, is shy about making
speeches, but ‘‘willing to tell my
story and over again if it will
help ether Negroes to vote.”
He has a stubborn, fearless
poker face which lights up occas
sionally wdien he engages, almost
unwittingly, in biting sarcasm anil
humor. He is a printer by trade,
but is now an undertaker in
Miami.
Action (,ains Kesum
“Since we voted, the grand jury
has condemned 10 blocks of slums
in the Negro districts. I left the
city surveying the Negro section
for pavements, never before in the
town. And hvith tftie assistance
of the Federal Government, we are
going to have some low-rent
houses,” Solomon said, recounting
some of the achievements which
have already begun since the his.
tone vote of May 2.
The young leader told a story
of sitting in his home with his
greased Winchester in his lap,
awaiting ,the Klan, and how .'150
Negroes, equipped for thing
tood determined to del v. their
homes ifi necessary.
"Scene of the newspapers said
that the Reds were behind us. But
there was no connection between
us and any other organization.
Many organizations supported us,
including the longshoremen," Solo
mon explained.
"This was such a setback to the
Klan, that they quit wearing their
roibes, broke off from the parent
organization. The robes we saw
them wear just made us grit our
teeth with determination to vote.
“We told Miami we had decided
to challenge the Klan for tour
lawful democratic rights," he went
on.
The history making vote of
Miami Negroes was flashed all
over the country last May 2, when
1,500 Negroes walked by all sorts
of Klan terror to vote for the
first time in 20 years. Reactionary
officials had gone unchallenged in
their brazen nullification of the
15th Amendment to the Constitu
tion. There were city ordinances
to the effect that Negroes were
not allowed in the white section of
t.h0 jim-crow city after dark,, un
less employed there, or had special
passes. Other democratic rights
were wantonly violated.
The night before the election the
Ku Klux Klan distributed in the
Negro neighborhoods throwaways
which said the iouowmg:
“Respectable Negro citizens are
not voting Tomorrow—Niggers
.stay away from the polls. KKK.”
“But that didn’t scare us any,’’
Solomon said, “when the Negroes
read that they knew they had to
vote. They knew they’d have to
put people in office who wouldn’t
stand for such hooded tactics.
“Then something else happened.
That same night I rode out in my
car, and ran smack into the big
gest Klan parade 'J aver saw.
There were 73 carloads of night
shirt guys and a truck in front
loaded down with crosses. They
were burning these fiery crosses
on every corner of the Negro
neighborhood.
“So I went to my office, more
and mo redetermined to vote. I
found there about fifty Negroes
»
I who asked nie what I was going
to do* I said, “Vote.” They said
‘that’s all we want,’ and at the
same time they took out their
Winchesters and muskets. They
were ready along with tSOO more,
for anything.
“The editor of the Miami Herald
called nie and asked me whether
the Ku Klux Klan bafl bt*‘‘n t0
see me. I replied No, but he could
send them down if they wanted
to.
Ice Cream Failed
Solomon explained that one of
the candidates fop City Commis
sion said he didn’t want a “sin
glo Negro vote,” but he later
lived to regret it. The candidate
J. T. Christiansen, head of the
Miami Ice Cream and Dairy Com
pany, sold ice cream at the Negro
junior high school. The children
posted slogans which read:
“Mr. Christiansen doesn’t want
our votes, and w*. don’t want his
ico cream.”
“Then Mr. Christiansen, repu
diated his repudiation of the
Negro vote Rut it was too late,
and he had to withdraw from the
race,” Solomon said with hardly
a ripple in his face.. “And by the
way,” he added, ‘ Mr. Christiansen
didn’t sell any more ice cream.”
The platform around which Mia
mi Negroes rallied to vote was
for: better sanitary conditions;
paved streets and sidewalks; eli
mination of slums; garbage and
rubbish to be removed from
streets; parks and improved hos
pital; and protection for Negro
women and children. 'It was a
platform of struggle for practi
cally any Negro community any
where in America. “A lot of them
said this platform made me a
KM, ooionTum
Asked whether they hadn’t pas.
se,l a law since May, to keep Ne
groes from voting, Solomon re
plied:
“Yes, they passed such a law.
They railroaded it through the
legislature and it’s unconstitu
tional. We’re not bothered about
it. We are going to fight it. We’re
gjoing to register and vote in
Miami next time not 1,400 strong,
but six to ten thousand strong.
That's our answer.’’
Solomon’s story is a product of
he new and developing propres
sive South, and W'H 'n ^urn 'n"
spire the whole right to vote
movement in the South today.
—.. --0O0
WATSON. BATISTE
TO GO ABROAD
Lincoln, Neb. Aug. 3 (AND)
\. U. meet here last Monday ami
Tuesday Joe Batiste, 18 year old
high school hurdler from Tuscon,
Ariz., found himself a member,
along with Bill Watson of Michi
gan of the 10 man American
track team who will compete in
the international games to be
held in London Aug. 7.
Batiste won the high hurdles
after Fred Wolcott of Rice, gen
erally recognzed as the greatest
in tho world today, stumbled over
the eight and ninth sticks and
came in second. But the AAU con
sistently names winners of the na
tional championships, no matter
how surprising their victories
may be. Although most of the
selections committee felt Wotcott
should be chosen, after several
hours of wrangling, the bid went
to Batiste.
Watson failed to win a cham
pionship but was picked because
of his versatility. The 10 Ameri
cans (must compete in 14 events.
The Michigan star is Big 10
champion in the discus, ohot pul
and broad jump and also can high
jump and throw the javelin.
-oOo
THE GODS OF THE GOD
By William Henry Hu££ for ANP
The gods of golk
Will never hold
A lure supreme for me
For I am told
From days of old
They held perdition’s key.
On^ God alone
I call my own—
One only do I need;
Before his throne
We must atone
For every act and deed.
•-ooo
SILLY
Anne What fools some women
are*
Nan—Why?
Anne—Well, if you give your
husband too much rope can you
blame him if he skips.
RATING THE REGARDS
(by Frank Mar hall Davis for
ANP)
OLDTIMER JOHNNY DODDS
Back in the 1920's, Jonnny
Dodds ruled clarinetists just as
1 Benny Goodman does today. Many
aco blackstick men have learned
plenty from his heavy New Or
leans style. Bluebird has just re
issue I four of his most re.presen
tativo platters. INDIGO STOMP,
(1929) and BLUE PIANO STOMP
(1928), trio; WEARY CITY
(1928) and BULL FIDDLE
BLUES (1928) and washboard
band: TOO TIGHT and GOOBER
DANCE, and MY LITTLE ISA
BEL and HEAH ME TALKIN’ TO
YA, all in 1929 by the hot six.
Of this group, “TOO ll.GHT”
has never before been released.
Mo t of these numbers are slow
blues. Playing with Johnny are
hir. brothei-, Baby Dodds,. ou‘ tand
ing drummer; Lil Armstrong, !
•nist; Natty Domanique trump
eter, and several musicians whose
names are not known. They did
not bother with trick arrange
ments and exhibitionism, but con
centrated on producing sincere
jazz of the original New Orleans
type, and these records will draw
enthusiastic applause from those
of us who have tired of the 1939
killer-diller performances.
Johnny Hodges, Barney Bigard
and the boss, Duke Ellington are
represented on three new releases.
Hodges, my favorite alto saxa
phonist, does a Wayne King on
that sweet and dreamy YOU CAN
COUNT ON ME and then gats
swingy as the devil on KITCHEN
MECHANIC’S DAY for Vocalion.
A fine double with two types of
music. Clarinetist Bigard’s group
supports the Quintones, a wonder
ful new rhythm singing unit, on
the Vocalion of CHEW CHEW
CHEW and UTT-DA-ZAY. A na
tural for the jitterbugs. Duke’s
band revives his COTTON CLUB
STOMP in modem manner on
Brunswick coupled with IN A
MIZZ, the latter with Ivie An
derson warbling. Typical Elling
ton with some grand Rex Stewart
trumpet on the Mizz side.
The Three Peppers, making
their bow on Decca, are a natural
for swing fans. They are a vocal
trio with piano, bass, guitar and
drums. Bob Howard is spotted on
vocal and piano. Titles are LOVE
GROWS ON THE WHITE OAK
TREE and SWING OUT UNCLE
WILSON. Art Shaw’s new Blue
bird of OCTOROON is something
to rave about, with highly effec
tive muted trumpet and Shaw
clarinet in indigo mood. The coup
ling is ALL I REMEMBER IS
YOU. Vocalion has also reissued
Art Shaw combine of JUST YOU,
JUST ME and IF IT’S THE LAST
THING I DO. Okay if you’re a
confirmed Shaw fan,
Billie Holiday has a Class-A
performance on YESTERDAY and
I GOT A RIGHT TO SING THE
BLUES, both thoroughly inspired,
and with a great band backing
her. There’s a particularly brilli
ant alto sax solo. This platter is
published by Commodore Music
Shops. Gene Krupa, who hasn’t
1 been litting himself go of late,
has a fit on the town-toms in JUN
GLE MADNESS. Swell swing,
with soft coupling of YOU
TAUGHT ME TO LOVE AGAIN.
A Brunswick. The rapidly rising
Toppers have a version of Lime
house BLUES that’s a honey, with
Joe Gordiana playing his fiddle
to pieces. Don’t care as much for
MISTER ARISTOCRAT, the other
side of this Vocalion.
After a long absence, the Ray
mond Scott Quintet, ace players
of descriptive jabb, produce tor
Brunswick the charming IN AN
18TH CENTURY DRAWING
ROOM coupled with BOY SCOUT
IN SWITZERLAND a much hot
ter tune. At the same time Bruns
wick has relea<ed MR. RENARD’S
NIGHTMARE and PLAIN JANE
by Sidney Phillips, ca’ied the
“Raymond Scott of Englanu.’’ This
DARK LAUGHTER 0L HARRINGT0N
Ail wonaer why the big boss still calls this a pleasure cruise?
is some of the most brilliant swing
to come out of England in many
moons. Both discs are good, but
of the two I prefer Phillips’. Lar
ry Clinton has a clove" and tricky
arrangement of IN A PERSIAN
some good tenor sax. The coupling
MARKET for Victor featured by
is POOR LITTLE RICH GIRL.
If you care for cowboy music,
then gray up RED RIVER VAL
LEY and CARRY ME BACK TO
THE LONE PRAIRIE by Redd
Evans with combines this kind of
stuff with good swing. One reason
is that Teddy Wilson and Buster
Bailey are in the band.
Although Fats Waller doesr't
feature his piano he is at his jivin’
best vocalizing THERE’LL BE
SOME CHANGES MADE and
BLUE BECAUSE OF YOU for
Bluebird. Herman Autrey plays a
lot of trumpet on the second side
with Fats ad libbing all the way
through both numbers. Harry
James and the whole band must
have been feeling awfully good
when they cut I FOUND A NEW
BABY and FANNNIE MAY for
Brunswick. Solid and tremendous.
Vincent Lopez calls his group a
“suave swing orchestra’’ but the
boys have a killer diller for the
jitterbugs in their Bluebird of
THERE’S A SMALL HOTEL and
I’M FOREVER BLOWING BUB
BLES. That drummer knows his
traps. Here’s a novelty version of
GULF COAST BLUES and
WEARY BLUES by the Light
Crust Doughboys on Vocalion.
One of the last series of plat
ters made by the late Chick Webb
has just been released on Decca.
Ella Fitzgerald sings tellingly
LITTLE WHITE LIES and ONE
SIDE OF ME, with marvelous
piano and several bars of thrill
ing muted trumpet by Taft Jor
dan. This disc is, however, on the
soft side with no drums featur
ed. A solid sendej- is Glenn Mi'
ler's Bluebird of SLIP HORN
JIVE. Honest to goodness jazz,
v-ith sensational trombone trio
end grand tenor sa<. The coupling
i; GUESS I’LL GO BACK HOME
iffectively rend’ ed. Don’t miss
Jack Teagarden’s new Brunswick
of UNDERTOW, featuring <.has
Spivak on trumpet, and PICKIN’
FOR PATSY, starring Alla::
Reuss on guitar. ¥ -.ill go for this
in a big way.
Sister Rosetta Tharpo’s indi
vidual style show3 to good idvan
tage on BRING BACK THOSE
HAPPY DAYS and THIS TRAIN
foi Decca. Tommy Dors y’s Vic
tor of YOU DON’T KNOW HOW
MUCH YOU CAN SUFFER and
OH YOU CRAZY MOON is well
done, but not out of the ordinary.
Quite salty is Monkey Joe’s Voca
lion of 1 WAS LAYING ’EM
DOWN and WISE TO THE JIVE.
While Leroy’s Buddy gets off
some cld fashioned Blues on the
Decca of RIGHT HAND FRIEND
3tul MEAN OLD WORLD TO
ANOTHER NEGRO
GETS APPOINTMENT
Washington, D. C.— Frank L.
Williams, principal of the Vashon
High School in St. Louis, Mo.,
(has been appointed a member of
tho housing authority of that ci
ty, according to information re
ceived here last week by Nathan
Straus, Administrator of the U
nited States Housing Authority.
The appointment of the St. Louis
educator and civic leader brings to
a total of 21 the number of Ne
groes now serving on local author
ities in cities throughout the coun
try. Long a leader in the commun
ity life of St. Louis, Mr. Williams
is chairman of the Board of Man
agers of the Pine Street Y.M.C.A.,
member of the Board of Curators
of Lincoln University of Missouri,
and president of the New Age
Building and Loan Association.
Endorsing the appointment, The
ST. LOUIS ARGUS asserts: “In
the selection of Mr. Williams as
a representative of the colored
people of this community, we think
Mayor made a fine choice, for
Mr. Williams is a man of honor
and integrity and had had a wide
experience in bhe business field,
particularly along real estate
lines.”
Negro membership on local hous
ing authorities has been urged by
Mr. Straus. Addressing the Sec
ond National Conference on the
Problems of the Negro and the
South, the USHA Administrator
said: “In every community in
whicth there is a large Negro pop
ulation living in the slums, it seems
to me fitting, proper and reason
able that one member of the lo
cal housing authority should be a j
member of that race.”
Aimong the 21 Negro members
of local housing authorities are
three women: Mrs. Jesse L. Ter
ry, clubwoman and civic leader, re
cently apppointed to the Los An
geles authority; Mrs. Mary Mc
Leod Bethune, educator and NYA
executive, Daytona Beach, Fla.;
and Mrs. Hattie E. Clark, social
worker, Charleston, West Va.
Other housing commissioners in
clude Dr. W. Harry Barnes, Phil
adelphia. Pa.; Joseph W. Bowers,
Orange, N. J.; Major Robert A.
Byrd, Springfield, 111.; George W.
Crawford, New Haven, Conn.; C.
L. Ennix, Nashville, Tenn.; J. Ev
erett Harris, Louisville, Ky.; the
Rev. William K. Hopes, Hartford,
Conn.; Clay E. Hunter, Canton,
Ohio; C. Sylvester Jackson, Harris
burg, Pa.; Richard F. Jones, Pitts
burgh, Pa.; Harold A. Lett, New
ark, N. J.; George B. Murphy,
LIVE IN. And thfe Harlem Ham
Fats combine rhythm with Alber
ta Smith’s voice on the Vocalion
of YOU’VE HAD YOUR LAST
GOOD TIME WITH ME and
i SOMETHING WRONG WITH
| MY MIND.
Baltimore, Md.; Dr. Robert F. Pul
ley, Toledo, Ohio; LeRoy F. Rid
ley, Newport News, Va.; Dr. E. A.
Robinson, Ashbury Park, N. J.;
Robert R. Taylor, Chicago, 111.;
and Dr. Howard E. Primas, Cam
den, N. J.; Dr. Theodore Cable of
Indianapolis and William B. Ram
sey of Philadelphia are members
respectively of the Indiana and
Pennsylvania state housing fc-oards
~ ’ II
By KORAC
THE DISCOVERT
Recards came up behind the In
dian while Zaner leaped upon L;n*
from the front! The native uttered
a startled cry and suddenly becs-tu®
transformed into a lighting demon!
"Hold him!" yelled Leo. "Try t®
tackle him. John!"
The Indian was all action; his
arms flew in all directions but
Zaner continued to hold him In a
powerful iron-clad grip. Suddenly
seeing that he was losing the batt!®
against two very hardened adver
saries, the Indian feigned submis
sion. When Leo noticed this, he re
leased his grip while Recards d'd
likewise. Taking advantage of the
momentary lull in the struggle, the
native made a final desperate ef
fort to escape his captors. With a
sudden twist, the Indian threw
Zaner and Recards completely ctt
balance! Leo’s head landed hard
against the ground floor and the ex
plorer lost consciousness! Recards.
however, did not fare so badly—fc®
was only stunned by the sudden
thrust.
Zaner managed to rise to bl®
feet a moment later and grin.
"I can’t see what you’re smiling
about,” remarked John Recards,
“that bump on your head Is as larg*
as an egg.”
Leo felt his head sheepishly.
“I’ll probably live; too bad he got
away.”
“We’ll get him yet.” prophesied
the older man. “Besides he left m®
a memento—some sort of belt. I
grabbed It off him as he pulled
away.”
“Good work, John. One thing I
am sure of Is, the Indian Is cer
tainly not Bolo."
“Of course not. Bolo Is much
smaller; I did suspect Bolo when
he deserted us."
The adventurers had a good
night’s sleep, and after breakfast
Recards mentioned something about
the belt.
Leo said, “As far as I can see.
this belt was made by a master
craftsman; the designing Is almost
miraculous. It’s certainly nothing
like anything I have ever seen be
fore, except in books.”
"I have been studying the belt
tor two hours,” spoke Recards.
Now I think that I know where it
comes from!”
SOLUTION ON PAGE 12
WORD SQUARES
The numbers, 1 to 0, on the board refer to the arithmetical and
alphabetical notations on the dial. The test of skill consists In
forming a magic square reading live words across and five words
down, as defined. Pick the right letter for each and every space
to obtain a complete solution.
HORIZONTAL
First Row—Extort money.
Seeond Row—Musical composition.
Third Row—Excel In any way.
Fourth Row—Trapper who snares
with contrivances.
Fifth Row—Wants.
VERTICAL
First Row—American abolitionist
hanged in Virginia.
Second Row—Man’s nickname.
Third Row -We suggest.nous,
between us.
Fourth Row—Sharp.
Fifth Row—Passageways.
I ' . "" I
(Paris)
“I-et’8 go over again to the bird
market by the river," cried Betsey,
as our travelers, Sam and Betsey
and Mr. Van, walked along a street
early in the morning. “I like that
best of anything we’ve seen in
Paris, and we didn’t see all the
birds yesterday anyway.”
A few moments walking brought
them once more to the bird market,
where the birds, in the morning
sunlight, were singing as loud as
they could, all the songs they
knew. They stopped in front of a
shop, with a huge red parrot hang
ing in the doorway, who scolded
Gvp for all he was worth.
Suddenly a little French boy
dashed out of the shop and joined
them. “So this is the little dog’s
owner,” he said. ‘‘I found him the
other day running around the mar
ket by himself. He was lost, so I
took him home with me and he
was very good, too. Except at first,
le did not like Pierre, but later
they became fast friends and slept
together all night in Pierre’s box."
Sam and ^rtsey and Mr. Van
thanked the little French boy for
taking care of Gyp and then Betsey
asked:
"Who is Pierre?"
"Do you not know Pierre,” laugh
ed the French boy, "then you must
see him sometime. Pierre is ths
biggest, fattest goose in ail Paris,
and he has many, many tricks that
he will do for you."
“Show him to us,” cried Betsey,
"we’d love to see him, and so would
Gyp.”
“Oh, but I cannot,” replied their
new friend, “because he left this
morning with my grandmother to
go out to her farm in the country.
Tomorrow morning is the Fair, and
Pierre is to be shown among all
the other geese around the country
side, and we are going there to see
him take first prize.”
“Then let us go, too. Mr. Van,”
begged Betsey, “it would be fun to
see a country Fair while we are in
France.”
“And we'll see Pierre the goose
take first prize,” shouted Sam.
“Oh, be sure to come,” cried ths
French boy, “my Grandmere has
ironed out a wide blue ribbon for
Pierre to wear around his long
white neck, and every one will be
there; it is a gala day.”
When Mr. Van said yes, they
would go to the Fair next day, Sam
and Betsey filled the bird market
with shouts of delight and parted
promising to meet the French bo§
next day at the Fair.
