T “AND WORTH IT” ■
\
/JUSTICE/EQUALITY HEW TO THE IINE\
EQUAL OPPORTUNITY PHONE HA.0800
l. i lv vi nni« i j i
^ ^ ^ ^ "Largest Accredited Negro Newspaper West of Chicago and North of KC•
_ _ __ , ,A _ _ Entered as 2nd class matter at Post-of lice. Omaha, Nebr., Under Act of
Saturday, Nov. 17, 1945 Our 18th Year,—No. 41 ★ 10c Per Copy ★ March 8, 1874. Publishing Offices at 2420 Grant Street, Omaha, Nebr.
OKLAHOMANS WILL SUE TO ENTER ONIVERSITTE-SF
« -
Will Follow Pattern
of Now Famous
Gaines Case in Mo.
equality for 200,000 Oklahoma Ne
groes is to be sought immediately
in court action which, if successful
will open tne state's institutions of
higher learning to the Negro.
More than 200 delegates to the
annual state convention of the Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People cheered
this announcement November 3 as
the session wounj up its affairs
here.
The move will Involve an attempt
to enroll in the University of Okla
homa and Oklahmoa A&M college
Negro students who want courses
on graduate and professional levels
not offered by the state at the
Langston university. The plan of
attack will be similar to that used
by Misousir Negroes in the now
celebrated Lloyd Gaines case.
The conference was addressed by
Thurgood Marshall, chief counsel
of the NAACP from New York, who
declared admist applause: "This is
the easiest case to beat that ever
entered the courts of Oklahoma ’
Roscoe Dunjee, Oklahoma City
editor and president of the state
conference, of the NAACP said that
immediate steps will be taken to
Implement the program adopted t>y
the convention. '*
"If a white boy is able to study
medicine or law at a state school,
that same state must make medic
ine and law schools available to a
black boy." Dunjee said.
He said the action will go farth
er than higher education, however.
He predicted that it will be carried
into secondary and elementary
schools in an effort to secure better
educational opportunities for all
Negro youth.
Plain Talk...
BV DAN GARDNER
ON ETHIOPIA’S INVITATION
TO HOMELESS WHITE
EUROPEANS
Uetaheun Tesomma, the first sec
retary t<> the Ethiopian Legation at
Washington, came up with a cork
er the other night at the Herald
Tribune Forum on current prob
lems. He read a message from Em.
peror Halle Selassie in which the
ancient African kingdom has gone
on record as being willing to pro
vide a haven for the homeless and
displaced families of white F.urop£T
"The problem of yesterday was,
the prosecution of the war.” the
Emperor's message read. "Ethiop
ia has contributed countless lives as
well as territory anj materials to
that end. One of the most serious
problems of today Is that of the
homeless and displaced families.
Ethiopia afforded refuge to many
homeless from southern Europe,
particularly from Greece and is
prepared to continue her contribu
tion. She anxiously seeks, within
the measure of their capacities, to
broaden the scope of her collabor
ation and assistance in the attain
ment of the objectives of collective
Security and a peace founded upon
justice.” J
It is significant that the ruler of
an African nation should offer his
country to the alleviation of Eur
opean suffering. It is significant
that one of the first nations to be
the victim of fascist terrorism and
exploitation should now be turning
the other cheek to prove by exani
ie taat after all, there are some
people in this crazy world of ours
who believe in right and in Justice.
But somehow it doesn't quite jell
t.: s column
i remember vivid circumstances
of 1D35.37 in Ethiopia's resumption
of the world spotlight in which A
merican Negroes at long last be
lieved in the "fatherland” of all
Negro people. Then, if it will be
recalled, Ras Tafari as Haile Selas
sie was known before he took over
the throne of the Lion of Judah
organizations, clubs societies aid
movements were begun by enthus
iastic American Negroes based on
the assumption that the Ethiopians
"regarded themselves as Negroes and
were finally, after all these centur
ies “stretching forth" their hands
to their black brothers, wherever
they were. They made Ras Tafari
Emperor of the North African em
pire and then in rapid succession
came the incidents involving Ethi
opia and Italian Somaliland. Mus
solini's mouthings and finally the
asion of Ethiopia which
ipened the way for World War II.
Thousands' of dollars were collect
td from American Negroes to aid
the Ethiopian cause. Minor riots
took place between Negroes and
Italians here in the States over the
issue. But deeped than that was
the conviction we all had that in
Ethiopia, the American Negro had
finally been given his own Zion, a
black Zion in which, some day, wc
would all reunite to at last estab
lish the kinship of black peoples in
• For The Latest
(See Ed. Patton’s Ad
(OX PAGE THREE)
P 0 D C W Executive District Chairmen Hold Meetina In Omaha
U.1AHA, UKNVEH OI.1IKN, I.USj
ANGELES PORTLAND, OAK
LAND DISTRICTS PRESENT
The Execut oard of the Pro
tective Order £*0’ ining Car Wait
er*. Local Numt*1 465 held it*
meetings from Novei- ier 11th
through November 14, 19 i.
Members of the Board present at
H.these meetings were: Mr. R. C.
Long, General Chairman; Mr. Arth
ur H. Reed, Secretary-Treasurer;:
Mr. Alton B. Goode. District Chair_:
man of Omaha District; Mr. John
N. Harper, District Chairman of the
Denver District; Mr. Chester A.
Foote District Chairman of Ogden
District; Mr. Lovic E. Howell Dis
*
trict Chairman of Los Angeles Dis
trict; Mr. John A. Minor, District
Chairman of Portland District;
Mr. Hudson L. Moore, District
Chairman of Oakland District and
Mr. Harry W. Reed. Secretary
Treasurer of Log Angeles District.
The Board followed ilS agenda
_an education program to train
their men in the labor movement
and for the service they render the
public with the Carrier. The board
went on record of holding a System
Conference in the city of Portland,
Oregon in 1946. They also discuss
ed the post war program as per
training to the men and their fam
ilies.
This Board has the power to leg
islate and form policies for the
guidance of the entire organization
which covers the Union Pacific
Railroad system and the Southern
Pacific and Spokane, Portland &
Seattle P-ilrc ’d sypteiv*. -♦
Reports from the various Board
members showed a marked improve
ment in their districts. Members
of the Board stressed the thought
of unity and have followed thig all
through their deliberations to such
an extent that the meetings have
been very harmonious and construc
tive.
The Board was entertained on
November 13 by the Ladies Auxil
iary of Omaha District and on Nov
ember 14 by the Omaha Dining Car
Waiters' Key lub. The program
for the latter entertainment con
sisted of addresses by the various
Board members, Mr. Harry W.
Reed, and Mr. John H. Hargrove of
the OPA., who was a former mem
ber of the Board.
““^
this world. Well, it didn’t work
out that way.
A» 1 recall It it wag a bit hard
to get any definite statement of
kinship between the Ethiopian and
the American Negro out of Addis
Ababa.
Instead, the Ethiopians pro
nounced most firmly that they were I
not Negroes, had little interest in
"Negro Problems,” and let it be
known that they regard themselv
es as Semitic in thought, in ideal
and by descent.
This was contrary to the preach
ings of the homegrown disciples of
Negro-Ethiopian kinship. But tl^>
damage had been already done.
Every Negro who thought about
it considered himself an Ethiopian,
if not in appearance, at least at
heart.
A possible explanation was the
coarseness of the Ethiopian’s hair
and the blackness of his skin, al
though Haile Selassie looks more
white than Negro.
You know the story; the Italians!
were the first to quit World War 11
and Ethiopia reverted back to Haile |
Selassie. At he same time, you
may have overlooked the fact that
in the queer politics they play in
the world arena, Haile Selassie is
now offering his country to the dis
placed Belgians who, further Soutn
in Africa, have the world's worst
record for exploiting most ruthless
ly and inhumanly the defenseless
native millions of the Belgian Con
go.
He is also offering the facilities
of his country to the homeless
Dutch who are right now using all
the weapons and methods of mod
ern warfare to kill Indonesians who
are only asking them to give them
the freedom of their own home-^
land. He Is throwing open the
doorg of Ethiopia to other exploit
ers of Negro and colored nooaks.
He is offering them what he ha
yet to offer the American Negroes
who rallied to the Ethiopian cause.!
although it was against the laws
of the land of their birth. Indeed,
the Ethiopian viewpoint seems de
cidedly in favor of whites afl a_
gainst Negroes.
That is why we here should do
some sober thinking on the whole!
question of international relation-1
ships with colored peoples of India.
Ethiopia, China, the Philippines
, §tc. Until they come out of their
Shells and acknowledge blood Uin
. ship with us and a common aim
with no holds baredr, we are frank
ly a bunch of damned fools to scat
ter the little we have In material
wealth and political strength to
those who do not wholeheartedly
solicit it.
EXCLUSIVE!
Bette Davis Works For Democracy
MISS BETTE DAVIS
Screen Star Joins Urban L’ge
BY VERNA AVERY
Hollywood. Calif (ONS) Add to
the list of great ladies who believe
in genuine democracy (on which
we already find the names of El
eanor Roosevelt, Pearl Buck, and
Lullian Smith, among others), the
name of Bette Davis, one of our
leading dramatic actresses. For
Miss Davig has not been content
just to have convictions about the
American way of life. She has
made up her mind to give real sub
stance to those convictions by act
ing as well as thinking. As proof
she has just this year become a
member of the board of the Los
Angeles branch of the Urban Lea
gue. She intends to take her res
ponsibilities seriously, by attending
board meetings and thus entering
into the discussion and the work of
the League. This is the more re
markable, because she has not al
lowed her name to be identified
with many groups.
When she was asked her reasons
for joining the Urban League
board. Miss Davis said frankly that
she believes that evryone should be
interested in the problems of the
day, and that today, the difficulties
confronting minorities form one of
our maor problems. Everyone, she
added, should have a right to a de
cent job and decent housing condi
tions regardless of race, creed or
color and these considerations form
a large part of the Urban League's
work.
Perhaps because she has a more
or less conventional background
(she Was born Ruth Elizabeth Da
vis in Boston on April 5. l&OS. ed
ucated at Newton High Schooi and
Cushing Academy and later appear
-ed in serious plays in the East)
Miss Davis spent many years of her
, life thinking more or less what the
average American thinks about
minorities—of course, not thinking
about them a great deal at all.
Then, some time after American
film fans had become 50 enthused
ever her acting that thev forced
her own studio to make her a star
Bette Davis engaged a coloicd
maid. It happened that this maid
was the well-known "Kempy” __
Edyth Kemp, former Wilberforc
ean. ardent admirer of Miss Davis'
ability, and an outspoken person
when it comes to racial matters.
From time to time, Mrs. Kemp
would tell Miss Davis that cerlain
beliefs regarding colored people
were or were not so. that the time
had passed when people could be
lieve the worst white person is bet
ter than the best colored person,
and so on. Miss Davis listened and
learned O'er the period of seven
years that she employed Mrs. Kemp
This writer first saw Bette Davis
at a concert where colored per
formers were featured. She had
forgotten her natural shyness and
was enjoying their artistry tre
-oendously. When the Warner
Brothers Film "In This Our Life"
wag being planned, a young Negro
actor came to meet Miss Davis to
seek her help in getting the most
important, dignified Negro role in
the picture. Miss Davis, who was
starred, encouraged him and he
finally got the part. This role
written into the original novel
much ag it appeared on the screen
by the gifted southern white writ
er, Kllen Glasgow, has long been
an outstanding lf»»dmark in Holly
wood’s treatment of the Negro in
films.
Later, along with John Garfield.
-Miss Davig founded the Hollywood
Canteen, modelled after New Yorks
famed Stage Door Canteen. Be
cause servicemen and women of all
races, flocked to its doors, the foun
ders in •.tied Florence Cadrez, Ba
ron Morebead (who has lately been
made oni of the seven trustees for
(continued on page 7)
VICTORY HOLDING CORP.
HOLDS OFFICERS ELECTION
Members of the Victory Holding
Company held their annaul meeting
and election of Officers November
S 1945
»
The following were unanimously
voted in as Officers of the Victory
Holding Company to serve beginn
ing November 8, 1945 for the term
of one year:
James Cole, President: Larry" N.
Peoples, 1st Vice Pres.: John A.
Gardner, Secy.; Isom Zeffers, Treas.
Board members are James Cole,
Larry N. Peobleg A. K. Hines. John
A. Gardner, J. C. Carey and Isom
Zeffers.
Mr. JameB Cole and Mr. J. C.
Carey were voted a vote of thanks
for the outstanding interest they
; have manifested during the year of
I 1945
FEPC WILL CLOSE SEVEN
FIELD OFFICES DI E TO
INSUFFICIENT FUNDS
Washington_The Fair Employ
ment Practice Committee announc
ed Wednesday that shortage of
funds will force closing of seven
field offices on December 15.
Chairman Malcolm Ross said
FEPC offices *n New York, Phila
delphia, Atlanta, San Francisco.
San Antonio, Los Angeles and Wasii
ington will close. Those in De
troit, Chicago and St. Louis will
continue operating.
WHITE DOCTORS PROTEST BAN
ON NEGRO COLLEAGUES
Cincinnati _Protests by three
white Cincinnati doctors over the
exclusion of Negro physicians from
a meeting here of the Southern
Medical Association were made
publ'c T”e«dev nie-ht by an officer
of the association.
"We would like to point out”
JPHF.S. TRUMAN ASKED TO END
JIM CROW In FEDERAL PRISONS
Washington, DC_President Par.
ry s. Truman was urged this week
' by the NAACP to issue a directive
| "forthwith to the Bureau of Pris
I ons to be transmitter to he war
dens >n all Federal prisons direct
ing them to disconttnue all rules
regulations and policies with re
spect to all prison activity and en
deavor based upon race.”
Describing conditions in Federal
prisons as “'shocking/' Walter
Whine of the NAACP requested im
mediate action by the President.
His letter declared: “the policy of
arbitrary segregation an<j discrim
ination in Ashland Federal Prison
Ashland, Kentucky, has led to dis
ciplinary measures such as solitary
confinement by the prison author*
ities against conscientious object
ors, Jehovah's Witnesses and Negro
inmates who have gone on food
strikes rather than submit to these
unconscionable policies. Similar
disciplinary measures were imposed
on the inmates at Milan Federal
Prison, Milan. Michigan, for the
same reasons.”
The letter asserted that for three
years the NAACP has been active
in investigating and protesting dis
crimination an,j segregation m
Federal prisons and that the matter
ha<j been brought repeatedly to the
attention of James V. Bennett Di
rector of Prisons.
“All of our efforts to obtain a di
rective from the Bureau of Prisons
to abolish segregation during these
three years have been unsuccess
ful ” the letter said.
Pinning the segregation policy on
Director Bennett, the NAACP quot
ed from a letter he wrote August
22, 1942: "It is, however, a fact
that for administrative reasons we
usually house the Negroes separat
ely."
NAACP action was taken follow
ing severe disciplinary measure-5
used against persons in the Ashland
Federal Prison, who protested a
gainst dining hall segregation of
Negroes and whites.
MINISTERIAL ALLIANCE
CHOOSES BROOKS HEAD
The Rev. J. B. Brooks "'as unan
imously elected president of the In
terdenominational Ministerial Al
liance of Omaha an,j Council Bluff
at a meeting at the Zion Baptist
Church Friday. This is his secord
term.
Other oficers: The Rev. O. A.
Askerneese> vifce president; the
Rev. F. E. Fort^ secretary; the Rev.
F. Childress, assistant secy.; the
Rev. J. H. Reynolds, treasurer and
the Rev. B. H. Hunter, parliamen
tarian.
the physicians said, "that in this
community Negro physicians enjoy
full parity with white physicians.
to show racial discrimination is
in our opinion contrary to the prin
ciples of democracy for which this
i war was fought and won.”
Recognition Program
at USO. Sunday
Sunday, November 18, 1945 the
24th Street USO Club will hold its
final recognition program. At
this program all hostesses and oth-1
er persons who have contributed to
the success of the club will be hon
ored. Pins will be awarded to
those who have earned them.
This program is a closing pro
gram for the club. Present will be
officials from the Regional USO.
office in Kansas City and Omaha,
representatives of the armed forces
and outstanding members of the
community. All friends and well
wishers of the club are urged to be
present and take part in this pro
gram.
WORLD ORGANIZATION OF
COLORED PEOPLE GOAL OF
PAN-AFRICAN CONGRESS
MANCHESTER. England_ A
world organization of colored peo
ples with a central paid secretar
iat to “beat back the organization
of lies w>ich meets the colored man
wherever and whenever he attempts
to better his condition” was defin
ed as the principal aim of the fifth
Pan.African Congress at its closing
meeting here by Dr. W. E. B. Du
Bois of America, newly elected
president and delegate from the Na
tional Association for the Advance
ment of Colored People.
The 200 delegates cheered the
statement of policy by the Ameri-I
can (^airman who attacked the
“cracy idea of the white people of
Europe that they should run the
world forever.”
“There is not going to be any
need for force," said Dr. DuBois,
“for the impact of truth and the
strength of ideas, when they get in
to the heads of all human beings,
will solve our problem.”
NAACP HOLDS SESSION ON
VETERANS’ PROBLEMS
Washington, D.C_A nation
wide attack on the problems of Ne
gro veterans was launched here
November 9-10 at a conference call
ed by the Veterans’ Bureau of the
NAACP, headed by Capt. Jesse O.
Dedmon Jr.
»
Delegates meeting in Carver Hall
heard discussions of employment
education, loans, health and legal
aid and legislation. Discussion
leaders included representatives of
the United States Employment Ser
vice. Selective Service, War Depart
ment. Veterans Administration, Fed
era! Public Housing Authority, De
partment of Agriculture. National
Bar Association, National Medical
Association, Howard university, A
merican Council on Race Relations,
and the NAACP.
Walter White, NAACP secretary
welcomed the delegates and pledg
ed that the Association would spare
no pains to see that the special
problems of Negro veterans receiv
ed proper attention. Thurgood
Marshall, chief counsel of the NA
ACP. stated that legal action would
be instituted where discrimination
could not be wiped out otherwise.
The Veterans Bureau of the NAACP
was set up last January 1 in the of
fice of the Association's Washing
ton Bureau here at 100 Massachu
setts avenue, N. W., Capt. Dedmon,
who served in World War II with
the 366th Infantry at Fort Devens.
Washington, DC. (Soundphoto)_
William Green, President of Amer
ican Federation of Labor, and John
L. Lewis, President of United Mine
Workers, are shown here at the
Labor-Industry Conference at the
Labor Department In Washington,
DC. Lewis favorg removal of col
lective bargaining between labor
and management from government
control.
Industrial Labor Relations...
(by George E. DeMar for CNS)
Non-wliite switchboard opeartors in the New
York Telephone Company are no longer a novelty.
More than 100 are now in the employ of the comp
any and the company will hire more. The girls
work together, walk together, talk together, and
eat together without the slightest bit of friction.
The tenseness management had that Monday
back in December 1944 has vanished. The fear ex
pressed and admitedly the greatestv hurdle has
changed to confidence that everything will continue
to go well. Management regards its forward step
as m keeping with social progress. Surely though
slowly the entire staff is recognizing that Negro'
women are American workers too. They see that
Negroes are just as capable, just as clean, just as
punctual, just as human and just as good workers
and friend as any other kind of person with posit
ive training and background.
You have to believe in the future of America af
ter a talk with O. M. Taylor operating vice-presi
dent of this company, which is a billion dollar con
cern employing 43,000 workers. He is undoubtedly
one of America’s top flight progressive executives.
He does not seek publicity for his company’s having
hired Negro operators. He says only that qualified
people will continue to be hired in accordace with
his company’s policies. Looking to the future, he
makes it clear (hat male workers will be hired where
and when needed with young veterans preferred.
He will upgrade based upon ability and the needs
of the company. There is evidence that he means
what he says.
When more of the vast public utilities of Ameri
ca have the vision of men and women, black and
white working together at interchangeable occupa
tions, then we can say in fact that we are on the
march and a “New Yorld is A-Coming.”
Young people must keep in mind that high school
graduates are desired by the utilities and that there
are advantages in working for a stable organization
A bouquet to the Urban League and the President’s
Committee on Fair Employment Practices for the
real work they have done and will do for all Amer
icans.
Mass., began his duties at that t'nie
_ i
CIVILIAN REVIEW OF ARMY
COURTS RACKED BY NAACP
—
New York—The proposal of Sen
ator Wayne Morse, of Oregon, for a
civilian investigation of military
courts-martial received the immed
iate endorsement of the NAACP
which declared that there is "very
considerable feeling among Negro
soldiers about the manner in which
they were treated in courts-mart
ial."
The telegram to Senator Morse
Said; "National Association for Ad
vancement of Colored People heart
ily endorses and supports your pro
posal for civilian investigation of
military courts-martial. Scores of
complaints to this office substant
iate your belief that military courts
martial have been giulty of the
grossest types of miscarriage of
justice."
STATE*WIDE FIGHT FOR
CIVIL RIGHTS IN VIRGINIA
Richmond, Va-A state-wide
fight for full citizenship rights on
all fronts was continued here by
vote of the delegates to the 10th
annual Virginia State Conference of
Branches of the NAACP November
3-4.
The resolutions adopted by the
conference provide for legal action
in criminal cases, equalizing educ
ational opportunities and public
transportation; housing; employ
ment and other matters.
The conference heard a report of
its legal committee on the concen
trated effort made last year to a
bolish segregation and discrimin
ation in interstate travel. A total
of 114 delegates was present from
52 branches of 68 in the state. Ur.
J. M. Tinsley was reelected presi
dent.
Europe Looking For U. S. A.
Sincerity In New World,
SAYS NAACP DELEGATE
LONDON_Delegates to the Wor
ld Youth Conference see one fact
outstanding above all others; how
sincerely will America cooperate'
toward world unity and peace?
This view of the youth gathering
was voiced by Gloster Current, del
egate of the National Association
for the Advancement of Colored
People in the United States. Cur
rent, who lives in Detroit, Michi
gan said:
•This conference does not traffic
with Fascism. The strained faces
of the youths, many who though
still in their twenties have spent
vears in concentrat ’ camps, have
fought in the underground, ami
who know Fascism, make one know
that the future of the world de
pends on how sincere we in Amer
ica are to cooperate with the rest o*
the world. Any guarantee that the
United Nations Organizaion is o
be effective must be built upon the
understanding we have with all
these people.”
American troops in the area have
been interested in the proceedings
and have been glad to meet the A
merican delegates and exchange
opinions. A group of the delegat
es spoke to 300 American soldiers
at the American university and a
mixed group of delegates from In
dia. South America, Africa and th *
United Stateg met with Negro sol- \
diers at the Uiberty Red Cross club
for a discussion of American and
world problems.
A STAR SELLS BONDS—Lena Horne, scintillating MGM star, takes
time out during the shooting of “Ziegfeld Follies” to sell Victory Bonds
to MGM executives. Here she is shown on a Hollywood set selling bonds
to Arthur Freed. MGM producer Of such hits as, “The Clock” and
“Meet Me in SL Louis.”
