To Quit Stage;
To Fight
Discrimination
PAUL ROBESON
St. Louis,—Paul Robeson, noted
Negro singer and actor, said last
Sunday that he intends to aband
on the theatre and concert stage
for the next two years to “talk up
and down the nation against race
hatred and prejudice.”
Mr. Robeson marched Saturday
at the head of a picket line which
about 30 members of the Civil
Rights Congress of St. Louis had
formed in front of the American
Theatre in protest against its rac
ial segregation practice.
ROBESON BREAKS THROUGH
BARRIERS IN JEFFERSON
CITY. MISSOURI
efferson City, Msisouri (Global)
When Paul Robeson appeared in
tho Junior College Auditorium
here last week under sponsorship
of Deltas, that color barrier was
broken.
Jubilant over the victory, Roena
Savage.. .noted singer and cochair
man of the local committee re
marked. “It took no less a figure
than Robeson to help us break
■down the barriers which Negroes
have encountered here for years
when requesting use of the Audit
orium”. Mrs. Savage and Mrs.
Myrtle Craig Bowen... general
chairman credited Attorney Curtis
Quimby, President of the Board of
Education with swinging the op
position to the affirmative side
when a vote was taken on the use
of the Auditorium.
According to Max Yergan in the
Robeson management offices in
New York City, it is the first time
the famous singer has honored a
request on short notice.
TO BE PRESENT AT FISK U
18TH ANNUAL FESTIVAL
OF
CARL VAN VECHTEN, well
known novelist, photographer, col
- lector, and music critic, is the foun
■der of the George Gershwin Mem-'
orial Collection of Music and Mu
sic Literature, at Fisk University.
The ceremony formally opening
the collection, at which he will be
present, is one of the features of
Fisk’s 18th annual Festival of Mu
sic and Art, to be held April 23-26.
The unique collection, comprising
books, musical scores, clippings,
scrapebooRs, program notes, photo
graphs, and phonograph records,
has attracted wide attention a
mong musicians and scholars.
ANNOUNCE
Urban League
Membership Drive
TO BE HEADED BY
MR. RUSSELL REESE
Mr. Russell Reese, Membership
Chairman of the Omaha Urban
League, announces the opening of
the annual Urban League Member
ship Drive on Wednesday, January
29th. Four types of memberships
will be offered, namely, regular
participating membership, mem
bership with Opportunity Magaz
ine, membership with Negro Dig
est, and membership with both Op
portunit^ magazine and Negro Di
gest.
"Every Omahan will be interest
ed in the new program of the Ur
ban League,” said Mr Reese. “The
program is designed to work in
the field of industrial relations,
housing, health, and the general
welfare of the Negro in particular.
Your support through membership
is vital to the League’s success.
We are calling upon every mem
ber of our community to support
this campaign.”
The following persons are work
ing with Mr. Reese on the Mem
It
“In Heavenly Song Festival” - - Recital At St.John’s Church, Monday Eve., Feb. 17th
"Heavenly Voices Will
Be Heard"—Says
Rehearsal Commentator
The Senior Choir of St. John’s
A ME. Church shown to lie side,
on Monday night, February 17th’
at the church 22nd and Willis ave
will render a program of music in
song........a Recital of which may
never be your good fortune to hear
again.
The Senior Choir, under the per
sonal and capable direction of Mrs.
Pearl Gibson, have worked hard
and long to perfect this extrava
ganza in musical songs and from
their numerous rehearsals, comes
comment that Omahans are in for
a touching, sweet and melodious
festival of notes and tones....music
such one would expect to hear re
sounding from on high in the heav
ens.
You and I must not,.cannot
afford to miss going to the Stunt
John’s AME. Church auditorium
on Monday eve., Febraury 17th,
and sit back comfortably, relaxing
and revel under the spell of a
grand musical recital.
“You will not be disappointed,”
says the Rev. Childress, Pastor of
the Church.
HEWTOTHE UNE\
PHONE HA.0800
★ ^ ★ SATURDAY. FEBRUARY 1, 1947 Our 19th Year—No. S2 %a.iSiKO*orSag1aS81cr^M‘ife a2Sj&g.
OMAHA BRANCH N.A.A.C.P. TO COMMEMORATE 41ST ANNIVERSARY
GRANGER TO SPEAK IN OMAHA
To Address Local League's
Annual Meeting
LESTER B. ^GRANGER
Lester B. Granger, Executive
Secretary of the National Urban
League, conies to Omaha on Tues
day, February 11th. to address the
annual meeting of the Omaha Ur
ban League. Leo Bohanon, Secre
tary of the Omaha Urban League,
pays the time and place of the Lea
gue’s annual meeting and the sub
ject of Mr Granger’s address will
he announced in next week’s paper
The meeting will be open to the
public.
bership campaign: Mr. Millard
Carr, Mr. Henry Black, Mrs. Clo
ma Scott. Mrs. Jess Nichols. Mr.
Jess Harding, Mrs. Olive Davis,
Mrs. Kenneth Moore. Mrs. Jam
mie Norman, Mrs. Esther Woods,
Mrs. Lulu Rivers, iMss Lena Paul,
Mrs. Gertrude Brooks, Mrs- Estel
le Gray, Mr. Fred McDaniels, Mr.
Harvey Carter. Miss Mae Taylor,
The goal for 1947 is 500 members.
“BABE RUTH OF NEGRO
BASEBALL” DIES
PITTSBURGH, Pa. (Global) The
great slugger Josh Gibson, often
called the “Babe Ruth of Negro
Baseball’’ and known as one of the
greatest distance hitters in the
history of baseball, died at the age
of 35, at fhe home of his mother
here last Monday, January "20th,
of a stroke.
He began playing with the Home
stead Grays in 1930 and soon came
to be known as one of the out
standing Negro catchers and hit
ters. The following year he joined
the Pittsburgh Crawfords, who
held him for five years. Then he
went back to the Grays, where his
hitting helped win eight National
loop pennants. He was heralded
as the loop slugger during that
period. He was famous for slug
ging out some of the longest hits
ever over the Forbes field fences.
The 1946 season, which was Gib
son’s last, with the Grays, saw him
leading the League in batting with
.350 for 33 games. 40 hits made
by him, drove in 42 runs and prov
ed to be good for 101 bases.
A wife, two children, a brother
and a sister survive him.
£ 3
| Entertainment
I \ou can’t hardly afford to miss hearing and seeing thall
‘BLUES WOMAN”—MARION ABERNATHY, who is appear
ing nitcly at the AMVETS’ Club, 24-th and Miami Sts. She
is the composer of “Voo It, Voo It!” Mr. Paul Allen and
Mr. Harold Whiteside say that they will endeavor to bring to
Omaha top-flight entertainment for your continued enter
tainment.
«
"Ignorance is True Basis of Most
Delinquency" Says Jesse Owens
TOUR STARTED ON JAN. 27;
BY NOTED TRACK STAR;
TO LECTURE ON HEALTH
AND HYGIENE SUBJECTS
! LOUISVILLE, KY, )Special) —
Jesse Owens, “world’s fastest hu
man” and holder of 18 world track
records, authority on health and
currently on a world speaking tour
on hygiene in conjunction with the
educational motion picture “Mom
and Dad’’, put forth a suggestion
with much merit toward a possible
solution of the colored juvenile de
linquency problem throughout the
'nation, during a press conference
while stopping here overnight to
speaking engagements in Mississ
ippi and Louisiana theatres.
Owens, graduate of Ohio State,
U., and sensation of the last World
Olympic games and the living
hero of modern-day colored youth,
came to the defense of boys and
girls who are getting into trouble
nightly. “Boys and girls of today
aren’t bad!”, Owens declared, ex
plaining youngsters of these times
are as good or better, morally, as
we were boys and girls of past
penerations. "The trouble is,” O
wens declared, "Today’s youth is
growing up in a modem, rapidly
changing age.”
‘Ignorance’ is the true basis of
most delinquency, the famed track
star and hygiene lecturer believes.
“Ignorance is a sin”, he said,
"Knowledge is power,’’ borrowing
from an age-old proverb.‘‘You can’t
CONTROL delinquency”, the like
able colored young man shouted to
the press representatives, adding
‘You have to PREVENT it!”
Not a national plan or program
is as badly needed as are many
suitable and workable local plans,
in esse’s opinion. He pointed out
that where Teen-towns, swimming
pools, playgrounds and the like
practically solve the delinquency
problems in some communities,
they only “scratch the surface” so
great is the youth problem in oth
• er towns. Every community needs
i its own plan, Owens qlaims, work
ed out by its own civic-leaders and
ably directed by competent and
paid Youth leaders and adequate
ly financed by the public—for the
public’s good.
It’s as simple as ABC in the op
inion of the former Ohio State Un
iversity athletic star- Without go
ing into great detail Owens ex
plained “every city, town and com
munity needs a major-youth pro
gram. It should have 15 distinct
divisions, each designed and focus
ed upon the group from 7 up to 21.
All these should be dove-tailed into
a program with three main.divis
ions and designed to “occupy” hap
pily, healthfully and inexpensively
all the spare time and idle mom
ents of all youngsters,” he suggest
ed.
The colored hero of collegiate
sports is now under contract at
sizeable figures to tour and speak
for Hygienic Productions, Holly
wood educational motion picture
producers, in conjunction with
the aforementioned famous new
screen hit, “Mom and Dad”. Owens
is to appear at each performance,
three times daily, in theatres from
coast-to-coast and will tour othgr
countries later. His international
tour will open at Tunica, Miss_an
hour s drive southwest of Memphis
Traveling in a new 1947 Lincoln
custom-interior sedan and carrying
with his theatre unit two attract
ive colored nurses, Owens’ popular
ity at the box office is expected to
result in record crowds. The^by
giene motion picture "Mom
Dad” has been playing to capacity
audiences everywhere, since its re
cent release. "Mom and Dad" is a
brand new film, with an all-star
Hollywood cast headed by lovely i
June Carlson, 20th Century-Fox
star and Hardie Albright, capable
United Artists character actor. It
is a story of modern-day youth,
the pitfalls which lead millions in
to sexual delinquency and it con
tains powerful and bold medical
sequences depicting the ‘Facts of
Life’ and the ravages of venereal
diseases which are sweping this
country and the world, today.
esse Owens’ tour is under the j
personal direction of Billy Wein-'
berg, ace advance agent of Hygien
ic Productions world-wide organ-1
ization. All arrangements for the
launching of Owens’ all-colored
theatre unit of “Mom and Dad”
.....
Jc&St UWtNS
were handled by movie producer
Kroger Babb. The company will
spend $100,000 exploiting Owens
personal appearance this year.
mHHUNNiNNNMittiMinitNMHmimtmiNimiKiiimiuwiiimMiMMiin iiuiimimmiitiiiiniH
I Federal Prosecution Urged
For Mississippians Guilty of
I Intimidation in Primary
New York, Jan. 28—The Depart
ment of Justice was urged by the
NAACP to investigate and prose
cute those Mississippians who test
ified before a Senate Sub-commit
tee in December that they resorted
to intimidation and fraud to pre
, vent Negroes from voting in the
Democratic primary of last July 2,
which nominated Theodore Bilbo
In a letter to Attorney General
Tom Clark, Thurgood Marshall,
chief counsel, NAACP, cited evi
dence from the review of proceed
ings of the Senate Campaign Ex
penditures Investigating Commit
i tee’s hearings in Jackson, Missis
1 siPPi, on the 2nd, 3rd, 4th and 5th
of December, showing that sixty
nine complainants appeared and
testified under oath to such fraud
and intimidation and at least six
teen individuals, clothed with the
authority of the State dr whose ac
tions at the time of the primary
were under color of law, appeared
and testified under oath to numer
ous violations of federal statutes.
Instances were cited of testi
mony of Circuit Clerks denying to
qualified Negro citizens the right
to register, by making require
ments of them which they did not
make of whites with .the admitted
purpose of preventing them from
registering. Some officers of the
law, said Mr. Marshall, testified
to “subjecting Negroes to violence
and threats of violence to prevent
them from registering and voting
....One city officer admitted using
his official position to inform Ne
groes that the primary was re j
stricted to whites."
Mr. Marshall added, “We are con
vinced that investigation will show
that he went much further than
this in his zeal and desire to pre
vent Negroes from exercising
their lawful rights.” Another ruse
concocted by Mississippi officials
to keep Negroes from the polls
was to require that they show af
filiation with the Democratic par
ty for two years before they could
be registered wheeas the Mississ
ippi statute merely requires a show
ing of affiliation "within” two
years. *
“The sworn testimony of Negro
citizens to the effect that they
were denied registration by trick
ery and catch questions deserves
thorough investigation”, wrote
Marshall. “Assaults committee a
gainst Negroes by peace officers
for the obvious purpose of prevent
ing their exercising the right to
register and vote were numerous.
“The Department of Justice can
not afford to allow this almost
state-wide condition of intimida
tion of Negroes and unlawful re
fusal of state officers to all Negro
es to register and vote to go un
'noticed. That these citizens were
deprived of rights and privileges se
cured or protected by the Constij
tution and laws of the United Stat
es simplv because of their race is
obvious when the testimony ap
pearing in the report is carefully
studied.
“The American republican form
of government is based upon and
depends for its continued exist
ence upon the free and untrammel
ed exercise of the elective franch
ise by all of its citizens. The leg
islature of the United States has
placed upon our statute books laws
which enable your Department to
protect this privilege by prosecu
ting individuals guilty of depriv
ing citizens of this right or privil
ege because of their race or color
That such deprivations occurred in
the Democratic primary of Missis
sippi in 1946 is lear when the testi
monv in the Report of Proceedings
.is considered.
Guest Speaker at NAACP
Confab will Be Doctor
A. M. McMillan, Former
State Senator
Attorney Ralph W. Adams, Pres
ident of the Omaha Branch, NAA
CP., announced today that the O
maha Branch will commeorate the
41st Anniversary of the founding
of the NAACP at 6 p- m„ Sunday,
February 16th.
Mr. Adams said the principal
speaker of the program to be held
at the Elks Hall, 2420 Lake Street,
will be Dr. Aaron McMillan, Oma
ha Medical Missionary to Africa,
who is on leave this year.
The fund raised will be used in
assisting the National Office in the
fight for an Anti-Lynching bill and
Fair Employment Practice Meas
ure through this Congress.
“GodwiU Spring Musical”
Choirs To Hear 5th
Annual Sermon
The Rev. J. C. Wade, Pastor of
the Salem Baptist Church will
bring the message on “The Choirs
Service Value to the Church” to
fourteen (14) massed choirs and
their congregations and friends at
the Zion Baptist Church at 22nd
and Grant streets, on Sunday Feb
ruary 2nd at 3:15 p- m.
These services will not be very
long, but promises a great spirit
ual blessing to all who attend.
These services are to start on
time at 3:15 p. m. and each Choir
member is asked to be at Zion by
3 p. m. So the procession may
start on time.
We are hoping our congregations
and friends will not be too late to
see this beautiful, yet sacred pro
cession.
One of the great movements in
the world today is Christian Bro
therhood. It is being talked of in
the Colleges and tTniversities and
the Churches must play their part.
The last Sunday in April of this
year will be the date of Our 13th
Annual Goodwill Spring Musical.
So let us keep this date open and
help to make it a day of ‘Goodwill
and Christian Fellowship for all of
Omaha.’
Remember last year many of
you did not attend the Choir’s An
nual Sermon, but regretted it after
you heard of the great message
brought to us by the Rev, M. C.
Williams. Pastor of eBthel Baptist
Church, South Omaha. So do not
let this happen to you this year
L. L. McVay.
Race Relations
at Joslyn Sunday
A Union Service in which all
faiths and creeds will participate
is being planned for Sunday, Febr
uary 9th. 7:30 p. m. in the concert
hall of Josyln Memorial by the
Race Relations Committee of the
Omaha Urban League. Rabbi Is
rael Mowshowitz, chairman of the
Race Relations Committee, of the
Urban League, and the committee
members Mrs. Charles Ross, Mrs.
Robbie Davis, Rev. Childress, Rab
bi Selibnrma
bi Silberman, and Mr. Flynn, plan
to announce the complete program
next week.
The meeting will be opened to
the public.
* _
READ THE GREATER GUIDE!
James E. Seay Fund
“Open Letters” From Contributors
To Widow of the James E. Seay Fund
ALBERT O JENSEN
Wholesale Furnace & Supply Co.
Manufacturers A Distributors
1718 Cass Street
January 16, 1947
Mr. Lawrence P. Lewis,
Omaha Guide
2420 Grant St.,
Omaha, Nebraska
Dear Mr. Lewis:
I am a casual reader of the
Omaha Guide, and do enjoy your
column. Your memoriam to
James E. Seay, was especially
beautiful, and prompted me to
write you.
I am sending a check for $25.
made out to Mrs. James E. Seay
How nice it would be if the
Guide could start a fund for the
benefit of Mr. Seay's family. If
this is impossible, please do me
the favor of handing this check
over to Mrs. Seay personally.
It was your tribute to Mr. Seay’s
memory which moved me to do
this
There is Mr. Seay, and Mr.
Thomas, and the porter in the
barber shop I patronize (don’t
know his name), all unforgett
able characters, honoring their
race, mighty impressive men,
respected and appreciated by all
with whom they come in contact.
Very truly yours,
ALBERT O. JENSEN.
***
CIRCLE VARIETY
528 North 33rd St.
Omaha, Nebraska
January 27, 1947
The Omaha Guide,
Omaha, Nebr.,
Gentlemen:
Inclosed please find contribu
tion towards your Mrs. James
Seay fund.
Wishing you success in this
worthy undertaking, I remain.
Respectfully yours,
ABE COHEN.
HAVE YOU CONTRIBUTED TO THE JAMES E. SEAY
FUND? Mail or bring your contribution to the James E.
Seay Fund, Care of The Omaha Guide,2420 Grant Street,
Omaha, Nebraska. James E. Seay, a veteran of three and
one half years service in the Armed Foreels, died, leaving a
widow who will give birth to a second child in a few months.
DON,T DELAY, send your contribution now.
CONTRIBUTIONS TO DATE
J. W. Headley 953 North 25th $ 5.00
Albert O. Jensen.25.00
C. C. Galloway 2420 Grant Street . .30.00
Joseph Headley 2414 Binnev Street .5.00
Circle Variety 528 North 33rd Street. .5.00
Pleasent Green Baptist Church 27th & Franklin.8.75
TOTAL *78.75
JORDAN WILL RECOVER
Bandleader Louis Jordan who
was stabbed four times by his wife
Flecie Ernestine Jordan, is in no
danger of his life. Jordan, who is
resting comfortably in Huntington
Memorial in Pasadena expcts to be
released in the next few days.
Needless to say his condition is
still serious and will enforce a
much-needed rest for the tireless
maestro who has been going with
out let-up for the past years.
Jordan’s wounds were inflicted
on the mouth, lip, under the heart
and on his hand. He was in the
middle of an engagement at Billy
Berg’s night club in Hollywood.
The few details available indicate
that the fracas occurred while Jot
dan and his wife were visiting at
a friend’s home. Mrs. Jordan har
been booked on assault with a
deadly weapon charge.
The news that Louis was in ser
ious condition resulted in phone
calls and telegrams into General
Artists Corp. office** i . Hollywood
Chicago and New York and to
Berle Adams office in Chicago
from the host of friends • he has
I made while touring the nation.
Adams, who is Jordan’s personal
I manager, has flown to Los Angel
LOUIS JORDAN
es.
The Jordan band will take a va
cation until Louis is in condition to
work again. J- C. Heard, current
ly rounding out a one year engage
ment at the Cafe Society Down
town in New York, will replace
i him as soon as possible.
! Segregation of Penn. RR Employees
! Discontinued By SCAD Ruling Law
I mumiHmiliniiMiiiiitiiiniiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiiiiiiiiitiiiiiiiHinniimiiiiiiiiimiiiiiiiiiiiHimii
COLLEGE PRESIDENT
Takes ‘JC Railr’d
Before Commerce
Commission
WASHINGTON, D. C. an. 28 —
Attorney for the NAACP, repres
enting Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, dis
tinguished educator and president
of Morehouse College in Atlanta,
Georgia, carried the college head’s
complaint against the Southern
Railway to the entire Interstate
Commerce Commission in this city
on Monday, January 9th. Dr. Mays
filed his complaint against the rail
road after a trip between Atlanta
and New York during which he
was subjected to “undue discrim
ination” in one of the company's
dining cars. In addition to the
complaint, Dr- Mays is seeking
$2500 in damages, following the re
fusal of the railroad to serve him
in the dining car.
Since the complaint was filed the
railroad claims that its dining car
regulations have been amended.
According to the company’s claims
it is now setting aside one table in
the dining car for the exclusive
use of colored passengers, the rest
of the car to be operated exclus
ively for the use of whites. The
so-called Negro table is to be next
to the pantry and kitchen portion
of the train, the section usually
avoided by passengers because of
the excessive heat and discomfort.
The railroad will install an “office’
in this "section” for the steward
with a cash register and other nec
essities.
It was pointed out in the argu
ments by NAACP attorneys Thur
good Marshall, Robert L. Carter
and Spottswood Robinson, m that
this case comes under the principl
es of the Irene Morgan case; and
that the segregation regulation of
the railway, passed in the light of
state statutes which required the
separation of the races, was inval
id; and that the new regulation
failed to satisfy the requirements
of the Interstate Commerce Act
which forbade undue preferences
and unjust discrimination.
1 C UB RAIDED AGAIN
T'venty-three persons were arrest
ed Tuesday after two raids were
Ti'-de on the Northside.
The Veterans Club, 1847 North
Twenty-fourth Street, accounted
for Fifteen, including Lawrence
Flemons, 24. of 2004 North Nine
teenth Street- and Clarence R. Hill,
1809 North Twenty Third Street, I
NEW YORK, Jan. 25—Segrega
tion of Negro employees of the
Pennsylvania Railroad in locker
rooms with inferior facilities has
been discontinued through the ac
tion of the New York State Comm
ission Against Discrimination, up
on investigation of a complaint fil
ed with it by the NAACP.
Following the investigation of a
complaint filed by the NAACP for
Thomas J. Byrd, a Pennsylvania
Railroad employee, on July 24,
1946, charging that he had been
discriminated against in the con
ditions of employment by the seg
regation of lockers on the basis of
race and color in violation of the
Law Against Discrimination. El
mer A. Carter, Commissioner of
SCAD, notified Mr. Byrd that fu
ture locker assignments would be
made on the basis of seniority. In
a letter to Mr. Byrd, Mr. Carter
reported that the complaint had
been adjusted as follows:
"Following the notification of
the Pennsylvania Railroad of the
finding of probable cause for cred
iting the allegations in the com
plaint, a conference was held with
the officials of the Railroad in or
der to eliminate the unlawful em
ployment practice, in accordance
with the terms of the Law (A- ‘
gainst Discrimination).
“The officials of the Pennsylvan
ia Railroad were completely coop
erative with the Commission and
agreed to institute assignment to
the locker rooms on a new basis,
that of seniority. This has been
done. The Pennsylvania Railroad
has furnished the Commission with
a copy of the locker assignments
which have been made on a senior
-ity basis and has assured the Com
mission that length of service will
be the determining factor in the
future in the assignment of lock
ers.”
who were booked as keepers of a
disorderly house. Flemons being
charged as a common gambler,
while the others were booked as in
mates.
Also booked as a keeper of a dis
orderly house, was Willie Phillips,
38, of 2412 Caldwell Street. Seven
others were charged as inmates.
Fine for Phillips was $25 and co6ts
and $1 and costs for the other. Dice
and money was seized as-evidence
from both places.
BARTENDER SHOT IN WRIST
While Tending bar Tuesday night
Leroy Curry,51, of 2829 Franklin
Street,was shot in the wrist at the
Apex Bar, 1818 North Twenty
fourth Street. He was attended at
Doctors Hospital.
