Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About Oregon daily emerald. (Eugene, Or.) 1920-2012 | View Entire Issue (May 24, 1949)
Does the Shoe Pinch? Negro Student Discusses Intolerance By Win Wright In an article appearing in last Saturday’s Emerald, which cov ered the meeting of the Voung Progressives, one member of the panel was quoted as saying that Paul Robeson’s statement regard ing Negroes’ refusal to fight in an aggressive war would not in jure the status of most Negroes in the American society “because their place is so low now that any change, with the exception of death, would have to be for the better.” I am of the impression that this student had particular reference to the status of the Negroes in the “foreign sector” of America, which is frequently identified as the South. To many the analysis of this student might seem ex tremely pessimistic, but because Ire has lived in the South for the past twenty some odd years I can’t help but feel that he is jus tified in assuming such an atti tude. The purpose of this article is to create an “awareness" among the Emerald readers that the state of Oregon, Eugene and the University itself are not devoid of many discriminatory practices that are indicative of our south ern states. Such a statement might be interpreted as carry an accusatory connotation, so I will endeavor to support it with spe cific examples resulting from my personal experiences and obser vations since arriving at Oregon. For those interested one has only to look at the Oregon con stitution to see^the various claus es which abet the sentiments of Oregon citizens toward minori ties (Art IV, sec. 6; Original Art. VII, sec. 2, 10. 14; Art XV, sec. 8). How many of the students know about the Negro medical graduate who is denied taking his internship in both private and state owned hospitals; the dis tressed graduate students of this same University who have ac cepted the positions of red-caps, janitors and laborers, primarily because discriminatory barriers prevent them from securing jobs that they have equipped them selves for? I suppose many of my readers who dissent with my point will point with pride to the recently adopted “piecemeal” fair employ ment practice legislation as an indication that the state is at least attempting to remedy the balpractices cited above, and perhaps to the few exceptions to such practices. There is no doubt in my mind that there is some definite ele ment of good to be derived from such legislation, but the over-all change must ensue from the peo ple themselves and unless strong er and more direct means of curb ing discrimination is adopted the status quo will remain. It wasn't long after my arrival on the University's campus that I discovered that I had been ter ribly disillusioned about the cos mopolitan atmosphere supposedly prevailing at this brain factory. This disillusionment was brought to focus after meeting several other American Negro students who had been attending the school for a period of from one to three years. However, I had to discover through personal experiences that we were subjected to mak ing many social sacrifices which are not demanded of the major ity of other students. On week ends if these Negro students de cide to venture into town, they are compelled to call upon their most discretionary faculties be fore entering cafes, restaurants and if they should care to bust a few suds they had better be in formed as to which places accept or reject their patronage. Does the average white stu dent hesitate to enter these same places for fear that he will be humiliated or embarrassed be cause he is refused service? This same type of practice is also characteristic of the hotels, barber shops and amusement places that cater to the patron age of campus students. The fore going and ensuing statements are not assertions but facts that are founded on personal experi ence and observations. During my three years at this university I have made many friends (and I suppose some ene mies), not on an intimate basis however, because our friendship usually comes to a climax when it comes to participating in the over-all social functions of the school. It appears as though some of these supposed friends still cling to the dogma of race prejudice and look upon me with abject horror if the suggestion is made that I might possibly end up dancing with one of the cam pus coeds. There have been too many in stances when I have been told “I’m not racially prejudiced,” but upon being subjected to the first test their vebal conviction falls to the wayside. I have attended campus dances only to discover that I am being gazed upon as a spectacle or oddity. Perhaps some of our laymen psychologists might interpret this reaction as a persecution complex, but I find it rather difficult to rationalize to the extent of overlooking such apprehensive stares. These same curious looks aren’t prevalent in every social atmos phere, but the exceptions can only be associated with a few functions given under the auspic es of religious organizations or at social gatherings sponsored by liberal groups on the campus. There are times when I nave attended sports activities on the campus, such as during the Long Island basketball series, and heard some of the vilest epithets spit out of the mouths of “edu cated students’’ which were di rected at both Negro and Jewish members of the LIU team. At the same time I don't hesitate to mention that many complimen tary remarks were made. These expressions are not in any sense restricted to the cam pus but are continuously heard on buses where the Negro stu dent is avoided. Once he begins walking the streets of Eugene the children of prejudiced par ents, who have been indoctrinat ed with the polluted ideas of ra cial superiority and maligned ha tred, make their contributions to these injurious insults. While in town the Negro sees the Negro townspeople retire, af ter their day’s work, to the “oth er side of the tracks” where he is forced to live because of the tra ditional restrictive covenants which prevent him from purchas ing or renting property in the communities inhabited by the “better element” of Eugene. One has only to visit the Ferry street slum area to see how the perse cuted Negro of the South lives. Many students of this same University conform to the same pattern of thinking that is indica tive of our more backward com munities. This leads me to be lieve that traditions In American higher education are identified only secondarily with the strug gle of human rights, and only in cidentally with the fight for the dentally with the fight for the opportunity of all youth to de velop their personalities to the fullest. Such a heritage is today in con tradistinction to the hope for realization which I spent three years overseas in the armed ser vices fighting for, only to rea lize that the weaknesses of Amer ican society stems to a large ex tent from the prejudices that preclude, for many, the final realizations of their potentiali ties. I am aware that there are many individuals who are blinded by their hatreds or fears of vari ous ethnic groups and these same individuals would resort to any subterfuge to keep members of these groups to an absolute mini mum. On the other hand, there are others who are sincere propo nents of various discriminatory practices who genuinely believe that these practices work for the best interest of all concerned, Still others sincerely disapprove of the practices characteristic of an immeasurable figure of our American society and are willing to exert their individual effort3 to eliminate such practices. These attitudes I have tried to recapture throughout this article are certainly not indicative of ev ery member of our immediate campus, but if the shoe happens to be on your foot—I hope it pinches like hell. A Solution? Another large Ohio metropolis has banned the sale of crime comics to youths under 18. For the past few years “banning things” seems to be the great campaign being waged by the contemporary reformers. Radio “privates-eyes,” gory newspaper stories, comic books and other media of this sort have been constantly degraded by these reformers. Psychologists and parents alike seem to be in complete agreement that today’s youth is being demoralized by this so called “entertainment.” Yet somehow we believe that the intentional mark has been completely missed. Perhaps the parents are only too eager to accept crime comics as the scapegoat for their children’s be havior. Juvenile delinquency is rampant today, with more thrill crimes being committed each day. But we don’t think that crime stories alone are responsible. Many parents cannot quite realize that they are responsible for their children. They only tend to rationalize and try to put the blame on something, or someone else. For decades the younger set has been reading everything from Nick Carter to Superman without becoming a case for the psychiatrist. On the radio we used to hear such occults as “The Shadow" and "Hermit's Cave," and like all kids we were always look ing for a good “cops and robbers" story. Yesterday’s children didn’t become neurotics and go around making criminal nuisances of themselves. Why should this generation? Maybe it is because the parents didn’t take their jobs as seriously as they once did. We aren’t accusing the parents of neglect, but maybe they just aren't as stringent as they might be. Spanking is genuinely frowned upon today. And yet we don’t recall anything evil springing out of a good "tanning." Sure, we used to read about Dillinger. Capone, the Barkers, et al, and maybe we did try to imitate them in street games. But not to the extent of realism with realistic weapons. (Pltjse turn to pagt srt en) Foreign Ministers at Paris PARIS, May 23 — UP) — The big council of foreign ministers met today in an attempt to solve the problems of Germany and de cided swiftly to add the Austrian question to their agenda. The four ministers agreed on a four-point agenda. 1. Problems of German unity, including economic and political principles and allied (four-pow er) control. 2. Berlin, including currency questions. 3. Preparation of a peace treaty for Germany. 4. Preparation of an Austrian independence treaty. The Austrian question has been deadlocked over many a long meeting of the foreign ministers’ deputies, and Austria has begged the council to take it up at this session. Like Germany, Austria is occupied by the four powers’ forces. The first meeting of the cur rent session lasted about two and a half hours. Secretary of State Dean Ache son of the United States, For eign Secretary Ernest Bevin of Britain, Foreign Minister Rob ert Schuman of France and For eign Minister Andrei Y. Vishin sky of Russia assembled in the flag-festooned pink marble pal ace. At almost exactly the same mo ment, the new constitution for a west German government was proclaimed in effect as delegates of the 11 states in the three zones put their signatures on it at Bonn. This new constitution, President Truman (left) bids Secretary of State Dean Acheson a smiling farewell at National airport, Washington, before the cabinet member took off for Paris and the foreign ministers’ meeting. Mrs. Acheson (center) accompanied her husband. (AP Wirephoto) the basic law for 45.000,000 Ger mans, is expected to strengthen the hand of the Western dele gates here, since it envisions a new government by Germans, by mid-July. This was the sixth meeting of the council of foreign ministers since the war and the fourth on the German question. It was their first session since the council was deadlocked in London in De cember, 1947, on a German peace treaty. The three western powers were expected to press Russia for im mediate and urgent consideration of Berlin. The lifting of the So viet blockade of Berlin and the allied counter-blockade of Soviet occupied eastern German opened (Please turn to page seven)