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)