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Oregon’s Gb(egro IVeekly
Published each Friday
VOLUME 1
PORTLAND, ORE, DECEMBER 15, 1944
PRICE 10c
YOUR
PROGRESSIVE
NEGRO NEWSPAPER
NUMBER 23
FIRST METODIST CANCELS
DEBT
First Deaths
New Methodist
BURNING THE MORTGAGE
FIRST AME ZION CHURCH: The Vtual Burning ^»f the Mortgage in front of the Pulpit of the Church.
Reading from left to right are: The Presiding Elder of the California, Oregon and Washington confer
ence, Rev. L. W. McCoy; Rev. J. F. Smith, pastor of the church (holding plate on which Mortgage can he
aeen burning); Mr. L. M. Bird; Mother Farrell; Mr. Bert Turner; Mr. i. H. Payne; .Mrs. Gray (oldest
member of the church), Mr». L. M. Bird.
Ruling Upholds
Negro Rights
VANCOUVER, Wash., Dec. 9—
Clark county’s Negro population
hus an equal right to buy proper
ty, build and live in the county as
have white residents, county com
missioners determined in a session
at the courthouse Thursday night
The opinion w'as given in an
swer to Mrs. J. L. Nordstrom, who
appeared on behalf of owners of
property adjoining the LaBerg
tract owned by Joseph LaLonde,
and located one half mile south
of Salmon Creek on the Pacific
highway, asking prohibition of sale
of the land to members of the Ne
gro race. She charged that proper
ty values in the area would decline
if Negroes bought and built on the
LaLonde tract.
Although commissioners said
that the matter probably did not
come under their jurisdiction, they
held that the Negro population has
an equal right in the matter.
La Londe had petitioned the
planning members at the Novem
ber meeting for a preliminary plat
in creating a subdivision. Action in
the matter will be continued.
Portlanders Guests
At USO Dedication
Astoria Naval Base, Dec. 10.
Dr. and Mrs. DeNorval Unthank
and Mr. and Mrs. L. R. Blackburn
of Portland were guests at the ded
ication services of the U. S. O.
branch established here this week.
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Lewis and Clark
College Features
Colored Student
BURNING OF
MORTGAGE
BIG EVENT
Richard Moffatt, baritone, will
By HELEN E. WEGENER
be featured in the Christmas pro
Guest Writer
gram of Lewis and Clark College,
The Vanport Negro Choral So- i December 17, at 4:30 o’clock. The
ciety added a great deal to the pro-
choif :wf*r
Ki’Sm Iasi Junday e\ ehing j l lner/
A. M. E. Zion Church, located at
Williams and Hancock streets. The
early history of the church was re
lated b^ Mrs. L„M . Bird and Mrs.
Kathryn Gray. The early difficul
ties encountered in securing a place
of worship for the colored people
of the Albina district were related
Ah.
by them. Mrs. C. Harris told of the j
first Elders of the church and the
debt of gratitude the present mem
bership owes them. Mrs. Margaret
Wyman, Mr. I. H. Payne and Mr.
R. Moffatt
S. Scruggs closed the remarks at
the banquet hour. The Rev. Smith John Stark Evans will also present
then introduced Mrs. Lambert w’ho a trio composed of Betty Ross,
rendered a solo. This was followed Joyce Ogden and Jean Brose as
by the presentation of the arrange well as other numbers. “ An Amer
ments committee and the hand ican Carol” and a special arrange
some waitresses and waiter. A ment of “ Silent Night” by Mr.
bounteous Turkey Dinner with all Evans will also be part of the
the fixin’s was served and enjoyed service. There will be a candlelight
by all. Following the dinner hour processional. Anyone interested is
there was the singing of hymns cordially invited.
preceding tHV* evening program.
Richard is looking forward to
The singing of the Negro Na the day when he can undertake to
tional Hymn opened the evening learn his first grand opera role.
program immediate after the pro He is a Music Major at Lewis and
cessional of the Choral Society and Clark College.
\
the honored guests, Mr. Kirk Reyn
Richard feels that equal rights
olds, President of the Federal Sav for all peoples regardless of race
ings and Loan Association and or creed is essential. He hopes to
Hon. Earl Riley, Mayor.
aid in freeing people from animosi
Rev. Abrams Hayward delivered ty and prejudice toward the colored
the opening prayer in the absence race. When he attains his degree,
of Dr. H. J. Maulbetsch.
he will continue his study and fur
Mr. Reynolds then spoke on the ther his aim of spreading the doc
importance of the occasion since trine of equality.
nhe only time that a person appre
ciates a mortgage is “ when one
receives the money, when one puts
it to use, and when one burns» it."
The Choral Society then sang
“ Gloria in Excelsis ”
Bishop W. C. Brown of the Sev
enth Episcopal District was intro
duced by Rev. L. W. McCoy. He
WITH THE 5TH ARMY, ITA
briefly sketched the history of the LY— Bronze Star Medals now dec
founding of the Zion Church In orate the breasts of five more he
1796 in New York City to its pres roic members of the 92nd “ Buffa
ent organization including both a lo” Infantry Division, now in ac
Foreign and Home Mission Board. tion with Lt. General Mark W.
There are now approximately one Clark’s Fifth Army in Italy, the
(Continued on page 8)
(Continued on page 5)
Five in “Buffalo”
Division Awarded
Bronze Star Medal
(
Reported From Pastor at Vanport
Negro Tank Unit
----
I
WITH THE U. S. THIRD AR
MY—The War Department has of
ficially released information on the
first deaths in the all-Negro 761st
Tank Battalion, now pushing its
way into the Reichland, with Lieut
enant General George S. Patton’s
Third U. S. Army. The first deaths
reported were a private, a first
sergeant and a second lieutenant.
The first man in the first Negro
combat unit to his front lines in
France was Privat Clifford C.
Adams, of 1615 N. W. 2nd Avenue,
Miami, Florida, a member of the
medical detachment, who died from
wounds received on November 8,
the D-day for the battalion. He
was wounded as he gave aid to an
injured member of a tank crew,
while under heavy German shell
fire, and died later the same day.
The next deaths reported were
the result of strictly combat action,
both men being killed in action, at
Morville-les-Vic, on November 9.
They were Second Lieutenant Ken
neth W. Coleman, of Washington,
D. C., and First Sergeant Samuel
J. Turley, of 815 Trinity Avenue,
the Bronx, New York City.
Lieutnnant Coleman and First
Sergeant Turley died the death of
heroes, fo rth e y were together in
avt fi
.50 Calif -
ore machinegun from their dis
abled tank, in order to pour fire on
German AT gun emplacements,
and rocket-launcher spots, as their
company, commanded by Captain
Irvin McHenry of Leavenworth,
Kansas, was immobilized facing an
anti-tank (fitch in the bitter fight
for Morville-les-Vic, the toughest
spot in the battalion’s first battle
action.
They were mowed down as they
pulled the deadly weapon from its
moorings on the tank, and started
to get under the tank to begin fir
ing. A hail of fire from German
guns in the center of the fighting
area, and from a point to their
right, tore into the pair and both
were kiled.
1
Both were veteran members of
Company C, under Captain Mc
Henry, and First Sergeant Turley
had w'on the reputation of being
“ the best first sergeant in the bat
talion.” He is survived by a sister,
Mrs. Sophie Montgomery, 5145
Prairie Ave., Chicago.
Brothers Meet
In So. Pacific
The Rev. Ennis M. Whaley, Ne
gro Methodist
minister from Des
Moines, Iowa, arrived this week to
become pastor of
j
his race in Van-
port where he
will give full time
to the work. He
i
will work under
direction of the
United C h u r c h
Ministry and Dr.
Guy Goodsell, of
Portland Method
ist district super
intendent. He will
Rev. E. M . W hale j preach at 11:30
p. m. Sunday in Community No. 6
on “ Walking With God.”
He is a native of Missouri, grad
uate of the Phillander Smith col
lege and has had 18 hours toward
his masters degree at Drake uni
versity. He has been in the Meth
odist ministry six years.
Negro Ack-Ack
Gunners Fire on
German Pillboxes
WTlTH THE U 3. 3RD ARMY—
Using quadruple firing guns and
40-mm “ ack ack” ’ guns, capable of
firing 2500 rounds per minute, a
group of Negro gunners of the
452nd Antiaircraft Artillery Bat
talion, have been directing their
guns at the German positions fac
ing the drive of the Third Army
in the area between Metz and Nan
cy, as this army drove forward to
ward the German boarder after
taking Metz.
But no longer are the weapons
pointed skyward, as when they
were guarding one of the Army’s
most important depots in England
before coming to France. Now they
are firing “ flat trajectory” fire,
aimed on a dead level at the Ger
man pillboxes and concrete em
placements, in support of infantry
and artillery, as well as providing
protective service for the 761st
Tank Battalion, the Army’s new
Negro tank outfit which is plung-;
ing forward into German territory.
Dug-in in mud flats, along low-
lying river bottoms, and mounted
high on hills overlooking German
outposts, the high-powered weap
ons are giving a good account of
themselves.
For service in doing more than
an ordinary share of keeping his
battery in tip-top shape, one sol
dier, Sergeant Charles Johnson,
Jr., 2427A West Cook Ave., St.
Louis, Missouri, has been highly
commended.
Seen facing a river in the area
of Chateau Salins, east of Nancy,
just after the 26th had moved thru
the town, the unit w’as keenly alert
i for the future push into Germany.
SOMEWHERE IN THE MARI
ANAS (Delayed)— Marine Private
Clarence Francis was visited by his
brother, Navy Steward’s Mate 1st
Class Yyles Joseph Francis, when
the ship on which Lyles is station
ed called here.
The Francis brothers are sons of
Mr. and Mrs. George Francis, of
832 West Harding Ave., Port Ar
thur, Texas. Clarence, 19 years old,
enlisted in the Marine Corps Nov.
11, 1943.
Lyles, who enlisted in the Navy
on Nov. 10, 1943, is 25 years of
Reginald Johnson, representative
age, and the husband of Mrs. H. M. of the Urban League who has been
Francis.
m Portland for the past three
Until this reunion, the brothers months, spoke at a luncheon in the
had not seen each other sine* they Benson Hotel on Wednesday of this
week.
enlisted.
Johnson Speaks
At Lunheon Here