New York Amsterdam News — 1963-00-00798

g ft N. Y. AMSTERDAM NEWS, Sat., Sept.JB8U963 AtnsterS YORK am Netos v C. B. POWELL President Sc Editor P. M. H. Savoky, Secy-Trw. • J. L. Hicks, £xecuf<?« Editor W. ft. test. CwUrnlhn K. A. Walt AtfvwtWne Dtrartor; Warraa Sari A Horror Story i. ft. Walter. CM, ftfttart J. W. Wate 0. -*T Published weekly by the Powell-Savory Corporation at’ 2340 eighth Ave., N. Y. Telephone Academy 2-7800 Brooklyn office, 12S1 Bedford Avenue. Telephone ULster 7-2500. rataa 1 jraar S7.ee — • rooa . M.M Editorials Crime Editors Some New York reporters, recently returned from Birmingham, have complained about how the city police and the state police maintain such strict control of news events there that it amounts to virtually police “editing” the news. . This newspaper deplores police “editing” in Alabama and feels that it is outrageous when the Police Department of the City of New York attempts the same thing. Yet, the same thing apparently happens in New York and, just as in Birmingham, it took a racial incident to bring it out in the open. The incident involved the death of a Negro wo­ man in the Queens General Hospital who died 5 days after she had been viciously slashed with a knife by a white man. Before the woman died, she told police that the white man who attacked her had shrieked: “I hate Niggers” as he stabbed her over and over again. But when the Police Department was questioned as to the man’s possible motive for killing the wo­ man, they told newspapermen that the man in at­ tacking the woman, had used the words: “I hate people.” ' , And it was not until 11 days later when news­ papermen continued to dig into the matter that the Police Department finally admitted that in stabbing the woman, the man had said, “I hate Niggers,” rather than “I hate people.” Why did the Police Department of the City of New York see fit to change the words of a killer and put new words in his mouth? Ask the same question of the Police Department in Birmingham, Alabama. Why was it when a Negro was shot in the back by a policeman in Birmingham, Alabama, the first report given to newsmen said that he had been shot by another Negro? We leave you to answer the question in the case of the Birmingham police. But here is the answer which police of New York City gave in the Queens case: “In the initial phase of the investigation, the altered phrase was used so that the man who com­ mitted the crime would be unaware that we knew of his neurotic hatred. The attacker’s anti-Negro attitude was used in an immediate survey of known potential suspects.” We submit that this is a lot of garbage. In years gone by, the Police Department has taken great pains to point out that in pinpointing a criminal suspect as being a Negro they are serving the cause of “justice” because, they say, identifying the suspect by race may enable them to track him down and bring him to justice sooner. Negroes have reluctantly gone along with this explanation although many have done so with tongue in cheek. But now comes the Police Department to tell us that they withheld the fact that this slayer was an anti-Negro bigot because they didn’t want the suspect to know that they knew he was a bigot. We repeat again, this is still garbage. What aU of this amounts to is the “editing” of 'crime news by the Police Department of the City of New York and we think Mayor Wagner and Com­ missioner Murphy should put a stop to it at once. If we have racial crimes in New York, and we certainly have our share of them, we don’t solve a single one of them by editing out the racial angle of the story. They do it every day in Birmingham, Alabama but New York City has no need to copy the errors of Birmingham’s ways. People In Action Sharing Of Twin Needs By DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING. JR. that day, commented bitterly that there was always more misery in the lower classes than there was humanity in the upper classes. The inspiring answer to this in­ tolerable and de-hu- manizing existence was economic or­ ganization through trades unions. Victor Hugo, literary genius of collectively. It was now apparent- ly emancipated. The days when workers were jailed for organ­ izing, and when in the English Parliament Lord Mccauley had to debate against a bill decreeing ing the death penalty for anyone engaging in a strike, were grim but almost forgotten memories. Yet, the Wagner Act, like any other legislation, tended merely to declare rights but did not de­ liver them. The worker be- c a m e determined not to wait for char­ itable impulses to grow in his employ­ er. He constructed DR. KING the means by which a fairer shar­ ing of the fruits of his toil had to be given to him or the wheels of industry, which he alone turned, would halt and wealth for no one would be available. This revolution within industry was fought mercilessly by those who blindly believed their right to uncontrolled profits was a law of the universe, and that without the maintenance of the old order catastrophe faced the nation. History is a great teacher. Now, every one knows that the labor movement did not diminish the strength of the nation but enlarg­ ed it. By raising the living stand­ ards of millions, labor miraculous­ ly created a market for industry and lifted the whole nation to un­ dreamed of levels of production. Those who today attack labor forget these simple truths, but his­ tory remembers them. Federal Law Labor’s next monumental strug­ gle emerged in the thirties when it wrote into federal law the right freely to organise and bargain Labor had to bring the law to life by exercising its rights in practice over stubborn, tenacious opposition. It was warned to go slow, to be moderate, not to stir up strife. Tom Girdler summed it up in his biography when he said, “We had had industrial peace un­ til reckless and selfish union or­ ganizers made unprovoked war on our workers.” But labor knew it was always the right time to do right, and it spread its organiza­ tion over the nation and achieved equality organizationally with capital. The day of economic democracy was born. Negroes in the United States read this history of labor and find it mirrors their own experience. We are confronted by powerful forces telling us to rely on the good will and understanding of those who profit by exploiting us. They deplore our discontent, they resent our will to organize, so that we may guarantee that hu­ manity will prevail and equality will be exacted. They are shocked that action organizations, sit-ins, civil dis­ obedience, and protests are be­ coming our every day tools, just as strikes, demonstrations and union organization became labor’s to insure that bargaining power genuinely existed on both sides of the table. We want to rely upon the goodwill of those who oppose us. Indeed, we have brought for­ ward the method of non-violence to give an example of unilateral goodwill in an effort to evoke it in those who have not yet felt it in their hearts. But we know that if we are not simultaneously organizing our strength we will have no means to move forward. If we do not ad­ vance, the crushing burden of centuries of neglect and economic deprivation will destroy our will, our spirits and our hopes. Negro Tradition In this way labor’s historic tradition of moving forward to create vital people as consumers and citizens has become our own tradition, and for the same rea­ sons. This unity of purpose is not a historical coincidence. Negroes are almost entirely a working people. There are pitifully few Negro millionaires and few Negro employers. Our needs are identi­ cal with labor’s needs — decent wages, fair working conditions, liveable housing, old age secur­ ity, health and welfare measures, conditions in which families can grow, have education for their children and respect in the com­ munity. That is why Negroes support labor’s demands and fight laws which curb labor. That is why the labor-hater and labor-baiter is virtually always a t^in-headed creature spewing anti-Negro epi­ thets from one mouth and anti- labor propaganda from the other mouth. Pulse Of New York’s Public The Amsterdam Newt welcomes Utters on either tide of any subject. It is preferred that letters not exceed 2S0 words and they mutt be signed. Namet will be withheld on request. No letters can be returned. AU must bo addretted to the Kditor. The Ways Of Politics Last week’s Democratic judicial convention in Brooklyn made some facts patently clear. Stanley Steingut, leader of King’s County evolved as a tough opponent who gave Mayor Wagner a great deal of cause for concern. Steingut’s slate of a Negro, Judge O. D. Williams and State Sen. Frank Pino for Supreme Court judges, held fast. Both were voted in on the same count — 107 to 90, which means that the voting was along strictly faction lines. It also means that the two Negro Assemblymen who are the pivots in this Democratic internal fight, Bertram Baker and Thomas Russell Jones, held the balance of power in their hands. Each with five votes —a total of ten — could have turned the tide to Wagner or to Steingut. They elected to stick with Steingut, and have, as a matter of fact, been sticking with him even in the darkest days of persecution, with loss of patron­ age. t ' We would like to see Steingut show his apprecia­ tion for this loyalty by using his good offices to have a Negro to fill out the unexpired year of Civil Court Judge Williams’ term. We would also like to see the Mayor appoint a Negro to one of the two magistrate jobs still open in Brooklyn. There has not been a Negro appointment to a Brooklyn magistracy since LaGuardia appointed Miles Paige. And that was twenty years ago. It’s hard to believe the Mayor cannot find a suitable man for the job. Write Him! Sir: An anonymous letter print ed in the "pulse of New York's public" column of the Amsterdam News recently under the headline of "housing police" has come to my attention. The letter, which Rives no names or location, charges that a New York City Housing Auth­ ority policeman used his fists and feet on a boy of about 14 years old. In the absence of any specific data, I am unable to InvesUgate the facts in thia alleged Incident. If the persqp who wrote thia letter would contact me by writ­ ing me at Housing Police Head­ quarters, 185 E. 98th Street, New York 29. or calling TR 6-2565. I will be glad to start an immedi­ ate investigation. The rules and procedures of our Security Division direct the Commanding Officer to be .alert for any such Incidents and take prompt and proper disciplinary action In Rich cakes. I am glad that the praises most of the as dedicated workers. X fed the same way and one ot the main objectives of our police program is to make sure that man Is dedicated and sympathetic to the needs of all our tenants, young or old. The letter mentioned has been brought to the memberi of the slon. attention ,of all take this lying down. We don’t. School Prineioalc rrincipoiS Security Dtri- blame you for Evers death but ’ Joseph F. Weldon z Superintendent of Housing Police blame you kids, oh, no! Mr. Wallace you will do something or I will ask for the march through this paper you for mob action but I ask for peace. H« Cooled Off Sir: Maybe the Amsterdam News won't print all of my let­ ter, luckily for them I cooled off, or I might be asked to omit such language. Get your fools out of the school doors and let my people go. Re­ member history repeats Itself. William M. George Jr. 6 Glenwood Are. Mpls. 3, Minn. Governor Wallace, don’t you ever tell anyone you ar« a God fearing child or you expect to make heaven your home. You must see what your talk is do­ ing to the state of Alabama, an­ other Mississippi. What do you want th« citizens of the country to think of you? Oh, yes, you’ll say you don't give a damn, but the blood of your atate is on your hand. Xmas Boycott Sir: I read with great interest the "Christmas Boycott" suggest­ ed by the recently organized Committee of Writers and Artists for Justice. Negroes in Alabama are going 1 think the idea la indeed an excellent one. However, I wonder If an extra dimension could be added. Why not the suggestion that all people willing to par to take a new stand and if 200. ticipate in this effort will donate 000 marched on Washington* pre- at least 110 per cent of their pare yourself for 500,000 to in­ Christmas budget to the various vade your capttol. legitimate Civil Rights organize tlona for the support of their programs? Or, perhaps, the cost of a Christmas tree which would not symbolize the birth of Jesus, but his' Crucifixion Which took place tn Birmingham on a Sun day morning In September, 1963 Merrit Hedgeman We Negroes (not niggers,) want peace but with our kids getting bombed you can’t expect us to love you when your own are turning against you. And don’t think God Isn't on the throne I know you expect nasty writ­ ten letters. No I won't call names The SCLC and NAACP won’t New York City Sir: According to the "news of the schoola" In the New York World Telegram and Sun re­ cently there are 3.498 teachers In New York City. We are in­ terested in other facts not In the article; namely, the per­ centage of the teachers In the Bronx, Queens. Richmond, and the number and percentage that are substitute teachers. To my knowledge, there Is only one Negro (licensed) Junior Principal-* "800" school at Hill­ crest. Licensed by the only exam for Junior principal of "800" schools given approximately four years, ago. What would be the statistics for these categories for Jewish teachers? In another vein, hope you saw the special Men’s Wear Section In Sunday's New York Times and noticed models on pages 99- 112 and UK A Queen’s teacher at PS 613 Shoppers Guido Sir: I feel that your paper could do your readers a great service if you published weekly a revised list of any stores or manufacturers that the civil rights organizations are urging us to boycott. Too often, the Negro consumer tou And I he World • •. Africa, Asia Dominate UN Meet By MARCELLE FOUQUET When James Hicks entrusted me with the mission of writing about international affairs, he said with his usual frankness: ' “You will inform the people who read this paper of what’s going on in the World, $ut remember, you must tell them of things which affect their lives, for, believe me, they don’t give a damn about international power politics un­ less you show how they relate to what they are doing*” “Secondly you will be true to your­ self and to your prospective readers. A good writer,” he continued, “is the one who, with genuine intellectual honesty, is able to establish contacts with the reader through mutual understanding. Tell them the facts and the whole ‘ truth.” With that mandate, Mr. Hides appointed me the United Nations cor­ respondent for the Amsterdam News. Extremely proud of the confidence he placed in me, I was, at the same time, fully aware of the heavy re­ sponsibility I was assuming. How could I interest peo­ ple in the confused controversies in remote parts of the World, I wondered when they have their own in­ tense problems much closer at hand. Why should they try to decipher the reason why de Gaulle keeps on making trouble for the United States? Why should they worry about the uneasy situa­ tion (to say the least) in South Vietnam when their children are under threat of being murdered by some bestial white supremacists who call themselves Chris­ tians? x Why should they care about the United Nations’ peace keeping missions in the Middle East or the Congo, when anarchy is sweeping Alabama? What is the use of telling them of UN resolutions condemning, year after year, the racist policy of Dr. Verwoerd, the South African counterpart of Governor Wallace When the enemy is Governor Wallace himself and his ad­ herents whose crimes, after all, will never come up before the United Nations? An Abstraction It is human nature to worry about ourselves, our children, our immediate neighbors rather than men and happenings in the far corners of the earth. To many people, world politics remain an abstraction, or a subtle game that can be exciting every now and then, but really too intricate to become seriously involved in. In this connection, I am reminded of a French philosopher who stated that great political virtue was never to lose sight of the “ensembles.” Could that pro­ vide a common denominator to all international prob­ lems, I was asking myself, while attending the ritual opening of the 1963 session of the United Nations Gen­ eral Assembly last Tuesday? In that arena. 111 mem­ bers will argue about current World problems for a three month period. What common points can constitute the solid basis for their discussions? 56 Out Of 77 If we consider only the facts so dear to Mr. Hicks, it is significant that 56 items out of 77 listed in the provisional agenda, have been proposed by the African and Asian Countries. They continue to emphasize the vital moral issues of individuals, states and the *n- temational Community. Ambassador Adlai Stever.son said: “The question of Human Rights is the heart and core of nearly everything we do and try to do.” Any actor or spectator on the United Nations scene would agree on that point: The 1963 session will be dominated by the themes of racism, colonialism and the economic development of under-privileged coun­ tries, all these issues closely linked to one another. The situations of South Africa, Southern Rhodesia, Angola as well as Alabama, Mississippi are inseparate- ly connected. One must take into account the overall picture, even if it was only to understand one’s own particular problems. is unaware of these efforts, therefore giving a false impres­ sion of his disinterest. Mrs. Joyce Benjamin Flushing, New York Wallace On TV We are really the Nlgra’s best friend. On us they know they can always depend To get a square deal In every way... That la as long as they do what we say! We like to see the Nlgra’s warm smile. They remind us so much of a little child. But these damn yankees make ’em so hostile That they disbelieve our way Is worthwhile! Back to the farms; that's where they belong. should be tricked out of nay rights enjoyed by other citizens; nor subjected to cruel repression In the form of segregation. Job discrimination; nor terrorism; nor subjected to Negro ghettos of slum; rampant demoralizing vice; crime and "payoffs” de­ signed te repress the Negro. Why don't the officials stop pussy­ footing and respect the laws of our country? Militant Citizen Hurry, Let Them In Four little children on the back stairs And though I’ve forgotten my childhood prayers I had to tell you they are stand- lng there. They were In your house neatly tressed and dressed Now their limbs are askew, their clothing messed And they hesitate to enter on Working hard and singing their your day of rest. "Freedom” Song. Without a plow Nigras ain’t no good no how. They do things the boss man Just don't allow! SLAVERY! How sweet and tra­ ditional this word The most Joyful sound we have ever heard... Raised in Birmingham and being "Black" They passed by Peter, took the stairs in back. "Hurry, let them In." lest they should turn back. You frightened us enough arising from the dead. Just the thought of It makes my Four children returning — the heart sing. horror would be dread. But first we gotta atop Martin How could we keep sinning Luther Ring' amidst the living dead. Frederick V. Seabrook 310 Macon Brooklyn 16, N. Y. Rights Crusade Sir: Civil rights front. We de­ monstrate for the constitutional rights of our fellow Negro-Am­ ericana. It does not say that Negroes Four little children on the back stairs And though I've forgotten «y childhood prayers I had to tell you they ere standing there. Joseph H. Simpson Jamaica 38. N.Y. ADDITIONAL 1 .ETTERS ON PAGft 12 Untitled Document file:///C|/Documents%20and%20Settings/Administrator/Desktop/hello.html2/18/2007 11:01:03 AMThomas M. 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