Flint Spokesman [Volume: 1, Issue: 36]

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FLINT SPOKESMAN

~We Tell the Fruth~

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~ Flint, Michig

FLINT,

MICHIGAN, SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 23, 1946

PRICE 10c PER COPY

RNEY SCOTT

ELECTED PRES

IDENT. ~. TRIES GA.

FARMER FOR

ATLANTA ~ ANP ~ United. States prosecution of Roswell Piercé Biggers, charged
with peorage started in federal district court here last

week with the presentation ot

testimony by several Negroes,
who claimed the white man
systematically paid them out of
jail and then worked them for

iii MTT

SCORE

By Frank L. Gillespie

QOLPUODEDGQDOUDOVAGUDEDAODOGEOOGOOOOROUEOOUEIO!
THE TGRAVATED HOUSING
SITUATION IN FLINT

The housing situation in Flint
is~ much the same as it is -ll
over the country. It~is in a very
deplorable state. It seems like
an odd parodox to say and yet
it is true that Negroes~ themselves could have greatly eased
the situation here. Just afte:
the depressier and before the
great war, Negroes had the opportunity to vote upon a Federal Housing program here, but
of course; just as it was on
5th, the Negro was too
erned to vote

racial c~haracteristics of local
ctizens. There is always a hue
and: cry among our people that
they have bren discrimirated
against or that they are given
the worse housing in the city.
If the question is honestly approached, truth must be one
of its first elements.

When the foreign groups, first
came to this country and incidentally to Flint, they were
treated much the same as the
Negro group was treated when

it first came North. They were

given the worst jobs, with the
poorest pay and the poorest
living conditions and they were
called contemptible names. D:spite all gf these unfavorable
conditions, they worked induseducated their children. They bought homes and
sacrificed everything to. acquire
all af those attributes that have
gone so far toward the enrichment of life in America.

Since they did the very best
they could with what means
they had at hand, it was only
natural that new avenues of
endeavor would open to them.
Their children were educated in
American institutions. By preservance, industry and native
ability they soon worked their
way into the very sinews of
American industry, business
and the whole economic frame.
It is not to be imagined that
cOlor play anythirg like the
part that is so often attributed
to it. It is reasonable to believe that if a man can write a
check~ for twenty-five thousand
dollars that any banker will of

'.. necessity give him consideration;. @~d for greener pastures.

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~

regardless of color.

After our foreign elements
had built up to the last degree
of their apportunities in the
meighborhoods that was assigned to them, they naturally lookThose
who had seen that they had
done all that cpuld be done with
what they had were willing ~to
accard more. The rest is history. Wherever they have gone
~they have by sheer industry left
* foot prints upon the sands of
time.

The Negro came to Flint under Similar* circumstances. Instead of being willing to build,

_Se~The Score~Page 8

Upietaniios. ip. Flint. it is of |
" necessity. interwined with the

{

|

SONACE. ACTS

iething on his plantatioh. near
~onyers, Ga.

The trial began last Tuesday
vith Assistant U. S. Attormrey
Harvey H. Tsingecr and Douglass
King presenting evidence which
tended to show that Biggers
made it a practice of havihg
Negroes arrested on warrants
and getting them out of jail if
~hey agrecd to return to his
dlantatioy and work for him.

First witness for the prosecution was J. C. Banks, 22, whe
told the court he worked for
Biggers in 1943 at a rate of 50
cents a day and got a raise of
10 cents a: day, or 60 cents, in
1944. He described how he left
the plantation and came to Atlanta to work with the city sarritary department, were after a
short time he was picked up by
city detective and detained at
the Atlanta Police statio. until the ~Rockdale sheriff came
for him.

On every occasion Biggers
came: for him, Banks said, the
planter told him in the Conyers jail.that ~if I ~agreed to
pick that cotton he~d get me
out.~ Barfks told the court that
he picked cotton two weeks
and returned to Atlanta, where
he was later rearrested. He said
ted to. pay the white

oney pari ay It was also revealed that Biggers charged
Banks~ father $12 for two trips
to Atlanta to get him out of
jail on warrants sworn out by
Biggers. for his arrest and return to Rockdale county.

There was an attempt by defense attorneys upon cross- examination to show that the witness was lazy, shifthess and-unreliable.On the contrary, John
T. New, imspector of the city
Sanitary department, testifyed
that Banks was. an exceptionally good worker and stated
that his wages with the sanitary
department were $33.60 per
week, or about $4.60 per day.

One of tne two warrants
sworn out before a justice of
peace at Conyers was allegedly signed with a cross-mark by
Sam Barks, father of J. C.
Banks. Sam Banks told the
court that Biggers came to him

to make an agreement to send;

for his. son, but emphatically
denied having made a_ croSsmark or signed a warrant for
his arrest. The witness also said
he did not know that his son
was in jail, until Biggers came
to the cottoh field and told him.
Banks testified that
provided medicel care for him
during an illness, but explaincd
that at the time of finai settiement expenses for medica! services were charged agaimst h:in
and deducted.

Second government...itness
See~U. S. Tries~Page 8

Bigg:rs~

Mt. Calvary
Holds First
Anniversary

~The first anniversary services
of the Mt. Calvary Baptist
Church, 3019 Industriai Averrue,
will be held on November 24,
beginning on Sunday at 9:30
A. M. and continuing tnroughout the day, and closing in the
evening. Dr. Timberlake of Detroit, Mich., will preach the anniversary sermon at 3:00. Rev.
Nicks is the pastor.

Bilbo Hurt,
But Not Enough

POPLORVILLE,, Miss. ~ AN~
~Enroute to his ~dream house~
after a business trip here last
Tuesday night, Mississippii~s
Serr. Bilbo plowed his car into
the rear of a heavily loaded
truck. Taken to the hopital, it
was found, upon eximination,
that he suffered bruises and
shock.

According to information received, the car, a Cadillac, was
completely, demolished. Police
say that the shatter-proof windshield saved the senator from
injuries. It was caved is completely. Meanwhile, reports are
that Bilbo ~rests easily.~

Columbian

Head Linked
With Bund

sg ~anti-Jewish ~Columbians,+
Inc., last week was identified as
a former associate of the German Bund and international
fascist leaders.

The lirk came through a staff
investigator. into un-American
activities for the Scripp-Howard
newspapers, whose name was
not revealed immediately.

No Negro Troops
In Atlanta
Parade Nov. ll

ATLANTA. Although Soainae zi Negroes
from this area participated in
both world wars, not a one was
invited to participate in the
Armistice day parade sponsor-!
ed by the Americar~ Legion
posts of the area. Some observers reported one N egro face
among the paraders, but this
was denied in other quarters.
Only recently has the American
Legion begun to organize Negroes in Georgia and the south.

a

HELP WANTED: Girl or woman over 21, who is neat and
dependable. Apply in person at
the South Side Confectionary.
See Mr. J. D. Shook.

Don't miss the super show
at the Tilden Theatre, Sunday
Monday Tuesday, ~~It Happened im New Orleans,~ with the
Hall Johnson Choir, Louise
Beavers: and Rochester. At your
neighborhood Theatre the Tilden Theatre.

Suit for $10,000 Filed Against
Prominent Chicago Undertaker

CHICAGO ~ ANP ~ A $i0.000 suit was filed Tuesday in
Superior court here against
Robert Miller, prominent undertaker and active civic~ worker,by Miss Maggie Williams,
well-known club woman, to collect debts incurred in promoting social affairs to promote
Miller~s business.

Contained in. the brief, drawn
up by Atty. H. E. Raymond, is
a list of 48 items which Miss
Williams claims she purchased
for various Social affairs and
for which, according to agree
by Miller.

Im explaining why she turned over all funds collected from
the various social affairs rather
than press immediately for

~money due her, she charges that

~by reason of repeated promisés
to marry her made by the defendant,~ she was ~lulled into a
greater degree of confidence in
the defendant than she otherwise would have had.~

Miller, who is married, denies
the allegations. No date for a
hearing of the icaess has been

ment, she was never reimbursed; set.

Ge i ia MR a aN Mg oT ml |,

~

~ APNS~

DETROIT, Mich.
DR. D. ORMONDE WALKER,

of Buffalo, N. Y., former president of Wilberforce University,
and the Rev. Carlyle Stewart,

pastor of Ebenezer

AME |

Church, Detroit, Mich., snapped |
ata banquet in the Motor City,.
recently. The banquet was the
termination of the celebration |
of the 75th Birthday of the
church, in which Dr. Walker~
was the main. speaker.

fae Sle: DRS react

~NEW YORK ~- ANP ~American~s show folk were urged to
joir in a boycott of the nation~s
capital in protest against jim
crow theater practices in an

article written by Robert E.
Sherwood, noted playwright, in
the November 11 issue of the

New Republic,
magazine.

national liberal

Calling,jim-crow restrictions
in Washington theaters ~anachronistic and scandalous,~ Sher
wood quoted a friend as saying, ~they are relics of the time
when Washington was considered a sleepy old southerh town.
Nobody seems to have informed the theater owners that this
has~ become a great cosmopolitar capital.~ -

Noting ~there is no local law
or ordinance imposing these restrictions,~ he said, ~it is a matter of ~custom~ or ~tradition,~
variously interpreted. The situation is complicated~ and confusing but, as I understand it, the
followimg polici~s prevail:

~In the National theatre, Negroes afe permitted on_ the
stage but in the audience.

~In Constitution hall they are
permitted in the audience but
not on the stage (except occasionally at benefits).

~At the Ulime arena, Negroes
are admitted to prizefights but
not to such intellectual entertainments as the ~Ice-Capades.~

"The Lisner auditorium of
George Washington university is
a large, modern, well equipped
theatre which has recently become available from time to
time for commercial _ productions. The first~ play booked
there is playrights co. productions of Maxwell aerate =
~Joar of Lorraine,~ starring Ingrid Bergman.

When Miss Bergman~s appearance was announced the demand for tickets was so enormous that the seats for all thre.
veeks of the engagemen- wer~
evil out Ly mail orgzer even
before the box office was opened. There was mo question in the
minds of the Playrights~ company of any racial discrimination in the sale of these tickets and, undoubtedly, a proportionate number of the tickets
have gone to Negroes.

~However, the authorities of
the university decided the Lisner auditorium must conform,

BOYCOTT URGED IN
THEATRE JIM
)W_ FIGHT

to ~the general practice of Wash-{

ington theatres and refuse ad.
mission to Negroes.

~Washington is an important,
unit in the ecomomy of the theatre. It is what is known as a
~a great show town.~ The aud- |
iences are exceptionally intel-'
ligent and the press generous in
its support of the theatre as an
institution. However, the revenue. to be derived is poor compensation for the injury done
to the conscience of American
citizens by this continuance of
injustice in our national capi-~

tal.
|

~I believe that. only a small
minority of the people of Washington want jim crow to con.
tinue~and there is surely no
law compelling that minority
to go to the theatre if they object to the presence of Negroes.

~Therefore, I believe that it
is the duty of all of us who
work in the America theatre~
actors, playwrights, producers~
to protect against this intolerable situation by agreeing that
we shall keep our productions
out of Washington until the
ban against Negroes is abolished.~

Bishop Childs Off

To Convention:

Bishop~ J. W. Childs of the
Church of Jesus Inc., Seiby St.
left for Lakeland, Florida, for
the Fifth Annual Convention to
be held on Nov. 25 through December 4th. ~

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NOTICE

~ cena DENTS
@ COLUMNISTS
@ ADVERTISERS

Because of Thanksgiving
Day coming next week this
newspaper is requesting ALL
to have their copy in 24 hours
earlier in lap 2 be in time.

~PLEASE

ee

Negro, White

' ~Baptists in

Toint Session
SAVANNAH, Ga.
The unusual happened here ~ast
week when white and Negro
Baptists of Georgia held a joint
session at the city auditorium
on the occasion of the Diamond

Jubilee session of the Gera!
Missionary Baptist convention
of Georgia, Dr. L. A. P'nks
ton, president.

The Georgia Baptist conven

[tion (white), Dr. Wilkersou,
Athens, retiring president, and
Columbus Roberts, of Colum
bus, new president, met in joint
session with Negro Baptiste for
the first time in 75: years. fol
lowing the mammoth jubilee
sa | Dar: de.

Earlier in the session, Dr.

D. Newton, of Atlanta, o0.esi
dent of the Southerr Baptist
G.vention told Negro Baptists
that the world will not be frecd
ot war until nations learn c
drinkout of the same com:munion ~cup.

Delivering his anrfua) address,
President Pinkston warned ~You
need not be surprised at the
contimuous. existence of the
strife and war among natiors,, and the leaders of nations, when

we have churches that know
nothing and do nothing but hate
One another.

also chosen to represent Can
Baptists next year in Denmark,
where the Baptist World Alliance meets.

Ga. Governor:

Phased with

Lynch Probe

ATLANTA ~ ANP ~ Gov.
~l'is Arnall declared last week
that when -brought to. jus*'ce
~the mob which lynched four
Negroes in Walton county will
be ~convicted quicker in _Géorgia thar anywhere in the naton because our people
re sentful of crimes committed
~~y a few.~

Arnall said he weitomed federal ~investigation in the case
and commented: ~Sooner or later it is inevitable that there
will be conviction in the lynchings.~ The governor explained
the difficulty lies in obtaining
sufficient evidence n:essary
to convict the lynchers.

Arnall added that when sufficient evidence is obtained the
guilty persons will be cortvicted because the great majority
of Georgians resent the bad
name given to the state by a
~bunch of thugs.~:

Arnall said that
grand jury has more inquisitory powers than a county
grand jury and also has the
~ower to sumffor witnesses and
su! wena evidence from sz-eral
counties instead of limitinz its
activities to one county. He observed that he had been told
hat 18 or 20 participants in the
mob are known to the investigators and all that is needed is
evidence to convict tem.

a federal

Tie federal grand jury ty~ investigate the lynching of four
bersons.in Walton county last
July will convene in the Athens
div:s~on December 2, it was anrruunced in Macon by U. S&S
District Atty. John Cowart.

M:>- Spence termed a resoluticn of the Georgia Peace Officers~ association, cnarging the
iccers.~ government with interference in state investigations
of crime. as political effort to
smear Gov. Ellis Arnall. Major
Eperace declared that the peace

officers~ resolutiow ~burned me
up.~
Muj. Spence said th2> Georgia

Bureau~ of investigat'en is still
cooperating with tie FBI in
investigating the case

ANP <2

are.

OF N.A.A.C.P.

Attorney Elijah Scott Elected
To Head Flint Branch NAACP

ATTY. ELIJAH. SCOTT, JR.

The Flint Branch of the N.
A. A. C. P. held thier monthly
meeting at which time new officers were elected. The meeting took place at the Antiocn
Church on Selby St.

The president, Jesse Governor

in his closing address expressed

a sincere interest in trying to:

get the member of the NAACP

to be more cooperative in their

future undertakings, and pledged his wholehearted support to
the new president, Mr. Elijah
Scott.

We believe that under the
guidance of Attorney Scott, the

Flint Branch of the NAACP

will soar to new heights.

Other officers elected at this
mesting were Rodger Townsend
vice president; Mrs. Elizabeth
Stafford, secretary; and Mrs. L.
Moore, assistant secretary and
Mrs. E. P. Bryant, treasurer,
With a board of directors including Flint~s outstanding personalities;

Officsrs and members of the
NAACP accepting offices should
work towards supporting the
NAACP and function in their
positions as the NAACP organization should. The climax of
the meeting was the address
from the State President, Dr.
Leondias Leach, who was very
impressive in the delivery of
his ~oratory.

The eyes of Flint are looking forward to the undertakings of the Flint Branch of the.
NAACP,

United States Helps Texas
School Accommodate GI Students

WASHINGTON ANP
Houston college for Negroes was
one of four Texas colleges
granted government-owned surplus structures and equipment

| last. week to. accomodate... in-.

creases in enrollments _of- veterans studyimg under the Gil
bill of rights. The other three
schools were white.

According to a report by MajGen. Philip B. Fleming, Federal Works administrator, Houston. college has received approv
al of a request for structures to
provide laundry and dry-cleaning facilities, a cafeteria, a music building, maintenartce facilities, physical education and
}sperts. facilities and equipment.

The school~s enrollment totals
1,200 including 900 veterans, but
the student body is expected to
increase to 1,800 including 1,500
veterans. proval was given
under the Mead Act veterans~
educational facilities program,

Gen. Fleming said.

Alabama~s Present Governor

Backs South~s Jim Crow

MONTGOMERY, Ala ~ ANP

Southern anti-Negro.jim
crow was whdleheartedly baeked by Gov. Chauncey Sparks,
outgoing. chief executive of the
state, Monday in reply to questions by white newspapermen.

Absolute segregation of whites
and Negroes is essential in the
south, he declared, and claimed
Alabama~s new voting restrictions would prevent political
Strife between a Negro party
and a white party.

Sparks, soon to be replaced

by Gov.-elect Jim Folsom, said:

any effort from the outside or
inside the south to propagandize
one race against the other on
the basis of false issues, unobtairfable statutes, and undesirable relationships will. always
be harmful.

~Tolerance does not mean that
we will accept any people unconditionally and in every aspect of. life,~ he corftinued. On
the other hand, tolerance means,
and I hope some day will be
recognizéd by our northern
friends (if we can call them
friends,) aS an agreement to
a realistic basis of adjustment
of things that God and nature
have made so difficult.

~The white man can be the
friend of the Negro, and vice
versa. He can live beside the
Negro, he can encourage the
Negro, and vice versa. He can
see that he gets justice, education, better health, home life,
environmental corfditions, and
yet not be dubbed an intolerant
because he recognizes the necessity of segregation and of no
social equality, and a _ careful
protection. of our electoral
franchise. If these things be intolerance,. then intolerance becomes the greatest shield of self
defense.

In New York, Walter White,

executive secretary of the N.
A. A. C. P., said:

~No small intelligent person
either believes or fears there
will be a ~Negro political bloc~
except on issues like the poll
tax, anti lynching legislation,
FEPC and other issues which
are created not by Negroes but
by those who would deny even
rudimentary justice to Negroes
because they are Negroes.

Sparks also met opposition
from Herman G. Canady, professor of psychology at West
irginia State college, in an ope
letter the following day. Canady
challenged the part of the governr~s letter that said ~Negroes
and whites can live together
peacefully and harmoniously
only if they recognize that absolute segregation is the first
essential of a workable racial
society.

~The American Negro ~will
never accept absolute or any
other degree of segregation,
Canady wrote, and you either
know or ought to know that
right is more~ precious~. than
peace. He will fight along with

others for the thing carried
nearest the hearts of all Americans ~ the realization of. the

dream of our founding fathes;
the dream of a land in which
life should be better and richer and fuller for every man,
with opportunity for ~each according to his ability and
achievement; the dream of a
social order in which each man
and each woman shall be able
to attain the fullest stature of
which they are innately capable
amid be recognized by others
for what they are, regardless of.
race, color, or creed.