Oregon Experience: Beatrice Morrow Cannady

Keeping Grants Pass White

The Advocate, June 7, 1924

By Mrs. E.D. Cannady

On the front page of this issue, we are reproducing verbatim an article published in the SOUTHERN OREGON SPOKESMAN for May 24th, 1924, and are compelled to believe with Barnum, "there's one born every minute."

First of all, let us say that whatever may follow upon this subject is said dispassionately and with apologies to the intelligent public for giving the matter so much of our valuable space, for it is obvious the article is the child of a twisted and dwarfed brain, or the braying of a jackass who, we wouldn't be surprised, does not know the World war is ended. To inform him to a degree of helpfulness about our noble Race and its march to success, would be to start him from the primer up and educate him - for proper education and Christianization are what he needs. In view of this fact, we will not attempt to give an exhaustive discussion on the subject, pro and con, for he would not understand us; but we do feel it our duty to reply in such a manner that he may be able to profit a little therefrom. Again, if the editor of the Spokesman had simply mentioned "niggers" without reference to their color, we would have taken for granted he meant his own "niggers", that is "white niggers". Of course, he wouldn't know enough to know he has niggers in his race (himself being one), and therefore could not admit it. We know and admit we have "niggers" in our race and we also know there are "niggers" in every other race.

"Grants Pass has always us been a white man's town...the fact this is a white man's country," etc. Let us inform you, Mr. Editor, that Grants Pass has not always been "white". History informs us (let us suggest that history would help you, too), that at one time in the past Red men inhabited those parts. So, therefore, it could not always have been a "white man's town." The Editor goes further and says the very fact that this section is a white man's country has been the cause of the "cream" of the white race coming to that section of the country. That statement contradicts itself. No "cream" of the white people would make such a statement. Moreover, it is not the statement of a well balanced, clear thinking honest white man, let alone "cream," but is the utterance of a weak, narrow and untrained mind. Therefore, if the author lives in Grants Pass or in Rogue River Valley, that section has in it something less than the "cream" of the white people. We do not say that this editor is not educated in the orthodox meaning of the term education, but there are plenty of educated fools who have missed the real purpose of education. Leopold and Loeb are educated, but who can deny they have missed the very purpose of education, and are a menace to society?

By what right does Mr. Green say jobs in this country are for white men and women only? Does he not know that the so-called "Negro" was brought to this country against his own will? (Here a little study in history might be helpful to the learned editor.) The white man went to Africa and invited the black man to return to America with him. The black man declined the invitation. But the white man forced the black man against his will to leave his native home and come with the white man to his home in America. Now it is the custom (a little lesson in every day human etiquette) when one invites another to his or her home to treat their guest with respect and courtesy and to make their stay pleasant. Then it is more incumbent upon the white people to treat the "Negro" whom he forced here, not only with courtesy and respect, but with sympathetic tolerance and Love! By this editor's reasoning, the "Negroes" are not due anything from the white people. Where does "Mr. Intolerance" expect the "nigger" to get jobs?

For more than three hundred years the "Negro" in this country has tilled the soil, cleared the forests and laid the very foundation of American civilization, he has fought bravely in every war under the American flag. Nothing but God himself can stay the onward march of the progress of the "Negro" race to success and a place of honor in the affairs of this, its county. All this strife and intolerant attitude; all this display of prejudice and braggadocio spirit only strengthens the Race's determination in its progressive march. The Negro is here, and it looks as though he is here for good, and we advise our learned contemporary to take a different attitude towards his black brother, who is not a "foreigner" but an American citizen, 100 percent.

"Who wants Grants Pass to be the scene of a race riot? Three "niggers" in town and a race riot feared? Great God, what reasoning! Our contemporary shows a very "brave" streak when he is afraid of three "niggers"- but "they do say" how it takes at least 500 whites to lynch one Negro in sections where (white superiority) they lynch and burn men and women. Using that scale of proportions, and there being three "niggers" in Grants Pass, it would take three times 500 or 1500 whites to quell them in case of a "race riot".

So Alabama is the native home of the "Negro"; our contemporary's article is illuminating, to say the least. All our life we have been told the native home of the "Negro" was Africa, but it took the editor of an Oregon newspaper to tell us in the year of our Lord 1924 the real truth about our native home. Verily, wise man do not all come from the East, the West surely has its portion.

"Grants Pass can boast of a community that is made up of peaceful white people," etc. We believe it. We are acquainted with some white people who live in Grants Pass who do not approve of the attitude of such men as the author of the article mentioned, and it is due to their superior intelligence and toleration of his flagrant ignorance and sophistry no doubt that the editor of the Spokesman himself has not been run out of town and back to his "native heath."

"Foreigners and niggers will lower the standard of our community morals." That depends on a lot of things which the lack of space will not permit us to discuss. But let us ask our "angel" contemporary, where did the Negro learn his vices? Not in his native Africa, but from white people with whom he has lived in this country. One of the greatest menaces to our race and to this country is the white "gentlemen" who run after and seduce colored women. Some of them go so far as to have two families, one white, the other black, and often the black family fares the better. Mr. Editor, you will know whether or not we speak the truth. The white man's lust he cannot deny, else how are so many mulattoes in the Negro race? Some of the greatest statesmen in this country, it is said, have Negro blood in their veins. They will not admit it, of course not. All the blame is laid at the door of that poor little Indian Maiden Poccahontas, a red girl, who was vamped by a white man. If Poccahontas could only come back today she would be surprised and chagrined on knowing of her many "white" offsprings, you know. The fact is, Negroes do not have the money nor the opportunity to sink to the low depths some white people do morally.

Now, we are going to be charitable to our white brother. We do not judge and are not going to judge the entire white race by this one freak. Every race has its share of such people. If we even thought the author of this article was writing the sentiment of the good white people of Grants Pass and Southern Oregon, or if we thought they would continue for such propaganda, we would indeed feel very sad and disappointed. But knowing and enjoying the highest respect and friendship of some of the best people in the white race, some of whom live in that section, we feel certain of the fact that the author does not represent the thought of the best element, but belongs to a very mediocre class. Therefore, with malice towards none but with a heart full of pity and love, we ask our Father who art in Heaven this day to lead that poor, misguided editor of the Spokesman into the sunlight of His love.

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Article courtesy of Oregon Historical Society:

Master of Ceremonies, Officers, and members of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, friends:

Our heart is thrilled as we look into your illuminated faces knowing full well that you are sharing with us the joy that is ours and the whole Pacific Coast in having this conference, which is representative of the noblest service of the finest men and women of both races in America, to meet in this, your fascinating City of Angels.

This organization which is doing more than any other organization in America to break down the barriers of race color and class prejudice is the only child of a woman and while this woman is biologically white- yet her long years of laboring for and with the Negro entering so fully into the things which effect his life in America that she has become psychologically a Negro.

Some few years ago it was our pleasure to read in a leading American magazine, a criticism on one of her books which she had written on some phase of Negro life in which the noted critic concluded: "It would be expected that she would take such a view point, being a Negro herself."

Therefore we do ourselves and the Association honor when we honor our beautiful and beloved Mary White-Ovington, the founder and mother of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

We shall not recount the lives and exploits of the many notable Negro women of several generations who have done so much for their race and country. We shall rather turn our attention to the program of the future which Negro women must prosecute in order that the work of those pioneers in the cause of freedom will not have been in vain.

For this we believe would be the wish of those Noble Women who have given their lives that our present status might be reached. We feel that we can hear them cry, "Honor us not in fulsome praise by doing the things we left undone."

The object of the National Association for the Advancement of the Colored People as you know is to make 12 million American Negroes physically free from ...mentally free from ignorance, politically free from disenfranchisement and socially free from insult.

This is a big program in which the Negro womanhood of America will find abundant opportunity for service. A great philosopher and teacher once said, "The servants of humanity are the superior men of whatever race, nation or creed." That she may serve well, the Negro woman must first learn to believe in herself and in her race, ridding herself always of any false notion of racial or sex inferiority.

We must admit that this is often hard to do hampered as she is by her sex, what we sometimes term a man's world, and by her race in a white man's world. But it can be done. The Negro Woman must sell her race, first to herself before she can get others to believe in it.

Negro Women who occupy places of leadership, whether with or without the consent of those led - are too often lukewarm about the race and are often responsible for much of the indignities against and half loaves handed out to our race. The time demands real women.

In this age of rapid material advancement and of personal material gain, Negro women of America must be the spiritual conservators of the race to see that their men lose not the vision that souls are more precious than self, and that a man's life doth not consist in the abundance of the things that he hath. There is great danger that in the needed pursuit of economic strength Negro men forget that their liberties must be safeguarded. Their fate and especially that of their children will be a sad one if the Negro becomes in America a race of well-to-do serfs.

The Negro Women with understanding have ever been the spiritual conservators of the race. When they see their men forgetful of the fact that the most precious thing in life is freedom, they must be inspired as was the wife of Wendell Phillips in his hour of trial when he was face to face with temptation when she said, "Wendell don't shilly-shally."

You will recall that it was Sojourner Truth who blew to new vigor the dying flames of Frederic Douglas' ardor when he had all but lost hope of freedom. We can hear even now her stentorian tone, "Frederick is God dead?" And the Sojourner Truths of today must call as she did, for God now as then, is the God of freedom and justice for all men.

Dr Du Bois says: It appears as if the great black race is passing up the steps of human culture gave the world not the Iron age, the cultivation of the soil and the domestication of animals, but also, in peculiar emphasis, the mother-idea. And it is in the home that Negro women can do their finest piece of work for race and nation.

As the Greek and Roman mother sang lullabies over the cradles of their babes descriptive of heroic deeds such as fired their infants hearts with an ambition and a determination to excel -- so the Negro mother of today must do likewise. The ignorance of the Negro race's history both ancient and modern among Negroes themselves is colossal. It seems that there are those who really pride themselves upon knowing as little as possible of the race.

We recall that sometime ago we delivered an address on the progress of the Negro to a white audience in our city at which time we took with us a woman of the race just as company, never dreaming she would at all be interested in the things which we had to say.

We told of the Negro in exploration-pioneering in this country, of his inventions, his splendid war record, of his material wealth-his cultural and spiritual attachment, and when we were well on our way home this friend paid a very striking, though not elegantly worded compliment: "Gee, you sure shot a lot of Hot Air."

It is the duty of the Negro woman to see that in the home there are histories of her race written by Negro historians. She should see to it that there are books of fiction, poetry and serious works. That pictures, paintings, etc., are in the home. The Negro mother has it within her power to invest less in overstuffed furniture for instance, and more in books and music by and about the Negro race so that our youth may grow up with a pride of race which can never be had any other way.

Recently in a local grammar school the discussion of a Negro Congressman came up amongst the young folk in a Thursday history class as a result of newspaper publicity regarding who was to fill the late Congressman Madden's place. Of course there were the usual pros and cons as to whether a Negro was desirable. More cons of course. There was one colored child in the class; in fact he was the only one in the entire school.

It was the consensus of opinion that since a Negro had never been to Congress it was likely that he would never be sent. This little Negro lad not yet 12 years old quite frankly told them that they did not know the history of their country; then he told them of Hiram Revels and Blared K. Bruce of their record as Senators and added that there was a whole raft of Negro representatives. And then following up this process of informing his class mates, he said that if the U.S. Congress hadn't been such a bone head and listened to Bruce and his foresighted progress for vital improvement of the Mississippi Valley - perhaps there wouldn't have been a terrible flood.

How did this young Negro boy know these things? Because a Negro mother is collecting a library of Negro literature which her children read. This suave young lad has read the Underground R.R, Honor of the Freed, Unsung Heroes, Friends of the Roses, Up from Slavery, Souls of Black Folk, Portraits in Color, For Freedom, History of the Race, Weary Blues and many others. He is now reading the Dark Princess.

In fact the very physical organization (NAACP) is interracial in its make up. And here again the Negro Women will find a broad avenue for rich service not alone to the Negro race, but to the White race as well.

Paradoxical as it may seem the Negro Women of America must become the teachers of the white race. In this interracial program there will grow up a strong sisterhood between white and colored women which will be the safest protection of the ideals for which the NAACP stands.

from The Advocate, December 8, 1928

Some of the Joys of Being Colored in Portland

A Regular Occurrence

Place: Portland, Oregon. "The land of the free and the home of the brave".

Time: 7:00 P.M. on Saturday evening in the year of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 1928.

Scene: Lobby of the Oriental Theatre, Grand Ave. at Morrison St. (at entrance auditorium).

Cast: One usher and three guests.
Usher of white race, guests of colored race; usher's profession, ushering; guest's profession, editor and lawyer.

ACT I.

Usher: "Best seats upstairs."

Guest: "Haven't you any seats downstairs?"

Usher: "Yes, but I'm sorry I can't seat your people downstairs."

Guest: "Just what do you mean by 'Your People'?"

Usher: Silence

ACT II.

Guest (peering inside): "I see there are plenty of seats downstairs, and as I'm not in the mood to climb stairs: as I am a law-abiding citizen, presentable and have paid admission for three people, myself and two sons, I prefer to sit downstairs and shall do so. If, however, you do not care to see me do it, just close "your eyes and go to sleep."

Usher (seeing guests proceed to seats downstairs, rushes up): "I'll seat you over on the side aisle-but it's against the rules to seat you downstairs in the center aisles."

Guest (tired out, who went to the show for rest): "Seats, please, it doesn't matter a particle in what aisle they are for just as soon as seats are vacant on the center aisle, we'll take them anyway."

ACT III.

Three lovely seats are vacated on center aisle. Guests move over and occupy them and nobody moves because of their presence. Guests see show but can't enjoy it because of the humiliation in obtaining seats.

Race Prejudice in Oregon

from The Advocate, January 16, 1932

It seems that the people, not content with the trouble brought about by the economic depression, insist on the cultivation of race prejudice. And as the colored race is the target, it is made to suffer more in addition to all its other troubles.

It seems that away out here in Oregon -God's country, there should not be any such thing as race antipathy. But there is, and lots of it. Nearly every colored person who has sought to buy a home has had to fight in the courts and out of them in order to occupy them; ther (sic) are many public places of accommodation, resort and amusement which draw color lines in different ways.

Why all this meanness? The colored people in Oregon for the most part are good law abiding citizens and there is little or no illiteracy among them. They go to school, to church and contribute freely of their time, talents and money toward civic betterment and still they must suffer the injustice and unreasonableness of race prejudice. What is the matter with the white ministers in their pulpits? Why don't they speak out and influence their own race to do right? What is all this talk about religion and going to heaven? To some of us who live behind the veil, it appears more and more to be nothing but the "bunk", if you please.

As citizens, colored people deserve all the rights and privileges and the protection as any other citizen has.