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Full resolution (TIFF) - On this page / på denna sida - IX. Leadership and Concerted Action - 39. Negro Improvement and Protest Organizations - 12. The Negro Organizations during the War - 13. Negro Strategy
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852 An American Dilemma
It means that interracial movements need to be supplemented by specific religious
groups of Jews and Catholics and Protestants. For no Negro is secure from intolerance
and race prejudice so long as one Jew is a victim of anti-semitism or a Catholic is
victimized as Governor Alfred F. Smith was by religious bigotry during the
Presidential campaign against Herbert Hoover, or a trade unionist is harassed by a
tory open-shopper.^ ’’
The March-on-Washington movement is interesting for several reasons.
It is, cm the one hand, something of a mass movement with the main back-
ing from Negro workers, but has at the same time the backing of the
established Negro organizations. Though a mass movement, it is disci-
plined and has not used racial emotionalism as an appeal. It demonstrates
the strategy and tactics of orderly trade unionism. For the Negro cause it
is prepared to use pressure even against the President. But it knows just
how far it can go with the support that it has. Randolph, the leader of the
movement, has so far (August, 1942) steered its course with admirable
force and restraint.
The outside observer may be allowed to express the opinion that the
Negro strategy during the war crisis has been skillful. The Negro leaders
know full well that they have immense possibilities of putting pressure
upon the American nation during this War for democracy. The plight of
the Negro people is so great that they cannot afford not to make use of
these possibilities. But they are wise enough to adjust the tactics to the
terrain in various issues and regions of the country, and are careful not to
lose the sympathy of the liberal forces among the whites. I have the feeling
that, during the struggle for Negro rights, the Negro organizations—
principally the N.A.A.C.P., the Urban League, and the trade unions
have trained a small group of devoted and accomplished politicians much
superior to the average run of white politicians. It is a great pity, and a loss
to the public life of the American nation, that these Negro leaders are
limited to the Negro struggle alone and cannot get an outlet for their
ability in tasks of more general importance.
13. Negro Strategy
Certain general observations and conclusions on Negro strategy should
now be brought together. Before we do this, the value premises, which
have been applied in the foregoing sections, should be made explicit. They
are only an adaptation of the valuations contained in the American Creed
which have been defined in the introductions to Parts III to VIII of this
book. We are assuming that:
1. It is neither practical nor desirable for American citizens of Negro
descent to be deported from this country. The problem is how to adjust
race relations in America.
2. All concerted action by, or on behalf of, American Negroes should
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