The Daily Express

"Gradualism" Is Never Moral!

Many middle-of-the-road Americans are "gradualists" as regards racial questions. They feel that it is wrong to try to move ahead rapidly in granting full civil rights to Negroes. They rely heavily on the notion that "things are getting better" all by themselves, so why try to rush things? We do not share such views. We do not think that any good thing ever happens "all by itself".

Furthermore, we believe that Negroes are entitled to their full civil rights immediately, and always have been so entitled. We are of the opinion that morality is never gradual, and that gradualism is never moral, at least in principle. Nevertheless, we realize that Negroes are not going to get equality tomorrow, or even next week. They are going to get it gradually, right or wrong. So we are not going to reject the half-loaves as they come in from time to time, even though we know full well that Negroes are entitled to the whole loaf now. An Associated Press report of July 12 illustrates our point. It tells of a white man who was acquitted by an all white Mississippi jury of raping a colored woman. The significant fact to us was that the state had asked for the death penalty,-- the first time this had ever happened in such a case in the history of the state of Mississippi. This was progress, regardless of the outcome of the trial. Some day a white man in Mississippi may actually be CONVICTED of raping a Negro woman in Mississippi. That will indicate additional progress. We're moving ahead much too gradually to deserve loud cheers. Nevertheless, we can see signs of progress,-- even in Mississippi!