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Editorial
October 27, 1957
Atlanta Daily World
Atlanta, Fulton County, Georgia
What is this article about?
Editorial by William Gordon critiques segregationists' hypocrisy on racial purity and integration, using a Biblical story of sin and judgment. It argues against laws restricting Black voting rights and calls for civil rights protections, asserting Black conscience is clear.
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REVIEWING THE NEWS
BY WILLIAM GORDON
The White Man's Family Tree ..
The following is stated prominently in the book of St. John, Eighth Chapter and Seventh Verse:
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
The impact of these words left their mark upon the conscience of the agitators, fault-finders and the guilty almost two thousand years ago when Christ walked the Earth. They can be just as effective today, when properly applied.
We have in mind here, the segregationists who continue to propagandize the theory of "mixing," the "sins" from integration and the perpetuation of the "purity" of the white race. Those who yell the loudest should be asked to "cast the first stone."
"The rabble-rouser," a famous educator said recently, "is not at all against illegal integration; what he fights is legal integration."
"What one should do," he added, "is to shake the white man's family tree."
One gets the feeling that his reasoning is not without logic.
The incident involving the woman in the Bible clarifies a lot. The guilt of many today can be traced to the Scribes and Pharisees who brought before Christ a woman charged with adultery. It became obvious that those who did most of the blaming had committed sins far in excess of the woman they brought before Christ. Not a single accuser seemed without guilt.
The same is true today with those who would pass laws to take away our voting rights and many other privileges due us.
When a Southern state legislature attempted to pass a "morals law" on voting, purposely directed at Negroes, a famous newsman observed:
"If this is done, every member of the legislature will be embarrassed. Not a single one could trace his family tree back a generation."
The act of so-called "mixing" did not begin with the Negro.
The more rigid white South knows this story better than anyone else. We don't have to be converted against the acts of immorality; it was not conceived in our souls. We don't need segregation as a soul-saving device. We don't need paternalism nor tolerance as an instrument to preserve the "purity" of our race. What we do need is a law that will give our women the security and pride that other women enjoy. We need a national conscience that will see to it that such a law is respected. Even with our many imposed handicaps, we are not near as guilty as the group which is constantly crying in the face of civil rights and the recent ruling of the Supreme Court against segregation. Our conscience is clear.
We can shake our family tree without fear.
BY WILLIAM GORDON
The White Man's Family Tree ..
The following is stated prominently in the book of St. John, Eighth Chapter and Seventh Verse:
"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her."
The impact of these words left their mark upon the conscience of the agitators, fault-finders and the guilty almost two thousand years ago when Christ walked the Earth. They can be just as effective today, when properly applied.
We have in mind here, the segregationists who continue to propagandize the theory of "mixing," the "sins" from integration and the perpetuation of the "purity" of the white race. Those who yell the loudest should be asked to "cast the first stone."
"The rabble-rouser," a famous educator said recently, "is not at all against illegal integration; what he fights is legal integration."
"What one should do," he added, "is to shake the white man's family tree."
One gets the feeling that his reasoning is not without logic.
The incident involving the woman in the Bible clarifies a lot. The guilt of many today can be traced to the Scribes and Pharisees who brought before Christ a woman charged with adultery. It became obvious that those who did most of the blaming had committed sins far in excess of the woman they brought before Christ. Not a single accuser seemed without guilt.
The same is true today with those who would pass laws to take away our voting rights and many other privileges due us.
When a Southern state legislature attempted to pass a "morals law" on voting, purposely directed at Negroes, a famous newsman observed:
"If this is done, every member of the legislature will be embarrassed. Not a single one could trace his family tree back a generation."
The act of so-called "mixing" did not begin with the Negro.
The more rigid white South knows this story better than anyone else. We don't have to be converted against the acts of immorality; it was not conceived in our souls. We don't need segregation as a soul-saving device. We don't need paternalism nor tolerance as an instrument to preserve the "purity" of our race. What we do need is a law that will give our women the security and pride that other women enjoy. We need a national conscience that will see to it that such a law is respected. Even with our many imposed handicaps, we are not near as guilty as the group which is constantly crying in the face of civil rights and the recent ruling of the Supreme Court against segregation. Our conscience is clear.
We can shake our family tree without fear.
What sub-type of article is it?
Social Reform
Moral Or Religious
Suffrage
What keywords are associated?
Segregation
Integration
Racial Purity
Civil Rights
Voting Rights
Family Tree
Hypocrisy
Bible Reference
What entities or persons were involved?
Segregationists
Christ
Scribes And Pharisees
Southern State Legislature
Supreme Court
Editorial Details
Primary Topic
Hypocrisy Of Segregationists On Racial Purity And Integration
Stance / Tone
Critical Of Segregation And Supportive Of Civil Rights
Key Figures
Segregationists
Christ
Scribes And Pharisees
Southern State Legislature
Supreme Court
Key Arguments
Segregationists Are Hypocritical Like Biblical Accusers, Guilty Of The Sins They Condemn.
Rabble Rousers Oppose Legal Integration While Tolerating Illegal Mixing.
Shaking The White Man's Family Tree Reveals Their Own Impure Ancestry.
Laws Restricting Negro Voting Rights Would Embarrass Legislators Due To Their Mixed Heritage.
Integration Did Not Begin With Negroes; White South Knows This History.
Blacks Need Laws For Women's Security And National Conscience To Enforce Civil Rights.
Supreme Court Ruling Against Segregation Highlights White Guilt, Not Black.