Jackson Advocate

Memphis
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state of Mississippi, with neither the desire, the intention, nor the means to carry out the high sounding program which they present when making their plea for assistance and contributions.

In the pursuit of their "race relations" racket this group has spawned a number of spurious fly-by-night newspapers, pamphlets, tracts, letter-heads and organizations which they present to the prospective contributors which is never seen nor heard of by the masses of Negroes the objects of their high-sounding program. In addition, in pursuing their racket they have been able to obtain letters of endorsement from: Mayors, other public officials and contributors, using such endorsements only for the purpose of softening up new prospects.

The newspapers, pamphlets, and tracts, used in this race relations racket, always show stories and articles with bold headings shrewdly calculated to attract the attention and satisfy the prospective contributor. In the case of the newspaper they have seldom been published more than once or twice during any given year and their circulation only to past and possible future contributors.

The pamphlets and tracts or usually "dummies" of a proposed publication to be circulated free in multiplied thousands in Negro communities throughout the state.

The most active of this group in the State of Mississippi during the past few years has been Rev. M. L. Young, President, and Rev. O. Mason, Vice-President, of the Mutual Association of Colored People, South; Jessie Gillispie, Editor, Publisher of the Mid-South Informer, and his Assistants, B. K. Pinkston and E. L. Clements; and H. S. Barber, Editor, publisher of the Southern Sentinel.

Rev. M. L. Young, and Rev. O. Mason, and their organization, the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, although already getting contributions from many sources in the state, became really active in the state three or four years ago, when after his appearance in Memphis on Radio Station WDIA's goodwill program, Percy Greene, Editor and Publisher of the Jackson Advocate, Mississippi's Leading Negro weekly, which has not missed an issue in twenty-years of publication, joined with the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, in sponsoring a widely publicized, and highly successful, goodwill program in Jackson, Mississippi.

A tract designed by Editor Greene containing the speeches and remarks made during the Goodwill Meeting in Jackson, as well as some editorials from the Jackson Advocate, was published in the name of the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, and the Jackson Advocate, and widely distributed.

Later, Editor Greene, designed a booklet depicting the progress of Negro education in Mississippi with the assistance of Rev. O. Mason. The publication of which was paid for by contributions from the State of Mississippi, through Governor J. P. Coleman, and contributions from other sources, with the publication being in the name of the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, with a selling price of 50c per copy. Although this booklet was published almost five years ago it is still being used by Rev. Young to solicit contributions in Mississippi, since Rev. Mason left the organization, after falling out with Rev. Young over division of the spoils.

In speaking of Rev. Young, and Rev. Mason, and the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, Editor Greene says, shortly after the Goodwill Meeting the organization rented office space from him, and that about the same time he endorsed a note so the organization could buy a used automobile to help get about the state to distribute the Negro Education Booklet. that he never was able to collect the full rent, and that after almost three years of gathering contributions from all over the state he was finally called upon to pay the note which he endorsed to help the organization get the automobile.

Editor Greene tells also of his experience with Jessie Gillispie, B. K. Pinkston, and E. L. Clements. According to the Editor, Jessie Gillispie came to his office in Jackson, more than a year ago, told him about the Mid-south Informer, and if his desire to get out of the racket, and line up with something that was doing something, and which had a future that could be counted upon.

After talking to Gillispie, the editor said he gave him a job as Advertising and Promotion Manager for the Jackson Advocate, with Gillispie later bringing in B. K. Pinkston and E. L. Clements as his assistants. The editor said that after several other incidents that gave him some insight as to their real character, he discontinued their employment last month, after he found that they were still having checks made payable to the Mid-south Informer. while in the exclusive employment of the Jackson Advocate. in addition to the fact that there had been no publication of the Mid-south Informer in more than two years.

In the case of H. S. Barber, he has not been too active in the state for the past three or four years, especially after he obtained a large contribution from Avery Body Company in Jackson for a high sounding project. which later investigation by the company proved to be a complete fraud, and the private investigator for the company had a standing order for his arrest wherever and whenever he was known to be in the state.

According to reports, Rev. Young, President of the Mutual Association of Colored People, South, has had several brushes with the law in Memphis in connection with the issuance of worthless checks, unpaid accounts, and other matters connected with the operation of his organization, which has no standing whatever with the Memphis Better Business Bureau.

As for their efforts to better race relations in Mississippi, or anywhere else, it is conceded by all informed sources that none of the individuals, organizations, or newspapers, working out of Memphis in the name of better race relations have done one thing to justify the contribution that they have received from people of that state.