Atlanta Daily World

Forgotten Folk.
By WALTER R. CHIVERS

MY TRAVELS OVER the Southeast this winter have made me conscious of the fact that concentration upon the mechanics of war has produced a "forgotten folk" on the Home Front.

Of course this reference is to a particular group of Negroes. They are referred to by some people as farmers, by others as tenants or sharecroppers but by most plantation owners and the proprietors of rural-farm merchandising marts as "hands." The forgotten folk to be discussed here are best described by the Southern plantation concept of Negroes as "hands." A "hand" according to the popular usage of the word, is in reality a human machine

Yes, I know that for the most part these "hands" have been forgotten by the plantation operators, both Negro and white, even in times of peace. Nevertheless, it is stark tragedy when they are forgotten to such an extent as they are now by their own racial rural leaders. These leaders appear to have forgotten either "conveniently" or really that long, long years, as victims of exploitation by the plantation economy have virtually unfitted a most significant number of these "hands" physically, spiritually and mentally for the herculean tasks being assigned them by our government in relation to production of foods for winning the war.

STRENGTH WEAKENED
Chronic undernourishment has weakened the total strength of these hands to an alarming degree It has unfitted them as a group for stepped-up production. Cynically enough, the basic causes of the physical weaknesses of these "hands" are such diseases as pellagra, scurvy, beri-beri and hookworm, which could be both cured and prevented by the proper diet. The necessary diet consists of the fruits and vegetables that should be raised on every farm.

The plantation system has not permitted "hands" to grow these foods in anything like adequate amounts for their own consumption Always the "hands" are being urged to produce more and more for the markets. But rarely ever are they encouraged or given the opportunity of providing themselves with healthy, functional bodies. The diet for "hands" is far too often "fat back and sorghum." This dietary deficiency has produced indifferent croppers and sub-marginal levels of living. It takes "hands" so treated from "caint see to caint see" to do this inefficient farming.

These farm folk are just as malnourished spiritually This is because their nominal spiritual leaders are too often ignorant or superannuated circuit-riders who substitute aged tricks calculated to whip up blinding emotional outbursts for the basic lessons on full and constructive living afforded by thoughtful, intelligent interpretation of the Christian philosophy of life. The underfed body is even less efficient after each emotional drain upon its already weakened system

NOT IN THE PINES
This relative state of spiritual sterility is further dramatized by the drab surroundings amidst which these people live. Their cabins are not "among the pines" as the sentimental writer of popular songs would have you believe but generally they are situated away back from the highway in the midst of sun-scorched fields and exposed to all of the fury of the elements. Recreation has little or no meaning in the lives of these folk because "it aint for them" They have actually been taught that it is a sin to play

These "hands" suffer from mental sterility and culture poverty because the traditional atmosphere of the plantation has been anti- functional education for Negro hands " The guiding hand of the plantation has been a boss" who more often than not has neither scientific training in agriculture nor labor management His sole function or reason for being seems to be to drain the last drop of sweat from the brows of those folk whom he claims to believe that some god has natively "endowed" with ability to farm productively. The Negro farmer has had this "bunk" drilled into him so long and so persistently until he actually believes it to be true. This heightens his disrespect for the revelations of science

Negro racial leaders in Agriculture should be expected to note these deficiencies for they are obvious to any interested layman They should urge the white people in plantation communities the greater economic returns to be gained from translating 'hands' into human beings by providing adequate housing The political administration should include clinic facilities, preventive health education and adequate housing. The political administrators should be shown the value of providing training in sanitation and scientific agriculture

AREA CHURCHES NEEDED
The organized religious bodies should group churches according to areas in order to provide incentives for youthful, vigorous, educated ministers to live in the communities where they work. The apparent tendencies of some denominations to appoint superannuated ministers to "country churches" as a kind of peaceful place to die, should be vigorously opposed. Ministers to rural folk should possess a sensitivity for rural life and problems.

It should be the task of rural leaders to fight for consolidated schools plus adequate salaries for educators. They must teach the adults of farm communities the importance

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