St. Paul Recorder

Now that Senator John F. Kennedy, a Catholic, has been nominated as the Democratic candidate for president of the United States, we urge that Negro voters consider him strictly on his qualifications and his promise as one who might be helpful to them in their aspirations for full citizenship. His religion should not enter into these considerations if we really want to pick a man for what he can do for us.

Our history in the United States shows that our biggest oppressors, even today, are Protestants. Although the Catholic people have no great reputation for fighting for Negro rights, generally speaking, they appear to have emerged in the past few years as giving the Negro a fairer deal than other religious groups. This has been illustrated even here in Omaha where Catholic communicants have fought vigorously for an end to discrimination while others have wrung their hands and said "have patience." A local non-Catholic hospital will not hire a Negro in even a janitor's job, while Catholic hospitals hire and promote even to supervisory levels. We are not campaigning for Senator Kennedy, but we do say that the religious question should not be a deciding factor in how you cast your vote. Pick your candidate strictly on his record.