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520 Pine
Goleta, Calif
July 16, 1963
Ivan Allen, Mayor i
City of Atlanta, Georgia
Honorable Sir:
In the city of Atlanta, live descendants of the Huguenots I, too,
am descended from. And after reading the enclosed story by clear—
writing Catherine Mackin — I'm glad they went to Atlanta!
Throughtut the West, and I assume throughout the United States, news—
papers) carry front page stories nearly every day about the South's
race: incidents. In the groceries, in the laundromats, in theaters,
om vehicles of public transportation, wherever casual conversations
occur — race problems are discussed.
I was born and lived until I was 9, in a very segrdated, very loyally
Southern, Texas town. Then we moved to Seattle — at a time when very
few Southerners ever left the South, in 1915, just before World Wr Tg
Cn or ee ee Here I was catapulted into a melting—pot type school.
The teachar taught Civil War History "all wrong," and inwardly I raged.
She thought I pronounced "pounds" when we studied arithmetic, all wrong,
and kept me in during the lunch hour "to learn to pronounce our language
right." I cried and kept protesting I was pronouncing it right. My
family was: indignant at her intolerance of a child's Southern accent —
but in time, of course, she succeeded in obliterating it.
By happier means, my feeling that only those with eyes shaped Tike mine,
skin the color of mine, hair with the degree of curl of mine, were "the
best" people. There were Chinese, Japanese, Russian Jew, German Jew,
Negro, Canadian, Italian and French children in my room.
I learned with awe that the very short-sighted little Chinese girl and
her equally short-sighted little yellow byother, struggling with English,
were the best students in the room. I learned that the Jewish youngsters
went not only to our school, but at 4, to one conducted by the rabbi,
and Saturdays, for piano and violin lessons — and I saw no signs they
were "less than me" in anything they accomplished. They were"better !"
And the Negro children awed us with songs they knew from a slave grand—
moter — songs sung throatily in melodious voices. They got along as well
in school as I did, and I hag been doubly promoted twice in Texas.
Negro children sympathized/when I skinned my knee - and tore up a handker—
chief to bandage it. When fought Japan, and "hated" the Japanese, I
recalled truth and loyalty — not treachery — from my days with Japanese
playmates.
When race problems occur woes or I hear them discussed, I think how the
When I attended University of Washington, I attended a Sociology course
"Race Problems" with students from all over the world — and earnestly we
explored our likenesses — as well as the differences environment produces
2-2-2
The learned, world-—traveled professor, R.D. McKenzie, now dead, pre—
dicted even then (1927) eventual war with Japan — because, he said,
"the United States repudiated the "Gentlemen's Agreement' while the
Japanese were assiduously keeping their side of the bargain — and
Japanese: 'face' will never recover without returning the blow."
Co
He predicted trouble ahead in the United States, end Negroes slowly
improved from their state of servitudes became able to learn of free—
dom, equality and democracy — for whites but not for them.
In two World Wars, Negroes learned abroad of an equality of treat—
ment they had not known at home. They learned America loves their
music and their strength in athletic pursuits.The inevitable demand
for complete equality of treatment, so upsetting to so many whites,
our Dr. McKenziey long ago prophesied.
Wyre race feo,
It is Mard to uplearn any attitude gained in childhood, and Americans
today{ in every state, are being asked to unlearn more attitudes and to
adopt/new ones than has ever occurred before. This is true all over
the world. For hundreds — nay, thousands, even millions, of years,
generation aftdr generation lived alike, thought alike, produced craft
alike. Dr. Adan\ Treganza, speaking of California Indians, declared that
any Indian girl\who might want to creat new designs to weave into her
baskets, would thought sick. Basket designs, attitudes toward neigh—
boring tribes, ways to deal with the gods, magic for making the game ap—
pear for the hucnter — these were learned from tribal members, and for
untold ages, went unquestioned.
Today — Grandfathers are scarcely done vowing man will never penetrate
outer space, when a grandson—-aged youngester does it. And in our re—
lations with other nations, children either study, and come to respect,
cultures of others -— or, if at the moment we are having differences with
thhese nations - children learn attitudes of suspicion and fear toward
them...
Somehow, in Atlanta - fortunately — attitudes must have been long a-—
growing of "live and let live." How wonderful if more cities can
follow Atlanta's example. But even more wonderful it wold be if
cities can go one step further:
"Live, and help live!
Because America's Negroes do need help, in order to live. It isn't
Christian, it isn't neighborly, to become observers,here: to say,"Okay,
now Neproes have their freedom. Let's just wait — they'll make a bust
; are
of using it! inclined toward
They do need friendly guidance: people hmannerimmm neighborliness or
more formally trained inteaching to point out," We do things this way."
Heek, I didn't know why clipping the grass edging the sidewal of my
new trailer home was so difficult until a neighbor pointed out I didn't
have the right tool lf
Uses of language, housekeeping methods, personal grooming — these things,
some Negroes need to learn. Other Negroes or whites need wegen them: ye.
« ; E
who are white, living in farm areas, are/@Aso “out of place” when firs
- I
move to tom. . . More power to you, 8: a to Atlanta?
Very truly yours
6is Hennessy — retired newswriter
Goleta, Calif
July 16, 1963
Ivan Allen, Mayor i
City of Atlanta, Georgia
Honorable Sir:
In the city of Atlanta, live descendants of the Huguenots I, too,
am descended from. And after reading the enclosed story by clear—
writing Catherine Mackin — I'm glad they went to Atlanta!
Throughtut the West, and I assume throughout the United States, news—
papers) carry front page stories nearly every day about the South's
race: incidents. In the groceries, in the laundromats, in theaters,
om vehicles of public transportation, wherever casual conversations
occur — race problems are discussed.
I was born and lived until I was 9, in a very segrdated, very loyally
Southern, Texas town. Then we moved to Seattle — at a time when very
few Southerners ever left the South, in 1915, just before World Wr Tg
Cn or ee ee Here I was catapulted into a melting—pot type school.
The teachar taught Civil War History "all wrong," and inwardly I raged.
She thought I pronounced "pounds" when we studied arithmetic, all wrong,
and kept me in during the lunch hour "to learn to pronounce our language
right." I cried and kept protesting I was pronouncing it right. My
family was: indignant at her intolerance of a child's Southern accent —
but in time, of course, she succeeded in obliterating it.
By happier means, my feeling that only those with eyes shaped Tike mine,
skin the color of mine, hair with the degree of curl of mine, were "the
best" people. There were Chinese, Japanese, Russian Jew, German Jew,
Negro, Canadian, Italian and French children in my room.
I learned with awe that the very short-sighted little Chinese girl and
her equally short-sighted little yellow byother, struggling with English,
were the best students in the room. I learned that the Jewish youngsters
went not only to our school, but at 4, to one conducted by the rabbi,
and Saturdays, for piano and violin lessons — and I saw no signs they
were "less than me" in anything they accomplished. They were"better !"
And the Negro children awed us with songs they knew from a slave grand—
moter — songs sung throatily in melodious voices. They got along as well
in school as I did, and I hag been doubly promoted twice in Texas.
Negro children sympathized/when I skinned my knee - and tore up a handker—
chief to bandage it. When fought Japan, and "hated" the Japanese, I
recalled truth and loyalty — not treachery — from my days with Japanese
playmates.
When race problems occur woes or I hear them discussed, I think how the
When I attended University of Washington, I attended a Sociology course
"Race Problems" with students from all over the world — and earnestly we
explored our likenesses — as well as the differences environment produces
2-2-2
The learned, world-—traveled professor, R.D. McKenzie, now dead, pre—
dicted even then (1927) eventual war with Japan — because, he said,
"the United States repudiated the "Gentlemen's Agreement' while the
Japanese were assiduously keeping their side of the bargain — and
Japanese: 'face' will never recover without returning the blow."
Co
He predicted trouble ahead in the United States, end Negroes slowly
improved from their state of servitudes became able to learn of free—
dom, equality and democracy — for whites but not for them.
In two World Wars, Negroes learned abroad of an equality of treat—
ment they had not known at home. They learned America loves their
music and their strength in athletic pursuits.The inevitable demand
for complete equality of treatment, so upsetting to so many whites,
our Dr. McKenziey long ago prophesied.
Wyre race feo,
It is Mard to uplearn any attitude gained in childhood, and Americans
today{ in every state, are being asked to unlearn more attitudes and to
adopt/new ones than has ever occurred before. This is true all over
the world. For hundreds — nay, thousands, even millions, of years,
generation aftdr generation lived alike, thought alike, produced craft
alike. Dr. Adan\ Treganza, speaking of California Indians, declared that
any Indian girl\who might want to creat new designs to weave into her
baskets, would thought sick. Basket designs, attitudes toward neigh—
boring tribes, ways to deal with the gods, magic for making the game ap—
pear for the hucnter — these were learned from tribal members, and for
untold ages, went unquestioned.
Today — Grandfathers are scarcely done vowing man will never penetrate
outer space, when a grandson—-aged youngester does it. And in our re—
lations with other nations, children either study, and come to respect,
cultures of others -— or, if at the moment we are having differences with
thhese nations - children learn attitudes of suspicion and fear toward
them...
Somehow, in Atlanta - fortunately — attitudes must have been long a-—
growing of "live and let live." How wonderful if more cities can
follow Atlanta's example. But even more wonderful it wold be if
cities can go one step further:
"Live, and help live!
Because America's Negroes do need help, in order to live. It isn't
Christian, it isn't neighborly, to become observers,here: to say,"Okay,
now Neproes have their freedom. Let's just wait — they'll make a bust
; are
of using it! inclined toward
They do need friendly guidance: people hmannerimmm neighborliness or
more formally trained inteaching to point out," We do things this way."
Heek, I didn't know why clipping the grass edging the sidewal of my
new trailer home was so difficult until a neighbor pointed out I didn't
have the right tool lf
Uses of language, housekeeping methods, personal grooming — these things,
some Negroes need to learn. Other Negroes or whites need wegen them: ye.
« ; E
who are white, living in farm areas, are/@Aso “out of place” when firs
- I
move to tom. . . More power to you, 8: a to Atlanta?
Very truly yours
6is Hennessy — retired newswriter