Portland Challenger_1952-12-23

• Initial Impressions Important to Hirer BY MARK A. SMITH Deputy Commissioner, Oregon State Bureau of Labor YOU AND A JOB - So you want a job. And you are one of the one million non-white persons added to the industrial labor pool since 1940. But do you know what kind of a job you want? ArE you really sure? Do you have that particullar skill? Do you know enough about this work and what is required to compete for it? Negro and other non-white workers are moving up to better jobs in industry and trade. Resistance to them as fellow work– ers has dropped sharply since World War II. There are jobs ·available and there is room at the top but the higher up you go the keener becomes the competition. You must be prepared in order to get the kind of a job you want. You must be capable of doing that job and of do– ing it well. If necessary, better than the other fellow, better than it has ever been done before. But do you have a chance to try for it. In fact, you have an equal chance with that other fellow, regardless of your race, color, religion or place of birth. Vol. I, No. 18 Portland, Oregon, Tuesday, December 23, 1952 PRICE 10 CENTS --------------~~~~~~~~~~~----~==~~~~ High .Court Ends School Hearings , The United States Supreme Court heard the last in argu– ments regarding whether segre– gation in public schools based on color is a question of constitution– al right or legislative policy last week but a decision on the issue is not expected before spring. Supporting the belief that segregation is a legislative pol– icy, John W. Davis, arguing for the state of South Carolina, ad– monished that the removal of the barrier between white and Negro pupils in the public schools Children, Grownups Aglow As Christmas Day Nears The Oregon State Law Against Discrimination in Employ" would create a situation ''one can– ment says so. It says that it is the policy of the State that ~o: c~?template with any equan– applications be accepted and jl'>bs awarded according to abil- ' Imlty. Opposing Davis in the South ity, and NOT according to your race, color, creed or nation- Carolina case, Thurgood Mar- , ality. You can be the humblest citizen in the community but shall, representing the Nation– so long as you have the ability to meet the qualifications, the al Association for the Advance– requirements of the job, you cannot lawfully be denied a ment of Colored People, de- clared that the constitutional chance to try for that job. ' rights of Negroes could not be This is the first in a series of articles by Mark A. Smith, dep– uty commissioner of labor for the state of Oregon in the F'air Em– ployment Practice division, on the Oregon FEP law and the as– sistance it offers which can be in– valuable aid to minority work– ers. Smith became Deputy Com– missioner of Labor in the Fair Employment Practices division of the Oregon State Bureau of La– bor September 15, 1952. He is emi;,ently qualified for his duties by his training in so– cial studies and his previous ser– vice in the field of human re– ·lations as an executive officer with the Vancouver branch of the National Association for the Ad- vancement of Colored People and MARK A. SMITH the Urban league of Portland. So you want a job? ----------~-- Remember, you cannot bluff a skill. You either have it or you don't have it. Suppose you don't have it now. It does not mean you can't ever have it. You can get out and get it. You have the same right to training for it. If you have that skill now, the next step is to go out after the job. You can't sit around and wait for it to come to you. You cannot sit around waiting for others to "break the ice" and then go in "with the tide." You may discover all the new openings filled. You may discover yourself left out. The employer does not know that you are there experi– enced, trained and available for work unless you tell him so. You must apply for the job. How do you go about apply– ing for a certain job? You must find out how applications are made. Are applications for this job accepted by phone, by mail or must you apply in person and be interviewed? If you are to be interviewed, you must approach the interview with confidence. You will be more confident if you have se– cured in advance some information about your prospective employer, abut the place itself and as much as you can about what you will be expected to do specifically on the job. At the interview you should introduce yourself clearly. State briefly what you are there for. Stand erect or seat your– self comfortably if requested to be seated. You should be simply dressed, not over-dressed, but well groomed. You should be pleasant in your manner, alert, enthusiastic about the work you are to do. Be logical in your speech Give ready and convincing answers to the questions asked you but by all means be your most pleasant and relaxed self. Be truthful as well as logical when giving an account of your experiences, training. That you are presently unem– ployed and want this job. Remember this employer has a job opening. You can do that job to his satisfaction because you have the qualifications and the desire. You are presenting yourself and your qualifications to the one who can give you that job. Continued page 2, col. 1 weighed against the policies of South Carolina or other states. South Not Lawless Boys and girls all over the country are eagerly awaiting the ar– rival of Santa Claus on Christmas day. Little Renee Banks, daughter of Clifton and Juliet Banks, 1552 N. Benton avenue, is He also said, however, that the p,eople of the South are not law– less and would abide by whatev-~ er ruling the high court handed no exception. With a confident face she sits on Santa's lap and down. reminds him of her Christmas wc;nts. The high court also heard ar-1 BY LOUISE CADNEY I gum~nts involving segre~atiov. in Challenger Staff Writer publlc schools on ~he. basis of col- 1 As gently as the flakes of soft- 1 During this time of the year, or. from Kansas, :VIrgm1a, the Dis- ly falling snow, the spirit of I we are especially thankful for tnct of Columb1a and Delaware. Christmas settles over the world, the privilege to worship God as Some of the questions from the Once again we see the faces of we ?~ease.' All over the coun~ry justices seemed to indicate that children and grownups aglow and families fill church p:ws to giVe they are convinced that there is animated with the inner feeling ~,hanks and to sing P~~I~;s to Him. a compelling reason for the over- that shows real Christmas cheer Joy to the World, Hark the throwing of the doctrine handed and goodwill toward all mankind. I Herald Angels Sing" and "0 Lit- • tle Town of Bethlehem" are but a down in a Supreme Court rulin'! This is the season when the few of the carols that tell the in 1896. The doctrine, which still spirit of giving is exemplified story of the birth of the Christ stands, said that segregation in more than at any other time. Child. the schools did not violate the People rush hither and yon, day The gaiety and friendliness of Constitution provided that equal afte d · · t f hil f . 1 .t. f . r ay, repainng oys or c - Christmas offers new hope and aci 1 Ies were set up or pup1ls dren choosing gifts for loved f h ' encouragements to the down- o eac race. ones and prep~ring baskets o~ hearted. Everywhere Christmas UN Charter Violated food and clothmg for those in mas trees sparkle with ornaments . need. And after all their energy and holly wreaths . spell 0 t Spottswood Robmson 3d, a law- is spent their hearts stili find a I u f R' h V · ' "MERRY CHRISTMAS" And yer rom Ic mond, a., sa1d that I way to reach o~t and give a ser- · · · c t' d 3 . f 1 ~from store wmdows JOlly Santa on mue on page Vlce 0 ove. Clauses smile and wave to those B I Sh t D • d who crowd around to see him. a ance ee lSCUSSe . Our real problem of today is I U b L that of making Christmas endure n r an eague Forum th:oughout the year. w_e must re- ~ .panel of ~our people, Willis I that are taught youngsters in the Wllhams, Edwm C. Berry, Fran- public schools. cis Kern and Mrs. Laurie Laurit- zen evaluated the Portland Ur- Takes Combined Effort ba~ league's Balance Sheet on Williams went on to say it Race Relations at the St. Philips would take the combined efforts parish hall T h u r s day night, of the. church and other commu– praised the credit side of the bal- mty p1llars to make decent citi– ance sheet and discussed methods zens. af bettering the debit side. Berry looked upon all aspects The panel discussion was a part of race relations as important. allze that after the hghts have faded and the decorations have disappeared from the trees, the spirit of loving, giving and doing should live on. By .our unselfiib deeds of love and kindness we can destroy the terrors of darkness and despondency in the lives o1 others. Only by dedicating our– selves to the task of serving '>Se around us. can we make- tr it of Christmas live th• of the monthly Urban league "Every word on the debit side the year. meeting. It was tape recorded by means hurt and denial of oppor- _ __..:_______ radio station KGW and will be tunity," said the Urban league released Friday, December 6, executive secretary. over that station's Freedom For- Berry views housing as the l!m series with Lawson McCall most important problem in race as moderator. segregation. "Once housing seg- Attacking the job discrimina- regation is accomplished, we set tion in Portland, Kern, a Portland up invisible walls between man business man, told the panel, "If and have little opportunity to a man cannot work and advance, meet and know one another as he cannot purchase the wants nee- human beings," he said. essary for maintaining his home," Berry said that notb,ing just Kern said inequality in citizen- happens but that everything is ship must be eliminated. caused. "People still believe the · A Portland school teacher, Wil- myth. that property values go Iiams, noted the social and mental down. Those of us who have good damage caused by race prejudice. will in the community put little He pointed out danger in refuta- effort forward to counter this tion at home of the true concepts! myth." of democracy and human dignity Continued on page 2 •