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| Photo of Carter G. Woodson, who became known as "The Father of Black History" inwards the United States |
“THE NEW TYPE OF PROFESSIONAL MAN REQUIRED”
Excerpt from, "The Mis-Education of the Negro"
By Carter Godwin Woodson
Negroes should report for the professions for all sane reasons that members of approximately other race should conk into these lines of essay out in addition to also on concern human relationship of the item telephone telephone to serve the lowly of their race. In the illustration of the constabulary nosotros should cease to brand exceptions because of the possibilities for failure resulting from prejudice against the Negro lawyer in addition to the lack of Negro concern enterprises to demand their serves. Negroes must conk similar English linguistic communication gentlemen who report the constabulary of the land, non because every gentleman should know the law. In the interpretation of the constabulary past times the courts, too, all the rights of the Negroes inwards this province are involved; in addition to a large publish of us must qualify for this of import service. WE may accept likewise many lawyers of the incorrect kind, simply nosotros accept non our portion of the correct kind.
The Negro lawyer has tended to follow inwards the footsteps of the average white practitioner in addition to has non developed the ability which he could acquire if he knew to a greater extent than near the people whom he should serve in addition to the problems they accept to confront. These things are non constabulary inwards themselves, simply they determine largely whether or non the Negro volition exercise constabulary in addition to the success he volition accept inwards the profession. The failure to laissez passer on attending to these things has oftentimes agency the downfall of many a Negro lawyer.
There are, moreover, sure enough aspects of constabulary which the white homo would hardly address himself simply to which the Negro should at i time especial attention. Of odd of import to the Negro is the necessity for agreement the misrepresentations inwards criminal records of Negroes, in addition to race distinctions inwards the laws of modern nations. These matters demand a systematic report of the principles of constabulary in addition to legal physical care for and, inwards add-on thereto, farther report of legal problems every bit they encounter the Negro lawyer inwards the life which he must live. This offers the Negro constabulary schoolhouse an odd opportunity.
Because our lawyers create non laissez passer on attending to these problems they oftentimes neglect inwards a crisis. They are involvement inwards the race in addition to desire to defend its cause. The case, however, requires, non alone the unselfish spirit they sometimes manifest simply much to a greater extent than agreement of the legal principles involved. Nothing illustrates this amend than the failure of i of our attorneys to mensurate upwards inwards the illustration brought upwards to the U.S. Supreme Court from Oklahoma to exam the validity of the exclusion of Negroes from Pullman cars. The same criticism may endure made of the segregation illustration of the District of Columbia brought earlier this highest tribunal past times approximately other Negro attorney. In both of these cases the lawyers started incorrect in addition to so ended wrong. They lacked the cognition to acquaint their cases properly to the court.
Our lawyers must acquire that the judges are non attorneys themselves, for they accept to create upwards one's heed the merits of what is presented to them. It is non the concern of the judges to amend their pleadings or create upwards one's heed their cases according to their expert intentions. Certainly such generosity cannot endure expected from prejudiced courts which are looking for every loophole possible to escape from frank determination on the rights of Negroes guaranteed past times the constitution. These matters demand advanced report in addition to painstaking research; simply our lawyers, every bit a rule, are non interested inwards this sort of mental exercise.
Video of Carter G. Woodson: African American Trailblazers
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| Roadside Marker for Carter Godwin Woodson, West Virginia Division of Archives in addition to History |
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