The Reflector

Issue Number:25

Date: 01/27/1934

p. 01, c. 02-03

There is a story told, by a fantastic writer of fiction, about a weird land of strange people. Now the general conditions of that land, do not differ from those of any other small island. The trees bud in springtime and b lossom forth in the summer. Snow covers the ground in the winter and there are flowers and fruits in due season. Yet, it is a weird place, for all of that.

There are many people on this little island, as the story goes, and many children too-but every single one of them is completely BLIND. The ruler of this miserable little kingdom has only one eye, one leg and one arm-but, he rules. His reign has been a successful one because he has nothing to do, and he does that in a kingly fashion. They couldn't use a playground in that strange place. They wouldn't need a public library because none of them can read. They never give public choice a thought because the one-eyed, one armed, one legged ruler is satisfactory to a kingdom of BLIND SUBJECTS, and the ruler is satisfied also.

In a city like Charlottesville, things should be somewhat different from the way which they are in the Land of the Blind. Over three thousand Negroes live here, together with over twelve thousand interested whites, who stan d ready to cooperate in any movement for civic betterment. Our youngsters are in need of a playground. We are in need of a public library. Our taxpayers should be using the ballot.

Are these things being attended to? No. Unfortunately, there is a striking similarity between conditions here and those in the Land of the Blind. Our people are blind to the need for civic betterment. Our so-called lead ers have the one eye of PUBLIC SHOW which becomes as closed when all novelty of a fresh movement dies. The Land of the Blind is a weird place, full of strange people who are blind and ruled by a king who is minus one eye, one arm and one leg.

Our little city is an unusual place, where people look on, unseeingly while disinterested "leaders", speech-anxious, fight sin, fumble five years with Washington Park and scream the evils of segregation.