Freedom Does not Come in Bargain Basements

    — = 
PRESS RELEASE e e 

NAACP LEGAL DEFENSE AND EDUCATIONAL FUND 
107 WEST 43 STREET + NEW YORK 36, N. Y. © JUdson 6-8397 

ARTHUR B. SPINGARN THURGOOD MARSHALL 
President Director and Counsel 

WALTER WHITE ROBERT L. CARTER 
Secretory Assistant Counsel 

ALLAN KNIGHT CHALMERS ARNOLD DE MILLE 
Treasurer Press Relations 

FOR RELEASE: MARCH 29, 1955 

NOTE TO EDITOR: This is the first of a series of weekly articles 
written by outstanding leaders in the fields of 
education, religion, labor, business and the pro- 
fessions in support of the NAACP Legal Defense 
and Educational Fund special fund-raising campaign 
now being conducted in cooperation with National 
Newspaper Publishers Association member newspapers. 

FREEDOM DOES NOT COME IN BARGAIN BASEMENTS 

By Bishop D, Ward Nichols 

(Bishop D, Ward Nichols, is Presiding Bishop of the First Episcopal 
District of the A.M.E. Church. He was recently appointed Vice- 
Chairman of the General Board of the National Council of Churches, 
the agency responsible for the fighting statement issued in con- 
nection with Race Relations Sunday, pointing out that segregation 
is a sin.) 

As the 1955 special fund-raising campaign of the NAACP Legal 

Defense and Educational Fund gets under way, I want to urge every- 

one to support this most worthy cause. 

It really should not be necessary for an organization that has 

accomplished so much, in so little time, and with such meager finan- 

cial backing, to appeal in this way for help. Certainly, every 

responsible Negro in America and millions of our white friends are, 

or should be, aware of the splendid work done by Legal Defense. 

The historic milestone represerited in the May 17th Supreme Court 

decision should in itself impel all of us to give unstintingly. 

Let us reflect for a moment on the true meaning of this and 

other great legal victories already won, It was with unprecedented 

unanimity that the highest court of the land declared that compul- 

sory segregation of the races in public schools was unconstitutional. 

To grasp the full meaning and import of this decision, it must 

be read and reread, Yet, the mere fact that the fountainhead of 

racial prejudice - the segregated public school = has been throttled, 

is cause for rejoicing that gives us new hopes 

In our rejoicing however, we should not forget the very definite 

reasons why this meaningful victory was won. We must also remember 



oe 

that to make this victory count, these reasons must be bulwarked 

and supported, 

It was, of course, God's will that our faith in Democracy's 

cause was thus reaffirmed. But freedom from tyranny is never won 

by faith alone. For faith without effort is meaningless, Coupled 

with the will of Providence was the instrument and agency through 

which all of this was manifested - the brilliantwork of Thurgood 

Marshall, his battery of legal assistants and sociologists. Theirs 

was a victory deserving the plaudits of all of us. 

Victory, though, is not enough in this case - for never was a 

truism more appropriate here than, "Now that Victory is won, Our 

fight has just begun.” 

And who should join the battle? Every single person who values 

his freedom, who wants life, liberty and pursuit of happiness, and 

who wants his children to live and grow under a healthy democracy, 

None should be more concerned than the Churches. The role of 

the Negro Church in the march to freedom is historic, to say the 

least. It was the Church that provided the faith that we had in 

God and in ourselves, It was the Church leadership tht gave us the 

necessary direction and planning, yes, even to rebel with the force 

of Denmark Vesey and his stalwarts, It was the Church, too, that 

sponsored the beginning of our fight for education, opening the 

doors of a bright, new world to millions who would have otherwise 

remained in darkness and ignorance, 

In our own time, the Church has likewise played an important 

role. A specific example is the Clarendon County, South Carolina 

school case where the doors of the Church were opened to aroused 

Negro parents, determined to organize and fight for their cons ti- 

tutional right. Foremost among those who aided in this, the real 

beginning of the end of school segregation, was my own colleague, 

Bishop Frank Madison Reid of Columbia, S. C. True to the tradition 

of the great Richard Allen, Bishop Reid, not only opened his 

churches to the NAACP, but gave financial aid and comfort, He was 

joined in this great effort by clergy of all denominations, Baptists 

and Methodists alike. 



Bs 

In appealing to the general public to support the NAACP Legal 

Defense and Educational Fund, I should like to stress this one 

important point: He who is not willing to pay the price of free- 

dom_is not worthy of it. I repeat - he who is not willing to pay 

the price of freedom, yes the full price, is not worthy of iti!} 

There is no bargain basement or special sale for Freedom. It is 

an everyday, twenty-four hour a day battle. To fight this battle, 

we must have weapons, not atomic, or hydrogen, but equally as effec- 

tive, the weapon of a trained and capable leadership dedicated to 

carrying the fight in which we are now joined, That weapon is the 

NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund. 

I urge every man, woman and child to give, give and give to 

the end that they might carry on secure in the knowledge that they 

fight for a grateful people. No amount is too small, nor can any 

amount be too large. Send yours today to NAACP Legal Defense and 

Educational Fund, 107 West 3rd Street, New York 36, N. Y. 

sions