University of Virginia Library

The Fundamental Causes

Let us now consider the cause of race prejudice. It is an unvarying law of nature to adapt things and beings to their environments. Races living under different environments have developed different characteristics. Prof. Chas. A. Elwood says, "The various races of mankind have had therefore, a common origin, but having developed in different geographical areas they each present

certain peculiar racial traits adapting each to the environment in which it developed. The perfection of the electric light came about as a result of Edison's acceptance of the law of adaptation. He found a plant that nearly suited his purpose. Knowing that nature had made changes in this plant to meet conditions he sent an investigator to search for the plant modified to an extent to suit his need; and the investigator found it.

The two races having existed under different environments for thousands of years met on the American continent and each began to hammer away unconsciously to change the other, and each has succeeded to some extent. Mr. Smuts, ex-premier of the Union of South Africa says the American Negro is wholly different from his South African brother. Prof. Carl G. Jung, the Swiss psychologist says, "I am convinced that some American peculiarities can be traced to the Negro directly, while others result from compensatory defenses against his laxity." Segregation and obstacles in the way of voting are among the "compensatory defenses." The ostracism of the colored people is an effort to keep from being made over.

Prof. Jung further says, "To our sub-conscious minds contact with the primitives recalls not only our childhood, but also our pre-history; and with the German races this means a harking back of only about twelve hundred years. The barbarous man in us is still wonderfully strong and he easily yields to the lure of his youthful memories. Therefore he needs very definite defenses. The Latin peoples, being older don't need to be so much on their guard; hence their attitude is different from that of the Nordics *** Since the Negro lives within your cities and even your houses, he also lives within your skin subconsciously."

Prof. E. B. Renter, of the University of Iowa, says, "To the extent that the Negro people differ fundamentally from the white people in their temperamental characteristics, the differences will express themselves in a modification of the cultural characteristics of the society to the extent that the members of the temperamentally divergent group are permitted to participate freely in the group life . . . They oppose such participation on the ground that it would inevitably mean an Africanization of American culture."