bilbo

10 THE JOURNAL OF MISSISSIPPI HISTORYto its native heath, Africa.” 36 Despite the fact that Bilbo was calling forthe removal of twelve million American citizens, no major news outletreported Bilbo’s comments. Bilbo reiterated his support for the repatriationproposal on February 2 and February 17. The New York Times reportedhis proposal without comment in back-page stories. 37 No othermajor white publication even mentioned it.On May 24, 1938, Bilbo formally proposed legislation to return blacksto Africa. During a floor speech on the proposal, he rejected new socialscience theories that suggested that environment rather than geneticsdetermined an individual’s capabilities. “It is the height of folly,” he insisted,“to assume that environment, discipline, education, and all otherexternal devices can affect the blood, smooth down inequalities betweenindividuals of the same breed, much less between different breeds, or transmuteracial qualities.” 38 Bilbo went on to praise Nazi racial doctrines.“The Germans appreciate the importance of race values. They understandthat racial improvement is the greatest asset that any country canhave. . . .They know, as few other nations have realized, that the impoverishmentof race values contributes more to the impairment and destructionof a civilization than any other agency.” 39The national media finally gave the proposal some attention. Newsweekwrote, “Last week, in the Senate, Theodore Bilbo finally cut loose with hisfirst unprovoked outburst of rabble rousing.” While the article describedBilbo’s proposal in unflattering terms, it ignored important segments ofthe speech, particularly Bilbo’s praise of German racial theories. Moreover,Bilbo’s plan received precious little attention elsewhere in the whitepress. “Hardly a newspaper reported it,” commented Newsweek. 40Bilbo continued to promote his repatriation plan, even attaining supportfrom some black nationalist organizations. 41 He brought the idea backto the Senate floor in April 1939, claiming that the black American had“no better friend than I am to him.” 42 By this time, Bilbo had developed adetailed plan for the creation of his “Greater Liberia” and claimed he had2.5 million signatures from blacks who wanted to return to Africa. Bilbo36Cong. Rec. 75 Cong., 3 Sess., 881.37New York Times, February 3, 1938, and February 18, 1938.38Cong. Rec., 75 Cong., 3 Sess., 7363.39Ibid., 7361.40Newsweek, June 6, 1938, p. 14.41Fitzgerald, “We Have Found a Moses,” 99–321.42Cong. Rec., 76 Cong., 1 Sess., 4652.