The Michigan chronicle. [volume], September 30, 1944, Image 6

About The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
INDEPENDENT
ffiiMMlainttfe
Published Every Thursday By
THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE PUBLISHING COMP ANT
MAIN OFFICEj 288 Eliot Detroit I Mich. TEmple I 4177 •
LOUIS EMANUEL MARTIN. Editor
Entered as second els** matter Msy 1, 1940 at tha Post Office et
Detroit Mich, under the ect ot March A 1871.
Terms ol Subscription (peyable in advance):
One Year $4 OOj Nina Months S3.SOi Six Months. $2.50
APPEASEMENT OF RACISTS
Two overt? lust wtok focused attention on the
question of hous.np Detroit s non-w hites. One was
the action taken hv the Detroit Housing Commis
sion in turning: down the proposed construction of
£OO temporary homes for Negro war workers near
the Sojourner Truth project. 'I he other was the
case of the Chinese family who because of pressure
of home owners were unable to complete the pur
chase of a home on which they had made a down
payment. Thus in a week were highlighted the diffi
culties in the path of the construction of public hous
ing and of the individual non-white wishing to find
a place to live in Detroit.
During the last mayoralty campaign Mayor Jef
fries in desperate fear of losing the election turned
his hack on his duty to Detroiters of all races and
promised that racial patterns of neighborhoods
would not be changed. The action of the Housing
Commission at its last meeting show’s that this policy
is being adhered to strictly. Whites learned at the
time of the Sojourner Truth controversy that the
Housing Commissioners will retreat from any posi
tion if they say “Riot!” loud enough. Last week
their bluff worked again. Included in the group at
the hearing w*ere some of the old faithful Negro
baiters including Buffa of Sojourner Truth fame.
They brought with them valuations from real estate
agents showing a marked decreased in their prop
erty since the project was proposed. Real estate
interests, however pure their motives, are always
the beneficiaries of these population shiits on ra
cial lines.
* The situation in Detroit is aggravated by the
fact that nearby areas which could absorb some
of the Negro population are closed to Negroes. The
recent report of the President’s Committee on Con
gested Population Areas indicates that most of De
troit’s in-migrants have found homes within the
metropolitan area in localities of 50,000 or under
while Negro in-migrants were forced by restrictions
to find housing in Detroit. The saturation point has
long since been reached in the present “Negro”
neighbrohoods. Additional sites for “Negro” proj
ects are hard to find because of the objections of
jvhites in the nearby areas. Individual Negroes and
other non-white persons find themselves limited to
certain districts because of restrictions.
We have repeated again and again in these
columns that segregated housing is no solution to
Detroit’s housing problems. Public hQtising should
be open to all regardless of creed or color. The
present policy of appeasement of prejudiced whites
is an unrealistic one. Building bigger and better
ghettos for Negroes is equally unrealistic. Race
tensions are a result of lack of familiarity of one
group with another. The unknown becomes fearful
and can be clothed with all kinds of vicious traits.
If Negroes- and whites are to live in peace together
in Detroit the present approach to the housing sit
uation must be discarded.
In that connection it is interesting to note that
one of the Dearborners quoted in the Chronicle last
week stated that although he disliked the idea of
Negroes coming to his city, if it were the law he
would abide by it. A similar statement was made
by one of the whites at the Housing Commission
hearing. In other words, if our city officials would
change their pussyfooting, vacillating policy of re
treat from facts and adopt a clear cut program of
providing housing for all without labels even the
race-baiters would accept the inevitable.
Detroiters and Americans in general must learn
that they cannot proclaim the four freedoms for
all men and urge the downfall of fascism abroad
yet continue its practices here. America’s color
problem is known the world over and the treatment
of minorities here has been spread abroad. Winning
the war overseas will mean little if we do not mend,
our fences here.
REGISTER TO VOTE
Reports indicate that the efforts of the Political
Action Committee in Detroit are beginning to bear
fruit in larger numbers of registrants. Last week
showed a marked increase in the number of per
sons who registered to vote in the November elec
tion. There are many mure thousands who must
register, however, before the drive will be a success.
Negroes especially have a responsibility to vote
wherever possible. News from the South in the last
<ew months of Negroes going to register showed
fiat they have been willing at all odds to make the
attempt. In those southern states where they have
been turned away suits are being brought to insure
the right of Negroes to the ballot. The Supreme
Court Texas primary decision was the opening wedge
EDITORIAL PAGE OF THE MICHIGAN CHRONICLE
in the South and Negroes showed themselves ready
and eager to break down all barriers in the way of
their voting.
We in the North who find no obstacles to the
use of the franchise must not fail to take advantage
of it. It is the duty of every citizen to exercise his
right to vote. The grave importance of the coming
election makes it doubly important that every eligi
ble Negro voter in the city register to cast his ballot
in November.
THE NEGRO VOTE
A recent column in the Free Press by Frank R.
Kent, the voice of conservatism, attempted to ana
lyze the reasons why Negroes would, according to
him, vote Republican in the coming election. Mr.
Kent revealed his appalling ignorance on the w’hole
subject W’hen he seriously stated that Edgar G.
Browm’s poll of the recent Baptist convention at
Dallas, showed that the Negro Baptists are in favor
of Dewey. Negroes know 7 that like Mr. Brown’s
other polls W’hich have been discounted, the poll of
the Baptists too was just wishful thinking. Baptist
spokesmen denied the Brown statements before the
end of the convention. The übiquitous Mr. Brown
announced a similar poll of the delegates at the
N.A.A.C.P. convention in Chicago this summer, but
his Republican findings were show’n to he based
on the answers of a handful of persons questioned
by him.
The importance of the Negro vote in this elec
tion is fully known by both parties. It may be the
determining factor in a jiumbor of politically stra
tegic states. Because of this, a great many persons
like Mr. Kent w’ho are without any knowledge of
the Negro hazard analyses of the probable vote. At
election time the Negro is suddenly discovered by
many w’ho have previously been unaw’are of his ex
istence. Even Westbrook Pegler has found a good
word to w rite for the Negro as he rolls cross country
on the Dewey special. Recognizing these fair w’eather
friends is no problem and the Negro voter will have
many another occasion to be amused by them before
the election.
W pII
•Y WILLIAM L. SHERRILL..
"Eisenhower jives law* to Ger
many," was headline news this
week. . . . Threatening the firing
squad for those who disobey, Eisen
hower’s announcement said. "The
Allied Military Government had
decreed German laws involving
discrimination on ground.- of race,
religion or political opinion are
abrogated.” . . . No discrimination
in Germany Americans are going
to see to that. . . . What a fine place j
Germany should be f r a black J
man to live in when Americans
mnvj into Berlin.
Why be so much nicer and so
much more considerate away from
home than at home? If we ate going
to insist that there be no d.scrim
ination - no sogregnt n r and the
like in Germany (which s a good
thing: whv not decree •hot such
evil practices be broken up here
at home"
Think of the absurd.ty of the
thing. . Wc are bank ipVng our
government and sauificng the
lives of our best men ' > destroy
discrimination and rat e hatred in
Gerrr any but noth \g < ffoctively
is being done to destr <y ' in Ar
kansas. Tennessee M h gan and
New York C.ty. .. We can find
a way to free Germn* y of discrim
ination but not M -si-.-ippi. . . .
We can guarantee toe four free
doms to foreign lands but not to
Georgia. . How silly t all sounds.
The hypocrisy of the.-e crusaders
for freedom in other lavds but
not in America gives me a laugh—
and not me alone God must
laugh at such a huge joke
* * *
Nobody connected w !h the
"United Negro College K md" asked
me to plug the College Fund Drive.
... In fact, no one ha* said any
thing to me whatsoever about the
"Fund" . . But because I think
it a definite sign of i.. e progress
I am g.viug it the blcssii gs of this
column. . The duty of supporting
and controlling n r otvn seats of
learning should be the id: i.ion of
tho.-e who have pro:i'< 1 ' y the work
of these schools' . . . W.th tens of
thousands . of grad 1 'e» m.iking
good all ovpr the e r ry <> ir col
leges have no r.e'd * > f ifTei . . .
Ingratitude has a'.v.ys beer con
sidered one of the base-t of our
faults.
It seems to he human nature to be
ungrateful; and the i re we prac
tice the love * f sel 1. : « the fur
ther we git aw y l >:r the d ;ty
we owe those v.ho have done so
much toward shaping < ur I ves jn
the right direct.or.
One of our greatest obligations is
that i f mak.ng it : 'r f : others
to get the benefits v*■ hav* ob
tained by con * i :. r r g to th.e
support of our u st.t # t m. We must
sa nflee, if necessary, that those
wlv build character and . r prove
brain, may he udcqw.i < 1% .-upported
ar.d encouraged :n thi Oi.vnarge of
the. - * work. We often h< ar it said
that it is better to gn** than to
rice.vp but it ,s syn tiol <• f th»*
pre.itP'*t virtue t > t.\i * > ’h<>:e
fr n ano n we nave already re
ce vcd.
* # *
In the midst of present world up
heaval racial and ttional groups
a'P p tsS.r.4 thr.r cla n.« foi <■ place
rs s< cur.ty and among
the earths people. . . . Tne Jews
arc? insisting <>n a ho’luv.-’td in
! , r- tv.p In .11 demands ' com
p!t*p freedom f!i I.a" . All
,rs ir .-♦«ti•.-j ir / the "Atlantic
C'r.artei ’ mu*t <■: ;!y » *hem if it
. to really mrj ; What
will be tne status of the world's
N'evroes .i this new world «e , -up‘*
We n>P'i t u.v« . 0...> • hou«ht
to this question . . Our leaders
tu utt th;nk.ru >n tins cL*
rection. . ... Their eyes are glued
so closely to local problems that
they are unable to see the world
problem as it faces the Negro world.
We need a program for the Negro
that is geared to p’.ace the destiny
of the Negro in his own hands. . . .
The races that h ve risen to the
front in this world were those who
evolved the kind of leadership that
was independent and who re
fused to have others direct their
destiny . . Our leaders today on
several continents of the world with
hardly a single exception are in
reality but the followers of other
men’s plans and thoughts. . . . What
do the world's Negroes want when
the nations sit down to divide up
the earth? . . This question can
be answered only, by Negroes.
NCN W Patfsesßond
Goal To Buy Ship
WASHINGTON, D. C. <NNPA>
—Surpassing their $2,000,000 goal by
$1,452,000. the .National Council of
Negro Women announced last week
tha‘ the SS Harriet Tubman has
been liberated.
The liberty ship, first to be named
after Negro woman, was launched
on June 3, 1944, and at the same
time the'NCNW launched a bond
drive to pay for the ship A total
of $3,452,301 75 bond purchases were
credited to the drive.
T v '"> National Negro Insurance As
sociation subscribed to $1,000,000 of
th.s amount. Apart from the Asso
ciation the North Carolina Mutual
Ir.'U-nnee Company purchased $500,-
000 of bonds.
"YOU FINISH THE
THE FACTS
IN OUR NEWS
•y HORACE A. WHITE
Can Detroit Meet Its Housing
Problem .... The meeting last
Thursday In the Detroit Housing
Commission offices was a very chal
lenging affair to say the leaai. In
addition to the regular business of
the Commission there was a dele
gation of people on hand to protest
the putting of more defense hous
ing units in the vicinity of the So
journer Truth Project. A few weeks
ago the Detroit Victory Council had
suggested this site on which more
housing could be built for Negroes
who needed housing. This site near
the Sojourner Truth Project was
formerly recommended by the De
troit Victory Council to the Detroit
Housing Commission.
At the Detroit Housing Commis
sion meeting two weeks ago when
this site, near the Sojourper Truth
Project, was recommended a com
mittee was appointed by the chair
man of the Commission to deter
mine whether the site was feasible
for building a project for Negro oc
cupancy. Last Thursday this com
mittee reported that the site was
not a wise choice in view of the fact
that Sojourner Truth caused so
much trouble when Negroes were
about to be moved in the project
It was voted three to one that this
report of the special committee,
appointed by the chairman of the
Detroit Housing Commission, be
followed.
At this meeting were people from
the section protesting against put
ting this project there for Negro
occupancy. These protests were on
the basis that their property would
go down in value. Some of the
people protesting stated that real
estate men had already be>?n to
them offering anywhere from one
third to one-half of the original cost
of their homes.
Some of the people protesting the
building of another project stated
that if the project was built for Ne
gro occupancy there should also be
a separate school program in the
neighborhood.
It was intertsting to note that
there was not a single person pres
ent who did not believe that Ne
groes should have anything other
than good places and neighborhoods
in which to live. Some of them
thought that it was awful that Ne
groes have to live in such large
numbers in the most run-down
parts of our city, in overcrowded
conditions. The lone thing that
they talked about more than any
thing was that if more Negroes
were brought into the immediate
vicinity they stood to lose finan
cially.
Believe me all of the drum beat
ing and flag waving In the world
will not chase away this fear. This
fear of financial loss Is real and
must be dealt with on a realistic
basis.
Let it be remembered that real
estate operators have taken advan
tage of the fear of great loss on the
part of white property holders when
Negroes move into a neighborhood.
They tell the whites to sell because
Negroes are moving into the vicini
ty and they will stand to lose every
thing. So the house is bought
cheap. When the house is re-sold
to a Negro buyer he pays more for
the house than it is actually worth.
The Negro does this because he is
desperate for a place in which to
live.
It can be easily seen that the
problem then, is one of education
and economics. The whites are
afraid of Negroes because of all the
lies that have been told about the
Negro. He has been fed all his life
that Negroes are Inferior beings. A
white person driving through a Ne
gro section of the very low income
group will conclude that Negroes
are living in had surroundings by
choice and inclination. They are
never taught the "facts of life in
this matter.” It Is mandatory that
some education In this matter be
done before any real progress in
the housing of Negroes ran he t *r
ried forward on any large and ade
quate scale. Next, a plan must be
worked out whereby the first steps
toward moving Negroes into neigh
borhoods other than those desig
nated for Negroes, will not cause
panic growing out of financial fear.
We have reached a point in our
! housing program for all our people
where the users of houses or fami
lies are living in a state of fear.
Fear of Negroes causing loss and
fear on the part of great masses
of Negroes that thev will never
have a chance to live decently.
Therefore, all working people are
exploited in the matter of owning
a home.
Your vote is your voice in your
government. Register now* and
i vote in November.
“THE ‘PATTERN’ REMAINS-SO DOES THE SLUMS!”
BOOK REVIEW...
New Book. "Freedom Road," Hu
Message For Today. "Freedom
Road,” by Howard Fast, Duell
Sloan and Pearce 52.75 By
Margaret Taylor Gosa for ANP.
Here is a book that every Ameri
can who e\en imagines himself
interested in and concerned with j
the democratic piocess should read,
j'regardless of color. After reading
it I was convinced that this was
the most important book ever writ- ;
ten on the Negro in America. It
makes the avalanche of popular I
books on this much discussed sec- ,
tion of our population melt and
fade into puddles.
Never have I read so much his
tory, so interestingly written be
fore. I learned from it. I en
joyed it. I read it with relish. I
received a world of encouragement
for the future which was welcome
in a time when we are on the
brink of planning a new world
that will encompass all peoples,
even the most remote and op
pressed. •
“Freedom Road” is dedicated to
"the men and women, black and
white and yellow and brown who
have la id down their lives in the
struggle against fascism." It gives
us fully for the first time a section
of American history which was
completely expunged from Ameri
can memory because the southern
bourbons didn't want people to
know that at one time in this coun
try black and wh.te had lived,
worked, voted and learned together
for the common good. This was
the brief eight-year period of the
reconstruction govern me n t s in
which black men just out of slav
ery and poor whites sat in the leg
islatures and halls of congress and
determined their own destinies. Try
to find a positive report of this pe
riod in the current history texts
and you w r on't find anything but
distorted statements that justify the
southern bourbons and their hire
lings the Ku Kl ix Klan.
This poriod was a high point In
American democracy. Had our
country continued dong this path
j we would have been a hundred
J years ahead in human progress,
i With the overthrow and ousting of
the progressive government in the
1 south by political collusion and
terrorism, we were thrown into a
I maelstrom of reaction which we
SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 30, 1944
have been fighting and struggling
against to this day.
The bourbons had good reason for
attempting and succeeding in de
stroying what Gideon Jackson and
his little band of neighbors, black
and white stood for, their aspira
tions and their yearnings. They
wanted to live their lives in peace,
security, and brotherhood. They
did for a tin.e. The north, the Un
ion, won the war but lost the peace
at the polls through political man
euvering on the part of the dis
possessed slave owners.
Here again is the. lesson which
we can learn from reading "Free
dom Road' for today. We are on
the verge of victory. We a:s fac
ing a national election which will
determine whether we will win the
peace or continue on the downward
path return to the status quo. Mr.
Roosevelt stands for progress in
this nation. To insure our continued
march on Freedom Road we must
insure his reeleetion We must
smash the present day counterparts
of the post-Civil War ones to noth
ingness.
It can be done. It can be done
through a welding of the unity of
the type that Gideon commanded
Negroes reading this book will
square their shoulders and stand
an inch taller. Whites will gain
understanding and respect for their
brown brethern This is a book
that you simply can't overlook Mr.
Fast has made a most significant
contribution to the cause of unity,
the war and human progress.
It is an interesting fact that no
wars of significance have ever been
waged over medical problems. Peo
ple have fought over about every
other problem Imaginable. Wars
over religion, over commerce, trade
and industry, over boundaries, over
races and sects, over royal and legal
decrees, over social and economic
questions but never over medicine
In fact, medicine has been through
out the centuries one of the great
unifying agencies to bring the peo
ples of the earth together—David
J. Davis, M. D., Diplomate, Jan.
1944.
Do your duty as a citiren, Reg
ister and vote in November.
THE CHRONICLER
By CONFUCIUS
We hear tell some of that rumor
ring is starting up again, so don't
believe everything you hear. Don't
give it any credence unless you
read it ih one of the papers or it
is said by an official city spokesman
* * *
Did yon all hear Franklin the
other night? The "Champ" really
was In top form, don’t yon think?
Even If Dewey Tom Is too young
to remember the depression, some
a 4 the rest of ns do. Confucius
liked those cracks about Fala, too.
FDR was really pitching his speed
ball that night. Talk about World
series players! . . ..
* * *
Those home-grown fascists who
want to keep Negroes in one little
all black cubic inch of housing are
really playing poker with city
agencies. But the stumblebums are
holding jokers about possible riots
and are bluffing the heads off the
naive city fathers. Funny thing, but
Confucius never heard of a real
hune.st-to-goodness riot in jail,
which is where those guys would
land If we had some decent law’s
about housing here. Everyone of
those two-bit Yankee fascists is
yellow all the war through.
* * *
The colored GOPen must be get
ting scared as hell about the Negro
vote, ’cause the Dems have got two
of the fastest talking women In
the country on their side now . . .
Jeannetta Welch Brown an** Thom
asina Johnson. Those ferns will have
you voting for the Dems Just to
keer ’em quiet. They’re some of
the new women we’re getting with
Interests In politics ahd Jobs. Con
fucius wishes them the best.
* * *
Heard that when the newsreel of
Dewey's Philly speech was shown
at theatres here, the audience booed
when young Tom said that the ad
ministration was keeping the Cl
LETTERS TO
THE EDITOR
Dear Sir: In £5 years Detroit h?.s
become one of the greatest indus
trial. financial and most densely
populated centers in the world,
without the necessary and commen
surate growth of hospital facilities.
Hence, our excess tolerance and
the private investment of com ab s
ents. samtonums and what-nots
possibly owned and operated by
some physicians and undertakers.
All physicians and surgeons mud
prepare and qualify with the State
to practice. It is but human to ei r
and only quacks guarantee. None
have discovered "white germs” or
treat "colored pain " Popular theo
ries, prejudice nor deceptive leaders
on either front win decisive or suc
cessful battles.
For America—human relief and
local peace at any cost —let us win
this war! With a struggle betw’een
life and death the best possible hos
pital facilities, agents and human
skill is none too good for the needy,
whether our operators .and attend
ants are mixed or all of one group
Most germs, maladies, instrument*
and death are absolutely color
blind! Most private donations, tax
and public funds are for public
health and human lelief.
Why not make all plans and pos
sible hospital facilities that colorless
money, brains and human skill can
attain for our city'.’ That will be
your best evidence that you are rea
sonably free of racial prejudice and
deserve your salary and our honor -
Any white physician or surgeon
without essential preparation, qual
ifications. and experience for ho>-
pital service—Negroes do not need’
Any Negro with these prerequisites
is worthy to serve his own and
should be appointed in our general
hospital to the staff or Board «»f
Directors. Not for political pul!,
money or color, but for service,
tice and better race relations. For
the quickest, best possible and per
manent relief of our suffering and
the defense of our country—fight
all disguised discrimination—though
such w ill appeal to many and bene
fit a few*-who need it least
The unfortunate and defenseless
I inmates are too much at your mer*
cy to register any complaint, while
no guilty owner <>r negligent opera
tor should wag his tongue. Why
not holler so I'll know you are hit?
—Signed W. F. Rainwater.
Joes in the army for the hell of it.
G«»od work. Detroiters! How d<>< s
that guy think anyone will beliese
that stuff’’ I'm asking you. . . .
♦ * *
Didja see Capt Mulzac and Fer
dinand Sm.th. the new team for
democracy* .Smith is the national
secretary of the moat militant un on
on rare outside of our own I’AW,
the National Marit.me Union. Is it
coinndence that they re stumping
the country for FDR’
* * *
W'e're always the least registered
and smallest voting group in th*
population. What's wrong? If vou'vt
been In the state six months, ten
minutes out to register will allow
you to vote and If you vote every
year, you need never re-register In
Michigan Even if you haven’t been
here six months but voted else
where. a talk with registration offi
cials will fix it for you. You know,
i we stand to gain most be voting
and we vote leas. Figure It out foi
yourself. . . .
* * *
That whitewash of Dewey Tonri'i
foreign mentor, John Foster Dulles
| in the Free-Press made Confueuii
sic!’. He may be a prominrn'
chrrchman but he sure made somt
pro-fascist statements just before
the guns started firing in 1941 for
| our side. Just goes to show you
what Tommie really thinks about
| ’th’ facts of international life’
(quote courtesy FDR>!
* * *
The weak demobilisation bill if
op to Prexy Roosevelt now. I.e*
| him know you're not for It. He cat
still veto It and get a stronger on*
j out. Let Congress know too. Whet
! wrltlrtg the fellows In Congre«m
write the Senators at the Senati
Office Building, and the Representa
lives at the House Office Rulldln|
And FDR at the White House . .
for the next four years. Kee|
iflghUnltf