The Detroit tribune., December 13, 1941, Image 1

About The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966

Image provided by: Central Michigan University, Clark Historical Library

                
Common Council Walks Out On Housing Protest
UA pA CES
I 4 FULL OF
l* * NEWS
IvOL. X!X— NO. 39
EXPOSE R. R. DISCRIMINATION:
COLORED VOLUNTEER BARRED
BOY! WAS THAT A CLOSE ONE
H *r MK
■' * " ■ H " ssjpy
[|i * ii
F . .><«* . i
1:1 i ■
Idwird Holly, aged 20, of IJBW
Fn*«fl| explaining to Officer It..
I.'in Hi i nntleld station how hr
hmM incr in hi* automobile at
(arrant Renews Fight To Return
lain Gang Fugitive To Georgia
Th* Pt.ve of utyrgla has filed a
** fu*it vp warrant for tho extra
•non of Charles Thomaa, of Lan
ai Mich , to return to the Geor
1* chain gaug. A previous eitra-
I'ion warrant was recently turn
i down by Governor Van Wago-
IT.
Thomas j« 5a year* of age and
leaped from the Georgia chain
* n l five year* ago.
The NAACP, who helped save
aernav. with the aaaLatance of
Me and colored cltizena. when the
T! ' extradition warrant was is
, mnounces that the organi
inn " l!I "gain lend Its aid In the
»crt to Keep the fugitive from be
•l i»ken |,a c it to Georgia.
1 hranchea of the NAACP have
» requested to send petitions to
Vnn TN’sgoner at Lansing.
,f> him to disregard the
u fx,r adltlon warrant, as he
flr » f one. Petitions to this
\cv. Hairston Recovers Farm
of Former Wife After Appeal
n Key. Samuel L. Hairston, 248 Medbury, Detroit,
ion / sp ‘ r Kualist minister, recently recovered posses
rif °\. a arm . which had previously been awarded to his
. iq/^ 8, Hairston, by the Washtenaw county court
„ Rev. Mr. Hairston protested the Ann Arbor
brnil- - B * nd through
!, 0t th# cour t Detroit.
iraeV thf*f Supr#n * courf »•
Itv ln * f,r ® to the minuter.
A*"* 1 ■•tUement of Moo
SjMir .!?& ’" ,,ch hl *
f | ■ .'*• Turner, a member
«, b w rch * who following the
t th. I, , r h u»band cam# to live
kri , * , 1 0n home. The Hev. Mr.
1,1 {?•. who founded the St.
ktloti a P ,r, tu*lUt Aseo-
T«f* S«o.
of age. ha. been
u * n,t married four
k u ”* in lI2S from
M u!!!w , Bchool °f Mediumthlp
if) %tx%
' NEQ KO WEEKLY OF MICHIGAN fh~sQ
Hm*h and Superior atreef* Wed
neadaj Hi 2:.H> H.m. with 12 peo
ple In the rnr (l«p). AH earaped
In.lnrj.
effect are heln* circulated In De
troit this week.
Youth Gets
Life Term For
Kidnapping
Three Detroit youths E J. Ivey.
27. 2004.1 Northlswn; Ed. Collin*
and Lonnie Collin* of 20467 Cher
rylawn. who were charged with
kidnapping a young couple and
criminally assaulting the girl In
Oakland County. Oct. 3. were found
guilty hy Judge Doty of Oakland
County Court, Pontiar. last Wed
nesday. They were sentenced on
Monday. E. J Ivey was given life
and the other two youths were giv
en terms of from fifteen to thirty
(Continued on page 2)
itreet, which It headed by Prophet
0. W. Hurlty.
At the trial. Rev. Mr. Harltton
was repreaented by Attorney Jamea
McNally, while Mra. Ollle Harltton
waa repreaented by ttorneya Rlnh
and Simmon*. Commenting on the
caae the Rev. Mr. llarUlon Issued
tbla tlo The Detroit Tri
bune:
**l am happy over the reversal,
but waa at no time troubled by the
decision reached In the Ann Ar
bor courts. I have been happily
married to my present w I
Zlmmle N. HarUton. alnca IM*
am deeply grateful to her and other
loyal friends for consolation glv«n
daring my trials."
U.S. Needs Men?
Armv Os ficrs Says
“No Opening”
Mitchell Willing
To Leave Good Job
For U.S. Service
Thousands of workmen in the
Urgent industrials plants in the
world have pledged to the President
and their fellow citizens of the
United States full support and co
operation in the prosecution of
war against the Axis power. The
hierarchy in the capitalistic realm
Democrats, Republicans, left and
right wingers, aged pacifists, mili
tant youth, rich and poor have
joined the swelling chorus that
sings of brotherhood and unity!
"Together with other free peo
ples." the President said, "we are
now fighting to maintain our right
to live among our world neighbors"
in freedom and in common decency
without fear of assault."
Words like theae rang lit 4)ie
cara of patriotic Leon Mitchell. 34,
of r>4l Superior when he rushed
down to the Federal building Tues
day night to offer hi* services to his
country by enlisting In the armed
forces.
Thjs of course, would mean giv
ing up his good Job at the Ameri
can Aluminum plant, but Mitchell
went, w ithout hesitation to Form 6.10
in th« Federal building where white
Amei leans w ere waiting to he
signed up. The recruiting officer
took on* look at Mitchell, shook his
head saying "Sorry, I'm afraid
there are no openings."
> Mitchell s draft classification Is
4-F. but he states the officer didn't
even ask him for his card, or any
form of information concerning his
willingness and ability to serve the
nation.
It was a puzzled Mitchell who
heard the words of the President’s
Tuesday night address.
"The lives of our soldiers and
sailors.” Mr. Roosevelt said, "the
whole future of this nation —depend
upon the manner in which each and
every one of us fulfills his obliga
tion to our country.
"And In the dark hours of
(( nntlnned on page it
Officer* Re • Elected
By Trade Association
Election of officers for the Book
er T. Washington Trade associa
tion was held Wednesday. Dec. 3,
at. the regular meeting of the
Noonday Luncheon club at the
Lucy Thurman YWCA. Uarltnn W,
Caines was re-elected president;
Louis r. Blount, elected vice presi
dent; Mrs. R. Louise Grooms, sec
retary. and M Kelly Fritz, treasu
rer.
Mr. Gaines is th* organization’s
second president, the first president
and founder, the Rev. William H.
Peck.
."I • ■ '
> « -
M* 'i
„*■ j
Tfcr |in. !«»wl
•plrltaaUil " fco 1,1 rf ’
rained felt pro***/.
THE DETROIT TRIBUNE, SATURDAY, DECEMBER IS, 1941
Why Black Us Out?
By J. EDWARD McCALL
When a nation is at war, it “blacks out” its exposed cities
at night, as a precaution against enemy bombers. The lights
are already going out of nights along the Western Coast of our
country, so as not to serve as guiding beacons for hostile planes.
It is a wise precaution to “black out ’ threatened cities, but
it is unjust for influential white newspapers and prejudiced in
dividuals to attempt to “black out'’ an underprivileged minority
group of citizens from the opportunities and citizenship rights
which God and the laws of the land bestow.
Yet, this is what the Detroit free Press and certain politi
cally inspired whites seem trying to do to the colored people of
Detroit. Many columns of unfavorable publicity have been
devoted of late to the fact that a few local Negroes are holding
important public positions or public contracts. The general
effect of this publicity is to create widespread racial prejudice
against our people and to arouse unfavorable public senti
ment against the holding of public jobs or contracts by
members of our race.
For some weeks, we have read much in the local dailies
about a contract held by a colored undertaker for burying
Wayne County’s poor, but nothing has been said of other con
tracts held by white individuals who furnish the county with
milk and other supplies. We have read much about contracts
by certain private hospitals for the care of colored tubercular
patients, but what about the private white hospitals that care
for similar patients? The recent dismissal of a few employees
in the county building has given the papers an excuse for call
ing undue public attention to the fact that a highly efficient
colored man, Benjamin Pelhgir holds an important post in the
office of the County Auditor and pains have been taken to em
phasize the color of his skin more than his efficiency and in
tegrity. Now the papers are again startled to discover that
a colored lawyer holds a $4,000 a year position in one of
the local courts.
All this unfriendly anti-racial comment is calculated to em
bitter the public against our people in Detroit. Is it a crime for
a Negro citizen to hold a public position or a public contract in
liberty-loving America?
If the present grand jury investigation should reveal that
there are any irreguarities in the County Government, we have
confidence that Judge Homer Ferguson will be strictly fair
and impartial and that those who may be adjudged guilty will
be dealt with without racial bias.
Certain departments of our City Governments have also
undergone recent grand jury investigations, including the in
vestigation into the awarding of a certain housing contract. Wc
all know the results. There are many other city contracts that
have not been investigated, and some day the public will want
to know a little more about some of those contracts, who holds
them and how they were obtained? We know of no' Negroes
holding any of those contracts. Why?
Lot the investigation into Wayne County affairs go on. We
all believe in clean government, but we also believe in racial
justice and tolerance. Let the influential dailies stop crucifying
us, because of color. We are loyal Americans, too, entitled to
life, liberty and the pursuits of happiness and the participation
in the affairs of our government. We do not want to be “blacked
out” by racial prejudice.
250 North Eiders Seek To Prevent
Negro Occupancy Os Housing Project
Whila tha majority of patriotic
Americana are banding together In
a national effort to Safeguard Amer
ican liberty and to protect Amer
ican homes from being blasted by
enemy bomba, there are prejudiced
elements qi o r e Interested in
keeping Negroes supprssed and
proscribed and preventing them
from living lu detent environments,
than they are In defending the na
tion from attacks of the Japanese
and other Asia powers.
Approximately 2.10 angry white
citizens or North Detroit, members
of the Seven-mile Road Fenelon Im
provement association, held an In
dignation meeting in the chambers
of the Detroit Common Council
Tuesday night, following the Coun
ell s refusal to grant them a hear
ing for the purpose of protesting
against N>*ro occupancy of the De
fense Housing project at Nevada
and Fenelon. which Is rapidly near
ing completion.
(Maiming that the presence of
Negroes In the housing project
would depreciate the value of their
property In t)t* locality, the mem
bers of the organisation had pre
viously appealed to the Dei roll
Housing commission and were In
formed by Oeorge Edwards, the di
rector-secretary, that the Defense
project was entirely under the con
trol of the tS. Government «nd
that the Common Council had no
authority to net In ragard to Its oc
cupancy.
When the protest group first en
tered the Connell chambers, the
body was In formal session and
when the deliberations were com
pleted, the council members quietly
withdrew through a rear door of
the rhaniber to their private offices
at about 6:1!> am.
The angry protest group refused
to leave the building, despite ef
forts of the dty hall police to per
suade them to disperse. They held
a fiery session of their own and
made apeeches violently denounc
ing the councilmen.
Officers of the organization. Vir
gil R. Chandler and Joaeph Buffa
whose headquarters are at 19235
Fenelon. also made efforts to quiet
the crowd tnd flnslly succeeded in
getting them to disperse at 3:15
p.m. Another attempt will he made
to appear before the Connell for a
hearing.
Similar protests were recently
made by a group of white citizens
in llamlranuk sgalnst Negro oc
cupancy of apartments allotted to
the rare In the Government proje. t
In that city. Members of certain
organizations hostile to Negroes
and other minority racial and relig
ious elements In Metropolitan De
troit are reported to be involved In
fomenting thtie protest demonstra
tions.
Mrs. Gragg Rides
Kitchen Coach
From Chicago
Clubwoman Had
Attended Meet On
Nation’s Defense
A flagrant <a*e of Jim ('rowism
and discrimination on the .Michigan
Central railroad, between Chicago
and Detroit, wan brought to light
laal week by Mrs. Rosa Gragg, na
tionally-known club woman of
this city. Mrs. Gragg, w ho had been
appointed by. President Roosevelt
as a member of the Volunteer Par
ticipation committee of the Civilian
Defense hoard, was returning from
one of tlie group* meetings in
Chicago, when the incident, occur
red.
Monday. Dec. 1. a conference of
Central governor* wa. called to
meet in the Palmer House, In Chi
cago.
When Mrs. Gragg readied the
Chicago, Illinois station at the
close of the conference, it was too
late for her to make reservations
on th> Mercury which she had
planned to take hack to Detroit at
i 9:15 a in. Tuesday, Dec. 1!. so she
purchased a coach ticket and v*s
. assigned to Coach 5. Ih.
j the coach. Mrs. Gragg was horrified
to find that it was an unused half
of a kitchen coach with a seating
| capacity of only eighteen. It was
filled with smoke and grime from
the kill hen. There was no form of
ventilation in the coach and no
sanitary accommodations.
Into this half-coach had hten
herded four colored women, a civil
ian male passenger and ten colored
soldiers of the 77th Engineers who
were returning to Fori Custer from
Chicago.
Although the half coach she oc
cupied was overcrowded. Mrs.
! Gragg discovered that two other
coaches on the train, Coaches 5 and
l 11, were not filled. Although she
1 was able to buy a belter sent for
I herself in the chair coach, she re
fused to do so. hut decided to re-
J main where she was ami contend
j for better accommodations for the
I other nKmber* of her race.
When tlie conductor came to col-
I lect the tickets, Mr*. Gragg de
-1 tnanded that he provide better
j seats for the women In the group
i before they would turn in their
ticket*. She also chided him for
his treatment of colored men in
military uniform in the coach, who
i are in training and helping to de-
I fend the Cnited States.
The conductor finally provided
better seat* Tor the women and of
fered t'o do the same for the ten
j soldier*, hut the men preferred to
remain together In the half-coach,
rather than occupy scattered seat*
in the other coaches.
The gratitude which glowed in
the face* of the women and the
(Cnntlnned on page 3)
J. J. McClendon Re-Elected at
Tranquil Session of NAACP
l)r. James J. McClemlon. militant president of the
Detroit Branch, NAACP was reelected president at the
annual election. Monday, Dec. 8. Others officers elected
were: Fred Allen, first vice president; Theodore Smith,
second vice president; Robert J. Evans, secretary; Mrs.
Ada Summer*. assistant secretary,-<
and Mrs. Mamls L. Thompson,
treasurer.
The Executive committee select*
ed by the branch includes: Prince
Clark. Ernes* Marshall. Mr*. Mattie
Montgomery. Mrs. Elesnor Deveare.
Mrs. L. W. Tyrrell, Father Mal
colm Dade, Mrs. Helen Wilson. V. A.
Rriatol and Mrs. Beulah Carter.
The anticipated opposition to Mc-
Clendon's redaction did not ma
terialise thus throwing the spotlight
of the annual meeting on the re
ports offered by the various c hatr
tuen. The president In his report
slated thst upon first taking office
he had outlined a program In
cluding the establishing o. a per
manent office. Increase of member
ship. and the employment of an ex
ecutive secretary. In hia three
terms he has worked toward that
goal. With the coming of Oloater
CLIFFORD 2924—PRICE 5 CENTS PER COPY
HIT AND RUN VICTIM
H|HI 1|9h28; JMnBRVPV
Daniel Renrher of lOfttt Fre«l
erlrk *•!drnsirecl 10 foot
to tho curb by Mi** Mary M.
Smith Sunday nl 4 l».m. after tho
two were Ittinrkoil down by a hit
and rnn driver on Rivard noiip
Warren. Ronohor «a» lator
troatod for a hrokon leg and a
Court Grants Separate Trial For
Louise Thrower, Watson’s Secretary
Musicians
Honored With
Memberships
At a banquet gi'on Monday pvr *
ninjr. pec. 1. in tho K*quire room of
tbo Rook-Cadlllac hotel, tho T>e
trolt Federation of Muaician*. Lo< al
No. r> paid honor to member* who
had boon affiliated with tho organi
sation for thirty year* or more
Among the honorooa who received
sold llfe-memherahlp card* wore
right well-known coloied Detroit
er*, including Thom** Anderaon.
Fred Hooper, <>«rar Solomon. Lit
tleton Smith Bonjamm Mitchell,
Thoma* Mitchell. Clarence Newby
(t nntlnned on page 2)
R. Current a* executive accratary
h* fait that the aim* of hla admln
iatratlon had baan reallxed.
Tha Labor committee. undar tha
rhfttrmnahlp of Prlnca Clark re
ported that It* actlvitlas had In
cluded confaranca*. interview* and
maatlnira dealftned to Increaac and
Improve tha «tatu» of tha Nejtro
worker In National Pafanaa. Tha
committee polntad to It* record and
ahowad that It had baan ln«minien
tal In placing more Negroea In In
dimtiy and liiduclUß mora Naaroa*
to taka National Dafanaa ’raining.
Mi a. Ruth Kill* reported for tha
antartalnmant oommlttaa and Mr*
Mamla L. Thomp*on gave an ex
cellent raport of tha financial
atandlng of th» branch. Krnaat
Marshall. mambarahlp chairman,
outlined tha plana for mambarahlp I
Et IN MICHIGAN
7 CENTS ELSEWHERE
po**ible wknil frnoturo. Mi«n
Smith wa* merely «hnkon up.
Itenchor and Ml** Smilh wore
Mrtiek after tho nnidontitiod mo.
tori*t. driving a IWI7 l ord *ednn
oollidod with a car drhen by
Harrison Taylor of IWfi Maple
*trort.
Mt*« I.otii«e Thrower, aecretary
io Everett. Watson and originally
scheduled to he tried in tho current
graft conspiracy ea* involving
former Mayor Richard \V. Heading,
Everett Wat*<n, John Roxbnrough,
and aoveral alleged number* rac
keteers. and police c'ffice *. wat
granted a *eparnt trial. Tueaday,
Dec. I*. because of til health.
1 lie apecial reque*. for a *ep
arate trial was made on tho basis
of a doctor - certificate signed by
Dr. (<ermany K. itennett, and by
fpcnal consent of Prosecuting At
torney Chester r O Hara. alter
Mi** Thrower* attorney Lloyd
I.oonn* and phy*irtan. Dr. Ben
nett had n’atrd that *he wa* not
able to undergo a trial a* prearnt
because of iline* Judge Pugs>y
granted the request.
building next year and pointed to
the successful campaign conducted
by Mr*. I>ni*v Lanipkin.
(Hosier B. Current, executive sec
retary. gave a detailed report on
hi* activity alnce becoming the sec
retary. He traced his NAACP back
ground as a youth worker and
thanked the people for the oppor
tunity to serve the association In
the secretary’s report was outlin
ed all the work carried on by tha
branch In Nattonal Defense activ
ity. police brutality, civil rigbta
cases, misa meetings and confer
ences. The report gave an account
of the cases filed with Uu Pair Em- \
ployment Practice committee.
Although left out of the formal
report, the secretary reviewed ver
bally the association's efforts In
the Fire department discrimination
<«*«■•. Dr. McClendon also stated
what the NAACP'* position was and
criticised Commissioner Shapiro
for his attitude In dealring to main
tain the statue quo.
A motion picture. "The World We
Want to Live In" was shown before
tha meeting began.