14-00007 —_ Alienation and tension in some Negro neighbor- hoods “are reaching catastrophic proportioas which can lead to unprecedented explosions in 1967," warned _ Edward Rutledge and Jack E. Wood, Executive Director and Associate Executive Director of the National Committee Against Discrimination in Housing, in an annual report. Rutledge and Wood, who forecast racial disorders in 1965 and 1966, drew their conclusions from a study conducted in 41 cities and 25 states during 1966, . » Rutledge and Wood claimed they found a conviction among Negro youth that progress in civil rights will be achieved through social turmoil, and they repeatedly heard sucH comments in ghettos as "We need two and a half more riots to get out of here," . : “Hardly any community in this, country can call itself imaune from trouble this summer," declared Floyd HcKissick, National Director of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE).’ MéKissick placed Cleveland at the top of his list of trouble spots, along with nost New Jersey cjties. Otherxy’ cities he enumerated were New York City; Washington; Detroit; Chicago; Gary, Indiana; ‘St. Louis; East St. Louis, Illinoig; Los Angeles: e San Francisco; and Oakland. | "A Negro sociologist at Howard University, Dr. Nathan Hare, sees a “very real" possibility of a civil war between whites and Negroes in-the United States, ‘It’s going to be quite a while off yet--though not so \ far off as to be outside of our life span," ke said. Dr. Hare, who describes himself as a "theorist" in the - “black power" movement, is actively spreading its philosophy to Negro colleges across the country. "Violence is the only way left to the black man to achieve his manhood in America," Ernest Chambers, -@ leader of young militants in Omaha, told delegates to . the National Conference on Community Values and Conflict in New York City. He said that "violence purges the soul of the black man and returns to him his self-respect." Chambers maintained that prevention of racial violence was up to the white people. They must realize, he said, that injustice is practiced daily against the Negro and that Negro youths will no longer put up with it. -~2- fy o: ee oan ae ear a Fy Th oa Sin rt FATE Sy of oo
14-0000 administration to restore cuts’ aad : 2 & & 2424 4, e ‘ ~ Nes SP NER a The key to racial peace this Summer, observed Roy Wilkins, Executive Director of the National Association - for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP), is jobs for the thousands of young Negroes who will be turned loose from school "with muscles in their arms and mischief in their minds." With one out of three Negro teen-agers | wandering around," he said, "you are going to have trouble," Wilkins expressed the hope that there would be no riot in any city, and added: "But I can't Say there won't because | all the ingredients are there." Public officials in a number of large cities have expréssed considerable apprehension about the possibility of racial violence this year. Mayor John y. Lindsay, of New York City, asserted that "we have no way of kuowing what this Summer-will bring but we do know that if violence- breaks out,, the young people of the ghettos will be in its vanguand."” He has called upon the “in ‘antipoverty funds for Summer youth activities, or..face the threat of rioting in Negro ghettos this summer, | 2 a i . Disturbances dare likely in the Nation's capital this summer, according to Walter N. Tobriner, a District of Columbia Commissioner, unless funds for recreational programs for school children are approved. If youthful energy is not channeled constructively, he cautioned, "I am sure that increased vandalism, destruction, and. _ other antisocial behavior would tend to result." He | added: “Of course, we can never assume Summer peace, Since incidents fanning neighborhood reaction are neither foreseeable nor controllable. But we can, by providing ‘these funds, make the occurrence of Summer incidents less likely and their enlargement to other areas less apt to occur," Mayor Ivan Allen, dr., of Atlanta, observed - that "in any big city with major Slum problems, incidents .. amounting almost to riots can occur at any time during the hot summer months whenever there is provocative leadership that finds an incident that can be exploited, There is always some incident that provocative leaders can use if they want." ~ 3 -
* a Familiar Pattern er OY VEEN that have developed in the United States during the past three summers, Events have unmistakably shown that any municipality in the country with a Negro population is ‘Susceptible to a racial outbreak, A partial listing of cities and towngwhere racial disorders have occurred since ' 1964 indieates that ‘racial disorders can happen anywhere and everywhere at any time: New York City; Rochester, oo New York; Philadelphia; Jersey City; Cleveland; Dayton, = Ohio; Lansing, Michigan; Chicago; Waukegan, Illinois; mo f Omaha; Sah Francisco; Los Angeles; Atlanta; Fort Lauderdale, Florida; and Bogalusa, Louisiana, It is obviously - impossible to Pinpoint when and where racial violence will - erupt. ° i ee . But there is.one aspect of racial violénce that can be predicted with some precision: the pattern it will follow. In virtually every instance where major riots have broken ,out in Negro” communities in recent years, the pattern and sequence of events have been identical: the escalation of an initial minor episode involving police action; a rapidly growing. crowd and mounting excitement and hysteria fomented by troublemakers, extremists, and Subversives; overt hostility toward the police, accompanied © by wild charges of “police brutality"; the explosion of blind, irrational mob fury and action; street fighting between Negroes and police; hurling of rocks, bricks, bottles, fire bombs, and other objects; looting, vandalism, and arson; and, finally, Summoning of police reserves and frequently the National Guard to restore law and order, ¢ & The survey on the following pages endeavors to highlight the violence potential which exists in the United States as the Summer of 1967 draws near,
14-00000 . ye . . ’ oe BOS be Y OFF 1400000 a . ; : . Rae: tos Fes iN t i i= 7 . t a ane RACIAL VIOLENCE FOTENTIAL IN THE EAST Baltimore, Haryland ee Population 917, 000 968); 41 par cent Negro : (1966). , At the present time, ‘Baltimore ‘police officials » feel that there is less tension today than there has. been '. for the past year and- that there is no current situation that is hbikely to lead: to riots or racial violence within the next six months. They believe that the Negro leader-- ship, although at times radical, manages to control its. followers dnd that the communication between the police and this leadership is good, largely due.to the effective- ness of community relations councils set up by the Baltimore Police Department: In their assessment of.the situation, — they conclude that if violence oes occur, it will arise either from police action in heavily populated Negro districts or fron countefdenonstrators Fepresenting white-_ supremacist: hate Broups 7 On ‘teo occasions within the past year, an. individual representing the Fighting American Nationalists and one representing the Baltimore (White) Citizens Council counterdemonstrated civil rights demonstrations for integrated housing. — The National. States Rights Party, a white hate group, has been refused permission to hold rallies in the Baltimore area. A Klan group has recently . distributed racist. ‘iiterature. in a housing project in ‘Baltimore. The Leading civil rights. group on the Baltimore scene is’ CORE, which designated Baltimore its target city for 1966, Host civil rights groups active in Baltimore are national or local civil rights groups not dominated or influenced by subversive elements. Although the Civic Interest Group is a legitimate lecal group, two of its leaders have expressed a desire to organize a Baltimore chapter of Deacons for Defense and Justice, an ali-Negro organization ‘composed of armed members.
* 14-00000 Mer Reh ENE REP EIN EP ALL | Boston, Massachusetts Population 617,326 (1966); 9 per cent Negro (1966). "It is the unanimous opinion of communi ty leaders that antagonism between the races is relatively nonexistent and that racial violence in the near future is improbable, _ They indicate that efforts to improve the Negroes’ economic and social status have been largely successful; that progress — has been made in school integration; and that communication: between minority groups and the police is considered o excellent. a oo os Although no present issues appear to.be of sufficient magnitude to evoke an extreme emotional response, informed sources indicate that the possibility of a spontaneous outburst of violence inflamed by a Stokely Carmichael can never be ruled out entirely. They admit that a certain amount of tensiien is being nurtured by rest- less teen-agers and by.a few, militant adult publicity ' seekers like Reverend Virgil A. Wood, Director of the Blue Hill Christian Center and Chairman of the New England Branch of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. “Wood, lamenting the lack of a strong racial issue, is straining to find a rallying point for civil rights .. activities. . ay "One issue that carries a potential for racial difficulties in Boston is the possible election as. Mayor of Hirs. Louise Day Hicks, a school committee member, who has opposed the civil rights movement. When her candidacy for Mayor was announced, Martin Luther King remarked that “it would be very tragic for Boston if she were elected." Buffalo, New York ‘a Population 481,453 (1966); 17 per cent Negro | (1966). ; Officials of the Buffalo Police Department say there is no current issue affecting the Negro community in Buffalo leading them to believe that there will be any racial violence in that city during the coming months. Further, there is no notable hostility on the part of Negroes toward the Police Department. a G = al ‘ P22" 8 oem PPB Bee fC 2 ne eet EM EL EG kad As be
714-0000 oo . . ; oo ; : 6 e . C CALE vy TPE SS An organization known as BUILD ‘(Buila, Unity, Independence, Liberty, and Dignity) was formed in January, 1967, under contract with the Industrial Areas - Foundation . (IAF), a a community organizing agency with . headquarters in Chicago. IAF, which is headed by. . Saul Alinsky as Executive Director, has been active _. organizing the poor~-mostly Negroes--in | Chicago, Bus ffalo, and Rochester, New. York, oe . . . BUILD has publicly announced that: it. will organize the entine Negro community in Buffalo. on a "grass roots" level for the purpose of building a coalition to apply. pressure oh the existing "white power structure" of the ~ city. The*hajor issue for organizing the: community will :. be school: integration. City ‘and Federal Gavernzent officials, as , well . as. “fhenbers of the Board of Edugation, feél there are no insurmountable problems facing ‘Negroes' in Buffalo in the form of jobs, housing, and.-eddcation. Those who are able © | and willing to work are gainfully employed, most of them at existing union wages. /Housing is not a major problen, and some Negroes are finding hones in suburban. areas with~ out any sharp conflict. The problén of integrated educa tion is being met, and the Board of Education has replaced : an anti~integration member” with a menber recommended by — BUILD. , , +The Common Council of Buffalo has two Negroes on it, and the Fire Commissioner, who was appointed in 1966, is a Negro. Many Negroes have been given front office jobs in stores and public business places, and no- animosity or friction has resulted | therefrom. If racial tenSions increase this summer, ait can well be because BUILD has heated up an issue~-rightly or wrongly--in order to find a magnetic argument. BUILD's President, Reverend Frank Emmanuel, is regarded by , responsible clergy and others as not ‘only uninformed about the true conditions in Buffalo but also intellectually dishonest. It is the present intent of the responsible clergy to remain aloof from BUILD, to keep in touch with the Negro community, and to act as a counterbalance to BUILD, a fui bl a k Pr ae oe EO, be ;
74-0900 Charleston, West Virginia Population 104,976 (1966); & per cent Negro --€1966). . = . iy. Authorities are looking rather apprehensively toward the recurrence of two racial incidents of the past. year. Both of these involved attempts by demonstrators to force admittance of Negroes to privately ewned amuse- ment areas; the Rock Lake Swimming Pool in South Charleston and the Skateland Skating Rink in Charleston. On both occasions,, the demonstrators were refused entry. Negro _. demonstratars. at the pool were few,and their attempts to gain admission did not result in violence. However, 4 ~gecond demonstration at the skating rink in January, 1967, involved 60 Negroes and whites from West Virginia State College and was led by a militant white student named William Weimer, The incident, fesulted in 34 arrests for trespassing and disorderly conduct. Weimer was charged with destruction of property and assaulting a police . officer. ; a “ , 7 wv - A Human Rights Law, passed by the West Virginia State Legislature early this year, has ordered the integration by July 1, 1967, of all facilities which are’. public or deal with the public. Because of this new Lav, white and’ Negro. leaders consider that amusement areas, especially the pool and skating rink-~the latter is. scheduled to close in June, 1967~-will become targets of demonstrators. Law enforcement officers are watching these areas closely and anticipate further demonstrations on the part of Weimer and other students at the college. Even though grea leaders, both Negro and white, are attempting to solve all racini difficuities in a peaceful manner, all concede that an outbreak of racial violence in the Charleston area is a possibility in the future... . , Elizabeth, New Jersey Population 110,000 (1966); 11 per cent Negro (1966). ; a 8B =
4-90000 ‘conditions in Elizabeth are calm and there do not appear - ghould arise this summer, it will be a spontaneous and _ unorganized action brought on by some unrelated incident. | . Community Action for Economic Opportunity, states that Hartford, Connecticut - of no “seething problems!" that might erupt this year in in the area, such as murders, assaults, and thefts, which Jersey City, New Jersey racial trouble during the coming summer. The demands of EE EE EEE Ee US oe f™ According to city and police officials, racial to be any groups or individuals in that city presenting a violence-potential problem. They feel that if trouble ‘Thomas Highsmith, Executive Director of the stability in Elizabeth is due to the concern and action of civic leaders in meeting the demands of Negroes in areas of better housing, better jobs, and better law enforcement. - a? Population 168 , 000° (1967) ; 22 per cent Negro (1967). . oo oh ae yh va “Captain Benjamin. Goldstein,’ ‘Coordinator of . Human Relations for the’ Hartford Police Department, feels that racial conditions are generally good, and he knows Hartford. He says the Negro leaders in Hartford are concerned about possible trouble in the North End of Hartford, where many Negroes and Puerto Ricans reside. Captain Goldstein states there is considerable crime is committed mainly by organized groups who have no respect for authority. The memsers oy theee groups will undoubtedly cause trouble as lawbreakers, but they are mot racial demonstrators. According to Captain Goldstein, Negro leaders are doing all they can to assist the Police Department in maintaining law and order. a ‘Population 278,000 (1967); 25 per cent Negro (1967). . oo Captain Raymond V. Blasczak, of the Jersey City Police Department, says that racial conditions in Jersey City are generally good. He can foresee no real Negroes, he states, have largely been met. om OQ om Tenae
14-00000 ‘that there has been a rash of minor incidents lately, . State that improved housing conditions, better. schools, — ' and more recreational facilities and job opportunities . __ -. for Negroeg are the main objectives of civil rights ._ -. groups. operating: locally. — rs New York, New-York: (1960). ‘Bronx, and south Jamaica in Queens County. ‘affairs in the largest city,in the nation. Most of them ‘do not believe that any serious violence will break out ' ancidents of racial violence in the city during the Summer of 1966. This advance planning hes. enabled the -preventive steps before a flare-up occurs. The 1967 Monsignor Eugene Reilly, pastor of Christ the King Roman Catholic Church, knows of no specific area of racial unrest in Jersey City. He points. out, however, . indicating a restless element among the teen-age. Negroes, Captain Blasezak and Monsignor Reilly both Population 7,993,000 (1967); 14 per cent Negro | Eighty per cent of “the Negroes,,in New York City reside in four areas: .the Harlem areg, of upper Manhattan, the Bedford-Stuyvesant séction of-Brooklyn, southeast ae 2 =. The racial sitwation in New York City for the immediate future does not unduly alarm city and police _ officials, Negro leaders, and others familiar with racial this sumner, ‘Due in large measure to advance Plansing by the New York City Police Department, there were no major Police Department to anticipate trouble and to take Sumer schedule of thé Police Department calls for increased patrols at beaches, parks, and playgrounds; strategy meetings between police officials and comaunity leaders; youth projects to keep restless and idle children and youths occupied; and security precautions in areas where the spark of racial unrest may be fanned by subversives and extremists. a _— 10 ~- oy gttay ~ a4 CCVaE ery ml rea OP be
14-00000 -Lrresponsible and untrue statements made by too many so-called A leading police official does not contemplate trouble or violence this summer beyond the normal increase in disorders caused by juveniles with time on their hands during the vacation period. His principal concern is the civil rights leaders jto the mass communications media, for, he clains, these statements tend to aggravate racial tension. By the same token, he maintains, if the news media continue to publicize the dire predictions of violence of well-known public figures, violence is very likely to follow. *A police. official stationed in the heart of Harlem characterizes the racial situation there as good at the present “time, There seems to be ho unusual racial tension, acéording to this official, and contacts between the police and Harlem residents are normal. He concedes, however, that the end of the school term and the conbina- tion of idle youths and hot. weather could alter the picture. An officer of: the WAKOD says), that it is inpossible to forecast whether or not there will be violence this summer or where it will take place if there is. He notes that the situgtion has not, really changed much since the Rarlea riot of 1964, because the causes of discontent and unrest still pe rsist~-the substandg#rd living conditions in Negro communities and the lack of equal opportunities © for Negroes. Fortunately, he adds, most of the Negroes affected Dy. these adverse conditions never resort to or engage in violence, Nevertheless, there are a goodly number who wilh respond violently to some incident, particu- larly one which involves so-called "police bruiality.". Another NAACP leader does not foresee any trouble or violence during the coming months, This official empnaasizes that it is tine that all citizens, both Negro and white, come to the realization that there will be ‘constant turmoil.until the day the Negro is granted those righta and privileges that have been denied him for so many years, . . 4 According to one informed source, it is impossible to state definitely whether or not there will be racial violence in New York City, for no one knows exactly what the catalyst may be which would escalate any See a ee ~ ll ~ CONFIGEN PAL See B28 ee ut ‘Ss a FS lee! |
14-00000 given incident into violence. Numerous reasons have been given in the past to explain outbreaks of violence, this _gource points out, and the same reasons will be cited _ again when and if violence erupts. iy This source states that if he were asked to © pinpoint an area where violence might break out, he would designate the East New York section of Brookiyn, into which Negroes are moving from the Bedford-Stuyvesant -gection, These Negroes,’ he says, are encountering ani~- mosity from the longtime residents of East New York. Therefore, ,the seeds of trouble are being sown. nother informed source feels that violence potential exists in Harlem and Bedford-Stuyvesant. Recent statements, this source says, made by Regro leaders such as Martin Luther, King and Stokely Carmichael 3, have not had a calming effect on the Negro people. Rather, they have served to fédis attention on the possibility that violence is inevitable. Furthermore, ‘this source believes, the treatment accorded Adam Clayton Powell in Congress and Cassius Clay in his attempt to avoid the draft--regardiess of whether or not they deserved ite-has served to intensify Negro ‘resentment and bitterness. All these factors contribute to racial tension, according to this source, and when the ingredients of hot weather, unemployment, and restless youths are added, there is definitely an increase in the possibility of racial | violence this ‘summer, in New York City. Much Negro resentment was engendered when the House of Representatives voted, early in March, 1967, to ‘exclude Adam Clayton Powell from membership in Congress for misuse of funds and unbecoming conduct. Many Negroes in New York City and elsewhere in the country regard this punishment as unusually harsh and an expression of white racism. They charge that he was singled out for punish- ment because of his race, rather than because his behavior differed from that of other Congressmen. Moreover, in view of the softer punishment that Negroes believe will be meted out to Senator Dodd by his colleagues in the Senato, many Negrees are angered by what they feel is the application of a double standard of conduct by Congress to white and Negro members. o~ [QZ = 3 STE ER ee a“ e
14-00000 ‘incendiary effect they have on sone Susceptible segments "police brutality" ‘and “slumlord" exploitation of Negroes. _ Gray was organizer of the Harlem Region of the Conzunist Party in the late 1950's and, although no longer a Party | Kenyatta-~is the leader of a snall group of Negroes - in an effort to inflame Negroes to rise up against the “the hell with. President Johnson," said he was in favor of "burning the city down," and Rredicted the summer would be “very hot." a ver ae Be . day because ‘the so-calléd civil rights leaders who receive “most of the attention in the news’media are app the use of nonviolence, whereas Carmichael exhorts the ‘Newark, New Jersey eR Rew Jersey - into racial violence this summer." He thereby aroused BTR Le Negro subversives and extremists like Jesse Gray of the Negro population. Gray is Director of the Harlem Commu nity Council on. Housing and has been active on numerous occa~ Sions in the past 4n demonstrations, particularly against member, he is still friendly with the Party. » Charles 37X Morris--also known as Charles - called the Mau Mau, a black nationalist group. He conducts weekly street meetings outside the Hotel Theresa in Harlem _ white man. At a recent gathering of 75 people, he declared, - To one observer of the racial scene, the racial picture in the United States becomes more confusing every: lauded and . readily accepted ag leaders of the Negro people despfte their obviously divergent” philosophies, Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael are cited as classic examples: King continually reiterates his belief in integration and Negro people to resort to "black power," with its implied threat of violence and reverse racisn, oo | Population 400,000 (1967); 45 per cent Negro- (1967). — a7 . a 7 Martin Luther King included Newark among the cities he described as ‘powder kegs,“ which "could burst | the wrath of Newark Councilmen Calvin D. West and. Irvine I. Turner, both Negroes, who stated that they respected King for hig accomplishments, but added, "ie go not need prophets of doom to incite racial unrest when
14-00000 there is none. While we are not naive enough to believe racial conditions are good... They cannot foresee any Paterson New Jergey - PS (1967). Fogo '. gtates she does not believe racial tension exists to any “potential within the Negro community that can burst into the “unnecessary force used by a policeman in making an arrest that the Negro has reached his total goal of human under- standing in our city, great strides have been made and greater ones are in the offing." Newark police officials are of the opinion that problems at this time. . While admitting that conditions © in Newark are not perfect, they also assert that progress is steady and that the business community is especially helpful in hiring, training, and promoting Negroes... These officials’ reason that. many Negroes have a stake in the’. city government and the average income per head of house~ hold and per family is higher than in any other municipality on the eastern seaboard. Population 152, 000 agien) 23° per ‘cent Negro The. general racial condition. ‘in Paterson, according to Mayor Lawrence. Kraner,” ‘is considered good. However, the absence of poverty funds from the Federal Government for recreation during the summer months might, he’ feels, result in trouble during this period. “Yrs. Susan. Herzog, President of the Board of . Directors of the Paterson Task Force, an antipoverty agency, great extent at the present time but that there is a open at any moment. As an example, she points out that any of a Negro can trigger -racial violence. She also. feels that it is a mistake:on the part of the Federal Government not to supply funds for summer recreation and supervision of youth groups. Mrs. Herzog accuses the general news media and ; their handling of racial discussions by. Martin Luther King and Stokely Carmichael of creating. tension within the Negro community. oe The Very Reverend Vincent E. Puma, pastor of | Our Lady of Victories Roman Catholic Church, also feels that the Federal Government errs in holding back money for - 14 oo
14-00000 summer recreation programs, because. idle youth on street corners cause problems. Monsignor Puma advised that the churches and synagogues are attempting to relieve. the situation during the summer months by organizing a - - - recreational and teaching campaign which will be financed .. through donations. “4k ‘Philadelphia, Pennsylvania ts Population 2,042,000 (1967); 31 per cent Negro (1967). ee oy 7 _ Municipal leaders and other knowledgeable observers venerally agree that although there is less . Likelihood’*’of racial violence this year than in recent. - years, the potential for violence is ever present. - Philadelphia Police Lieutenant George Fencl, of the Civil Disobedience Unit, states ‘that racial tensions are probably lower than at any time. since the riot of: August, 1964. ° . yao fee i Po BE ‘Phillip Savagé, ‘fri-State Area Director of the NAACP, says he. has no specific information concerning ‘possible racial disturbatices this summer. He believes . Substandard housing and unemployment of unskilled workers might lead to. frustration and tension during the hot summer months and could trigger violence. He also fgels that unnecessary force by police officers in making errests— could cause violent reactions. In support of this con~ - tention, it is stated in a recently published report by - the Committee on Community Tensions of the Fellowship . Commission that mistreatment of citizens by police is more likely to set off major disturbances than any other single . factor. his report named the following areas as tension points in Philadelphia with the greatest. potential for -yacial outbreaks: (1) Kensington, (2) North Central Philadelphia, (3) Hawthorne Housing Project in South Philadelphia, (4) 36th and Filbert Streets in West Philadelphia, (5) -30th and Tasker Streets in South Philadelphia, (6) East Falis in Northwest Philadelphia, and (7) 19th and Green Streets in North Philadelphia. ~ 15 .-
74-90000 . a Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Population 604,332 (1960); Ww per. cent Negro (1969). Police and city officials describe the general racial conditions in Pittsburgh as good and. say that = | . racial issues actually have not received much: support fron the Negro community. Pittsburgh is peculiar in that it . has five widely separated Negro areas and a lack of concern . by one Negro community as to what occurs in the others. .— - When Sto8ely Carmichael spoke in Pittsburgh in March, 1967, -he commented that there were no- real racial issues. in. that. city. a . The conrensus. of city officials is that the . potential for violence in ‘Pittsburgh appears to be very. small. However, there is always the ‘poggibility | that an incident can develop into violénce, They also point out that outside racial agitators, are. not known to be working '.4m Pittsburgh and that ‘the previously . mentioned visit by Carmichael was an isolated affair. a Rochester, New York . Le rv) Population 305, 849 (1964); 11 ‘per cont Negro: » » (1964). The prevalent feeling in Rochester is. that there is a definite potential for racial violence. An informed source “can just sense something is wrong in the Negro conumunity, however, it would be impossible te. predict an exact date when a race riot might erupt." A police official says that there is no indica tion that a racial disturbance is imminent. He feels, hovever, the potential is greater than it was last year. Laplois Ashford, Executive Director of the Rochester Urban League, is presently: concerned about the tension and apprehension in the Negro and the white communities. ' Another informed source has said that the. potential for violence in Rochester is at an ali-time high. He cites the principal causes to be substandard housing and the high cost of living. = 16 =
14-00000 EEE Se ON Rd on 2. One clergyman regards the racial situation in Rochester as tense. There are, he points out, several small groups of Negro young men who are militant and restless and who want FIGHT (Freedon, Integration, God, Honor -- Today), a local militant civil rights organize~ tion, to speak out and take more positive action in L demanding an improvement in Negro conditions. According to a city official, the general apprehension about the likelihood of racial violence is based on, the following factors: (1) a prediction of _ a "long, hot summer" by the Director of FIGHT: (2) failure by local, state, and Federal agencies to improve housing, recreational facilities, and sanitation procedures in Negro areas! and (3) congregation of. Negro youths on city streets. . FIGHT, which was’ formed in. Rochester in 1965 under contract with Saul Alinsky's Industrial Areas Foundation, is presently unde whe leadership of the minister, 1. Reverend Franklin Delano,Roosevelt Florence, a Negro The* purpose of, FIGHT is to eradicate slum ghetto areas and school segregation and to provide jobs for unemployed Negroes... In September, 1966, FIGHT  . approached the largest employer in Rochester--the Eastman Kodak Company~-and demanded that company to hire and train 600 hard-core unemployed Negroes, An Assistant Vice President designated to hold talks with FIGHT Signed & document pertaining to these demands in December, 1966, but Kodak later repudiated the agreenent as unauthorized, The company explained that it could not deal on an issue with one racial group to the exclusion of any other and it would net commit itself to a specific number of persons it would employ at any Biven time. The struggle between FIGHT and Kodak continues, with the issues still unresolved. Saul Alinsky, Executive Director of IAF and the guiding force behind FIGHT, has been described by a former Vice-President of FIGHT as a master of the “game of confi~- dence with a play on words, in that he will twist every racial situation to fit his own needs and to further his image." ~ 17 - - oe eae " a SeRe dak f we et Bao
£4-90000 . creates unrest among both Negroes and whites. Through in the news media, he has inflamed the poorly educated - unorthodox ,tactics, Florence is considered a dangerous ‘plan a demonstration in Reechester-on July 24, the third — (1965). ‘underlying causes of Negro discontent which leads” to ke eH EV Cae EEG 2 rs FIGHT Director Florence has been characterized as "power hungry" and insincere. A tactic he employs frequently is to start a rumor of potential violence, which unreasonable demands and threats, which are widely publicized Negroes, and they are ready to react against any seemingly aggressive police action, Because of his insincerity and racial leader. Florence and 600 demonstrators disrupted the annual stockholders’ meeting of the Eastman Kodak Company, which was held in Flemington, New Jersey, late in April, 1967. In an effort to make Kodak accept FIGHT's demands, Florence shouted, "If Eastman Kodak wants war, it's war they'll have." He sa q he planned to meet with civil rights leaders, includihg’ Stokeky Carmichael, to anniversary of the city’ s huge riot. Washington, DBD. C. | a v Population 802,000 (1965); 63 per cent Negro The Nation's Capital has a higher percentage of Negroes than any other major city in the United States. Moreover, in 1965, Négrees in Washington public schools constituted 90 per cent of the total enrollment. Opinions as to the potential for racial disturbances in Washington, D. C., during the Surmmer of 1967, are almost as nurlerous and varied as the number of persons interviewed. Most would agree, however, that an isolated incident could develop trouble. Because the city has a huge Negro population, many of whose opinions ; do not vary significantly from those of their kinsmen in other large cities, the following comments concerning the disturbances are enumerated: «- 1S ow Bret “EOE wo aT
14-0000 1. Bitterness and resentment arong Negroes come as a result of being the oppressed underdog for too long a period. 2, Negro youngsters must be given something to do to keep them out of trouble. 3. If young Negroes can obtain employment, | they will be able to acquire dignity, buy clothing, have “fun in their spare time, and forget about riots and violence. a 4. .There are not sufficient summertime jobs” and not enough recreational facilities and programs to keep young Negroes occupied during summer vacation periods. | ~ 5. Housing is jnadequate.., During the summer  wonths, Negro families cannot, gfay in orfé-room apartments where they have been confined all winter. The construc~ tion of high-rise, expensive apartments forces Negroes inte an overcrowded environment. ~ Landlords exploit Negroes through high rent’ and jnadequate facilities. 6. Schools in Negro communities are over- crowded and inferior by comparison with those found rn white neighborhoods. 7. Negroes feel that white police officers ' treat then as ‘second-class citizens and make them the target of their racial prejudice. The use of “trigger™ words, such as "boy" and nigger," results in disrespect for and hostility toward the police. Some in the Negro ghettos look upon all policemen, white and Negro, as the enemy. Fi 8. The shift made by Martin Luther King to wholehearted support for those protesting United States participation in the war in Vietnam and his exhortation to boycott. the draft may have far-reaching effects, especially on those facing military service. ~ 19 ~ f ee TR GE oe, EF ewes A RB B88 EB kee ve dE a US Be |
14-00000 PEE Ee € he SN 8 Ee EL . 9, Adam.Clayton Powell is still regarded as - an idol and is the favorite of Negroes everywhere.  — Negroes believe that Powell's troubles with Congress -— . £§temmed from his Negro ancestry. Thus, he is supported regardless of his faults. If he is denied his seat in Congress, some form of trouble can be expected. : 10. There is a strong undercurrent of anti« Semitism developing in the Negro community, because many oo merchants and landlords in the Negro communities are = > , . Ll... Among Negroes, there is the same rift between the younger generation and the parent generation that exists among other ethnic groups. 7 12. The vast majority of the Negro population does > not feel that disturbances,“riots, and.mob action advance the cause of the Negro... par ogy 8 oe Concerning conditions peculiar to Washington, D. C., the city is largely dependent upon Congress for. funds. _In April, 1967, Walter N. Tobriner, a District of Columbia. . Commissioner, warned Congress thet disorders are likely to occur this summer unless funds for recreation prograns are approved. ~ oo, oo ":In mid-April, the Reverend H, Albion Ferrell, District Parole Board Chairman, said that much social and econtbmic help ls needed in Washington and that “swimming pools and the things swimming pools represent" will not be enough to maintain peace. On Hay 10, 1967, Vice President Hubert Humphrey announced that Washington should have LS. new swinming pools completed by mid-July. On the same day, Secretary of Labor W. Willard Wirtz announced that $5,400,000 would. be spent on a program, beginning in June, to provide jobs. or training for 4,000 Washingtonians, Sle In nid-Hay, 1967, Stokely Carmichael, who graduated from Howard University in Washington, D. C., in (1964, announced his plans to work as SNCC Field Secretary in the Nation's Capital this summer, He called for a massive “resistance movement" by young people to end the war in Vietnam.
a es oe 14-00000 CO Howard is primarily a Negro university. . On March 21, 1967, Selective Service Director Lewis B, Hershey was booed from a platform at the university by antidraft.— protesters. A series of subsequent demonstrations led to Oo the issuing of an grder on May 5, 1967, by Howard President . a - Janes MM, Nabrit plabing an administration veto over the | 7 time and place of demonstrations and banning unofficial. press conferences, The order met with immediate defiance from the Black Power Committee, which held a campus _ denonstration-and a-press conference hours after the ‘new rules were announced.” . a a a ‘One’ source states that tensions are created by the “rabbl¢-rousing" speeches by so-called Negro leaders, - _ Such as Carmichael, Harion Barry, and Julius Hobson. Barry was formerly SNCC Director in Washington, Hobson, an extremist, is. Chairman of the District of Columbia chapter > of Associated Community Teams (ACT). OR a mee This source states that” these so-called leaders frequently accuse the local police of brutality, but _ investigation usually digproves the accusation. Another source pointéd out that-Barry and Lester McKinnie, SNCC ‘Director in Washington, were attesipting to provoke a situation when they were arrested recently after walking . against a red traffic light. While real problems involving: the attitude of the police toward Negroes do exist, the source adds, Barry needs issues to keep the SNCC organization alive, The fact that Barry had to attempt to provoke an incident, this source concludes, reflects an improvement. in the police image, Police officials and others indicate that a contributing factor of racial tension in Washington is irresponsible coverage given to all racial incidents or incidents with racial overtones by local. newspapers and radio and television stations. It is said that radical and exaggerated statements are given publicity, without — any attempt to clarify or refute these grossly biased remarks. Simple and honest reporting, it is felt, would do much to lower the general tenper of the public, Similar comments are made about the national television coverage Given to antiadninistration statements by persons such “as King, Carmichael, and Cassius Clay. , 21H . a | an ay % es wt
14-00000 A member of the Citizens Advisory Council . condemns SNCC for displaying in its Washington office windows posters of a white policeman shouting "Nigger | S.0.B." and pictures of lynchings. According to this source, SNCC's exhortation to "Stop Police Brutality" is nothing short of hatred and an incitement - to riot. - he fatal shooting of 5 19-year-o14 Negro with | a lengthy arrest record by a Washington policeman on May 1, 1967, has precipitated protest on the part of sone Negroes. These Negroes threaten civil violence if the District Commissioners do not sponsor a “eitizen. investigation" of the shooting. 8 : ‘“ a L , § dy ery) ~ 22
14-00000 RACIAL VIOLENCE POTENTIAL IN THE MIDWEST Akron, ‘Ohio ; jlahsiiachatet Senthil WW . Population 300, 000 (1967); 18 per cent Negro (1967). Chief Harry Whiddon of the Akron Police Department sees the racial climate in Akron as vastly improved over last year. H¢ reports that the improved situation has resulted from Mayor John Ballard's competent handling of racial matters and the steps taken by the Police Department to promote better relations with minority groups which previously exhibited keen resentment ‘toward law enforcement officers. However, Chief Whiddon and other knowledgeable observers advise that the potential for ,racial violence in Akron is difficult to evaluate4gfor. two primary reasons: first, there is an unpredictable - element composed of Negro youths who are unorganized, undisciplined, and completely lacking in respect for lay and order; Gecond, there is the ‘possible infiuence of outsiders who want to cause disruption _f£or their own purposes. Either of these two elements can fan a spontaneous incident into a full-scale riot. : * + Benton Harbor, Michigan Benton Harbor and adjoining Benton Township have a combined population of 45,000, of which 25 per cent is . Negro. Racial conditions in the area are described by local leaders as fairly satisfactory at the present time, although there is a prevalent uneasy. feeling among both races that the peace is temporary. Civic committees, composed of both whites and Negroes, are apparently able to settle racial differences amicably. The area is said to be completely integrated, but civil rights groups claim that housing discrimination still exists. ‘ Officials of the Benton Harbor Police Department and the Benton Township Police Department and other informed ‘gources feel that future racial violence in the area is unlikely, but if it does occur it will be sparked by a spontaneous, unforeseen event and will begin among the younger ! Negroes, who are manifesting a growing belligerence. = 23 a
14-00000 ‘Chicago, Illinois | Population 3,466,000 (1988)5 20 per cent Negro (1966). | : While the potential. for racial disorder in Chicage continues to exist, it is no greater than it was in 1966 . because intensive and extensive efforts are being made to extend social justice to areas largely inhabited by minority . groups. Nevertheless, it. is recognized that a relatively ‘ainor incideht can rapidly evolve into a major disorder and that actions by certain groups or individuals can alter the racial picture significantly overnight. Unfortunately, there is a very real potential for a major disturbance within low-income , Negro ueighborhoods. Prominent among these are: ‘(1) the near west side of Chicago's Loop, (2) North Lawntiale, (3) the east and west Garfield Park communities, and ,(@4) several areas on Chicago's south side, such as Englewood, _ In. addition, there is the Puerto Rican community on’ CHicago! s. north side, where disturbances occurred in June, 1966. The major disorders in Chicago over the past . several years have generally taken place within the confines of the areas listed above. . However, the open-housing marches during the Summer of 1966 resulted in disturbances in all-white residential neighborhoods located primarily in the southwest and northwest sections of the city. , q . The impact of the presence in Chicago of Hartin Luther King and other leaders of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) was somewhat limited during the ~ early Summer of 1966, Ultimately, the Chicago Freedoz | Vovenent €CFH), dominated by the SCLC, initiated a program of open-occupancy marches inte all-white areas known for their animosity toward Negroes. The marches escalated in intensity until August, when the city obtained an injunction limiting the number of marchers, setting.the time for marches, and imposing other restrictions. Soon thereafter, a so-called "summit conference," which included Mayor Richard J. Daley, King, CFH representatives, and others, reached certain | agreenents and temporarily defused the open-housing issue. - 24 « nt Na Peg ry pa Ne a CON ar ey BEEPS YD PAL
14-00000 eid a eo a a However, these agreements were not approved in all respects by the more militant wings of the CFH and other civil rights organizations. More or less in proteazt, they organized open-housing marches into the western suburb of Cicero in September. These marches resulted in isolated © incidents of violence, necessitated the calling out of the Illinois National Guard to preserve order, and served to aggravate the prevalent anti-Negro antagonism for which 7 Cicero is well known. & > Yithin the past several months, charges” have been leveled by segments of the local civil rights movement, primarily the CFM, that city agencies party to the August, 1966, agreements were not honoring their obligations. These charges led to a flurry of publicity on comments by - King and Reverend Andrew Young, SCLC Executive Director, that it may be necessary to renew marches and denonstrations which would make the 1966 marched, “pale by: comparison."* In early April, 1967, Hayor ‘Daley & ated that the violators of the August, 1966, injunction: ‘Would be arreated and law and order would prevail. Additionally, ‘Cook.County Sheriff — Jorzepk Woods stated that violence would not be tolerated in suburban Cook County this-summer. Thus, the original charges had the net effect of hardering attitudes and causing a loss of communication between civil rights advocates and local governmént. A growing problem is the activity of mplack power" advocates, who inflame emotions; inflate minor incidents, — such ag police matters, out of perspective; and atterpt to degtroy confidence in law enforcement agencies. z Certain organizations present a similar problem even though the vast wajority of Chicago's Negro citizens have turned their backs 6n such groups. Among these groups are the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Deacons for Defense and Justice (DDJ), and Associated Community Teams (ACT). The DDJ, with an estimated membership of seven, advocates arms for the defense of Negroes, ACT and SUCC are militant civil rights groups. Chicago meabers of ACT associate with a "black power" group. ~ 25 - Sead ET Cesne were FS - © = os ona ne SO Si See pao aaa . : i |
14-00000 An individual worthy of mention is nationally known entertainer Dick Gregory, who ran for mayor of Chicago .ags an independent write-in candidate in Harch, 1967. He hag led numerous civil rights demonstrations in Chicago and elsewhere and has been arrested in connection with this activity for disorderly conduct, resisting arrest, and the like, Gregory is considered a "maverick" who does not lend _ exclusive support to any civil rights group and participates - dm activities which appeal to him personally. _Althotigh a large number of Negro families have found homes in previously all-white communities without: incident, the possibility of violence resulting from future move-ins canyot be ignored. In the white communities, there are counterparts of the Negro nationalist groups.. Prominent among these minority exclusion’groups is Operation Crescent (OC). It is reportedly a combination of some"19 organizations in white neighborhoods, The OC, which id opposed to open housing. and forced integration, such.as in-the public schools, has gaid that it will sponsor counterdemonstrations against civil wights marcheg in white neighborhoods. Primarily, OC represents — neighborhoods forming a 'erescent running from Chicago's southwest side, through near-west suburbs, to Chicago's northwest side. ° At the present time, there aré no specific situa- tions in Chicago which contain the immediate potential for an outbreax Jf racial violence. It is realized, however, that disturbances or violence can occur at any tine, The Low— income, high-population-density, slum areas of. Chicago's south and west sides must be considered tense and volatile, Residents of these neighborhoods, with particular emphasis on Lawndale and Garfield Park, feel that there has been no improvement in city services and facilities since last Summer. In many instances, the police are regarded as the _@nemy in these neighborhoods, Inhabitants of these areas are also convinced that local merchants, particularly white merchants, charge prices that are higher than those in white neighborhoods, The Negro community feels that violence and. disturbances will occur again, particularly in the Lawndale area, and the only question in the minds of most residents of these areas is what type of incident will set them off. = 26 =
14-00000 ‘disturhance resulted in the arrest of some 40 psrsons,. @lsost a cerfainty. Pa Cincinnati, Ohio Cicero-Berwyn, Illinois The adjacent communities of Cicero and Berwyn have a combined all-white population of 128,000. Part of Cicero borders directly on Chicago's west side Negro slum areas, and this boundary has long represented an invisible line, beyond which Chicago's slum areas have never extended. Superintendent of Police Joseph Barloga of Cicero . feels that the Cicero-Berwyn area is of particular concern because ofthe publicly acknowledged anti-Negro sentinent prevalent in these all-white communities, the past exclusion of Negroes, and the disturbance which took place in September, 1966, on the occasion of an open-housing march by Negro civil rights: militants from Chicago into the area. This Anti-Negro sentiment has heen compounded by the formation of so-called property owners! groups, the majority of which are strongly opposed to open housing. In Superintendent Barloga's opinion, if there isa Negro move-in or a civil rights march into Cicero during the Summer of 1967--as has been threatened by Martin Luther King--violence will be ard = Population 500,329 (1966); 24 per cent Negro (1968). Public and police officials and informed observers report that, im general, racial conditions are good in Cincinnati. Chief of Police Jacob Schott says that because the Negro community is widely dispersed and the City Council provides ‘a forum for leaders of protest groups to set forth their views, there is less possibility of violence in Cincinnati than in other large cities. In addition, a Police-Comzunity Relations Bureau has recently been formed by the Police Department to expand the activities of district-level committees whose function is to promote greater harmony between the police and the Negro community. These officials say that the potential for racial violence is present if someone triggers it or if an outsider such as Stokely Carmichael is able to precipitate a disturbance, Public Safety Director Henry Sandman notes a possible tension point could be the rising rate of unemployment among Negro teen-agers and young adults, especially in connection with the discriminatory hiring policies of the building trade unions. ~ a7 CONFIQENTIA ‘ i men eehahi |asciblct iaad ee
14-00000 _4ndicate that there is no reason to expect full-scale _--pioting in Cleveland this summer such as occurred in the Hough area-in July, 1966, All expect sporadic incidents to. -€ire bombing, and vanddlism practiced by teen-age Negro | by the Municipal Comaunity Relations Board, articles in the — . Gn the streets of the Negro, ghetto. . vicinity of the Jomo "Freédom" Kenyatta (JFK) House, privately ' operated community centér which was a hangout for teen-age month, a rowdy group of Negro teen-agers threw rocks and Cleveland, Ohio 7 Population 810,858 (1965); 33 per cent Negro (1965). - Local police officials, responsible civil rights representatives, civic leaders, and knowledgeable observers take place throughout the East Side, such as rock throwing, hoodlums and restless, jobless youth. 7 Sergeant John J. Ungvary, Coordinator of Racial Matters for the Cleveland Police Department, believes the racial climate has improved recently as a. result of efforts. local Negro newspaper, and actions of aroused responsible citizens against the hoodluns who ‘have, been creating terror In June, 1966, several disturbances occurred in the hoodlums and black nationalists from the time it opened in ‘1964, Negro youths threw rocks at cars and. store windows, tossed fire bombs, and destroyed one supermarket by. fire. Thereafter, the Police Department, which considered this center the Numker One potential trouble spot for organized wacial violence, closed the JFK Horse for sanitation reasons. and building-code violations. -oe / There have been no major disturbances in Cleveland gince the widespread rioting of July 18-21, 1966, which resulted in four deaths, $500,000 damage, and 252 arrests. “However, incidents have occurred, such as one in April, 1967, when six Hegro youths purned down a school in the heart of the Negro community, causing damage of $250,000. Later that bottles at automobiles and store windows and looted business establishments. - ~ 28 =
In the Spring of 1967, Fred A. Evans, a Negro, who likes to be called "Ahmen" and is a self-claimed astrology expert, predicted that May 9, 1967, would. signal the outbreak of hostilities between the United States and Red China and would be the beginning of a general uprising | by Negroes everywhere. Actually, "Ahmen" is the leader of  & gmall group--about 100--of black nationalist extremists . known as the United. Black Brotherhood (UBB), which is the ' guccessor to the JFK House. According to police, mogt members of the USB do not have any real understanding of the black nationalist philosophy and are primarily a group. of lawless youths who are now using the black nationalist slogans as a’cloak for their criminal conduct. Early in May, 1967, CORE announced that it had ‘picked Cleveland as a "target city" for "an extensive program for the Negro community." A week later, Hartin Luther King announced that the city had been selected for organized civil! fights | action this summer. He said his Southern Chrigtian Leadership Conference would start a program in June similar to programs begun ~ in Chicago, Louisville, and Grenada, Hississippi. King termed Clevéland a "teening cauldron of hostility. " Dayton, Ohio ig » Population 270,000 (1967); 22 per cent Negro (1967). . Officials ‘of local civil rights groups and the Dayton Police Department agree that racial conditions in that city appear to be very good. . According to Mrs. HUilley 0. .Williamson, Secretary of the Dayton chapter of the NAACP, racial antagonism which could result in violence does not exist. Clair W. Martd, Acting Chief of Police in Dayton, admits that a spontaneous eruption could occur over a relatively minor incident, but to his knowledge organized violence is not in the offing. Detroit, Michigan Population 1,640,000 (1966); 35 per cent Negro (1965). i o ZS =m py a. eo err nos é ey BER ESET ARS AG ot Ro BS Se EDO A DA
14-00000 '. districts. Informed sources have given a favorable general - picture of the overall racial situation in Detroit. Serious collaborative efforts by dedicated leaders of both races appear to have produced comparatively successful results, - with great strides being made to establish a peaceful “equilibrium between the white and Negro people. “Highly placed law enforcement officials indicate ~ that they know of no existing situations that might trigger racial violence. They very. cautiously added that the same | gituation existed last ‘year and yet riots did occur. All concede that. if. these riots preak out again this year, they will undoubtedly repeat the pattern of 1966; that is, they will emanate, from exclusively Negro districts. which have high concentrations of loitering teen-agers, violent crime, and . all-rovnad lawlessness. a Officials agree that, they do not feel violence will occur, but if it does, it, gill probably. stem from some minor incident like the issuan é’of:a traffic citation or — sone equally minor chargé involving residents of the Negro 7 1. - Responsible Negro citizens who have firsthand _ynowledge of conditions in these districts believe that racial violence will occur this summer in these areas. They base - their judgment on the rather large concentration of Nation cf Yslam members, whose pro-Negro and antivhite propaganda — -incites Negro youths to crime and violence; on the ideas of | “bhiack power" implanted by the visits of Stokely Carmichacl to the. Detroit area during the past year; and. by vthe- general conditions in these Negro districts described as harboring smoldering hostility which lends itself to sudden racial incidents, particularly during the hot, summer months. Fast St. Louis, Y1llinois Population 85,000 (1967); 55 per cent Negro (1967). - ~Police officials, local civic’ leaders, and representa— tives of civil rights organizations indicate that the prospects for racial peace in East St. Louis during .the summer months appear to be very good and, barring some unforeseen. incident, no racial violence ig expected. It is generally believed _- 30 -
74-90000 . that the greatest potential for racial violence would come . £rom minor flare-ups on construction jobs caused by the . difficulties encountered by Negroes im attempting to join - labor unions. - _ a oo oe ; According \to Billy Jones, attorney for the local | chapter of the NAACP, the only person who might try to foxent a disturbance is Homer Randolph, Chairman of the Kast St. Louis _ ' branch of CORE, and he has no genuine issue for which to fight. a “ John KM. Kirkpatrick, leader of the East St, Louis Human -Relationg Commission, ‘stated that probably. the most opportune time for violence there had passed; that was, when Stokely Carmichael: spoke at a local all-Negro high school in April, — 1967, and enlied for the exercise of “black power." Theo . ‘audience did not indicate any tendency. to follow his advice. -Plint, Michigan . | Tf Population 200,000 (2967); 4.22 per cent Negro (1967). | It is the opinion of responsible civic. leaders | that Flint, whose Mayor ig a. Negro, has little racial 7 tension that«cannot be,séttled through established channels -of comaunication. The-city has avhigh employment rate and. is considered to be fully integrated, with the possikie — exception of a few elenentary schools in predominantly: white areas. A Coumunity Relations Bureau, established by the Flint Police Department and composed of responsible Negro and white leaders representing civic, law enforcement, Negro, and church groups, meets monthly wad irons cut problems of concern to the community. Although it appears to be the consensus that racial -tersion is minimal, there are some who view the situation in a different light. ‘A national NAACP leader recently gpoke in Flint and described the city as a "Fim Crow town;' contending that housing and the educational system remain segregated. The President of the Flint NAACP, Edgar Holt, ig considered extremely militant, has participated in- picketing demonstrations, and ig presently considering economic » boycotts to enforce open~housing legislation. : ae ~ 31 -
14-00000 (1967). Chief of Police Gerald Lyons describes tyo situations which could activate a definite violence potential: forcible arrests in a predominantly Negro area and a prolonged strike at the General Motors plant with resultant unemployment. an tho. ‘ Gary, Indiana Population 182,500 (1960); 55 per cent Negro De Lacto segregated housing is currently the most volatile and the most potentially dangerous and explosive issue in Gary. Negro leaders predict that if events take their naturdl course, the entire city will eventually become 'g@ Negro ghetto surrounded by a white wall.of suburbia. The . Omnibus Civil Rights Bill and the Open Occupancy Ordinance were passed in 1965, and Mayor’ A, Martin Katz created the Gary Human Relations Commission %o enfgrce open occupancy. However, an injunction has delayed..the enforcement of open '@ccupancy and has caused’ ‘fesentment: among Negroes, who now threaten to take direct. actions embers of an wktremely militant youth group called Students for a Democratic Society have injected themselves into slum clearance by forming an organization known as the Freedom Union for Slum Eradication (FUSE). FUSE, a direct action group, has been criticized by some Negro leaders for Playing on the emotions of the Negro people by raising unfounded and reckless. charges against community. poverty. and slum-clearance programs. A number of FUSE representatives are said to be arrogant and hostile toward authority of an kind a : , Police and other city officials and civil rights leaders have expressed grave concern over the violence potential of Negro gangs--some of whose members are in their 20's--because of their possession of weapons and fire bombs. These gangs are reportedly bragging about future Plans for violence. Overall membership is estimated at 600. Combined, these gangs represent sections of the entire midtown Negro community. om 32 w~
14-00000  g There is also some speculation that segregationists may precipitate unrest as # result of the order for full school integration in the fall of this yoar. Dallas, Texas Population 679,684 (1960); 19 per cent Negro (986), An official of the Department of Housing and Urban Development sees no. prospect of racial violence in the Dallas area, although Richard Dockery, Southwestern Regional Director of the NAACP, feels the possibility for violence does exist. He says that if violence occurs, it will probably be the result of some unpredictable, incident, > Clarence Laws, former Southwestern Regional Director of the NAACP, claims that there is. an atmosphere of unrest in - the Negro tommunity in Dallas because of unemployment and underemployment of qualified Negroes. . Danger of a racial-violence eruption over school integration seems to be less @aproblem than in the past, Dr, Emaett J. Conrad, in-a Dallas, School Board run-off election held on Hay 1, 1967, was the first Negro ever to be elected to the Board. This wes considered to be a victory for the "Goals For Dallas" program, which included many recommendations for better education. ue ¥ . Fort Lauderdale, Florida ; . - ‘Population 125,000 (1967); 20 per cent Negro (1967). by "Hilton J. Kelly, Managing Editor of the "Fort Laucerdale News," states that general racial conditions in the Fort Lauderdale area have been good during the past year. Captain Floyd Hall, of the Fort Lauderdale Police Department, and other responsible observers in the city do not anticipate an outbreak of violence, in the city in the near future. Each believes, however, that the northwest section of Fort Lauderdaie, & Slum area, is a potential source of Negro unrest because of ‘poor housing and poor living conditions in.general. — Houston, Texas . Population 1,187,000 (1987); 23 per cent Negro (1960). Prior to May 16, 1967, informed Sources had reported that there had been no incidents of racial viclence in the recent past in Houston and that no such trouble was anticipated * . ee POMS E Ld et Pe o wef, EMT e fe SEAPYE A!
74-90000 g This protest activity was sponsored by the student Tai dization Comms yoo and the Spring MobiLization. Committee to End the War in yietname- Among the partici~ pants jn the activities of these committees are members o~-RS =. “Trots yite socialist Yorkers party (swP); and t socialist Alliance (Y¥SA) » the sup's ¥ uth and training section. en ' AD example or Evo wil demonstTat the involve~ ment of the ‘CPUSA in this "Vietnas Week." Initial plans for this activity were made py the Spring Mobilization ~ Committee at ve conference hel in Cleveland jn late _ | November » 1966. The on eea was representee at this conferenc® by Arnold Tonnson, Chairman of its Nationa’ ames West & d ‘s De t this times Johnson was stating tb the CPUSA gnould t yyto et mil1lic eople to demonstrate a ‘o”" time against. unite States _nvolvene jn Vietnam. key figure 12 plans or ayietnan | x" made by Student Mobi lizer™ oe Committee a conf vences held an Chi o in e ers 1966, was CPUSA National Committee member Bettine aptheker » whe is & student at the university of california at perkeleye qhe activities in one CPUSA qistrict, selected at random, show. the extent of communist ;nvoivement 1 C. n- 1 March, members of the Michi gan pi.strict were told that they must concentrate On jaborings people, Neer comaunities » and nationalities groups to organize Prope to: participate in the April 15 demonstration in New York City- The - Nichi gan pistrict Committee appointed a four-man committee 3n mid-March to nandle arrangements for the mobilization n New york city. activities 3 connection ith the mobilization were described as the most ymportant of all ‘endeavors by members of the Machigan District participants in the parade jn New york city on April 15 jncluded Gus Hall and at- Least 200 CPUSA — members « over one halt of. the total SWP member shiP in the United States 4250 marched in the parade ‘others. . participatine in the parade and rally in New york city were several members of the: DCA, PLP, and Y5SAc —