The Colorado statesman., 1917-02-10
AFRO-AMER|CAN CU[L|NCS

In New York, as here in Chicago,
and nearly everywhere else, the poor
er and weaker part of the Negro pop
ulation Is forced to live in the most in
sanitary tenements and in districts or
on streets to whose cleanliness, health
fulness and moral conditions both
property owners and the city admins
tration are most Indifferent and care
less. 1t is these neglected and self
neglected districts, in most of which
criminals Of both races mingle, and
disorderly resorts patronized by each
are not only permitted to exist, but
are forced upon the people, that be-
come the harboring places and the
very breeding spots of vice and crime
These conditions thus dangerously
tolerated threaten to become more
menacing with the sudden and increas-
ing influx of southern Negroes into
Chicago. They will include smaller
element of the worse with much larg-
er element of the better people of their
race. But the pity and the peril will
be that both are likely to be crowded
together in the already overcrowded
and neglected "black belt" of the South
side and its offshoot on the West side.
The police and the health department
should not be left alone, either to pre-
pare for or deal with this impending
situation. At their best they cannot
be expected to do either. Personal in
terest, private initiative, voluntary
agencies and cooperative effort must be
relied upon to grapple with this prob
In o1xr ac layalpnS
For this graphing the Daily News
has led the way by the timely facts,
figures, descriptions and suggestions of
Junius B. Wood in his recently pub
lished helpful series of articles on the
Negro population of Chicago. Their
reprint in pamphlet form will greatly
aid the effort to promote the under
standing and improvement of the con-
ditions of Negro life and labor in Chi
cago. Fortunately this effort is to be
made by the agency best qualified to
undertake the task. 1t is the Nation
al League on Urban Conditions Among
Negroes. This league consists of able
representatives of both races, who have
organized to secure the cooperation of
all agencies to promote the improve
tect their women and children, to fit
their workers for efficient work, to
train and enlist Negro social workers
for boys and girls clubs neighborhood
centers, probation work, playground di-
rection and for the prevention and re-
lief of dependency, to investigate con-
ditions of city life as basis for prac-
tical work to improve the urban condi-
tions of Negro populations.
This national league is now moving
to form such a local branch in Chicago
as has been successfully established in
New York, Detroit, Pittsburgh, Mem
phis, indianapolis, Cincinnati and else
where. Among those Chicago citizens
who have responded to the call of L.
Arnold Hill, national organizer of the
league, are Judge Julian w. Mack, DR..
George G.. Hall, Miss S. p. Breckin-
ridge. Judge Edward o. Brown, Mrs.
Jesse johnson, Horace ]. Bridges, Mrs.
Joanna Snowden Porter and A. l..
Jackson, together with Jane Addams
and DR.. C. e. Bentley, national direc-
tors. This local league hopes to ally
400 Negro organiZations-relig
social, philanthropic, industrial, recre-
atiye and educational-in cooperative
efforts for their own race. 1t expects
to investigate conditions of employ
ment, housing, delinquency recreation,
education and public administration as
they affect the Negro population.
The league deserves far more atten-
ton and support from the public-spir-