The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1936-08-29
THE CIVIC RIGHTS COMMITTEE SPEAKS

The Detroit Civic Rights Committee, of which S. F.
Grgsby is chairman, is waging militant crusade, in an
effort to the appointment of Negroes in the local
Fire Department
The effort to place members of the in the Fire
Department originated number of years ago, under the
leadership of Attorney Robert Willis James F. Harvey,
James Trayor Dr. James Ames, and others, but thus far
the efforts have been in vain.
The Civil Service Commission under various mayors,
has rejected all Negro applicants who sought to take the
examination for positions fremen the reflections being
the ground of alleged physical unfness, smoke
for discrimination.
In recent years, the Detroit Civic Rights Committee
has taken up the task of seeking to break down the bars
which hitherto kept Negroes of the Detroit Fire
Department. In 1888, Chairman S. F. Grigsby issued
pamphlet in which he compiled table showing how Ne
groes employed in municipal departments here and
he pointed the economic injustice in regard to the
limited employment Negroes in city departments which
are supported by public funds
The Committee made study of other cities and dis
covered that New York. Charleston Nashville, Durham,
City, Washington, D. Co. Indianapolis, st. Louis,
Los Angeles Chicago, Columbus, Ohio Philadelphia,
Pittsburgh Buffalo, Louisville Memphis and several other
cities, all employ Negroes in their fire departments
In April 1885, the Detroit Civic Rights Committee,
published bulletin containing facts concerning fire de-
partments in other cities July, 1885, thous
and copies open letter the Detroit Common Coun
Gil and general public sent out by the Committee,
pointing out the employment conditions among Negroes
in Detroit and how members of the barred from
the local Fire Department
The C m t t held a conference with the
Mayor August 49, 1885 to protest against the manner
which departmental heads had been permitted to dis
crimnate against Negroes which time the Mayor was
10 have ed be
ployed in the Fire Department
In April of this year, the Civic Rights Committee
sent kilograms to eighteen prominent local coored minis
ters which were delivered and read during the Sunday
morning service The kilograms gave the requirements
which applicants must meet, to be eligible for employ
ment in the Fire Department and to take the Civil Ser
vice examination for employment firemen. The min
ters asked to members of their congregations
20 make application to take the examinations in response
to which three hundred Negroes applied April and
z to take the examinations.
Of these applicants about sixty passed the physical
examination. On May g the written tests given
and to the following colored applicants have been
fngerprinted and officially notified of their rating from
the examination and their number the eligible list
follows: John W. Burton Robert Riwmer, Marcena W.
Taylor Richard Carter, Clinton M. Griffin, Randall Hail.
William Hague, James Kind, Franklin Lett Lloyd Mas
on, Fred Thompson, and John Martin
To-day the Detroit Civic Rights Committee is asking
the coored citizens of the community support this
ton
''Will you support the Detroit Civic Rights Commit
tee morally and financially in efforts to carry
our educational program and to prosecute case before
the bar public opinion, to economic justice
for the Negro?"
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