The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1940-01-13
HOUSING CONFERENCE

An imposing assembly OF race leaders anu du'iioi
tiles on housing gathered to discuss the Negro
plight in Detroit last week under the leadership Oh
Senator Diggs. Local, state and Federal govern
ments were well represented. Seeking course OF
action by which the housing conditions which throttle
us might be rectifed, every effort was made to draw
from the various speakers suggestions and possible
approaches which, when pursued might bring forth
some results.
1t became evident that the question of housing
Negroes is and will increasingly become major
national issue The conference bore out, more than
ANYTHING else the sheer magnitude of the problem
which faces u.s. The situation in Detroit is funda-
mentally no different from most large urban centers
in America. Banking houses and realty boards all
over America have literally conspired against the
Negro and created black ghettoes from which there
is no escape, and scarcely any improvements within
them Just as in the years of slavery we today live
in communities which might easily be compared to
slave quarters In our tight little Negro DISTRICTS
we are bound with many restrictions as can pos
siby be placed against us. Our only expansion comes
from occupying homes and districts that whites, for
one reason or another, have abandoned.
We were told that even the Federal government
will not attempt to change the status quo, The Fed
eral government is willing to help but its financial
aid works within, not beyond the restrictions that
already chafe U.S. AS long the status quo is recog
nized the Federal help must of necessity be limited
and unsatisfactory. In short may eventually have
bigger and better ghettoes but right to be free
to buy and live where we please is not recognized
This right is not recognized by private capitalists
nor is itrrecognized by the Federal government
This is disheartenng picture. 1t is an affront
to democracy 1t is damnable insult to twelve mil
lion Negroes and disgrace to all America We have
heard and read much of social justice in the last few
years We have heard the often repeated line that
"the time has come when social changes necessary
if we are to preserve democracy" Yet all of these
new concepts and all of this new liberalism
ishes as if by magic when the American Negro stands
up America wishes to change everything else ex-
cept the status of the Negro Why should the Federal
government be party to the perpetuation of hous-
ing restrictions? Will Federal aid really help if
at the same time perpetuates policy which has
brought on the conditions of which we complain?
Indeed, the magnitude and scope of the housing
problem easily transcends the mere matter of hous-
ing and becomes, usual a problem of race rela-
tions We are told that white people do not like to
live near Negroes and that one fact makes all the
difference. This whm of the white masses crcum-
scribes our life and brings about conditions that
threaten our existence. This whim registers in the
banks Wall Street and Washington. It is idle in the
face of these burning realities to speak of preserving
our democracy. We cannot preserve what we do not
have, We haveea tyranny imposed by the majority
and this tyranny is lessened, we approach
democracy
Thus Housing becomes like Unemployment and
our other problems, mostly matter of racial preju=
dice or race relations.