The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1941-12-06
A NON-PARTISAN
NEWSPAPER
| The Labor And Political Front
BY Attorney Alfred Casey
Associate Editor

ed condition which is establ,h..
by this Chicago uniyersiry snrs' sa
Twenty-Five years ago there ~.
prophets who said that tho ~.
problem would be solved bv r,s a
amalmation. To-day Negro elemsn,.
are bringing about dimunltion !,
this practice.
WHEN l listened To the essay =,
I" the white boy, prizewinnirs
Thanksgiving essay. i brouah, -
mind the wide contrast in tho -
cial heritage OF the Negro child :,
described by Richard Wright Thu
average white boy SAID Il have
good home: | have inlellieen, n,,-
ents who love me Well have pleu.
ty OF good food at all times hsr.
good and understanding teachers.
| have host Of good friends. Fysrv
night | so TO bed, n say thank Won
God, for these things
Richard Wright after describiny
the flight OF the Negroe. from
starvation and defeat on the co,,on
plantation in the south to the NJ
city OF the north. Describes the new
evil that grects hun in he crowd.
ed cities and in his crowded living
quarters. The kiiehcnette in the
crowded quarters is the new evil
The kitchcnettc, With us filth and
foul air. with its one toilet for thirty
or more persons. kills our black
babies SO fast thai In many cities
twice as many Of them die as white
babies. The kitcncnelc scatleu
death so widely among US tina, our
death rate exceeds our birth rate
and II J. were mol tor the trains
and autos bringing u daily into the
city from the plantations. We black
folks who dwell IN northern cities
would die out entirely over he
course Of few years The Kitchen
cite with its crowded rooms and
incessant bcdlam provides an en-.
ticing place for crime, 81 All sorts
crimes against women and children
or any stranger Who may happen
into the dark hallway The kiteh-
enette blghts the personalities Of
our growing childrenn di,orsanHes
them. blinds them To nope creates
problems whose effects Can DO
traced in the characters ol rs child
victims for years afterwards. The
kitchenctte jams oliN farm girls,
while still in their tecnsQnio rooms
with men who are restless and
stimulated by the noise and lights
OF the city. and moro u our girls
have bastard babies. ihan any Other
section OF the city. Tn kiichenetie
fills our black hoy- win longing
and restlessness. urgwe them 10
run off from home o JOIN With 9TH
or restless black boss IN gangs,
that brutal form Of city courage
In another place RI nard Nrisnl
goes on: we watch strange MOODS
hll our children. and our hearts
swell with pain. Tho streets, WIN
their noise and flarine lights. mo
taverns. the aniomoh'les ana mo
pool rooms claim them aud voice
OF ours can call them back lhey
spend their nights away iIom
home: they forget cur ways OF NE,
our language. our Gou Iaer SWIM
speech and impatient eyes make Us
feel weak and foolish We CANNOT
keep them in school more man
one million OF our black boys anu
girls OF high school axe are mol u
school. We fall upon our knees anu
pray for them, but IN vain inc .iV
has beaten us. eyaded Us put laeN
with young bodies filled with warm
blood. feel bitter and trusifa'eu :,
the sight Of the alluring hopes anu
prizes denied them. i Is MOI '"ep
eagerness to fight that makes "
afraid. but that they so 20 u,eA
on the city pavemcnis faster llea
even disease and starvation can 'ah'
them. AS the courts and the IVY.
CUES become crowded win our '0s'
children. the hearts pf the cry o'-
ficials grow cold toward us v oa'
Jobs begin to fail In another neP''s,
sion, our lives and me li'ss =.
our children grow so ffignllui ,"s,
even some of our educated p'ass
leaders are afraid TO make An rs..
10 the nation how we exist Ivy,
become ashamed OF us ana zen 70
hide our wounds. -,
A great writer. a really 80
Negro writer. a great America. America.
writer has arrived 70 ieii ,ns ~.
condition OF the Negro ana ~ ~
near future shall attempt % =.
scribe the work Of those N VS..
leaders in Detroit who. nso
espoused principles and rillele, 0' !,
ed upon the Negroes s'tusA"
depicted by this great wrl'ei ~
What a study in contrasts = y.
description OF the social n n,.ssrS
Of the Negro child by hl.ns, ,.
Wright and that Of The a.e' ~,
home OF the American Wni'e W.
as told In that Thanksgivlns s,r~
when we read Of these crime We or IN
nv Negro youth as still goes ss,. Z"
New York city today MN" ~.
wr,vbt.s non nicture Of Negro y.
gives You the story neh'"'