The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-01-17
The Labor And Political Front
By Attorney Alfred Casey
Associate Editor

classes. That Is Why Fred Buffers
statements II "A direct challenge 10
the group 10 whom he spoke.
Now TO apply this statement to
another conclusion Of those articles
OF the necessity OF cooperation OF
the Negro to improve the social
heritage Of Negro children in the
itricts where our masses live. we
ha, said in these districts. There
are children OF working parents
without discipline, roaming The
streets all day long there are chill
dren whose parents are separated,
where the mother burdened with
care Of making living. gives no
time To the children. There are
children whose parents are dead.
whose guardians are not equal IN
interest and ability To the JOB OF
rearing children: there are parents
OF large families and small families.
who quarrel all the time making
the home a moral hazard for the
children: there are children OF
parents crammcd full OF supersti-
ton and ignorance who perpetu-
ate evil traditions in the lives OF
their children: there are children
OF good parents who do all they can
To buck a hostile environment and
rear their children TO be useful and
fine citizens able to stand upon
their own feet But the preponder-
ant majority OF these children be-
cone environmenlal victims OF
child delinquoncies. crime. siaena-
ton. defeats and Illustrations that
shatter their lives
Let's quote Richard Wright
again: ave watch strange mods
iiil our children. and our hearts
swell With pain. he streets with
their noise and ilaring lights, the
ta,erns, The automobiles and the
pool rooms claim them aud no voice
can call them hack. They spend
their nights away from home; they
forget our ways oi lie. our langu.
age and our Iod. Their swift
speech and impatient eyes make u
feel weak aud foolish. We cannot
Keep them Ia school: more than
one million oi our black bo,s and
girls Of high >chool age are moi In
school. We iall upon our knees and
pray Tor them. hut In vain. The
city has beaien ": hut they with
their young bodies Tiled with warm
blood. feel bitter aud frustrated nj
the sight oi The hopes and prizes
denied them. II i not their eager.
ness 10 tight that makes ~ afraid
hut that they 90 io their death on
the cit! pa,emenfS faster than even
disease and starvation can take
them. ~ the courts and the NOR.
que become crow died with our LOST
children. the hearts OF the city oi.
Meals grow cold 10 W.. A. our
jobs begin 10 iall In another depres.
Sion our lives and the lives Of our
children grow ~ frightinI that e,.
en- our educated black leaders are
AFRAID 10 make known our condition
10 the nation. They become asham.
ed Of ~ and tell us 10 20 hide our
wounds"
what a great writer What a
challenging picture OF the Negro
youth Now. ask you. has the cul.
ture OF The Negro shown capacity
TO cope with this situation in De
troit? Have our leader. shown any
interest in evolving a constructive
program by the cooperative effort
to meet this situation affecting the
Negro masses? This Is the most
important front before The Negro
Today. because the fght for snryiy-
al VIII be decided on this front vet
there Is no organized enort ON The
part OF the Negro 20 lit the blight
OF this condition from the masses
The social heritage O fth, Negro
children IN these conpested die.
iricis must be improved. only co.
Operative leaders make contribu-
lion to this condition. The lob can
only be met by cooperation. There
Is not enough money to pay work
ers to do tho job for the Negro.
Cooperation can implement the
boys aud girls club Idea in c,ery
district where Negro masses live In
ihese districts. Have we the states.
mnnship. the Christian love. tbe
ability to cooperate In relieving thIs
condition! The culture OF The Ne.
gro is challenged and was chal.
hnged that night nj the yWCA
"hen Mr.. Butzel said 10 the three
hundred Negro members OF onr
erci social and educated class that
ihe culture of the Negro was M,
high enough for him 10 live In a
Guy Ike Detroit "