The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-10-24


door into the narrow passage and
lowered himself down the shallow
wooden steps into the hallway. He
went to the first floor and stood
at the window through which he
had first climbed. He had to find an
empty apartment in SOME building
where he could get warm. he felt
that II he did not get warm soon
he would simply lie down and close
his eyes. Then he had an idea: he
wondered why he had not thought
OF II before. He struck match and
lit the newspaper: as II blazed he
held one hand over II awhile. and
then the other. The heat came to
his skin from afar off When the
paper had burned so close that he
could no longer hold IT.. he dropped
il TO the floor and stamped it out
with his shoes. At least he could
feel his hands now. at least they
ached and let him know that they
were his.
He climbed through the window
and walked TO the street. turned
northward joining the people pass
ing, No one recognized him. He
looked for a building with a For
Rent" sign. He walked two blocks
and saw none He knew that empty
flats were scarce in the Black Belt:
whenever his mother wanted TO
move she had TO put in requests
long months in advance. He re-
membered that his mother had once
made him tramp the streets for
two whole months looking for a
place to live. The rental agencies
had told him that there were not
enough houses for Negroes 10 live
in, that the city was condemning
houses in which Negroes lived as
being TOO old and too dangerous Tor
habtation. And he remembered the
TIM when The police had come and
driven him and his mother and his
brother and sister out OF a flat IN
a building which had collapsed
two DAYS after they had moved.
And he had heard it said that black
people. even though they could not
get good jobs, paid twice as mucn
rent as whites for the SAME KIND
Of flats He walked five more blocks
and saw no For Rent" sign. Cod
damn, Would he freeze trying 10
hnd a place in which 10 get warm !
How easy II would be for him 10
hide II he had the whole city IN
which 10 move about They keep
us bottled up here like wlld an
finals. he thought He knew tnat
HACK people could not 90 outside
the plack Belt to rent a flat they
had 10 live on their side Of the
zine " No white real estate man
would rent flat TO a black man
other than in tho sections where u
had been decided that black people
might live.
His fists c,enched. What was the
use of running away? he ought 70
ston right here in the MIDDLE ..
the sidewalk and shout out VIVA.
,his was. II was so wrong una,
s,,re,v ri, the black people round
him would do something ABOUT ~
90 wrong that all the white people
would simply grab him ana say
10, he was crazy lie reeleu
through the streets, his pioou n.So
evos looking for place 10 n'ue'
he nausea at corner anu Cd"
~ MACH rat leaping over me
s w !, shot past him into door.
nav where It slid out OF sign sign.
through a hole. He looked wistlu ny
a. that gaping black hole tnlo ,A,,.
az .,',,;.h ~ raj had darled to saie'y,
He passed a bakery ana ", ~an ne,
70 90 in and buy some ro,,s VII" ,hs
Tho seven cents he had. bu. sns
S MI was empty of customers ,.
uaS ne vas afraid that the wn',e
nronrietor would recognize MN -, ~
would wait until he came 10 NJ Ne
,ro business establishments out j.
- nat there we're not many OF
NJ. 49, Almost all businesses IN Tue
piact Belt were owned ny 1eMs'
italians. and Greeks. Most 80
, ..a''" we're funeral parlorS :.
pu ,',,. n,dertakers refused to no'hel
Nth dead black bodies. lie 'an 'S
70 . chain grocery store: bre'u , s"'s
y, - . Tor five cents a loaf. but across ..,
neIe otto. a. where white folks llveo,
~ ,ne IA Tor four. And now. OF a.,
tines. no could not cross tne III" 'a,e
t ,n', TODD looking through the pa plast
re re. SIT st the people inside. ousn'
49, az, ue had 10. lie was starN
TIC They trick us every pressn ". w
drsv, he thought. They gouse "a ~
o "aa" ont, he opened the door anu ..,',
eye ,,,o ou, - The counter. The warm warm
air made him dizzy; he cau s,.. " ma
:, a counter in front OF mn ,,,rrsd
=, himself. His eyes ol"r.. re-,
s.s mere swan before him a vas. vas.
anu ." :, rcd and blue end green ,
oars' ., a. hiph upon shelves. , A.,
o shor, him no heard the soft voices
Of men and women
"you waited on. sirT ,...r.d
"a loaf OF bread. ne "n'sV
"Anvthlng else, sirY"
"Naw." .v and
The mans face went away r"st.
came again; he heard paper r"s''
ling. 80.
"Cold out. isn't IT.
"Hunh? Oh. yessuh.' .,,,,.r
Ne laid the nickel on the COUNT count ~
he saw the blurred loaf handeo 10
him. -