The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1942-07-11
EDITORIAL PAGE
The Negro Housing Problem

of housing and recreational facilities.
Then along came the war and defense housing
gress. millions by the Lanham Act but the Negro
finds the same problems in the war housing program
that he found In the peacetime program,
Federal Works agency started with Defense
Housing with four agencies duplicating the work
because OF political The defense housing
program was drawn up by the stan OF john NJ "a
mody, who at the time did not know OF the polltlcai
intentions OF this stan. This staff would not agree
with the Indignation OF the housing program AMI
would play BALI with the United states hous'
ing Authority. USHA wanted 10 build war homes
as was expected OF them but the other group o.
Carmodys stah. thinking more or personal interests
than OF the interest OF the United States still wanted
to play politics in war time and congressman Oh
the "Hill' like Congressman Tenerowicz OF Mcnlga
and others like him supported this group ana ala
not Negroes TO participate in this program nor
share in the war houses. While they were wrang-
ling and getting nothing done there was enough
money wasted to solve the District OF Columpia :
housing and slum problems and 10 spare. sui the?
got nothing done and result the President had
10 step in and take
After several race riots the Negro began to &c;
a little consideration in sharing in the projects bu.
most OF the plans for Negroes are still on paper
The Negro can expect anything as long as
fake leaders their high Offices for their own IN
terests He cannot expect much without boodshed
and sweat. lie cannot even expect much from the
re-organized Federal Public Housing Authority OF
the National Housing Agency or any other agency
that is sticking TO few high political men who feel
that the welfare OF their political career Is mors
important than the people they represent.
One might think that results would be gotten from
the racial relations divisions up in these differ
divisions. but II is a hopeless OF wehful
thinking. The fact that expect little from
them is indicated in the way Dr. Horne is SOFT
peddling' personnel problems involving Negroes IN
Federal Public Housing al present who are hold
Ing positions and doing them efficiently while south
ern whites are being paid for the positions because
officially according 10 civil Service they are IN
these positions. All of this too has been reported
10 Dr. Horne without results.
We then see that the Negro Housing problem Will
always be the until start doing something
about 1t ourselves. What then do? We
must demand a better place TO live Just as the W
groes in Detroit did at the Sojourner Truth dwell
ings. we must finance we'll talk about sOlying
these problems, muet build up our resources by
branching out in all fields OF endeaycr. we must
take the attitude that are "our brothers keeper
Our problems today much greater than they
after the freedom OF the slaves, and the only
hope that have toward reaching solution OF
these problems is the fact that the Negro youth Of
today are awake and thinking OF these situations
They are wise TO the fact and watching our so
called liberals as they performed with their lip work
before patriotic bodies or meetings trying their
utmost 10 make think that they are doing all
that they can TO solve of these problems They
are watching. with interest the fact that very LILLE
OF this lip work gets paper for action They
are watching all OF his with sharp eye Under
these conditions what happen in years 10 come ?
what viii happen 10 the housing problem is not the
only vital question but what will happen TO thA
American Negro is also TO be considered So IN the
language OF THE GREAT TEACHER: THINK We
on THESE. THINGS"