The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1943-06-19
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A new book in the Negro in
American Life Series, THE Me-
GROS SHARE. by Richard Stern
er; Harper and Brothers, New
York City. s4.5o), is a Study OF
Income. Consumption, Housing and
Public Assistance" In il Mr..
Sterner gives statistical evidence
OF what the Negro gets from his
work. from relief agencies etc;
and how his share compares with
that OF whites.
Mr.. Steiner provides a mass Of
evidence which proves what most
OF US are well aware of-that Ne
groes receive less for the same
amount OF work as whites, that OPP
portunities for advancement are
fewer for him, that he can fnd
only the poorest housing. and that
he is also Disseminated against by
relief and welfare agencies. This
last is true although To-day more
Negroes obtain their main liveli-
hood from relief, it is believed
than from any single productive
occupation except agriculture and
domestic and personal service"
additional employment Of the Ne
gro in war industries may have
changed this picture TO some eX-
tent since Mr.. Werner wrote this)
Some OF the findings reported
here disprove certain generally ac-
cepted beliefs. Mr.. Sterner shows
that far from being improvident
the Negro is often more careful
in his buying than whites Of the
same economic level 1t is we'll
known that Negroes in the South
receive far less compensation for
their services than in the North,
but Mr.. Sterner also shows that,
by and large. white families were
no better off on the average in
the urban North than in the urban
South so that the race differential
in income was much larger in the
South than in the North"
Mr.. Sterner's comments on seq
regated housing are particularly
applicable TO Detroit today in the
light OF the scheme under way to
provide segregated housing for Ne
groes on a greater scale than ever
before. Racial segregation in
housing Is OF serious import in
many respects. In all probability
it intensifies the unsatisfactory
housing conditions Of the groups
affected because it tends TO. hold
them in slums or blighted areas
to an even greater extent than can
be explained on economic grounds
only; and it may contribute to the
scarcity Of housing for those groups
particularly when they are increas-
ing. It tends to keep the minority
groups more or less isolated from
the dominant group"
Mr.. Sterner includes a mass Of
statistical material throughout the
book as we'll as in 100 pages Of
appendices. The result Is pedan-
tic and often dull However. the
study is extremely valuable and
unusually complete. The material
presented here will make it pos
sible for fair-minded administra-
tors to correct inequalities in or
! der to provide for the Negro in
the postwar world just share
of the income Of the nation, ade-
quate housing. and public assist
ance when necessary.
X X X
Two weeks ago when we re.
viewed WILLOW RUN by Glendon
Swarthout we omitted the name
OF the publisher, Thomas Y. Crow
ell and company, New York City.
The book sells for $3.50.
X X X
Ralph Ellison, managing editor
OF the Negro Quarterly has skill
fully written short story. "If !
Had Wings" in the summer issue
Of Common Ground. It is the story
Of two little colored boys. Riley
ard Buster, who get into trouble
trying to make two chicks fly. The
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