The Detroit tribune. (Detroit, Mich.) 1935-1966, 1944-09-30

METROPOLITAN LIFE, NEGRO HOUSING AND THE
MONEY NEGROES THROW AWAY

surance COMPANY ttpitan2ing uu the i.nofsicc and
,fcd liiiy OF newly liberated slaves luit iitmeu-
dous back log on the hard earned pennies aud nick
les Of these friendlcss expelled people Whatever
tho irnh In this connections IA might bc said that
tlie Metropolitan ifc Insurance company has grown
tremendously - billion Scar one billion Of vhifh
is on Nerrocsi over the intervening wears u u
said 10 he attempting ret lii of its Negro pcllry
holders from which Il collects 4. million dollars a
year, NY selling he Negro Side 81 their business TO
established Negro insurance companies
With tins attitude also goes The fact thar the
Metropolitan life Insurance COMPANY has had one
notable housing experience ~ lIallcn that ~ the
celehfdfcd 500 tdccccmbe Avenne building known
from soast-iu-toast as The swank headquarters OF
git edged living conditions for our ton notch white
collar Negroes ~ Is matter OF RECORD That the
Metropolitan Life insurance company couple Of
wears ago. quietly got ria al 4uF Edeccombe avenue
t0 negro lluldng company, thus relieving It's lily
white hands OF The task OF seiNcne living quarters
for black Americans. rhis attitude OF Ills white ISL
lie part OF the Metropolitan Life Insurance com
rany further horne ont by the fact thar ne com
pany quietly Went ahead and ,quired the site laid
ON he plans and established a midget Tor The
famous Siuyvesant Town walled-,ry in which no
Negroes were 20 be aud viii not he allowed as
tenants
SEM As TRYING 10 DODGE HEAT
Now comes The Metropolitan Life Insurance com
panr With this record OF disiase f,r me very Ne
groeS. upon whom some contend its eatiy founda-
lions we're laid in hclaicd attempt TO keep tho
heat on ihom by building the iim-cfoN RiNcnon
project saclushcv f't Negroes exclusive Ne
gro community made exclusive ly The whites who
conspircd 70 coop Negroes NJ ina verilahe walled
cify hat must be heir permanent iu2ation
According National Rcscuiees Committee re-.
port Nrefocr spent III l9i2 $19i onu oop for whiskcy
ISL GOO 600 for cigarettes. lgafs and SNUFF $i1s-
ooo non Tor what b. allied rug cutting and ball
ing but Which WIS listed hv The frpnt as "retrea-
ton and amuscn,nls 4 total OF sos 600 600 was
spent by Negroes Tor uuesstniials in lai-
n We have hc power TO huy that mu,i, Nhishey
10 drink and Thar many smoke 70 hlon into nothine
and so much none, 20 have good time upon. how
can we ,riiicilo cneeiNcN when mono ~ our money
put 10 nefnmnon' good OF an of us as ihc
Metropolitan Life Insurance company IS plrportcdy
doing with his Ri,crion proiecf2
II we spend S,.3 unO.OoO ON material pleasure
while The ms ard hardships ~ INC race muitipl,
what construfhc criticism can We have az any i'm
,roN proicc hat Is offered u.s.
This is no brief FOR tho Metropolitan lilo lnsur-
ancc company ami its attitude toward Negroes.
believe that When organizations OF Tho character and
Standing ~ tho Metropolitan Life Insurance com
pany single Negroes out Tor discriminatory prao-
iccs. as il admittedly has done there is no possible
way in which ono can give them clean bill ~
health on any Of tho various belated ovcriures 10
help the Negroes. However vhst are We going 10
do