The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-11-18
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS

prevent the recurrence Of bIeody
race riots. To meet this demand.
committees to deal with inter-rsce
conflicts were set mp. The Detroit
Council of Churches set up one.
The Mayor appointed one. These
two had no onElcial city sanction.
They were goodwill gestures on
the part Of church members. lib
erals and officials Of the city gov
eminent. II was decided, after
trial with these committees, that
IL was necessary for . committee
to have some money and . paid
staff II II were TO deal adequately
with the many problems confront
Ing such . committee every day.
To accomplish this, the Mayor ap-
pointed an official committee, and
went to the common Council and
asked for money for the support
Of the committees work. The
money was granted.
At the time the staff was selected
to carry on the work Of the De-
trOit Interracial Committee, many
Of us did not particularly like the
person selected to guide the whole
program. We felt that his back.
ground did not give him . clear
enough grasp to function with
meaning. II Is no more than fair
to say at this time that he has not
done much Of what should have
been done. The other statement
that must 90 along with this II
that some things have been &C.
complished under his leadership.
Certainly, he has seen that the
idea back Of the appointment Of
the Interracial committee Is sound.
The committee has reviewed the
programs Of the various city de-
partments. This review was car
ried on with the sole purpose Of
determining whether these depart
ments were SO rendering their serv-
ices Is to minimize the possibility
Of inter-race conflict growing out
Of the manner In which their serv-
ices were being rendered to all
the people Of Detroit. This task
was an important task. because Il
gave some measure Of confidence
in the city government TO all Of
the people.
The committee then set up lis
tening posts and "receptors' Of ru-
mors throughout the city. It Is i'm
possible to measure the good re-
suits Of this program, but certainly
the results were great. There Is
nothing that creates inter-race con-
flicts SO readily and easily Is rumor
going undated and unchallenged !
through . given community. II
people have some place to take
their complaints Of mistreatment |
on the basis Of race, the possibility |
Of race conflict Il cut down IS per |
cent. These listening posts through |
out the city served to keep the |
people Of the city looking 70 their
ofYicials Of the city for settlement
Of inter-race conflict.
There are those who would have
Detroit's Interracial committee dive
into program OF basic social
change. Certainly, basic change we
must have. but anybody with an
iota Of understanding ~ to how
social change II brought about in
our democracy, cannot demand Of
mere interracial committee the
program nor the action necessary
for social change. Housing has
been often mentioned ~ one Of
the things with which the Detroit
Interracial committee should deal.
Housing Is bad. and especially bad
as IL affects the Negro citizens of
our community. To change this
condition will take much more
power, political and economic. than
the Interracial committee nas and
will ever get.
Every organization In the city of
Detroit that has fought for an in
telligent and more democratic deal
in the police department knows
that it was impossible to get any.
where on this program until the
head OF the police department was
the kind OF person who could ac-
cept that new day was necessary
IL the police department was to
do its best work in terms Of keep
ing the peace. Everybody knows
that we are involved in basic eco
nOmic problems. and these prob
lens have to be solved in order
to overcome much Of the interra-
cial discord that we see on every
hand. To ask an interracial COM
mittee to outline . program to
eradicate these basic economic
problems, and to carry on the So
cial action necessary to see that
. program Of change, economically,
Is put into effect, Is baying At the
moon. The Interracial committee
can no more deal adequately with
the deep underlying economic con-
trolls in order to effect economic
change that the National Associa-
ton for the Advancement Of Col
ored People can cause basic eco
nomic change.
The difficulties confronting an IN
terracial committee are the same
, as those confronting the National
Association for the Advancement
of Colored People They are that
, no one community organization in
! our democracy can. nor has the
right, to dictate change. Economic
change must come from the people.
The men and the institutions that
now control our society are not
amenable TO the ideas of justice
and democracy because some peo-
pie wish them to be. These insti-
. tutions and men can only be made
, to do justice when the people are
aroused to demand justice. II Is
, not the business, therefore, OF an
! interracial committee to carry on
social action, but rather it is the
business OF an interracial commit
tee to guide social action in order
that justice can be accomplished
, for all OF the people, no matter
, what that social action may be at
|, any given moment
1t Is the business Of the NAACP,
. labor unions, churches, and other
: groups that are dedicated to the
onward march Of the people. IN