The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-05-20
THE FACTS
III OUR NEWS
By HORACE 4, WHITE

lew lines tnlS week 10 Tea1nTm
the issues. The issues of this de-
velopment extend far into the fu-
ture as they relate TO the Negroes
advancement in Detroit.
The medical center Is planned
~ An extension Of Wayne univer-
sity-which extension will serve
all Of the people. This extension
Of our great municipal university
extends over into the Negro COM
munity IS II should. The oppo-
nents Of the Medical Center say
that II will break up a large Negro
cultural center and business dis
trict. Fantastic! The saying Of such
. thing makes farce out of real
Negro culture and Negro business
efforts. Only ten per cent Of the
holdings In the area belong to Ne
groes. and these holdings In the
majority Of cases have already be-
gun to show great deterioration.
One would expect such thing.
The general area Is greatly over
populated. Too many people are
forced to live in too little space.
Negroes must expand in Detroit
and the replacement Of the 1900
family units that will be destroyed
by the building Of d Medical Cen
ter can serve as great lever TO
hasten a real opportunity for Negro
ownership OF decent home in the
postwar area. The cash that Ne
gro owners get from condemnation
OF their property in the area can
be used 10 increase the Negroes
dwelling opportunities hundred
fold. People who deal in real es-
tate ought not to have TO be told
this. Some OF them do not
A man has some right to be sell
Ash hut not dangerously so. This
bit Of selfshness displayed by some
Of the opponents is selling the hopes
and ambitions of hard working and
earnest Negroes short" Negroes
have a grave housing shortage. but
the answer TO II Is not In keeping
Negroes in OvercrOwded novels.
Let the Medical center be built
but insist with re-doubled efforts
that Negroes are given an oppor-
tunity for some OF the finest hous-
ing that-esn- be planned for man
and his family Some of the oppO-
nents of the Medical Center are not
thinking a. clearly as they have
thought for Negro development.
The opponents of this center are
playing directly into the hands Of
those bigoted and fascist minded
people who would consign the Ne
gro to q rotten sinking ghetto and
Let him stay there and die like q
sick dog. Some Of these opponents
love their race with an unques-
toned passion. but they have not
stopped to analyze the implica alton
of this Medical Center.
Aaron Toodlc is man OF keen
mind and with deep passion for
the welfare of his race. Nobody
can successfully question this! Mr..
Toodle is not thinking clearly on
this issue. He has the need for
housing on the part Of his people
all mixed up with method for get
ting il.
There Is no question in anybody's
mind but that the Negroes housing
need Is very grave and great at
this point I'm Detroit and elsewhere.
This need cannot be met by keep
ing Negroes In slums and over
crowded conditions that will ulti-
mately become stubs Just because
there Il housing need. The hous-
ing need Of Negroes must be met
by . positive program on the part
Of both private and public builders.
This means that more land where
houses can be built for Negroes
must be made available by the peo-
pie who rule this town. These
people are known and these people
also know the problem. There Is
no use and no sense to the idea
Of permitting these people to dodge
the Negro housing issue by an ill
protest to the Medical Cen
ter. II the opponents Of the Medical
Center can give the impression that
the only way the housing need for
Negroes can be met is by putting
the Medical Center somewhere else,
these opponents will have succeed
ed in saving their little selfish in
terest temporarily. but will have
done great injustice to the strug
Cling masses Of people who need
some sincere planning In the matter
Of housing.
It would be a great deaf better
in the long run il the opponents
Of this Medical Center plan stated
their opposition under two heads
ID We are opposed to the center.
IL nj Iatl
for re-h0using the 1900 families
that will necessarily move. We
insist that this be done now. ~
Some Of us feel that our selfish
interests will be jeopardized, and
therefore We are using . real need
on the part Of the Negroes, namely
to cover up our shortsight-
ed and selfish motive. This does
not mean, however, that we are
only selfish. II means that we can
not see at this point how we can
protect our selfish interests and
still enhance the opportunity of
our people TO have decent homes.
Therefore, we have allowed our
selves to fall for the argument that
seventy per cent density Of popula-
ton Is all right for Negroes, even
though In the city as a whole, the
density Is only 81 per cent. We
know that such a density. whether
among Negroes or anybody. creates
crime, youth delinquency, high
death rate among adults and chill
dren, and STILES the spiritual life
of Gods children. Some of US OPP
posing this project have not quite
let il get into our awareneSs that
on one hand we are preaching God.
cleanliness and good living and
with the other hand, we are per-
hitting the devil TO feed on the
very lives and souls Of our people.
Council Urges Aid