The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1944-07-22
Racial Discrimination Not Allowed

for he finds the project management
is not going TO yield.
A cross section Of the general
feeling was expressed by Q Texan.
Il don't like II ut ALL" he said when
next door TO Negroes. But we get
along all right. II anybody had told
me . year ago was going TO live
like this. I wouldn't have believed
It. My Negro neighbors are all
right We don't have much TO do
with them. Of course. We say
'howdy' to each other and my kids
70 to school with theirs. We don't
have any trouble. There's no trouble
between Negroes and whites in
Marin Ci'y-but II Just isn't right 10
live this way"
LIBERAL Tenant
Leadership Helped
The assimi lation OF the Negro into
the life OF the community has been
largely the york Of liberal tenant
leadership which is not manage
ment-domiEated as in some housing
projects
The influence Of such leadership
has induced those whites who had
passive attitude Of sympathy for the
plight Of racial minorities 10 take an
active stand against discrimination
The results have been seen In the
encouragement extended to Negroes
to take part In community activ-
tiles, such rs civilian defense, VIC
tApv I,.h A..IA II.
ton classes.
Race Riots In
Segregated Projects
II has been said that il all the
residents of Marin City Including
the 20 per cent Negro population)
were 10 go TO the polls 10 vote on
this issue: Should Negroes be
elected from Marin City," the vote
would be in the affirmative.
This is probably true. Neverthe-
less, Negroes and whites today liv-
ing together in Marin City in a
harmonious intimacy unknown in
any other community in this area.
Race riots have occurred in segre-
gated housing projects. but In Marin
City there has been mo trouble Of
any kind" as the Southern gentle
man admitted. In the short period
Of one year white people have &C.
CURED new living habits-which are
already leading to new thinking
habits.
Residents Acquire
New Living Habits
But Marin City has been almost a
!one wolf among housing projects in
this experiment, and az the end of
the war the community will dis
band and many of its people will
return 10 their old environments. II
public housing projects throughout
the United States had followed this
community technique. there would
now be millions of Americans who
would have been forced TO ACQUIRE
new living habits. Certainly teen.
age boys or girls exposed to such
IN environment would In q few
years be launched on . more en-
lightened path. The influence Of
large public housing populate,
conditioned 70 living with NeSree
would probably have hltere,
through 70 other communities AM
1T least . practical start In better
human relations would have beer
made.
II wartime public housing ha.
missed the boat in the re-education
OF Negroes and whites in racial re-
!ations. will il retrieve It's efforts
after the war? Postwar planning
includes larpe-scale par,,anaot
SUM clearance projects throughout
the United States. Why cant a rigid
policy Of n-discriminaiion be laid
down and practiced by local author
tiles operating such projects?
Humanity mpossible-ideali
dangerous. people say. Blu; Marin
City has done it. Why can't others?