The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-09-01

Horace White their future in
Detroit The
Negro worker has earned a place
for himself IN American industry
and no one can take that place
away from him. To be sure there
will be difficulties for the Negro
worker in peace time industry.
The Negro worker viii face race
discrimination aplenty. Many Ne
groes will not he able 10 hold many
~ the jobs they now have be-
cause Of race prejudice. There
will be concerted effort 10 place
the Negro worker in marginal
position as regards jobs the
last hired and the hrst fred. The
difficulties which the Negro faces
are only one side Of the picture,
however.
The war opened many new ave-
nues OF employment for Negro
workers. Negro workers have
made good in the ma jority OF the
cases on these new jobs. In other
words the Negro worker has done
no better and no worse than the
workers Of other racial groups.
The records Of industry and the
records Of labor will substantiate
this statement
The great majority ~ Negroes
have handled their earnings from
war Jobs well. They have bought
property and invested IN war
bonds and generally lifted their
standard Of livinS. This fact puts
the Negro worker in different
and better position than ever De-
fore held IN Detroit
Negroes investment In property
on such a large scale ties the Ne
gro worker In with the general
economic processes OF Detroit. BY
the Negro's own economic acts he
makes II mandatory that he he not
over-much denied the right TO
work and fulfil his purchase con-
tracts. Said another way, the Ne
gro's economic status has reached
the point In the general economic
scheme In Detroit that any wide
scale discrimination In job oppor-
tunity will threaten the on-going
Of the whole system In Detroit.
Negroes cannot be depressed with
out bringing depression to all
workers.
Another facet 10 this picture is
the Negro's place in organized
labor. Organized labor has a
vested interest in the Negro work.
er. Organized labor realizes that
the industrlallsts can use the Ne
gro worker 10 break the back OF
~ labor movement lndustrial!sts
VII try 10 use the scarcity OF Jobs
10 OF black worker against white
worker and thereby take advan-
,age OF all workers Organized
labor is very. very aware ~ this
possibility. Labor has seniority
clauses that /, must see are re-
spected If It is 10 survive as
force in American economic life
and doings. Negro workers have
built UP seniority budget that
must be protected for the good OF
all workers The Negro workers
seniority budget is not dlspropor-
Tomato in favor OF the Negro
worker, II is a proportonate SEN
orty budget This means that Ne
gro workers will suffer along with
other workers IN the matter OF lay
offs.
Some Negroes are making hys-
terical statements about the hard
ships that will befall the Negro
population In our city. OF course
there will be hardships. hut they
will be met with a great advantage
over any other period In our eco
nomic history. At the end Of the
last war we had the same sort of
cry" The record Is that at the
end Of the last war Negro workers
held their places In automobile,
steel. coal, textiles, and allied in
dustries The hold" that Negroes
had In these various fields was not
held complete Ia he sure. There
was a great start made and il has
been added to greatly.
There il nothing in the Detroit
economic picture for the Negro TO
fear. but fear itself" We can all
understand why Negroes are
frightened al MS period OF recon
version There are and will be
inequlties practlCed against the
Negro. The task before us IN De-
trolt, however - ~ apprslse our
situation IN relationship 10 the
total picture and proceed with De-
trot
Negro business men have an un-
precedented opportunity 10 be
come contributors IN the employ
ment market. Negro business men
Will take advantage NJ this oppor-
tunIty N new and varied fields
About this there should be some
real thinking done
We all must add our voices and
support to the demand of our eco
nomic system for full employment9
Herein lies the answer for the fears
relative To the job opportunities Of
Negro workers and all workers.
Negroes must not make the error
In seeking jobs for themselves that
has been made by,-siI Of US In seek
ing houses for war workers and
non-wsr workers We made the
housing struggle = Negro housing
struggle. As a matter ~ fact the
housing struggle was . struggle for
houses for all inadequately housed
workers There are too many ILL
housed people ~ all races In De-
troit Negro leadership must seek
the matter ~ jobs for Negroes rs
directly demand for enough
creative work for all workers. Any
other course IL short sighted, futile
and divisive
Detroit holds great things for the
NeePo manhattan hsnause a hoIds