The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-03-31
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS
Bv HORACE A. WHITE

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Detroit's administration has made
another big error When the
council turned down the recon-
mendation of the Detroit Housing
commission to build more defense
housing In the city Of Detroit to
be occupied by Negroes, the In
tegrity Of our whole city suffered
q great deal. A great many people
are discouraged about the future.
Many people are emotionally con-
fused, and are now operating un-
der q sense Of hopelessness. Let
us say again that the action Of the
Common Council In turning down
the recommended housing site was
point Of view.
We must not. however. become
| discouraged. confused and hope
less. Negroes especially must not
feel that Detroit, and this nation
for that matter. do not hold for
Negroes an opportunity common
surate with the sacrifices our
young men and women are making
in the war. The boys who give
leg. an arm. a rational mentality
and very often life itself ar. count
ing upon us 10 make what they
are giving tell for advancement
in the direction OF freedom and
opportunity. Therefore, we must
redouble our efforts in Detroit to
see TO it that a Common Council
n1n0tAI kxg vann1n ~ 0nfrOlt
will never make such wanton de-
ciSlon again.
We can guarantee that the legs
given. the arms given. the rational
mentalities given. and In many
cases life itself given will not be
sacrificed to the ignorance, selfish
ness and plain fascism In our own
country IL we but organize and
fight for what We believe to he
right. The forces for democracy
are not organized In Detroit. IL
they are organized, the organiza-
tion Is so loose and ill-generaled
that their prOtestatiOnS against
plain indecency in government and
other high places 20 unheeded.
Certain members Of the Com
mon Council who voted against
the recommendation Of the Detroit
Housing Commission, sound. like
little ChamberlainS on their way
10 little Munichs. The Common
Council members try TO justify
their positions in such terms as
these: More housing for Negroes
in any but the already Negro oc-
cupied areas will create trouble"
II do not believe in defense hous-
ing" Negroes are coming 10 De-
trolt TOO rapidly for our city 10
absorb them" We are doing the
best thing for the city" Doesn't
this sound like Chamberlain as
he tried 10 do business with fas-
cist enemy? Our men in the Com
mon Council are frightened little
men. They are so fri ghtened that
they would bring, like Chamber
lain. greater doom to the citizens
Of Detroit
II should he determined by
everyone Of us that the housing
problem for all of the people i'm
the city of Detroit can be and will
be solved. We should further un-
derstand that II will not he solved
until the people. all Of the people.
make up their minds that they arc
responsible for the solution Of De-
troits housing problem. One way
to do this Is for the people to know
that, for the most part. members
Of our present Common Council
do not represent the people Of De-
troit rs they seek a solution to
their housing problem. There is
nothing left then for the people Of
Detroit to do but to replace the
present Council with men who arc
young enough. intelligent enough.
and daring enough to live with the
demands Of this day rather than
live i'm this day Obeying the de-
mands Of yesterday. Our council
men are obeying the dictates Of
yesterday Most Of them are not
even conscious Of the fact that
America, and Detroit Is part OF
America. must give to all OF It's
citizens the guarantees Of the Con-
/ stitution Of the United States.
These guarantees are nothing
more than. and nothing less than,
the right OF a man TO eat by his
/ ability 10 work. the right OF man
10 live in a house and 20 pursue
happiness with his fellows, Our
Common Council has denied 10 the
Negro citizens of Detroit the free
dom Of movement by law This
cannot stand. Il is as important
10 white citizens Of Detroit as 20
black citizens of Detroit that no
law OF this nature can stand IN the
way Of our citizens, regardless OF
their color
Most of our citizens are opposed
to the action Of the Common Coun-
Gil Christians are certainly OPP
posed. Labor unions are opposed
The press of our city. for the most
part. Is opposed. WOmen's clubs
are opposed Everv important ele-
ment i'm our CITY life Is opposed to
the action Of the Common COun-
Gil Yet. a minority led by ignor-
ance and motivated by the Ameri-
can brand of fascism flOunts the
will Of the majority.
This fascist minded minority in
our city can flount the will of the
majority because the majority has
nov DcSllTTeu ltStil III Otildll VI
what il knows TO be right. II Is
high time that we in Detroit got
busy in behalf OF what we know
10 be right
If three thousand fascist-minded
individuals can change tn" minds
Of elected officials In a direction
that we know will bring doom and
destruction to us. isn't II possible
that fifty thousand right thinking
people could work wonders on the
Common Council In the direction
OF democracy and deccncy? IL
seems that we must try II before
we can say.
-
tributed TO his too liberal policy
with the natives there. We don't
believe IL though. Cornelius Van
| n.,L h