The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-02-24
THE FACTS
m OUR NEWS
By HORACE A. WHITE

! NISIlED tfON HE NOhIn.
The Detroit housing problem
brings dramatically to our atten-
ton the sins of the South. II has
been estimated that workers are
coming into Detroit from the South
/ at the rate Of from 1000 to $500
month. This information, given out
by agencies that have some basis
for their statement. has figured
I in the recent discussions having
to do with providing more hous-
ing for Negro war workers.
II has been suggested by men,
bcrs OF the Common Council that
II there were some way to curb
the in-mi grant worker through the
draft board procedure, Detroits
housing problem as il relates 10
Negroes would have some chance
Of being worked on with solu-
ton in the offing, Councilmen and
other city officials maintain that
II immigration Of Negro workers
continues. there is little hope OF
ever seeing any lasting progress IN
the housing picture for the Negro
immigrant war worker.
THOSE OF Us who are trying
to the best Of our abilities to Crap
pie with the increasing Problems;
that arise i'm the great northern
metropolis, such as juvenile de-
linquency, recreation. school facil-
tiles. racial tensions and housing
needs. must think little more
broadly about the problem of in
migration from the South than
some Of us in official positions
have been willing 10 do up TO this
point.
In the first place. we must see
our present war as affOrding for
the first time many people the Op-
pOrtunity to escape from the sti-
fling bondage of the South. This is
true for white and Negro people
who in-migratc from the South.
But II is especially true for Ne
grOes who come North. 1t would
be an error in judgment 10 con-
cludc that workers, and speCificaL
ly Negro workers. are coming
North simply because there are
advertisements to the effect that
workers are needed in Detroit and
other large northern ind,AtriaI
centers. These people are coming
North In order to escape disfran-
chisement, poor schools. little rec
reatiOnal opportunities. and the
devastating inequalities before the
law that are visited upon men and
women Of color in the South. In
other words, the sins that the
South has been allowed to visit
upon the workers in the South are ,
now coming home 10 -"rOOst' i'm ,
our northern cities.
THERE Is NO use in our trying !
10 devise some superficial method \
TO keep people out OF cur large !
cities, such as control OF in-miGra- I
ton through draft board prOcc- {
dure. Even If this were prartIced. !
it could only hold in any indlvid-
ual case for thirty days. II we {
could imagine the worst in this !
respect. namely, that through the {
manipulation of draft board pro- c
cedurc. we could control some in r
migration for the duration OF the 4,
war, we would still have TO look |
forward TO and prepare for very {
large Emigration into our north :
ern cities from the South after the i
war. For example, it has been es- :
timated that about one-third of the .
Negro soldiers now serving in our :
armed forces will return 10 points
in the South from which they orig ,
inally came. The other two-thirds
hope TO find homes in the North,
Northwest. West and East.
Secondly, northern cities TO
which people are in-migrating
must take their responsibility for
Americas total problem. Northern. ,
cities must take this responsibility ,
in an increasing measure. II Will ,
be hard for US at first, because we
have lived and acted as IL we were
separate from what was happening .
and is happening TO the people in |,
the South.
WE HAVE NOT been very much
concerned about the fact that ed
ucation generally in the South is
carried on at very low level.
and in many instances practically .
no education is given 10 thousands
OF our people. We have not been
concerned about the health con-
ditions Of our people in the South {
Housing in the South for too many
millions OF our people is greatly
worse than some OF our very bad
housing in our northern cities - !
and God knows too much housing {
in our northern cities is too bad
for human habitation.
All that has happened in the last
% years I'm our country in the way I
Of progress has not come in large {
enough measure to the workers Of !
the South. whether white or black. 5
but certainly has not come TO Ne s
gro workers. In addition TO this,
the International Harvester COM {
pany is putting out cottOn-picker
in the South now being expert {
mented with on the Hobson plan
tation in Mississippi, that will
throw about five million workers
out Of work, as poorly paid as that
work was. These workers will
come to our cities looking for
places TO stay and work to do.
Detroit and no other city in the
North will be able TO dodge the
demand o. these disinherited men
and women for shelter and bread.
Therefore, for Detroit officials to
put their heads in the sand and
act as IL we are not responsible,
along with the officials of other
great cities. for the reasons that
cause workers, and especially the
black workers, TO come North. Is
inviting tragedy Of the worst kind
tragedy born of the past and of
J the present.
COUNCILMAN JOHN LODGE
! hit the nail squarely on the head
when he made the statement that
IL is our duty as city officials TO
! apply remedy 10 the problems
now confronting us as a city. No
/ body with any awareness of what
} we arc facing IN our great north
ern cities. and the dynamics Of
what we are facing, will expect
complete solution. But all Of us
have a rIghtlto look for the appll-
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