The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-10-13
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IN NEWS
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A Formula For Meeting Race
Discrimination - A returned war
veteran appeared before the De-
trOit Housing commission last
week. protesting the fact that he
could not get house because OF
his color. This veteran went
through the regular routine neces-
sary TO get himself certified for
a war housing project. He got
the certificatiOn. Then he was
told that there were no housing
units available for Negroes, hut
there were some units for white
veterans.
This returned soldier was so
burned up he wanted all De-
troit Ia know Of the way he was
being treated He certainly had a
case for the consideration OF our
way OF lie. There Is no excuse
for not giving any veteran house
il there is one available. The color
of the veteran should not enter
into the need FOR a house The
veteran that was 50 Disseminated
against asked for a hearing before
the HOUSING commission. The hear
.n2 Was granted.
The veteran was INTELLIGENT and
was able to express his ideas and
feelings i'm a very fine way. When
the veteran got before the com
mission to lodge his protest, he for
got all about whv he was before
the commission. The very earnest
veteran went into long discus
sion Of the race problem and hous-
ing. lie was making very good
speech about the general problem
Of race discrimination in the United
States.
This fine lad spent good minutes
telling of his equality to other
Americans He tried TO prove his
"sameness" 10 all other Americans
in desires and ambitions These
we're all good and true statements
Good as all that the veteran said
was. the issue was not what he
was talking about the general
race problem.
II Is not my intention to criticize
the young veteran hut rather to
point out some definite methods
for dealing with problem of this
kind. The veteran allowed the
commission to dodge the real nrob-
Iem-that of a house for his family
because he was fighting the race
problem.
The proposition should have been
put to the Detroit Housing Com
mission whether veteran can he
denied a house when there were
vacancies for veterans. The vet
eran should have demanded a house
i'm the project where the vacancies
existed. If this was done the HouS-
ing commission could take cover"
in generalities. The Housing COM
mission did take refuge in general
tiles.
= A protest against race discrimina-
tion should be definite and to the
point There is no need 10 assume
that white people are not aware
of the Negro'S whole problem \
general discussion Of the Negro's
problem in any protest preCludes
any action on a definite problem
confronting the individual who is
the victim OF particular kind
of race discrimination. In other
words the veteran who protested
the way he was treated did not get
an answer on his case-Because he
was dealing with all problems Of
discrimination rather than with
what had happened to him. A case
in court has to be case in court
and not a thesis on the Universe. :"
We have not really accepted our
selves. If we had we would not
have 10 spend so many long
speeches trying to convince our
selves that We are equal to any
body else in America. In our pro-
test we should assume that we are
equal sometimes and deal with the
noint at hand Press the point and
seek an answer on the point
II would he good thing for
Negroes who are victims of dis
elimination to press their claims
on the points of the claim ratS"r
than on ones general Illustration
about race discrimination. 4 few
wears ago this would have been
impossible on large scale be-
cause Of the fact that our race
generally was unschoOled. Today
we have enough people who can
proceed as citizens to meet pr"h-
lem confronting them rather than
stand aside and wait for some race
action" about the problem.
Race discrimination in public
housing will be wiped out when
some individual who suffers be-
cause of the discrimination and is
intelligent enough 10 resent il as
a citizen and farsighted enough not
70 use his resentment, at a given
incident OF discrimination, 10 faint
the whole race problem in these
United States.
II you disagree with me ! will
use your disagreement next week.