The Michigan chronicle. [volume] (Detroit, Mich.) 1936-current, 1945-02-24
THE MERRY-GO-ROUND

in Southwest Detroit be chosen for the construction
of public housing. Homeless Negro war workers
and returned veterans were Just about to grab this
straw of hope when Councilman William Short
stop" RogeN stepped into the picture. 1t seems that
an athletic club in Southwest Detroit pettioned the
Council through Mr. Rogell to protect the ly-white
pretensions of this area, although the courts have
ruled that the land is unrestricted.
Now full dress hearing has been scheduled
for next month and of course nothing will be done
until all the anti-democratc elements in the COM
munity have taken their stand. Further there is
the possibility that such widespread controversy
will develop that some of the officials may not dare
to risk their political necks by supporting the posi-
tion now held by the Housing Commission In
Detroit this cycle of confusion has become stand
ard practice in the field Of housing.
The Sojourner Truth case illustrates the De-
troit procedure Innumerable conferences led to
innumerable hearings and the whole community
became involved in neighborhood dispute and fl
nally violence ensued which led to armed interven
tion on the part of the State. Negroes moved into
the project under armed guards and when the
mobsters saw that further resistance was useless |
peace settled over the community and now every
one wonders what the fighting in that was all
about.
In all such controversies Negro leaders are
branded as agitators, radicals and reds and many
white liberals are put on the spot by their white
colleagues and made to suffer for champloning
a just cause. The daily papers send out Their re-
porters who know nothing about the socioeconomic
forces at work in the community and they dig up
hare-braned stories which confuse the whole town.
Key men invade the town from. Washington and
compile long reports which finally grace some
Washington wastebasket. The local politicians
count noses and figure out which course of action
will get the most votes come election time.
In all this confusion the position of the Negro
leadership is fairly consistent Negroes need hous
ing, they ask the local and national government to
give them an opportunity to get house and they
protest against being segregated as if they were
sheep or cattle. The white supremacists who op-
pose them take the position that God made this
land for white folks, and Negroes may be permitted
to live only where white folks decide. The fact
that Negroes are citizens, and theoretically have
the rights Of citizens, Of course, makes no differ
ence to them.
If we take our citizenship seriously and protest
the infringement on our citizenship, then we are
regarded as dangerous radicals who are trying to
overthrow the government lnlS HoLselise ID DC
tually believed by some socaed intelligent whites
The anti-democratic group among the whites who
are willing to resort to violence to keep Negroes
in their places are treated with great tolerance
by the officials who feel that hatred against Negroes
is Understandable" These same officials will ask
Negro leader WHY are your people so bitter
We are living through a Crucial period In
Detroit's history. A severe housing shortage must
be relieved shortly. No matter what opinions may
be expressed about it. the fact remains, staring us
boldly in the face. The Negro and white leadership
of the community can and must join hands to ease
this crisis. The leadership must not permit this
problem to reach violent stage and thwart the
efforts toward goodwill between the races.
The right of any citizen, regardless of race,
to live where he chooses should not be debatable
subject in democracy. This nation was engulfed
in civil war over the right of Negroes to be free
American citizens. We believe that the time has
come for the rights Of all citizens to be recognized
without reservations. Until this is done there will
never be any peace in Detroit or anywhere else in
America 1t is foolish to expect peace and order in
a society which hoodwnks justice. Sooner or later
the peace is broken and orderjs destroyed as Adolf
Hitler can we'll testify today.