St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1947-10-10
BY ROBERT DURR

still recall that during the ROOse-
welt administration the South was
called the No. / economic problem
Of the nation. Its masses are i'll
housed, i'll fed and diseased, and its
per capita income far below what
is necessary TO sustain a good way
Of life. This makes for Spiritual
degradation.
There is in the South a growing
reservoir Of desire for organizing
communities on a neighborhood
basis, with trained, cOnsecrated,
capable and courageous leadership
which will create holy boiling dis
satisfaction with present inadequa-
cies and set about doing what can
be done by the people Of the com
munity to effect a continuous total
community improvement.
Through such neighbOrhOOd
organizations. which might be
made into community wide, thor.
Oughly democratic declarations,
not only would il be possible for
residents to do a blOck-by block
planned improvement job, but
they would be able to carry on a
continuous educational program
TO wipe out slum areas.
They could assist in making the
people realize what the leaders Of
voluntary colored community health
association in a deep Southern city
are driving at when they say:
Negroes must themselves point
out the obvious that in the South
alleys are not built for nor do
whites live in them, and that
through restrictive covenants white
people contrive to zone the quietest
and most well drained areas for
their residential purposes"
From the back alley areas into
which cOlOred people are jammed
and charged exOrbitant rents
comes the greater portion Of
juvenile delinquents, tuberculosis.
and social diseases. In this sort
Of situation ii is pretty nearly
impossible to rear a child proper
ly because of the environment.
Here children are being murdered
by those who maintain such
premises In a health-menacinK
condition. The psychological eff
feet Of such areas is devastating.
| have just been informed by a
friend who is supposed to know that
realtors who maintain and have
waxed rich off this sort Of housing,
which is commonly called "nigger
property" have contributed gen.
erously to u $3,000,OOO lobby in
Washington to fight the type of
public housing which would, if
properly managed, enable us to
wipe out our slums in twenty years
at the most.
When l speak Of community Or
CARNATIONS in this instance, mean
organizations of the people, by the
people, for the people, and sup
ported by the people within COM
munities just as are the real estate
boards, chamber Of commerce, Ma
tiOnal Manufacturers association,
Associated industries, labor organ
iZations, and what have you, operat-
ing on a full time basis on local,
state and national levels. These
groups handle their own hot pota-
toes. They do no begging for
financial support outside their
actual and constructive member
ship.
We must have that sort of
organizations to cope with prob
lens Of getting people within
communities to band themselves
together and do erything pos
sible to effect the greatest de-
gree of improvement within. to
keep informed on what Is being
accomplished by others through
similar organizations on a com
munity wide and national basis
in the fields Of housing, TecTea-
ton, educ alton and health. TO get
done the things which need be
done.
Some enlightened and social
minded people have striven to get
something done in the areas of
public housing, socialiEed medical
care for the INDECENT and federal
aid to education for those who can
not provide these things for them
selves because Of what it means tc
all.
A lot of progress has been made
But not enough. And this becomes
everybody's business because it af
fects everybody.
What we need now. il seems TO
me, is a general arOusing of the
people affected most. stimulating
them TO organize for improve
ment In the matter Of homes and
communities so that Il will be
possible TO rear healthy, whole
some, and ambitious boys and
girls trained to hate noise, filth,
sub-standard dwellings, and pro-
test TO high heaven against any
thing within their residential
communities which is in itself a
bad example before the children