The Omaha guide., 1947-08-09
Packed Cities to
Concern Urban
League Meeting
Negro Population
In Some Key Cities
More Tha Doubled

Vv4O1C 11hC DO0OkCu
NEW YORK-Lester B. Gran
ger, National Urban League Elk
ecutive Secretary. announced to-
day that the organizations first
closed conference in four years
would be held August 81 through
September 3, at Camp Atwater,
East Brookfield, Mass. The ma
ture of the 1917 annual meeting
was virtually demanded by Urban
League personnel greatly con-
cerned with increased responsible
tiles posed by the continued mi
grafton Of Negroes to urban
areas. Anxious to sit down again
in ~self-analysis and planning ses-
sions, more than 200 of the 800
Urban League paid professional
! staff throughout the country, and
numerous board and committee
members, have already made re-
vaT'ons for attendance. The four
dry sessions will deal solely with
plans for improving the organiza-
tons wo~,-. based on a review Of
facts, figure. and experience re-
ports from the Sc affiliates.
The Urban League geared from
its beginning to work in urban
areas. is faced with the aame de-
termined movement of Negroes
to cities as the migration which
precipitated its organization in
1910.
THE 81 per cent increase Of the
Negro population in New York
from 327, 7O6 in 1880 to SAT 900 in
1945-," Mr. Granger astated, as
reported in a recent tabulation by
the Urban League Of Greater New
York, is not exceptional. Negro
migration to Detroit, Los Angeles,
Chicago, Phoenix, Portland-all
Urban League affiliate cities. in
cidently-and other big urban
centers around the country mean
u work has tripled in import
ance. The main problems are
housing, employment, education
and vocational guidance, with in
terracial harmony an absolute ne
cessity, if We're going to have a
peaceful, progressive nation.
Where the Negro finds himself in
this swiftly-moving current is our
concern: We must harness our
methods and techniques for the
biggest job we've had yet"
/ High up on the Conference
agenda is an analytic report and
discussion of the National Urban
Leagues Three-year Community
relations Project which closes Of
ficially August 81. In n Of the
most unique social work an
proaches ever executed, the or
gan1zation, under the direction OF
its Departmnt Of Research and
Community Projects, studied
and worked in IS cities-five in
the Deep South. The Project.
which attracted the active parti-
cipating interest of thirteen of
the country's largest social work
agencies, was made possible
through a $4,000 grant by the
General Education Board.
Julius A. Thomas. the National
Urban Leagues Director of In
dustrial Relations. is chairman Of
the 1947 Annual Meeting, with
Ann Tanneyhill serving as Con-
ference Secretary. DR.. William NJ.
DeBerry, Founder and Executive
Director Of Camp Atwater will
be Conference Host. The Camp,
one Of the most completely equip
ped in the country, was organized
in 1920 by Or. DeBerry. then Ex-
ecutive Secretary of the Urban
League affiliate in Springfield,
Mass.
The National Urban League IS
the only i~nterracial social work
agency in the country. its 56 af-
filiates in % states and the Dis
trict of Columbia are manned by
paid professional workers, and
directed by ~interracial boards and
committees. The combined bud
gets of the national and local or
CARNATIONS reached more than
81, 200, 900 in 1916.
DR.. and Mrs. VIM. Henry Har-