The Northwest enterprise. [volume] (Seattle, Wash.) 1931-1952, 1947-12-31

December news letter carries a very
important and immediate action
verbatim reproduction of a racial
restrictive petition, which is now
being circulated in the Holiday
School district
I'VE. the undersigned. owners OF
real property described below, in
the district bounded by Sullivan S
Gulch. N. K. Union Avenue, N. E.
Broadway and N. E. 21st Street in
Portland, Oregon, in consideration
Of the execution of this or similar
agreement between owners of SO
per cent of the real property in
said district, excluding property of
schools and religious institutions,
agree to restrict by deed the use
and occupancy OF our property to
persons OF the White or Caucasian
race for a period of 80 years, and
to execute all instruments necessary
thereto"
This effort is a continuation of
the Eliot-Holladay School contro-
versy. Some white persons, antago-
nistic to Negroes. and probably sew
eral commercial interests, who wish
to keep non-whites 'hemmed in" in
inadequate living quarters are be-
hind this move.
II this is to be prevented, we
must act with speed and dispatch.
Please do the following things:
1. Note the boundaries indicated
in the above petition.
2. II you live in the district, DO
NOT SIGN. Convince your neigh
bors to refrain from signing.
8. If you do not live in the area,
get in touch with friends who do.
Urge them to join you in an effort
to defeat this undemocratic pro-
cedure.
Those who are seeking signatures
are using two distinctly different
Tines"
l. A racist line condemning all
non-white persons as unfit neigh
bors, and
2. A line indicating that the eff
fort Is being undertaken to prevent
the concentration of Negroes in any
one area and consequently, in any
one school. Don't fall for this. Re
stricted districts and restricted
practices of realtors are responsible
for the heavily concentrated Negro
residential area in the Holiday
School district now. Those who
use this second line of attack pose
as foes of segregation.
If this covenant is allowedsto go
unchallenged. it will further inten-
sify Jim Crow practices in Port
land. We're counting on your
HELP.
MEMBERsIPS-Also Important
We have 400 fewer memberships
than we anticipated at this time.
This is largely due to members who
have neglected or put off sending
in renewals. We need these, or an
equivalent number of new member
ships, to reach our quota for the
year. This means we need them
now. We, therefore, ask each mem
Der to accept the responsibility of
asking two interested persons to
become members, thereby helping
us to finish the year on the good
side of the ledger.
CAROL BRICE-Important Too
All of our members have heard
Of the humiliating experiences of
Carol Brice, the artist, who was in
vited here to sing with the Portland
Symphony. She was refused service
in two downtown restaurants be
cause of her color. Our community
was more incensed over this out
rage than over any similar occur
renee in the past. This is an en-
couraging sign of increased aware
ness. More and more Portlanders
are becoming interested enough to
demand the action which is in keep
ing with democratic way of life.
Our phone was kept continu-
ously busy Monday November pa
following the Oregonian story. Orb