St. Paul recorder. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-03-02


GLIDING portion Of a report on Min
neaPolis NAACP activity written
by William Cratic for the Mime
sofa Negro Progress edition, the
first part Of which appeared In the
Feb. "a, 1856 edition.
The end result obtained has
been that Negroes and persons of
other minority groups may avail
themselves now Of most services
in the public accommodation field
without fear of embarrassment in
Minneapolis.
An occasional incident is re-
ported involving accommodations
at third or fourth rate hotels or
restaurants. The legal redress
committee has established policy
of acting promptly on these mat
tiers by pointing out the violations
to the management, urging com
phance and seeking legal redress
against recalcitrants who refuse
to comply.
Thus il was that in the year
past, action was instituted against
the proprietor of a private
health club" operating on city
owned property, who refused to
accommodate Negroes in his
classes for women. The Mime
apohs City Council was urged to
take immediate action in this
matter. The council passed a reso-
luton ordering the proprietor of
the club to cease discrimination.
Since the council members felt
that they were powerless TO force
compliance with this resolution,
the NAACP secured the coopera-
ton of the Mayors Council On
Human Relations in implementing
this resolution. AS a result, a
city ordinance was passed making
it Illegal to discriminate in any
way on publicly owned property.
In the meantime the u. S. Su-
preme Court had rendered a sim
liar opinion making it a federal
offense to so discriminate.
In the field Of housing, which
has been labelled as the most
critical area in the race relations
field, and where relatively little
progress can be said to have been
made, the NAACP in Minneapolis
has served as an organization
which has protected the rights of
prospective buyers and renters
when violations Of the laws were
in evidence.
We have already considered the
case Of Paulson VS.. Kellar in 1850
and the NAACP action therein.
The legal redress committee of
the branch has interviewed in sew
eral other important matters per-
tanning to breaches of contract
and intimidation by neighbors or
real estate brokers.
We shall cite here only three
such cases to indicate the grave
problems which exist when Ne
groes attempt to purchase prop
erty in other than the segregated
areas which exist in Minneapolis.
In 1852 a Negro family entered
into an agreement to purchase a
home on Columbus Avenue in Min
neapoIs. The seller, a minister,
was willing and anxious that the
transaction should be completed.
Neighbors in the block, however,
objected and organized a move
ment to defeat the purchase Of
this property by the family. In
timidation, yelled threats, and
pressure on the real estate sales
man. the seller and the buyers
failed. The NAACP legal redress
committee examined the earnest
money contract and determined
that ii was binding. The NAACP
cooperated with the salesman, the
buyers, and the seller in complet-
ing the transaction. The family
moved into their newly purchased
home and they are still occupying
it without incident The salesman
resigned from his real estate
company as his employer had OBJ
jected to the transaction, but he
was able to secure a more lucra-
tive position with another realtor
who had a more liberal policy.
The salesman then donated his
commission to the NAACP, the
Urban League and 20 the Mayors
Council On Human Relations.
In the summer Of 1855. another
Negro family purchased property
on Portland Avenue The neigh
bors in this block objected, shout
ed threats. obscenities and vile
epithets at the family. As final
indignity, the newly purchased
automobile belonging 70 the fam
lily was splashed by yellow paint
during the night This was the
first reported incident Of vandal-
ism in Minneapolis for many
years.
The NAACP alerted the Mime
apols Police Department Prompt
action was taken by the police in
conducting an investigation Of this
incident and in providing a pro
tective surveillance over the per
sons and property. Other organi-
-. a.. 1-aaa and thu ufIbiic