St. Paul recorder., 1963-10-24


Negroes are crowded into 10
city.
Thus for virtually all purposes
statistical or social, population or
political - the Wisconsin Negro
community is the Milwaukee Ne
t1rk&+%h&&&+%+A&%%h&Ah+kkI
THE AUTHOR: For five years
Edward H. Blackwell, Jr., a ma
tive MinnesOtan was news and
editorial assistant to Cecil New
man the editOr-pubIisher of the
Minneapolis Spokesman and st.
Paul Recorder newspapers.
Recently he joined the staff of
the Milwaukee JOURNAL, one
of the nations leading dailies.
A member Of the copy desk he
was recently assigned TO do a
story on 1.-THE Negro in WiscOn-
SIM
This article Is the first of the
series.
nk4k4&44&&44k&&k&&k&&&&%
gro community. Like other north
ern states, Wisconsin has virtually
no Negro farmers.
This urban Negro concentration
is the fastest growing ethnc group
in Milwaukee. The city health de-
partment estimates that by 1870
it will total 125, ,O00-meaning that
nearly one in five Milwaukee-ans
would be Negro. If a composite is
drawn, the Milwaukee Negro could
be pictured as about 35 years old,
and a native of rural Mississippi,
LOUISIANA or Arkansas.
There is one chance in three that
someone in his household is look
ing for a job compared with 1 in
10 for all families in the city,.
Income Under $4,000
The probability is two in five
that his total family income is
under $4,000 a year.
There are 9 chances in 10 that
his house was built before 1919
and only one chance in three that
he owns 1t.
NEARLY two-thirds 1882, ,0OO) of
the families in Greater Milwaukee
are home owners.)
The odds are less than even that
the Negro has lived in his present
home more than two years.
The chances are two out of three
that he has not completed high
school, and 81 out of 100 that he is
not a college graduate. (In the
population as a whole, 12% have
completed college.)
There is only about an even
chance that he belongs to a church.
If he does, the odds are 8 to 10
that it is Protestant - most like
ly Baptist.
The chances are about to 4
that he is a registered voter and,
If he is, only about to 8 that he
votes. If he does, it is almost GER
tain to be a straight Democratic
ticket.
Seeks a Better Job
Why is he here?
The Negro moving to Wisconsin
Is on a quest. He seeks a better
Job, a decent place to live, an
education for his children and him
self and - even if he doesn't use
it - the free right to vote.
He may be only vaguely aware
of it, but Wisconsin has a long
history of protecting its citizens
against discrimination. Almost
from it's beginning, the prestige of
its government has backed the
principle that racial segregation
is wrong. The Wisconsin consjtu-
ton ratified in 184S prohibited
slavery. Suffrage was granted to
Negroes after the first statewide
election the next year.
The original public accommoda-
ton law was passed in 1895. II
guarantees full and equal treat
ment in all public accommodations
regardless of race, creed or color
The law has been amended many
times and discrimination for race,
creed or color is prohibited in the
national guard, civil service
schools, hiring of teachers, veter-
ans housing, public housing author
fties, urban redevelopment restrc-
tive covenants, worlzmen's comp
ensation and insurance.
Violation of the public accom-
modations law carries a maximum
penalty of a $500 fine or six
months in jail, or both. 1t is en-
forceable as a criminal violation
In circuit court.
Wisconsin was one Of the first
states after World War II to create
arttdscramanaltton agencies. The
far employment practices division
Of the industrial commission was
established IN 1915 and the COVER