OUR COMMUNITY: SEVEN CRITICAL PROBLEMS FACING US By FRANCIS A. KORNEGAY Executive Director Life without struggle is life loaded with stagnation. This refers to peoples all over the world. The freedoms that mankind have earned were born in the eternal furnace of struggle. Moreover, that freedom is permanent or static is deception of the first magnitude. Because growth is continuous so is freedom. "The way to preserve freedom is to live it."1 Gains made today may be stumbling blocks tomorrow. Inherent in freedom is the freedom of choice - the right to succeed and its attending right to fail; the right to do and the right not to do; the right to live and the right to die. It is the goal of society that mankind will always choose to do that which is right, honest, and just. But then Thomas Jefferson, in his immortal words embedded in the Declaration of Independence, so ably put it - "We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal; that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men deriving their just power from the consent of the governed." May I quote again, "The 'Negro Problem' is the most conspicuous area for dramatic new advance."2 It is about these rights that I share with you some of my concerns and projections. It is because of the denial of these rights to some American citizens, although more than 186 years have passed since the utterance of these pronouncements, that I list for you Seven Critical Problems facing us: (The way in which the problems are discussed, today, in no way indicates their severity.) PROBLEM MIGRATION WILL REMAIN "The migration of people is not peculiar to Negroes. However, due to unbearable economic pressures, and ma 1Goals For Americans, p. 1; Prentice-Hall, Inc., 1960. 2Ibid., p. 42. lignant social forces in southern states, the movement of Negroes across state lines is higher than that any other racial group."3 During the last decade, the south lost 1,445,000 Negroes who settled in the Northeast, North Central Region and in the West. According to the 1960 census figures, there were 300,506 Negroes in Detroit in 1950, but in 1960, there were 482,223, an increase of 181,717, or 29.9%. A few questions will show the type of problems that migration brings to any city: What types of skills do migrant Negroes bring? Do they possess the kind of skills, such as possessed by electricians, plumbers, engineers, technicians, professionally trained, etc., in which there are shortages? do they come as unskilled workers adding to already too large unemployed labor force of unskilled workers? Do these migrants come with sufficient savings so that they can immediatedly purchase homes? Or, do they come undereducated, thus causing a dilution of existing education programs? These are real problems. Yet, freedom of movement is a constitutional grant and right. Or, "The adjustment to community life in a strange place is not easy for migrants. These people need help, understanding, and guidance as they are exposed, in every way, to a new environment which is culturally and industrially different from whence they have come. The migration of any people is a cultural crisis, a cultural explosion thrust upon metropolitan cities without the community climate or recources ready to effectuate a smooth and orderly transition. Migration is a process of passing through the crisis of rebirth."4 It is said that some migrants possess skills needed for the labor market. In such cases if hiring is done on the basis of merit and fairness such talents can be quickly utilized, and the community resources greatly enhanced. Moreover, Detroit must plan training programs whereby in-migrants can develop their talents into marketable skills. Here, again, public and private planning groups must realize and recognize that at the roots of the economic adjustment of the migrants is racial discrimination in employment. Public and private agencies must re-evaluate and re-access the problem of migration. We must get under one umbrella, all of the community resources at the port of entrance, so that these newcomers will not be allowed to drift, and add to our current social-ills. 3Un-Met Social Problems (Editorial by Francis A. Kornegay, Michigan Chronicle, January 25, 1961). PROBLEM 2 EMPLOYMENT AND UNDER-EMPLOYMENT "Denial of employment because of the color of a person's skin, his faith, or his ancestry, is a wrong of manifold dimensions."5 To secure a job, a position whereby one can adequately use his skills, talents, and training, not only brings economic returns but a pride, a joy, and self-realization. The end result, when these conditions are met, is a rich, growing and maturing community. But sadly, this is not the case in Detroit, there are hundreds of firms that do not employ Negroes at all. There are other firms that hire them in the usual way janitors. Yet there are many large firms that hire people by the thousands, but have only a few Negroes in clerical jobs and fail to hire Negroes at all in semi and professional classifications. These firms advertise for workers, but despite our F.E.P. law, no serious effort, to date, has been effected to break their unfair employment practices. However, the community should recognize those firms and institutions that hire on the basis of merit. There are such firms here in Detroit, and their employment force is an example of Democracy in Action. Negroes have been given dignified jobs and their performance is as high as any other workers. "Employers and unions are still quite conservative, if not reluctant, to consider promoting Negroes to positions requiring supervision of white workers."* Mention must be made that there are many unions which maintain classifications that have not as yet used Negro workers. Do we find Negro waiters and waitresses working in our hotels? Do we find Negroes accepted in all of our apprenticeable trades? Do we find Negro men driving soft drink trucks, milk wagons, bread trucks, beer trucks, etc.? The answer is "No" Negroes must apply for every job any place where vacancies exist for which they have the qualifications. "That Congress amend the Labor-Management and Disclosure Act of 1959 to include Title I thereof, a provision that no labor organization shall refuse membership to segregate or expel any person because of race, color, religion, or 4 Some Concerns and Program Projections (Francis A. Kornegay at Detroit Urban League Board Meeting, October 13, 1960). 5 Employment, p. 1, 1961, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report. national origin."6 Anyone denied employment based on race, color, etc., should present his or her case to the Fair Employment Practices Commission in the Cadillac Square Building and, most importantly, there must be a complete follow through. SOME FACTS (a) 60% of the unemployed are Negroes or 46,800; (b) G.N.P. (Gross National Product) equals 550 billion Negroes should enjoy 55 billion all things being equal (1) Discrimination in Employment against Negroes - robs the Negro of $16 billion annually. 55% of what number $20 billion equals what? It equals $36 billion; Negro annual income is only $20 billion; (c) Entry into white-collar positions does not provide, as yet, an opportunity for Negroes to move up into supervisory positions which is directly related to increased income. Example: Few Negroes in industry pass the $10,000 income level far too few. Only "6,710 Negro families make $10,000 and (d) Lack of apprentice training for Negro youth. Less plans. Employers want from a top secretary to top engineer. But what about the hundreds of classifications in between? We have people today ready to fill these jobs. Last summer some firms hired high school graduates $73.10 weekly, but refused to hire Negro high school graduates. 6 Employment, p. 164, U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report, 1961. *Profile of Critical Social and Economic Problems Facing Negroes in Detroit, p. 3 (February, 1961) Ernest L. PROBLEM 3 HOUSING AND URBAN RENEWAL ... "Housing seems to be the one commodity in the American market that is not freely available on equal terms to everyone who can afford to pay."8 The most difficult road-block which keeps our cities segregated is housing. Segregated housing does not just happen, it is designed. "We shape our buildings and then our buildings shape us."9 It is the most serious threat to the future of American communities. Open occupancy should be public policy backed by the best social and physical planning obtainable. The urban renewal and slum clearance programs should lead the way in bringing about decent and fair standards in housing. However, safeguards must be built in by the way of nondiscrimination provisions in both the re-location and building programs — protecting the rights of people in the best attainable fashion in unit selection and placement. There is a need for fair housing legislation. An open housing market will give Negroes the privilege to buy, build, and rent in every direction of the city or suburbia. There is no other way. The solution of the housing containment will, in a long measure, improve integration in education as well as the quality of education. Neighborhoods will become vigorous and strong. The results of this kind of programming will strengthen the inherent concepts of citizenship rights, their responsibilities and their obligations. SOME FACTS (a) Negroes are hemmed in by geographical boundaries; (b) Negroes are not able to purchase new and beautiful housing in suburbia; (c) Negroes cannot build because they cannot find land; (d) Negroes must rent absentee owned properties often runned down and at excessive high rents; (e) Urban renewal has worked a serious disadvantage to the Negro businessman as well as to the Negro family. Relocation of Negroes is not carried out on an even dispersal. Urban renewal should provide and produce smooth and adequate transition from the old to the new; (f) One out of every six Negro dwellings is substandard as compared to one out of every 32 white dwellings; 7Research Division, Commission on Community Relations, p. 10, (June, 1962). 8 Housing, p. 1, 1961 U.S. Commission on Civil Rights Report. 9 Winston Churchill (From one of his speeches on Housing). |