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About The voice. (Lincoln, Nebraska) 1946-195? | View Entire Issue (March 16, 1950)
Vol. 4, No. 21_Lincoln -**0'^* ..fwspapcr_Thursday, March 16, 1950 Housing Corporation 44 A Hots’'’ 1st Units For Negro Families According to an announcement by R. E. Harrington, president of Lincoln Housing, Incorporated, and carried in Sunday Lincoln newspapers, the corporation’s first housing units to be built will be offered to Negroes, The corporation’s board of directors find 14 lots available in a delim ited area for which they will pay cash or give stock in exchange. The units would be built in an area to which realty sales to Ne groes is almost wholly limited and will rent at low cost, prob ably in the neighborhood of $35 a month. PATTERNS IN RESTRICTION In the face of the fact that the housing situation is rather criti cal, especially for Negroes (1.5 families per house), the private concern apparently is taking ad vantage of the recent city coun cil action, to entrench more deeply restrictive housing for Negroes with a considerable amount of exploitation of all cititzens involved. In many urban areas where local governments have not moved to prevent it, Negro “ghettos” have developed over the years. Generally, these sec tions contain some decent hous ing, but also many substandard units, for which people are re quired to pay high rents. When these delimited areas become overcrowded. unscrupulous realty concerns make huge profits by exploiting the Ameri can tendency to become emotional about the race of one’s neigh bors. Essential to the working of the scheme is the implantation of the idea that the Negro “be longs” within a certain area, and that his presence in a neighbor hood decreases its value (regard less of the individual’s ability to keep his property up). A tract of non-Negro housing is then selected for exploitation. This is usually a subdivision of some years standing. The realty firm first buys a key piece of property (price and considerations are of no consequence to the concern) and this is then sold to a Negro family in need of housing and with the ability to pay for it. Next the whispering and tele phone campaign begins. “Ne groes have moved into your block or section. Your property is dropping in value daily. You had better let us take your prop erty off your hands while you can get something for it,” is the generalized approach. Usually the white property owner is per suaded to take a heavy loss on his property and is paid in cash, or in credit on a new house in a new subdivision, or with an in terest in the concern or in vari ous combinations of these. The white property owner not only loses money on his old property, but finds himself with a new house and a several-thousand dollar mortgage to pay. His old property is then sold to a Negro family at a high price, which he pays because he must have the housing, not because he thinks he is getting his money’s worth. This scheme is tried several times each year in such large cities as Chicago and Detroit, and only recently, apparently has been tried in Omaha. IS PATTERN DEVELOPING HERE? Since about 1935, it has been customary in Lincoln for Negro families to be shown properties for sale that do not lie outside of the area bounded more or less by “G” street, Vine, 19th and 23rd streets. Hand in hand with this action has been the diffi culty of obtaining sufficient loans from lenders for properties outside that area. Many Negroes do not live within this delimited area. At the present time in this area, there is at least one house (and in many cases, more) per block occupied by white persons. Relationships are good, Negroes and whites finding each other good neighbors. It appears that one reason that certain pressure groups opposed the City Housing project was that such housing could not be segregated under the Federal Housing Act or under the Fed eral Housing Authority (FHA) ruling barring restrictions be cause of race, religion, etc. It also appears that the City Coun cil’s recent action was the go ahead for certain groups to save their scheme, which they have apparently been building on for the past 15 years, although I am quite sure that some of the coun cilors who voted against the fed eral aid did not consider this angle. It further appears that the corporation will make its profit on race-bating if Lincoln ites are not alert to prevent it. WHO PROFITS? WHO PAYS? Of interest is the fact that the corporation is capitalized at only $100,000. From this amount, does the corporation expect to build 170 units? By fourth grade arithmetic this works out to about $515.30 a unit. However, we understand from . reliable sources that the $100,000 will be used to borrow up to $2 million in government funds. That seems logical, since a new house does cost in the neighborhood of $10, 000. Another objection to city housing was that it would in crease the tax burden and that the city would have no say over the housing authority’s officers or records. If Mr. Taxpayer is going to be the one to pay any way, in the long run, ^ why doesn’t he borrow the money through his City Council? The tax money (federal funds) is contributed by all the states, and Lincolnites pay part of those tax^s and they will pay in more than taxes. Incomes from a city sponsored, unsegregated project will be lost if the council does not act That means money for parks, better streets, drainage and sanitary facilities, better teacher pay and even Christmas lights for some of the suburban shopping centers will be lost. Lincolnites will pay in more than that: They will pay for spurn ing the opportunity to advance our American ideals, they may even pay for it in the kind of so cial unrest prevalent wherever segregation is the rule in our country. They will pay for it as victims of emotional racism. And who will profit? Lincoln Hous ing, Incorporated? Well, we are well aware that the housing is desperately needed, but most Lincolnites will not favor entrenching segrega tion or the idea that each group has a “place,” nor segregation agreements for which both whites and Negroes pay and do not profit. i-eekskill Defendants Win Delay in $2,000,000 Suit Truman Ticks Successor for Judge Hastie WASHINGTON. (ANP). Mor ris F. de Castro, 48-year-old member of the few native white families of the Virgin Islands, was nominated by President Tru man here last week to succeed William H. Hastie as governor of the islands. Hastie was recently elevated to the U. S. Circuit Court of Appeals bench for the third district. De Castro, a career government employe, is the first native Vir gin Islander to be appointed to the governorship. He entered the government service as a jun ior clerk in the Sanitation de partment in 1918. When Hastie left to take over the federal judgeship, de Castro served as acting governor of the islands. The governor-designate told reporters at a St. Thomas press interview following his nomina tion that “my nomination by President Truman as the first na tive governor of the Virgin Is lands is a challenge to me as well as to the people of the islands. It is a significant advance in the application of the policy of self government to the insurer pos session of the United States. “I am conscious that because I am a Virgin Islander my respon sibility to administer good gov ernment will be greater than that of any of my predecessors. . .” Zaimek Tells Why He Made “No Way Out” By Harry Levette The idea for the picture “Pinky” had dramatic appeal and also of fered a medium for better hu man understanding. This was given by Daryl F. Zanuck, head of Twentieth Century-Fox Pro ductions, as his reason for pro ducing “Pinky.” In an exclusive rapid fire in terview your columnist managed to learn a bit of the philosophy of the man who has produced such socially significant movies as “Grapes of Wrath,” “No Way Out,” “The Song of Bernadette,” “How Green Was My Valley,” and “Gentlemen’s Agreement.” “The picture, ‘No Way Out,’ was produced for the same reason as ‘Pinky.’ It is a story of terrific dramatic impact, and it presents a courageous statement of facts without preaching. The making of such pictures is an integral part of my production policy, and I will make them whenever I find a story of suitable force and popu lar appeal. Although the interview was very short it did give some in sight into the man whose studios have produced films with such memorable Negro non-stereotyped characters as . . . Leigh Whipper as a minister who tried to stop vigilantes from lynching a white settler in “The Ox-Bow Incident.” ... or the Dorie Miller type character in “Crash Drive” as played by the late Ben Carter ... or the role of Louise Clark speaking perfect French in “Cafe Mont Marte.” PEEKSKILL, N. Y. (ANP). Defendants in the $2,000, 000 damage suit filed by Paul Robeson, the Civil Rights congress and others, won a delay last week in Federal Judge Conger’s court. The defendants are the State, Westchester County and Peekskill officials. Judge Conger ruled that the suit filed by Robeson and his co-plaintiffs conflicts with the present Westchester Grand Jury probe of the anti-Negro, anti Semitic riots that shook the nation last summer. A tty. Bella Absug, counsel for the plaintiffs, argued against the Judge’s opin ion which postponed the case un til the grand jury has finished its investigation. Attorney Abzug declared, “It has never been held that because a grand jury is considering a matter all other courts must defer their own business. If the con tention of the defendants were upheld, all other tribunals having jurisdiction, including especially the Federal courts, could be para lyzed while they proceeded with their own investigation of their own conduct—the very conduct complained of in this action.” All may help through your RED CROSS Girl Seoul Short To Be Featured Throughout U.S. NEW YORK. (ANP). A two reel technicolor film about girl scouting, “Women of Tomor row,” with a cast of colored and white Girl Scouts, has been pro duced by Warner Bros., in co-op eration with the Girl Scouts of the the USA, it was announced last week by the National Headquar ters of Girl Scouts. The cast is made up of real scouts. There are no professional actors in the film. The picture shows some of the things that girls from seven thru 17 do in scouting—from a Brownie attending her first troop meeting to a Senior Scout taking part in an international encampment. It demonstrates how Girl Scouting develops better citizens and bet ter people through a program of activities- that are both fun and good training. “Women of Tomorrow,” will be shown as a regular short subject in theaters throughout the coun try, beginning March 17. Our Honor Roll The following are some of those who are New Subscribers or have renewed their .subscriptions to THE VOICE. How does your subscription stand? Mrs. R. C. Brooks Mrs. Mary Watkins Mrs. George B. Wilder Mrs. Roland W. Young Mrs. Birdie Artis Mrs. Charlotte Riley, Omaha Mrs. Mildred Elliot, Omaha Mrs. Esther Green, Los Angeles Calif. Dr. James Marshall Mrs. Pauline Ivory Mrs. Edward C. Fisher Rev. Philip Schug Miss Pearl Watkins, Omaha Mr. John Knickrehm Rev. B. T. McDaniel, Omaha Mrs. O. Lintz Mrs. Rudolph Parson Rev. Forrest M. Sttth Mrs. Beuiah Caesar Mrs. • J. R. Edwards Mrs. Lillian Miller Mrs. Fern Hubbard Orme Women Reject Teeth Pulling JOHANNESBURG, S. A. (ANP). Women of the Baila-Batonga tribe of northern Rhodesia will not be bound by conventions, especially when it involved the pulling of teeth. Sen. J. Adams Sunday Speaker At Quinn Chapel Sen. John Adams, sr., presiding elder of the Omaha district of the , AME church, was the Sunday morning speaker at Quinn Chapel last Sunday. Senator Adams has only recently returned from Jacksonville, Florida where he at tended a meeting of the Council of Bishops. The church is mak ing great progress in expansion of its physical facilities in the south, he related. He also brought highlights of the report from South Africa on the exploitation of the natives by the new gov ernment. Last week Senator Adams filed for re-election from the 5th leg islative district in Omaha. Court Postpones Decision of N.Y. Bowling Suit NEW YORK. (ANP). State Su preme Court Justice Samuel H. Hofstadter postponed a decision on an ouster suit against the American Bowling congress here last week. The state attorney general’s office has sought to bar the ABC from New York because of the outfit’s ban on persons other than those of the “w’hite male sex.” The ABC counter with one mo tion seeking to make the attorney general state separately and num ber the complaints. The attorney general dubbed this a delay tac tic. Goldstein followed with a motion to force the congress to answer the complaints within five days. Lest We Forget Those W ho Are III Mrs. Lillian Miller, St. Eliza beth hospital. Miss Anna Johnson, St. Eliza beth hospital. Mrs. Estelle Davis, St. Elizabeth hospital. Miss Dorothy Greene, 32221 S street. Mrs. Odessa Patrick, 2410 Hol drege. Patronize Our Advertisers—they are making this publication pos sible.
