SCARLET AND BLACK Pogo Five Friday Sopiembnr 0, mo . Rights dream ”to Chicago to Bra 5525 fiends {@Mfifiig’n? For Egooiiia‘y in flowing Ed. Note: This story on the Chicago Freedom Movement was written by Krys Net-man, a native or Chicago‘s north shore suburbs. She took a year off from school to work on the staff of Martin Luther King‘s SCLC, in the slums of wmt side Chicago. Krys spent the previous summer working for file American Friends Service Committee in Watts, Calif. By KRYS NEUMAN Last fall, as this nation was just beginning to recover from its shock over the uprising against cond‘tions in watts, Caliiomia, civil rights workers began gathering in the slums or Chicago, with the intention of creating a nonviolent move- ment which would point out, more constructively than did Watts, the ghetto problems oi the northern city. Why Chicago Picket Martin Luther King's South- em Christian Leadership Con- ference sent its workers to Chicago, rather than Los An- geles. or some other city, for two reasons: An abundance oi civil rights and church groups were already struggling with the problems there and the Daley Democratic machine had the power to change con- ditions quickly and efficiently if ending slums ever became the politically expedient thing to do. Today, one year later, it is evident that Mayor Daley and oLher City leaders do respond favorably to some or the issua brought out by the Movement. but it is not SB clear that their committments (on open occu- pancy, for instance) will be realized or whether they mere v Dz, ' * k' Iy look good on paper, Further, tlle demonstrations in various white communities surrounding the slums, including the Cicero demonstration of this week. have proved to the nation that Negroes cannot find housing out- side the ghetto as the situation stands, but protests have not brought out important urban problems such as unemploy- ment, inferior education and living conditions, and lack oi political representation. Indeed, the northern urban crisis is so complex and an times nebulous that trying to solve it is a frustrating chal: lenge for the civil rights worka er with a southern orientation. The staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Confer ence was equipped primarily for action in the South. Many of the workers had come from Alabama, where organizing people into a movement meant driving from town to town and arranging rallies with Dr. Mar- tin Luther King. , Organizing Difficult In Chicago, the radical, young Reverend James Bevel direct- ed the operations of the field staff as well as the field work ers of the West Side Christian Parish. Dr. King, himself, did not move to Chicago until Jan- uary, and, even the, organizing was slow and frustrating work. Mass demonstrating, the tactic that pulls people together quickly, was impossible in the cold winter. In the early stages of the Movement in Chicago, many hours were spent in staff dis cussions on the many forces that create slums and on the single issue that would move people to work to end them, MARCHERS kneel before a Gage Park (soulhwesf Chl- cago suburb) real estate cities. The prayer vigil was held to protest the firm': discrimindhory policies. l lllllllllitlllliiitiiliti‘Ill:llill:tliiiltli:ii itiit‘iltiilii: alt Black Ghetto CHICAGO marchers applaud Reverend James Bevel, a Chicago Project Director at SCLC, at a mass meeting. Aitar a series at freedom matches, the mesl’ing was held tar evaluation and to plan tutors astivitier. What Makes Ghetto The staff found that once southern Negroes moved into northern ghettos the pattern at poverty and discrimination kept them conhned there. Since education in the ghetto is inferior, residents have limit- ed joh potential. Slum dwellers oiten exist on modest welfare Checks or'low income wages. Without the income, adequate housing is out at the question. The vicious circle is complete because low income housing areas generally have your schools. Breaking up the ghetto ap- peared to be the only way to terminate the recurring pat- tern. Housing seemed to be the Common denominator; anyone who lives in the ghetto lives in a slum Even those Negroes with money to move to n nicer area were refused entrance. And staying in the ghetto does not mean Cheaper housing be- cause rents are inflated about fifteen per cent above done in white neighborhoods. Although slum dwellers pay higher rents, the money usually does not go toward building im- provemenls. Tenants Take Control The Idea behind a lenaiils' union is that organized tenants would have the power to with- hold their rents and to use [his money for repairs if the [and lord did not get the work do! on his own. it necessary, the building might have to move out of the hands of the owner and be put in ti‘usleeshlp, prob- ably lo a bank. End Slums Union The union was begun in East Garfield Park, a section of Chicago's West Side. It was called the Union to End Slums and was divided into eight geo- graphical areas, called Locals. About three Staff members were assigned to work with community people in organiz- ing each Local. The task was monumental as there were thousands of family units in each Local, Neither staff nor community leaders had the ex- perience needed tor this level of organizing. Some staff members learned iiilti‘ iiil:ttii:lt: that they were better equipped to work with gang youth or in the office while others stayed out in the field. High school and college students irom all over Chicago helped partrtime. In the summer, sortie college students lived with neighbol‘« hood families and worked for the Union at subsistance pay, The YMCA and church groups had special grants to support them, Thanks to these summer volunteers operations could he stepped up temporarily. Demands on City In June, warm w e a th e r brought the expectation or demonstrations, so the Union presented its demands about ending slums to the city. Thirty - live to forty thousand marched with Martin Luther King to post the demands on the door or City hall. With thousands or marchers. a real Chicago Freedom Move- merit began. The emphasis or “End Slums" activities shifted to white neighborhoods to test one of the demands » open occupancy. White and Negro workers Visited realtors in while neighborhoods, asking to see “lor sale" listings. When it was clearly established that, in a given neighborhood, the white worker could do business but the Negro was turned away, that area became the Site of all open occupancy march. Re. peated matches, in about five different neighborhoods, were necessary beiore Dr. King could elicit promises from City OfiiClalS and the Real Eslale Board that Movement demands would be met. These \veie made only alter many maiclt crs had been injured by mobs or white hecklers, screaming and hurling rocks, bollles and cherry bombs. Hostility in North Following one match, pic~ tures of Dr. King, staggering from a thrown brick, appeared on front pages all over the country. Allerwal‘ds, Dr, King said, “I thought there Woilld be hostilityi But I never expect- ed anything like this. i have never seen such hate — not in Mississippi or Alabama." Some Negro groups in Chic- ago ieel that Dr. King "sold ‘1llllllifl‘t‘illlzlilil' :, out" to the City; that the pro mises he received are meaning- less and ~ or limited, These groups, like the CORE march- ers in Cicero, say they will continue to march on dieir own. Many thousands of Chicago's Negroes have not responded at all to the nonViolent movement. In the middle of the summer. Chicago's West Side ghetto. like so many others across the nation, broke out in violent racial discord. Broader Issues Soon SCLC's year in Chicago has definitely been fruitful, how ever, and the organization has plans to stage future demon- strations. The staff aims not to overlook the weltare, employ- ment and educational problems in the tight for decent housing. Then. also, the Union to End Slums is growing daily as more buildings join the active Locals and as more tenants re< eeive bargaining rights in cons tracts with their landlords. At die present time, there are five new Unions all over the City or Chicago. Two Unions on the West Side, the East Garfield Union to End Slums and the Lawndale Union are beginning a massive rent strike against one slum owner with many holdings in both areas who will not [ix his buildings, rlor sign a contract. All six unions recently began holding some common meetings to shale problems and discuss structure and tactics. JAMES BEVEL displays Noll placard no rally. tiillHi.‘ i.::it»ii:litliii