Chicago, Illinois, July-August, 1953
Mary hath
been taken up into heaven: therefore do the
angels vejotce:
and with
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voue of fer high praise to Hun,
alleluia .
Views of the Month
Surveys on Africa Projected AIROBI, Kenya—The Royal Commission on Land and Popula- tion in East Africa, the Troup Commission, and British Colonial Secretary Oliver Lyttleton have been submitting reports which will eventually go into a vast and detailed survey of this troubled country. The Mau Mau raids, violent expressions of racial tension, are rooted in the poverty of the land and its people, and it is the nature and extent of this poverty, with proposals for remedial action, that will form the body of the survey.
IN THIS COUNTRY the Twentieth Century Fund, a non-profit research and educational foundation, is planning a three-year study of the peoples, countries and resources of Africa, its problems, its international imporfance, and its possible future. The Fund’s team will start its work here in the fall and go to Africa in 1954.
New Bishop Hard at Work Already
AY ST. LOUIS, Miss.—Bishop Bowers, S.V.D., whose consecra-
tion in April was the subject of a feature story in this paper last month, officiated at the ordination of two alumni of St. Au- gustine’s Seminary here on June 24th. The Bishop is now on an extensive tour of this country before leaving for his diocese on the Gold Coast in September. Perhaps some of our readers will be fortunate enough to see him!
Housing and Police Programs Go Forward EW YORK, N. Y.—The new rent law will give New York the chance to do “the biggest face-lifting job ever imagined,” ac- cording to State Rent Director Joseph D. McGoldrick. He said that it would take at least 50 years to correct present slum condi- tions, and that consequently the State Rent Commission was in- sisting on “a high standard of maintenance and service” by land- lords in order that no more slums might be created. “We're going to get tough,” he added. Mr. McGoldrick has his problems. The drastic slash in housing appropriations by Congress has sty- mied much of the public housing in almost every city in the U. S. Public housing is no cure-all, but it’s certainly a big help. Write your Congressmen—today!
NEW YORK’S Police Department is in for some ‘“‘face-lifting” too. It’s going to go to school. A- training course on Human and - Racial Relations is being conducted at the Police Academy, and eventually the city’s entire force wil' go through it. Commissioner George P. Monaghan and Dr. William Jansen, Superintendent of Schools, with their Advisory Committee, issued a statement that they believed that this program would “result in better under- standing and apprecigtion on the part of both police and the public ..+ (which) will reeult in greater respect for the law.” :
(Continued on Page 6)
ucilist-
WITHOUT INTERRACIAL JUSTICE SOCIAL JUSTICE WILL FAIL
oto 66
10 Cents
D. C. Restaurant Case Decided Supreme Court Upholds Anti-bias Law
THE MURKY. CLOUD OF DIS-
CRIMINATION which: has hovered for so long over our na- tion’s capital has been lifting little by little in the past two decades, and now it is safe to say that the light of true justice and honor is dispersing it sub- stantially.
On June 8 the Supreme Court, by unanimous (8-0) decision, declared that the city’s anti-seg- regation law, passed in 1873, was still valid. This law forbids restaurants, cafes or bars to discriminate against customers on grounds of race.
The Court’s ruling has greatly strengthened the cause of social justice for the whole country, and we do not doubt that the in- fluence will be felt abroad as well. Though discriminatory practices may be worse in other parts of the country than in Washington, the scandal caused by such practices in the capital may well be greater than all the others together. Diplomatic and other visitors have frequently noticed, and commented upon,
- the wide gap between principles
and actions which the city has heretofore demonstrated. Conse- quently we are thankful for the
Vital Court Decision in Chicago
Judge Berkowitz Rule for Social Justice ’
ON THE NINTH OF JUNE,
in crowded Cook County, Ill., Superior Court, Judge Jacob Berkowitz ordered that the case of Western Springs, Ill., vs. Dr. & Mrs. Arthur G. Falls be dis- missed and that the defense mo- tion, i.e. the allegation that Dr. Falls’ property was being con- demned because of his race, be upheld. To us, this was prob- ably the most important court decision upholding property rights since restrictive cove- nants were declared unconstitu- tional by the Supreme Court of the United States in 1948.
The village of Western Springs is an all-white community of about 7,000 upper middle in- come home owners. In April of 1952 Dr. Falls, Chicago physi- cian and surgeon, and his wife, Lillian Falls, prominant social worker, purchased property in this community and tried to ob- tain a building permit. They were subsequently asked to at- tend a meeting at the office of the Commission on Human Rela- tions to speak with three mem- bers of the Forest Hills Asso- ciation of Western Springs, an association of home owners in the immediate neighborhood of Dr. Falls’ $50,000 proposed home. Sometime in September this group had been advised that the only “legal’’ means of keep- ing Negroes out of Western Springs was to talk them out of it or have their property con- demned. At this meeting every effort was made to dissuade the
Falls from moving into the com- munity, and verbal threats were made to intimidate them.
Effort to Condemn Property HESE SAME THREE MEN, returning to their homes, cir-
culated petitions for the con- demnation of a portion of land, including the Falls’ property, for park purposes. Although the reason given for the condemna- tion in the petition read that the land was unsafe for the construc- tion of homes, these same men were quoted as having made statements of alarm that people of Dr. & Mrs. Falls’ complexion were moving into the village.
triple effect of this decision: first, that our fellow-citizens may now enjoy more of their rights without fear; second, that the nation’s moral health will thereby be strengthened; and third, that our brothers in other lands will see that one of the qualities of our democracy is the ability to admit and correct our faults.
Decision Taken Calmly EARS THAT unpleasant in- cidents might arise appear to
have been unfounded. A few in- dividuals and groups expressed disappointment, but according to John S. Cockrell, executive secre- tary of the Washington Restau- rant Association, the general re- action has been more one of re- lief that the case, which has been struggling through the courts for three years, was set- tled at last. The Washington Hotel Association volunteered the opinion that public rooms in hotels fell under the ruling and that its members would abide by it. This opinion was corroborated by the Corporation Coumsel. The law does not apply to hotel ac- commodations or theatres, but many advances have been made
(Continued on Page 6)
November 29th, he was offered $5,125.00 for property he pur- chased for $7,500.00 and he was given until noon of Monday Dec. 1st, to comply. The village of Western Springs seemed ex- tremely anxious to acquire this one particular portion of the condemned property. With the exception of one quick claim deed, which was never filed at the Recorders’ office, no at- tempts, other than options, were made to acquire the remainder of the site.
Judge Berkowitz saic that the village wished to remove Dr. & Mrs. Falls because of their color
and ruled that, it was a clear abuse of legislative power. He stated further that, “if the com- mission is allowed to take this
oakcee Whe Sedhract Others lo Justice Shall Shine As Shans for All
Et ernil. y-
In November of 1952 the park district. resolved to take the parcel of land described in the petition. A half block to the north of this site is a well- equipped 26-acre park and there are several smaller parks in the vicinity to the south of it. The land in question has a large drainage ditch running through it, making it most undesirable as a children’s play area.
Strong Statement by Judge
The court held that Dr. Falls did not receive a bona fide offer for his land. In late afternoon,
land it will be a tribute to hate and intolerance in this particu- lar area and I’m sure none of us would want our little children playing on it.” He felt too that it was time for all of us to ex- perience the “privilege of fra- ternity and brotherhood under the Fatherhood of God, and live the true spirit of America.”
It was a tremendous and im- pressive statement. I wish ev- ery paper in the United States had carried it on the front page Without irreverance -to Abra
(Continued on Page 6)
Page 2 Vol. 12 July-August, 1953 No. 11
CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST
Formerly Harlem Friendship House News
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Foreign $1.25 a year. Single copies. 10c.
Love Recognizes No Barrier
SOCIOLOGY PROFESSOR testified at a hearing in Chicago
recently that while investigating conditions in a certain house he had found in an attic an old man who had no shoes but only rags around his feet. The professor did not believe that this man should be allowed to dwell in such a high-class neighborhood. The professor’s attitude is becoming more common. Christians should realize that such an attitude would not please Christ in whose parable Dives was condemned although his attitude to Lazarus was merely to ignore him, not to chase him from his gate.
People in comfortable circumstances seem to want to wall out not only the poor but all who differ markedly from themselves. This is expressed in the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act and real estate segregation. Such forgetfulness of “the law of human solidarity,” as our Holy Father calls it, leads to tragic results even
in this world.
Overpopulation and starvation exist in some states or countries alongside regions where surplus foodstuffs are stored up to over- flowing or allowed to rot in the fields. Good land is allowed to lie idle in one country for lack of help while in other countries skillful farmers starve because of poor soil, insufficient land or drought. For war tremendous loads of men and supplies are, transported. But it is considered a sentimental luxury to make such efforts to save lives. FIATRED GROWS IN THE HEARTS of the poor in countries
such as Italy or Japan for those countries which exclude them and refuse them help unless it is bought, like the wheat that we sold to the starving people of India. The more well-to-do hate us because of the American racism expressed in the unjust quotas for colored people in the McCarran Bill. These hatreds do not make for a moreapeaceful world.
World leadership in the economic field has come to us and we can no longer think comfortably only of our own rich country, although there are still great improvements to be made here. We must sincerely cooperate with other nations to serve the welfare of the world, not merely our own profit. Respect for other people and their ways is needed, realizing that they may know better than we what is best for their country, whatever the color of their skin may be. That may mean that we withdraw our support from white colonial powers in suppressing Asiamand African people. We may learn a great deal in seeing how a spiritual people like the Indians deal with Communistic materialism. And we may learn a lesson in humanity by realizing that they also class us as materialists.
OPELESSNESS AT THE VAST COMPLEXITIES of the inter-
national situation and withdrawal is not the answer. Each
one of us can help the mutual love and service of the world family of God in many ways:
1. We can write to our Senators and Congressmen to liberalize the McCarran-Walter Immigration Act and to lower tariffs.
2. We can try to meet people from other countries who are studying or working in our communities. By showing them Chris- tian hospitality we can increase their love for Americans. And we can learn many good things about them and their way of life to pass along to our friends.
3. We can sponsor immigrants or help them when they get here by teaching them English or serving them in some other way.
4. We may get a government position or one in the missions of a foreign country and show respect and interest in the people there by trying their way of life instead of walling ourselves up into an American colony.
5. We may correspond with people in other countries. Write to us if you would like names of people.
6. We may read books by foreign authors. 7. We may send CARE packages. We have addresses for these also. America has come out of its shell into the world. Let’s not make ourselves ridiculous by trying to crawl back.
Human driftwood is plentiful enough, but all too few are those who stand on the shore ready to gather it up. The sick and the poor are not the only ones deserving of our charity; there are the snubbed, the strayed, the left behind, the lonely. There are also those who may not deserve our charity, but who nevertheless re- quire it: the imposters, the ungrateful, the tiresome people who make capital out of the generosity of others, the thrusters, the bores, the thoughtless. The more it costs us to display our charity, the more directly it is charity done to Christ. If it costs us our comfort, it is far from worthless; if it costs us our time and energy it is better still; if it costs us something in the way of shame and shyness it is certainly leading us in the way of saints; if it costs us our reputation it is best of all.
—Dom Hubert Van Zeller in We Live With Our Eyes Open (Sheed & Ward)
CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST
Our Lady of Africa
Photograph of painting by Sister Mary of the Compassion, O.P. The original was bought by Rev. Anthony Vader of Chicago while it was on exhibition at Memphis, Tennessee, this spring.
For the Best In
BOOKS - MAGAZINES - ART
St. Benet Library and Bookshop 506 South Wabash Avenue Chicago 5, Illinois
Not As Easy As You'd Think
SOME TIME AGO I happened to mention in a thank-you
letter to one of our friends here in the city that we were doing quite a bit of work with the IHinois Committee for Equal Job Opportunities. She wrote back, volunteering to help. So I sent her several of the petitions addressed to Governor Stratton and some explanation of the type of bill the committee would like to see passed—definitely enforceable.
She called some time later, to say that she had not had nearly as much success as she had thought she would have in getting people to sign the petition and contribute. She said she was amazed that so many of her friends whom she had thought were very Christian in their attitudes had balked at signing. She wanted more material to read so she might be able to convince them, But she didn’t sound very hopeful. She ended by saying sométhing like this: “You know, I’m beginning to see what you people are up against.”
The CEJO bill has just passed the Illinois House by a substantial margin, but it has yet to pass the Senate, which killed a similar bill two years ago. So there is still
plenty of work to be-done. —Ann Stull
Church of Our Lady of Lourdes
RAJAKEMBIRAM Via Manamadurai, (S. India) For favour of publication. Dear Friends,
The village of Rajakembiram has about 700 catholics, as many muslims and about 500 hindus. They are mostly poor ryots trying to earn their livelihood either by growing paddy or cultivating beatle-gardens. But fo rsome partial crops in some years, cultivation has been a failure for nearly a decade due to failure of monsoon rain. This year has been particularly bad due to the continued drought; and the at- tempt to cultivate has only augmented the debts. Migration overseas was a relief in former years; this only outlet is closed to us due to political circumstance.
Dear Friends, if you are not in such a bad plight as we, thank God for this blessings, you cannot better show your gratitude to God than by helping nis poor in need.* We shall be thankful for any help you will be pleased to give and we pray that He returns you a hundredfold.
(Rev. Fr.) S. Irudayam, Church of Our Lady of Lourdes, Rajakembizam, Via Manamadurai,
S. India.
July-August, 1953
READERS WRITE
Want to Pray or Work
with Benedictines? St. Maur’s Priory South Union, Kentucky (near Bowling Green) Dear Friends: ;
We would like to invite your readers to our summer retreats. Here are the details:
1. Retreats open on Friday evenings at 8 p.m.
2. Retreats close on Sundays at 4 p.m.
3. Inability to contribute the usual offering is no obstacle.
4. Retreats are on July 10-12; July 24-26; August 7-9; August 21-23.
5. Specify which retreat you wish to attend to:
Director of Retreats, St. Maur’s Priory, South Union, Kentucky
We also extend an invitation to volunteer workers who would like to spend some time with us in assisting in renovation of the old Shaker buildings—carpen- ters, plumbers, electricians, and anyone who would like to learn the art of tuck-pointing.
You know that we shall be grateful for any help you may offer. To all of you we wish the special blessings of the Holy Spirit for continued success in His vineyard.
Rev. Harvey Shepherd, O.S.B.
SERINCO Publishes
Interracial Prayer THE SOUTHEAST INTER-
RACIAL Commission, usually shortened to SERINCO, has published a prayer which we hope will be widely received and recited. It bears the imprimatur of Most Rev. Joseph F. Rummel, Archbishop of New Orleans. This prayer should greatly promote brotherly love in thoughts, words and actions wherever it is taken to heart, not only in interracial relations but in those between nations, members of families or other persons. Here it is:
O God, my~heavenly Father, Whose love created me and all other children of men as mem- bers of one human family, all different yet all sharing the same nature and destiny; give me the grace this day to act with the kindness of Your love towards those I am most tempt- ed to condemn, ridicule, despise or hurt in any way, so that in serving them, I serve not self but You, through Jesus Christ, Your Son and my Brother, in Whom we are all one. Amen.
A College Student Says:
“The week I spent with you last summer was one of the most wonderful experiences in my life. Throughout the week, the predominant impression in my mind was the peace and charity in our little Christian society. That week I learned much in living the Church’s liturgy, especially through the daily Mass and recitation of Prime and Compline. I learned moré fully the meaning of Catholic Action and especially the apostolate of Friendship House. The work and the rec- reation, the lectures and the abundant discussion taught me that living in an inter- racial society can and must work in our American way of life. The week taught me much, I shall never forget it.”
ATTEND A
FRIENDSHIP HOUSE
SUMMER SCHOOL (See page 5 for details)
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July-August, 1953
CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST
Page $3
by Betty Delaney
NEW ORLEANS, LA.—(Spe-
cial)—A ustralia washes dishes in a small hamburger joint here. In her own way she is a successful Negro. She will never trek to the North in search of illusive freedom and great opportunities. Nor will you find her tearing out her heart and her brain in the bitter cry of a Richard Wright.
She learned early how to make the perfect adjustment to her life in the South. And if to an outsider it looks like a tight- rope balancing act, one can only admire her technique—and ap- plaud.
She’s the indispensable type. Her dishes sparkle. When the waitresses bring in their young offspring, they are handed over the counter to Australia’s volu- minous embrace. The customers know her and when a waitress is too busy they’ll take a cup of coffee she jerks for them even though it’s an understood taboo that dishwashers don’t ‘go be- hind the counter.
NOT A BAD LIVING, EITHER GHE ALSO TAKES a few tips
from the waitresses for mak- ing coffee and little favors she doesn’t have to do. She takes what she can, in fact, in a pleas- antly subtle way that makes you smile.
But the thing about Australia that enables her to move about with amazing nonchalance in a white world is this balancing pole: she never goes too far; she knows just how far she can go.
ARY NOW, MARY DIDN’T
KNOW her act. And Mary didn’t last long. The customers didn’t like Mary. They would ask me, “Say, is that dishwash- er white or colored?” because you couldn’t tell by looking, and you couldn’t tell by the way she acted.
The waitresses didn’t like Mary because when they asked her to fill the creamers she might say, “You do your work and I'll do mine.” And when she came through with the dishes she expeeted you to let her through. “Acted like she was white!”
One morning they told her she didn’t have to come back, they had somebody to take her place. Mary couldn’t figure it out. She told me, “I just ain’t got any luck, that’s all. Seems like it al- ways happens to me this way.”
Australia: A Successful Negro
I ASKED AUSTRALIA, ‘Does
Mary need her job?”
“She sure does—three kids and her husband dead.”
The crew carried on about it for days, all thinking up their grievances, even though nobody was arguing with them. There were only two people there who thought they did Mary an in- justice ... the colored dishwash- er and a Yankee. Both of us knew our place, and we didn’t say a word... not out front at any rate.
STREETCAR NAMED HOPE?
The editor wanted me to get a story about segregation on the streetcars. Well, the streetcars
have been here an awful long time. But “Progress” says the streetcars must go. And, as fond as the New Orleanans are of them, they are a disappearing institution.
So as it appeared obvious to me that the streetcars would be gone long before brotherly love pushed out segregation, I didn’t see much of a story in it. The obnoxious wooden signs will no doubt rest in peace with their solid antique cars.
The editor suggested I inter- view some streetcar conductors. Well, I asked around, and no- body knew any streetcar con- ductors they could guarantee weren’t prejudiced (I was still looking for good news). So I thought I'd ask my oracle, Aus- tralia.
“Australia, does it bother you when you get on the streetcar and have to sit in the back?”
GHE GAVE ME A SHREWD
LOOK and a shrewd answer. -.. “People don’t pay no atten- tion to those signs anymore. You see white folks sitting back of the signs. . . .~Conductors don’t pay any attention.”
“Yes, but what would happen if you sat up in front of the sign?”
“Well, then the conductor would come up and change it,” she said positively.
“You think you'll ever get rid of the signs?”
She shrugged and shook her head with such finality that there and then I gave up the streetcar story, because I knew it wasn’t going anywhere.
N?: THAT WOULD BE PUT- TING the cart before the
Changes And are
horse in this town. must and will come.
Our Purpose HE PURPOSE of the Catholic Interracial-
ist is
TO REAFFIRM both the human dignity and rights of all men and the profound unity among all men es- tablished by our common Creator anu
Savior and our common Brother. B TO HELP Friendship House’s practical effort to * bring the spirit of Christ’s justice and love to bear on the attitudes, laws, customs, and institutions of our time inasmuch as they have been corrupted by racial prejudice and hatred and discrimination, and the lives
of men and women, Negro and white, have for that reason been degraded.
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Enclosed please find $ Please send subscriptions to
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Send to the CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST
4233 S. Indiana Avenue
Chicago I5, Ill.
$1 a year —$1.25 foreign
coming. But our Southern neigh- bors, and particularly our Cath- olic brethren, are working from the organic center of the trou- ble. Streetcars are only the out- er peeling on the inner core of the mysterious growth that keeps apart Negro and white members of Christ’s Mystical Body.
The action that is underfoot here against segregation can be compared to the action of grass- hoppers on a hot day in August in a field of ripe wheat.
you LOOK OVER THE
FIELD of wheat as a whole, and it looks like a solid mass which would stand before the
wind and rain and sun. But while you are looking at it, you do not see that the whole field is alive with millions of little grasshoppers, steadily and in- evitably consuming the proud and defenseless wheat as it stands on the stalk.
You cannot see them, but if you listen closely you can hear the sound of their gnawing. At first it is almost imperceptible, but it seems to grow steadily louder and louder to a deafening roar as you behold the truth.
There is a mass of isolated people throughout the South who have changed their think- ing ... living in the context of old institutions and uhder the cover of accepted traditions. They are influencing their milieu, very quietly.
The South is ready for the harvest.
A WORKER SAYS:
“Your recipe of one part school, one part work, and one part summer resort was just what this wandering wayfarer in the world needed to recoup soul and body.
Till next sum- mer!”
ATTEND A FRIENDSHIP HOUSE SUMMER SCHOOL (See page 5 for details)
Christ’s Body Hurt
HE MYSTICAL BODY, Christ upon earth, suffers continually
from contempt and persecution by those who hate it. Yet it suffers far more from those among its own members who, claiming the Church as their own, yet turn against their fellows and inflict, as it were, a kind of self-torture upon the whole Body.
The citizens, including Catholics, of North Carolina have made slow but steady and increasing progress toward the betterment of race relations in their state in the last few years; we have often printed items concerning interracial church and civic groups, court decisions against bias, appointment or election of Negroes to civil posts and other indications of the good will and right ambitions among its people. But these have been, almost always, small items, not attracting much attention and probably all too soon forgotten. Now a small town some 40 miles south of Raleigh has attracted, on one Sunday morning, a bigger splash of newsprint than dozens of these small notices. Newton Grove has had two Catholic churches, one for colored and one for white parishioners who number together less than 400 souls. When Bishop Vincent Waters of Raleigh, following his well-tried policy of racial integration in his diocese, ordered the two churches merged and came down to see that it was done, he let himself in for a hard time. Angry white parishioners threw rocks at the church, manhandled the two priests who were present and harassed the Bishop with threats, abuse and even curses. The Bishop talked to the trouble-makers and the priests and two deputy sheriffs calmed and dispersed the crowd, but the damage was done. Another wound had been in- flicted on the Body of Christ.
What can we say? How many times we have quoted that saying, “Whatever you do to even the least of these my brethren, you do to Me.” How many more times will it appear in this paper before the little items become big, and the violent sensation stories disappear from all headlines? Let us at least remember that it is the many small items that are important, not the occasional big splashes, which often concern, as in this case, isolated instances involving,relatively few people. The Newton Grove incident will soon blow over, while the work of Bishop Waters and others like him will continue to grow in scope and influence.
White Victim of Jim Crow Weeps MAkY AND DAVID have been living in Park Manor, Chi- cago, for about one and a half years. When they first moved in, some of their white neighbors refused to have anything to do with them, particularly a neighbor two doors
away, who ignored even charming David Junior. But after a time she proceeded to make overtures to little David, and sent him candy and cookies. Mary took
him over to thank the lady, and found her in the midst of
packing boxes—and tears. She sat Mary down and refused to let her go while she unburdened herself as to how terribly sorry she was to be leaving the. neighborhood ... she had never expected to like her new neighbors so... but now the house was sold, and they had to move.
This was the second such incident the Jameses knew of. David mentioned it to an assistant at their parish, and the priest said that they heard many such tales—in fact, many former parishioners who had fled before the “invasion” were trying to buy back into the parish.
Housing Project Church Dedicated Cardinal Stritch at dedication of the church of Our Lady of the Gardens at 940 E, 132nd Street at the Altgeld Public Housing Project in Chicago, Ill.
Page 4
‘CATHOLIC INTERRACIALIST
.
July-August, 1953
NATIONAL OFFICE OF FRIENDSHIP HOUSE
4233 S. Indiana Ave.
New House to Open
BG NEWS THIS MONTH on
the Friendship House scene is the fact that plans are afoot to open a new center in the fall. Late in the winter, Bishop Greco told us that he would be inter- ested in having us come to work in Shreveport, Louisiana. Re- cently, the Council of Friendship House, made up of Catherine de Hueck, foundress of the move- ment, and workers from the four present Houses in the United States, voted to accept the Bish- op’s invitation, and to send sev- eral workers to Shreveport in October.
His Excellency’s words are en- couraging. He states, in a letter to us, “We will be happy — in fact privileged—to have you in- augurate your program in our diocese, and it is most reassur- ing to know that the decision was unanimous for the estab- lishment of ‘Friendship House’ in Shreveport.” At the same time, he sent his blessing upon our work, and particularly upon
the new establishment in Shreve-
port.
Because we struggle along, often short of both workers and funds in the Houses we have already begun, it may seem strange that we are accepting, s0 joyfully, this opportunity to spread our work. A Bishop’s word, however, is to us an indi- cation that we are to begin, enthusiastically and trustfully knowing that God in His Provi- dence will show us the way and give us the means.
We will come to Shreveport, not as strangers, but with a core of interested friends ready to welcome us. A year ago, a4 Shreveport couple, Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Daniels, visited Chicago and worked at Friendship House for several weeks, in order to learn more about our program. Their interest, and that of Fa- ther Joseph Gremillion who has long been active in Louisiana on the social justice front, will be a great help, we are sure, in set- ting up our work for Christ’s justice and love in a new city.
Chicago 15, Ill.
N APRIL, an interracial com-
mittee of 200 Shreveport citi- zens issued a 33,000 word report —the result of a three year sur- vey of Shreveport’s Negro com- munity. More than 1,000 Negro and white workers took part in the venture, at one time or an- other during the three years. The study is the first of its scope and kind in the United States, though smaller, similar surveys have been made in Jacksonville, Florida, and Greenville, North Carolina.
One of the best results of the survey is that it brought about the creation of a permanent in- terracial committee to function continuously in seeking solutions to the problems revealed — the first permanent committee of its kind in a southern city. Mr. Paul F. O’Brien and Mr. E. Ber- nard Weiss, both well-known for their civic activities throughout the state of Louisiana, are co- chairmen for the continuing pro- gram.
The survey itself was gratify- ing, the Shreveport Times ob- serves, in the progress it shows in educational and recreational facilities in recent years. But it pointed to problems in all fields that are still unsolved, and puts particular stress on housing and sanitation conditions. In the large program the Committee has set for itself, Friendship House hopes to work in a small but effective way.
LAST JANUARY, looking over our work in four cities, we felt that we might be ready to begin another center this year, if an opportunity presented it- self. We began praying for the opportunity. The answer came, we are sure, in Bishop Greco’s invitation. Now we are direc- ting our efforts and our prayers to finding all the ways that we can to make a real contribution to the work that has already be- gun in Shreveport, We will be grateful for the interest and prayers of all our readers, who have helped us so much ever since our first House opened. —Betty Schneider
AROUND FRIEN
FRIENDSHIP HOUSE OF HARLEM 34 W. 135th St., Box IF New York 37, New York
Heat, Housing, and Visitors UMMER ALL OF A SUDDEN. The streets seethe with people; chairs two deep line the five-foot square before apart- ment buildings, and people ‘spell’ one another all day and late into the evening. This is the soda-pop and popsickle era, and all the chil- dren know it. Lots of little ones are daily visitors to the clubroom; yesterday they had great fun with some new tops brought in by
the Dominican Sisters who work with the sick poor. The older kids have been laying plans to go swimming; Miss MacDonald (Mary, that is) is asked for minute by min- ute, since she’s to take the children to the Boys’ Club pool tonight. She’s overwhelmed by her popularity at times like these.
Pentecost is a beautiful time of year, the maturing of all
_ Christians through the working
of the Holy Spirit. On Pentecost
Sunday, the Vols and staff had a Communion breakfast, at which Dorothy Day spoke— spoke out of the fullness of her dedication to fully living the Christian life. It is like coming up to a familiar beach-head after a long storm to have her reassure us of the need for a total dedication to the Work of God in each day. Poverty and owning, war and peace—words that take on deep resonance and really personal application. Now we can “thank God that we live among present problems,” as Pope Pius XI advised.
Visitors, many old friends, have been coming. Father Fran- cis from St. Charles Borromeo spent one of his precious free
Are you planning your school lecture series now? Give your students a chance to learn about the Lay Apostolate by inviting Betty Schneider or a speaker from your nearest Friendship House to speak at your school. Write to Miss Betty Schneider, 4233 S. Indiana Ave., Chicago 15, Ill., or your nearest Friendship House for details.
afternoons with us; Father Fred McTernan, Frank Gannon, anew friend from Threefold Farms at Spring Valley.
Mrs. Vermell Grier had a tea for Friendship House at the Y.M.C.A. last Sunday. It was a pleasant, gracious afternoon; our friend, Timi Martin sang and we were so happy to hear him again. For the first time we heard Miss Fields sing; she’s planning a concert to be given at St. Aloysius Church shortly. There were also paintings by Cyril Butler and some charming recitations by Mrs. Grier. We are very grateful to her for the afternoon.
And Housing Again “BE IT EVER SO HUMBLE”
runs in the head when I think of the tight squeeze on housing for the people of the first demolition area of the hous- ing project on whose site we sit. Some of the places are too “humble”: dirty, junk-filled, de- fective plumbing (small floods from the top floor down), holes in walls and ceilings, electricity out of order, locks off doors, etc. Oddly enough, this isn’t exag- gerated and incredibly awe-full to view even after you’re been told of such situations. They are the sort of places that ten- ants are invited to occupy so that their present apartments may be razed for the housing project. In itself the plan is good, but in operation it is caus- ing hardship, worry, illness, to
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WOULD YOU LIKE COPIES
of the Catholic Interracialist to distribute at meetings?
We have back numbers of the Interracialist which could be used as a convenient form of introduction to Friendship
House, its aims and activities.
If you would like a bundle of them to distribute at your church, community, PTA, or other meetings, we will send any number you like. One cent (1c) apiece—100 for 95c —500 for $4.00. Write Catho- lic Interracialist, 4233 S. In- diana Ave., Chicago 15, IIl.
Rev. Edward Dugan, chaplain of | offers Mass in the chapel of BI. Martin
Spend a Week at a FRIENDSHIP HOUSE SUMWN
For the man or woman who wants to of brotherhood... ~