European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - October 19, 1967, Darmstadt, Hesse                                By Relman Morin a staff writer a painful dilemma confronts the Middle class negro today As he weighs the implications for himself and for the whole civil rights move ment of the racial violence that exploded in Detroit Newark and other cities during the summer. He is torn Between concern and com passion Between anxiety for himself and sympathy for the slum  Jordan the first negro Wom an elected to the Texas legislature told a convention of Middle class negro women in Cincinnati recently the Lack slum Dweller hates us As much As he hates , Urban affairs specialist Jeanne r. Lowe quoted a top ranking negro official in the office of equal Opportunity in los Angeles As saying of the Watts rioters Whitey in t alone in being the object of their  m. Bridgeforth a negro Law yer of Gary ind., said the negro Middle class reacted to the killing and burning with  at the same time they were sympathetic because they thoroughly understood the feelings of most of the people involved he  of the Middle class negroes in Detroit Frank Angelo managing editor of the Detroit free press said these negroes were terrified by the rioters because they feared they were going to be left unprotected from  Roberta Byrd a negro civic Leader wrote in the Seattle Post intelligencer we Are caught in a Cross fire and on occasion shoot Down our own , moral and practical considerations present themselves to the Middle class negro after another Long hot  regardless of his status he cannot disassociate himself entirely from the fight for civil rights simply because of his color. The negro who fought his Way out of the Black slums asks himself whether he should have been doing More to Hel the negro who is still there. And should he take some positive action now the negro intellectual proud of his attainments but painfully aware that Many times he can t buy a House in Amore desirable neighbourhood wonders whether the negro militant May not after All be on the right track. I am equal from nine to five he says bit Terly. During the rest of the Day i am reminded in 100 ways that i am  finally the Middle class negro examines the questions did the riots strengthen the position of the segregationists North and South and increase the danger of a White backlash or will measures to Correct slum conditions Rise from the ashes of burned out buildings the Chicago Sun times recently published the findings of a Broad scale sur vey of racial attitudes in that City and reported that among the negroes inter viewed More than one out of four think the riots did some Good.  Roberta byrd., a negro civic Leader wrote. We Are caught in a Cross  mrs. Ruby Hurley of Atlanta widely known negro civil rights Leader Dis agrees  Middle class negro thinks it s stupid she says. He knows that Burn ing is not the answer. In the riots basically it is the negro who suffers More than the  or. Martin Luther King said occasionally negroes contend that riots represent effective civil rights  those who express this View end up with mumbling words when asked what Concrete gain has been wrung As a result " in Detroit apparently the rioters were not primarily concerned with Concrete gain for civil  Detroit free press recently published the findings in a comprehensive Survey of the negro Community there. The report said these then Are the rioters Young people raised in the North with Little concern for their Fel Low men people susceptible to the Black nationalist philosophy that the Law and order of a White built society is not Worth  said they found evidence of cleavages in the negro Community in Detroit noting a significant Factor that rioters tend to be angry with peo ple around them including  the Wall Street journal published report on negro class divisions in Syra Cuse n.y., under the headline splits among negroes Widen As poor reject Middle class  quoted a negro social worker Reginald Gary some neighbourhood people feel that any negro with a for Mal education is an sob. The whole attitude reflects a schizophrenia and twisted bitterness on the part of Man negroes. They want to make it into the Middle class but once someone Doe make it he s a  of the whole question or. Vivia Henderson president of Clark College in Atlanta said the distance betwee the Middle class and the masses is widening. This is part of the problem we re having with riots. They had just As soon riot against say the Negr College because it is a Symbol of what they Don t have. These Are alienate people not Only from Whites but the negro Middle  who is the Middle class negro generalizations Are Slippery. However the criteria would include above average family income stability of employment and Opportunity for Educa  government figures indicate that some 30 per cent of the negroes in the United states Between six and seven million persons have an annual family income of $5,500 to $9,000. These tables fix the median income for negroes at $4,620. They show 9.6 per cent with incomes above $10,000 a  negro income is estimated at $30 billion a year. John h. Johnson negro Magazine publisher Points out that the present level of income make this a Market equivalent in scope to the entire consumer Market of  Large number of Middle class negroes own their Homes. The chicag commission on human relations Esti mates that in Cook county outside the City 52 per cent Are homeowners. In the recently published cities in a race with time Jeanne Lowe wrote that the figure for Philadelphia is 44  diff  a a. .  %.3 a Rhodes scholar Sanders vows to stay in Watts and work for its citizens future. The negro Parent of this class apparently emphasizes to his children the importance of education. Federal Statis tics indicate that the number of negroes who completed four years of High school has risen sharply since 1960. In Many respects the Middle class negro has written a Brilliant record in this Century. He has made his Way int every segment of american life professional business the arts and science including space technology. They have risen to positions of High responsibility and importance in All these Fields. Noting these gains Henry Moon an executive of the National association for the advancement of coloured people says it s less easy now for a Negrito say he has t made it because of his race. Too Many have made  and a principal characteristic of the class is an increasing Pride of race. We Are afro americans said Bob Johnson Chicago Magazine editor. The term becomes what we make it and i am proud of it. I am trying to Lear More about our  a number of other successful negroes old this reporter they definitely feel Superior to Many Whites whom the meet. The Middle class negro then obviously is far removed from the poor negro in the slums. The question is did he abdicate his responsibility to help the disadvantaged negro on that there is total disagreement in the negro Community North and South today. Here Are some yes votes cast by prominent negroes Carl Rowan former Federal official and now a columnist recently wrote those who have Money the ability to articulate and a measure of influence have by default turned the struggle for Equality Over to those who can do Little More than curse and pursue tactics of disruption and  Cora Walker a negro attorney in Newyork s Harlem who is deeply involved in self help projects there said the Middle class turned its Back on the civil rights movement. They just wanted Roget away from  negro businessman in Charleston,, said some of them paid conscience Money to the negro civil right organizations but even then not in pro portion to what they could  the newspaper Chicago daily de fender said in an editorial this is the class that does nothing for the dispossessed masses contributes nothing to the struggle for Freedom and will neither March demonstrate nor even Pray for civil rights. It follows there fore that this class is As much an obstacle to negro Progress As Are the teeming anti democratic forces below the Mason and Dixon  Columbia University Survey headed by Eli Ginzberg quotes negro Colleg students As saying they had not involved themselves in civil rights action be cause their parents did not want them to get a police record. Many prominent negroes How Ever stoutly defend the record of the Middle class. Their general position is there never would have been a civil rights movement but for the negro mid dle class. They Are the ones who began it Long ago and who have spearhead edit Ever  said publisher Johnson the Middle class has come to realize that they can t be secure until the other Fellows secure  meanwhile a number of negroes whore financially Able to live elsewhere remain in the ghettos by Choice. Theydon t want to escape. They want to improve conditions  is William Oliver a High ranking official of the United automobile work ers. The Detroit riots swirled close around his Home and his garage was bulged accidentally he believes. He Saif a White Man and wife came an helped him move his furniture when it appeared that his Home might catch Firo. He i remains in the riot area  other negroes Oliver said he is Worling to alleviate the slum conditions. We Are committed to the belief that our Community will not be permitted to deteriorate he said. The negro Magazine Ebony pub Lish to an article by Stanley Sanders a Law student under the title ill never escape the  s aiders a Rhodes scholar come from Watts scene of the disastrous riots in 965. He wrote that he intends to live jaw s William Oliver had garage burned in Detroit riots but is staying put and working to Bailer residents. Saul brother notice May have helped Detroit store owner in midst of riot but Many negroes lost Homes in violence. And work there now. My interest in the Law stems from a concern for the future of Watts Sanders wrote. The Talent Sand leadership which i saw leave Watts As a child Are the very things it  scores of self help programs and projects have come into being across the nation spearheaded mainly by Middle class  officers of operation breadbasket assert in five years in Atlanta alone at least 5,000 jobs Worth $22 million a year have been obtained for  Hope to be operating in every major City  Harlem mrs. Walker works to get up a cooperative supermarket and nonprofit housing development. William Oliver works on a similar project i Detroit. Carl Rowan establishes a fund for scholarships for negro  Are Many other examples. As for the Black Power advocates mrs. Walker said there is no place in the ghettos for rap Brown or car Michael. The basis for bitterness is Here but it does t do any Good to say tear it up. Burn it up now is the time for constructive solutions and this Community is Busy finding  in Chicago the West Side Organiza Tion so has drawn in members of the negro youth gangs. It has joined forces with mayor Richard j. Daley South action Job training program. Gang members have found employment through so. Says its director Chester Robinson we Tell these Young kids to get hip. Nobody on the West Side is going to profit from riots and gang wars. Right after the last riots prices went sky  could t get milk for their babies. It s hard enough for our me but riots Only make it worse. Why should we Burn and tear Down the Only thing we be got Pago 12 b the stars and stripes thursday october 19, 1967 the stars and stripes Page 13