Dublin Core
Title
Box 13, Folder 19, Document 2
Text Item Type Metadata
Text
ESTABLISHED i865
ADAIR Keally and Loan Company
Shaw waa SALES - LEASES - MORTGAGE LOANS - INSURANCE
PRESIDENT
56 PEACHTREE ST.__- ATLANTANGEORGIA 30301
LX.
SURER
December 6, 1967 my y A
The Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
Mayor
City of Atlanta \)r
City Hall Wo :
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Mayor Allen: !
ss my appieciation
I would like to take this opportunity to e
very fine talk you gave at the SWAP Meeting last Thurs I felt ae
remarks were very appropriate and were exactly what the noobie in that
area needed to hear.
I am a lifelong resident of West End and Cascade Heights, and I mentioned
to Jack Adair recently of my concern for that area. I believe he mentioned
this to you. My concern is not only for Cascade and West End but for the
fact that the people moving out of that area are moving out of the city
of Atlanta, and in a lot of cases out of Fulton County, thinking that by
doing this they will leave the integration problem behind them. I have
attended most of the SWAP Meetings and got involved in a racial problem
in our own church, Audubon Forest Methodist. From my experience in these
two areas, I had an opportunity to discuss this overall problem with a
great number of people in our neighborhood. As I mentioned to Jack, I
intended to get in touch with you to discuss the feelings of the people
in the area, but unfortunately I never got around to it. Apparently,
from the remarks you made you are very aware of the feelings of this area.
It concerns me that so many of the people blame the City Administration
for the problems of Cascade Heights, not only your administration, but
also Bill Hartsfield's. My experiences in this problem go back to the
time when several of my friends were forced to move from the Mozley Park
area. During the recent discussions, I have tried to convince the people
that I have talked to that this has been a natural movement of the negros
from the West Side on into the Southwest section, rather than a deliberate
plan of the City Administration.
It is true that it is much more difficult for a colored family to obtain
a home loan in other parts of Atlanta, and, in my opinion, this is part of
) Owe CSocontl Century
The Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
December 6, 1967
Page 2
the overall problem we are facing, rather than a deliberate attempt on
the part of the City Administration to establish the Southwest section
as the colored part of town. I think it is incumbent upon us who live
in the Cascade area to publicize and sell the rest of the city on the
fine residential area that we have, in spite of the integration. If
we can hold out long enough for people's prejudice to be worn down and
their thinking changed on this matter, I believe we will have helped to
establish an integrated city, rather than an all negro city as the trend
certainly now seems to be.
Being a native Atlantan, I have grown up with the prejudice against
living in an integrated neighborhood. During the past year, after
meeting the negros moving into Cascade Heights, my thinking has changed.
This has also been true of a number of my friends. There also have been
people moving into the area without this prejudice and others wanting
to live in an integrated neighborhood. I believe these factors coupled
with the, so far, successful integration of Southwest High School can
go a long way toward maintaining a successfully integrated city. We
will need help from the churches, business community, school administra-
tion, and city politicians.
Any attention and help you can give us in this area will be greatly
appreciated. If I can be of any help to you in this regard, please do
not hesitate to call me.
Very truly yours,
W. M. Alexander
WMA: bb
cc: Mr. Jack Adair
ADAIR Keally and Loan Company
Shaw waa SALES - LEASES - MORTGAGE LOANS - INSURANCE
PRESIDENT
56 PEACHTREE ST.__- ATLANTANGEORGIA 30301
LX.
SURER
December 6, 1967 my y A
The Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
Mayor
City of Atlanta \)r
City Hall Wo :
Atlanta, Georgia
Dear Mayor Allen: !
ss my appieciation
I would like to take this opportunity to e
very fine talk you gave at the SWAP Meeting last Thurs I felt ae
remarks were very appropriate and were exactly what the noobie in that
area needed to hear.
I am a lifelong resident of West End and Cascade Heights, and I mentioned
to Jack Adair recently of my concern for that area. I believe he mentioned
this to you. My concern is not only for Cascade and West End but for the
fact that the people moving out of that area are moving out of the city
of Atlanta, and in a lot of cases out of Fulton County, thinking that by
doing this they will leave the integration problem behind them. I have
attended most of the SWAP Meetings and got involved in a racial problem
in our own church, Audubon Forest Methodist. From my experience in these
two areas, I had an opportunity to discuss this overall problem with a
great number of people in our neighborhood. As I mentioned to Jack, I
intended to get in touch with you to discuss the feelings of the people
in the area, but unfortunately I never got around to it. Apparently,
from the remarks you made you are very aware of the feelings of this area.
It concerns me that so many of the people blame the City Administration
for the problems of Cascade Heights, not only your administration, but
also Bill Hartsfield's. My experiences in this problem go back to the
time when several of my friends were forced to move from the Mozley Park
area. During the recent discussions, I have tried to convince the people
that I have talked to that this has been a natural movement of the negros
from the West Side on into the Southwest section, rather than a deliberate
plan of the City Administration.
It is true that it is much more difficult for a colored family to obtain
a home loan in other parts of Atlanta, and, in my opinion, this is part of
) Owe CSocontl Century
The Honorable Ivan Allen, Jr.
December 6, 1967
Page 2
the overall problem we are facing, rather than a deliberate attempt on
the part of the City Administration to establish the Southwest section
as the colored part of town. I think it is incumbent upon us who live
in the Cascade area to publicize and sell the rest of the city on the
fine residential area that we have, in spite of the integration. If
we can hold out long enough for people's prejudice to be worn down and
their thinking changed on this matter, I believe we will have helped to
establish an integrated city, rather than an all negro city as the trend
certainly now seems to be.
Being a native Atlantan, I have grown up with the prejudice against
living in an integrated neighborhood. During the past year, after
meeting the negros moving into Cascade Heights, my thinking has changed.
This has also been true of a number of my friends. There also have been
people moving into the area without this prejudice and others wanting
to live in an integrated neighborhood. I believe these factors coupled
with the, so far, successful integration of Southwest High School can
go a long way toward maintaining a successfully integrated city. We
will need help from the churches, business community, school administra-
tion, and city politicians.
Any attention and help you can give us in this area will be greatly
appreciated. If I can be of any help to you in this regard, please do
not hesitate to call me.
Very truly yours,
W. M. Alexander
WMA: bb
cc: Mr. Jack Adair
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