Box 17, Folder 13, Document 42

Box 17, Folder 13, Document 42

STATEMENT BY IVAN ALLEN, JR.

MAYOR OF ATLANTA JULY 26, 1963

MR. CHAIRMAN AND MEMBERS OF THE SENATE

COMMERCE COMMITTEE.,....

I AM HONORED TO APPEAR BEFORE YOUR

COMMITTEE,

AT THE BEGINNING,.. I WOULD LIKE TO MAKE

IT CLEAR THAT I FEEL QUALIFIED TO SPEAK ON THE

SUBJECT UNDER DISCUSSION,.. WHICH IS THE

ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION... ON WHAT I

HAVE LEARNED FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE,.. AND

OBSERVATION IN MY HOME CITY OF ATLANTA... GEORGIA,

AS PERCEPTIVE MEN OF WIDE EXPERIENCE,.. I FEEL

CONFIDENT THAT YOU WILL AGREE WITH ME THAT

THIS IS AS SERIOUS A BASIC PROBLEM IN THE NORTH....

EAST... AND WEST.., AS IT IS IN THE SOUTH.
IT MUST BE DEFINED AS AN ALL-AMERICAN

PROBLEM... WHICH REQUIRES AN ALL-AMERICAN SOLUTION

BASED ON LOCAL THOUGHT... LOCAL ACTION... AND

LOCAL COOPERATION.

THE 500 THOUSAND PEOPLE WHO LIVE WITHIN

OUR CITY LIMITS CONSIST OF 300 THOUSAND WHITE

CITIZENS ,.. AND SLIGHTLY MORE THAN 200 THOUSAND

NEGRO CITIZENS, THAT. MAKES THE POPULATION

OF ATLANTA SIXTY PERCENT WHITE..... FORTY PERCENT

NEGRO,

THAT SIXTY - FORTY PERCENTAGE EMPHASIZES

HOW ESSENTIAL IT IS FOR THE PEOPLE OF ATLANTA,..

ON THEIR LOCAL LEVEL.... TO SOLVE THE PROBLEM

OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IN ORDER TO MAKE ATLANTA

A BETTER PLACE IN WHICH TO LIVE.
ELIMINATION OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION IS NO

FAR OFF PHILOSOPHICAL THEORY TO THE MORE THAN

ONE MILLION PEOPLE,,.. WHO LIVE IN AND AROUND

ATLANTA, THE PROBLEM IS PART AND PARCEL OF

OUR DAILY LIVES. ITS SOLUTION MUST BE STUDIED

AND WORKED OUT ON OUR HOMEFRONT,

AS THE MAYOR OF THE SOUTHEAST'S

LARGEST CITY... ICAN SAY TO YOU... OUT OF FIRST HAND

EXPERIENCE,.. AND FIRST HAND KNOWLEDGE THAT

NOWHERE DOES THE PROBLEM OF ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION

BETWEEN THE RACES,,. STRIKE SO CLOSELY HOME...

AS IT DOES TO THE LOCAL ELECTED PUBLIC OFFICIAL,

HE IS THE MAN WHO CANNOT PASS THE BUCK,

FROM THIS VIEWPOINT... ISPEAK OF THE

PROBLEM AS HAVING BEEN BROUGHT INTO SHARP FOCUS
BY DECISIONS OF THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED

STATES... AND THEN GENERALLY IGNORED BY THE

PRESIDENTS,.. AND CONGRESSES OF THE UNITED STATES,

LIKE A FOUNDLING BABY... THIS AWESOME PROBLEM

HAS BEEN LEFT ON THE DOORSTEPS OF LOCAL GOVERNMENTS

THROUGHOUT THE NATION,

NOW TO TAKE UP SPECIFICS, YOU GENTLEMEN

INVITED ME TO TELL YOU HOW ATLANTA HAS ACHIEVED

A CONSIDERABLE MEASURE OF COMPARATIVE SUCCESS

IN DEALING WITH RACIAL DISCRIMINATION,

IT IS TRUE THAT ATLANTA HAS ACHIEVED SUCCESS

IN ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION IN AREAS WHERE SOME

OTHER CITIES HAVE FAILED,... BUT WE DO NOT BOAST

OF OUR SUCCESS, INSTEAD OF BOASTING....WE SAY
WITH THE HUMILITY OF THOSE WHO BELIEVE IN REALITY

THAT WE HAVE ACHIEVED OUR MEASURE OF SUCCESS

ONLY BECAUSE WE LOOKED FACTS IN THE FACE AND

ACCEPTED THE SUPREME COURT'S DECISIONS AS

INEVITABLE... AND AS THE LAW OF OUR LAND, HAVING

EMBRACED REALISM IN GENERAL..... WE THEN SET OUT

TO SOLVE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS BY LOCAL COOPERATION

BETWEEN PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL AND GOOD SENSE

REPRESENTING BOTH RACES,

IN ATTACKING THE SPECIFIC PROBLEMS...

WE ACCEPTED THE BASIC TRUTH THAT THE SOLUTIONS

WHICH WE SOUGHT TO ACHIEVE IN EVERY INSTANCE...

GRANTED TO OUR NEGRO CITIZENS RIGHTS WHICH WHITE

AMERICAN CITIZENS,.. AND BUSINESSES PREVIOUSLY HAD

RESERVED TO THEMSELVES AS SPECIAL PRIVILEGES,
THESE SPECIAL PRIVILEGES LONG HAD BEEN

PROPPED UP BY A MULTITUDE OF LOCAL ORDINANCES

AND STATEWIDE LAWS WHICH HAD UPHELD RACIAL

SEGREGATION IN ALMOST EVERY CONCEIVABLE FORM,

IN ATLANTA WE HAD PLENTY OF THESE PROPS

OF PREJUDICE TO CONTEND WITH... WHEN WE SET OUT

TO SOLVE OUR SPECIFIC PROBLEMS OF DISCRIMINATION,

IN ATTACKING THESE PROBLEMS.... I WANT TO

EMPHASIZE THAT IN NOT ONE SINGLE INSTANCE HAVE

WE RETAINED... OR ENHANCED THE PRIVILEGES OF

SEGREGATION.

IT HAS BEEN A LONG,.. EXHAUSTING... AND

OFTEN DISCOURAGING PROCESS AND THE END IS FAR

FROM BEING IN SIGHT.
IN THE 1950's ATLANTA MADE A SIGNIFICANT

START... WITH A SERIES OF REASONABLE ELIMINATIONS

OF DISCRIMINATION SUCH AS... ON GOLF COURSES,.. AND

PUBLIC TRANSPORTATION. WE BEGAN TO BECOME

SOMEWHAT CONDITIONED FOR MORE EXTENSIVE... AND

DEFINITIVE ACTION... WHICH HAS BEEN TAKING PLACE

IN THE 1960's,

DURING THE PAST TWO AND A HALF YEARS...

ATLANTA HAS TAKEN THE FOLLOWING MAJOR STEPS TO

ELIMINATE RACIAL DISCRIMINATION:

1, INSEPTEMBER, 1961, WE BEGAN REMOVING

DISCRIMINATION IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN RESPONSE TO A

COURT ORDER,

2. INOCTOBER, 1961, LUNCH COUNTERS IN

DEPARTMENT AND VARIETY STORES ABOLISHED DISCRIMINATION

BY VOLUNTARY ACTION,
3. ON JANUARY 1, 1962 ATLANTA CITY

FACILITIES WERE FREED FROM DISCRIMINATION BY

VOLUNTARY ACTION OF MUNICIPAL OFFICIALS,

4, IN MARCH, 1962, DOWNTOWN AND ARTS

THEATERS..,.. OF THEIR OWN VOLITION, .. ABOLISHED

DISCRIMINATION IN SEATING,

5. ON JANUARY 1, 1963... THE CITY VOLUNTARILY

ABOLISHED SEPARATE EMPLOYMENT LISTINGS FOR WHITES

AND NEGROES,

6, IN MARCH, 1963, THE CITY EMPLOYED

NEGRO FIREMEN, IT LONG AGO EMPLOYED NEGRO

POLICEMEN,

7. IN MAY OF 1963, THE ATLANTA REAL

ESTATE BOARD (WHITE)... AND THE EMPIRE REAL

ESTATE BOARD ( NEGRO)... ISSUED A STATEMENT OF
PURPOSES,.. CALLING FOR ETHICAL HANDLING OF REAL

ESTATE TRANSACTIONS IN CONTROVERSIAL AREAS,

8. IN JUNE 1963... THE CITY GOVERNMENT

OPENED ALL MUNICIPAL SWIMMING POOLS ON A DESEGREGATED

BASIS. THIS WAS VOLUNTARY ACTION TO COMPLY

WITH A COURT ORDER,

9. ALSO, IN JUNE, 1963, EIGHTEEN HOTELS

AND MOTELS,... REPRESENTING THE LEADING PLACES

OF PUBLIC ACCOMMODATIONS IN THE CITY... VOLUNTARILY

REMOVED ALL SEGREGATION FOR CONVENTIONS,

10, AGAIN IN JUNE, 1963... MORE THAN THIRTY

OF THE CITY'S LEADING RESTAURANTS,,. OF THEIR OWN

VOLITION... ABOLISHED SEGREGATION IN THEIR FACILITIES,

YOU CAN READILY SEE THAT ATLANTA'S STEPS

HAVE BEEN TAKEN IN SOME INSTANCES IN COMPLIANCE
10

WITH COURT DECISIONS.... AND IN OTHER INSTANCES THE

STEPS HAVE BEEN VOLUNTARY PRIOR TO ANY COURT

ACTION. IN EACH INSTANCE... THE ACTION HAS

RESULTED IN WHITE CITIZENS RELINQUISHING SPECIAL

PRIVILEGES WHICH THEY HAD ENJOYED UNDER THE PRACTICES

OF RACIAL DISCRIMINATION, EACH ACTION ALSO HAS

RESULTED IN THE NEGRO CITIZEN BEING GIVEN RIGHTS

WHICH ALL OTHERS PREVIOUSLY HAD ENJOYED.... AND

WHICH HE HAS BEEN DENIED.

AS I MENTIONED AT THE BEGINNING... ATLANTA

HAS ACHIEVED ONLY A MEASURE OF SUCCESS. I THINK

IT WOULD ASSIST YOU IN UNDERSTANDING THIS IF I

EXPLAINED HOW LIMITED SO FAR HAS BEEN THIS

TRANSITION FROM THE OLD SEGREGATED SOCIETY OF

GENERATIONS PAST,... AND ALSO HOW LIMITED SO FAR

HAS BEEN THE PARTICIPATION OF THE NEGRO CITIZENS,
ll

SIGNIFICANT AS IS THE VOLUNTARY ELIMINATION

OF DISCRIMINATION IN OUR LEADING RESTAURANTS,...1T

AFFECTS SO FAR ONLY A SMALL PERCENTAGE OF THE

HUNDREDS OF EATING PLACES IN OUR CITY.

AND PARTICIPATION BY NEGROES SO FAR HAS

BEEN VERY SLIGHT. FOR EXAMPLE,., ONE OF ATLANTA'S

TOPMOST RESTAURANTS SERVED ONLY SIXTEEN OUT OF

ATLANTA'S 200 THOUSAND NEGRO CITIZENS DURING THE

FIRST WEEK OF FREEDOM FROM DISCRIMINATION,

THE PLAN FOR ELIMINATING DISCRIMINATION IN

HOTELS AS YET TAKES CARE ONLY OF CONVENTION

DELEGATES, ALTHOUGH PROMINENT NEGROES HAVE BEEN

ACCEPTED AS GUESTS IN SEVERAL ATLANTA HOTELS,..

THE NEGRO CITIZENS... AS A WHOLE,... SELDOM APPEAR

AT ATLANTA HOTELS,
12

UNDERLYING ALL THE EMOTIONS OF THE SITUATION.

Is THE MATTER OF ECONOMICS, IT SHOULD BE REMEMBERED

THAT THE RIGHT TO USE A FACILITY... DOES NOT MEAN

THAT IT WILL BE USED OR MISUSED “BY ANY GROUP...

ESPECIALLY THE GROUPS IN THE LOWER ECONOMIC STATUS,

THE STATEMENTS I HAVE GIVEN YOU COVER

THE ACTUAL PROGRESS MADE BY ATLANTA TOWARD

TOTAL ELIMINATION OF DISCRIMINATION,

NOW I WOULD LIKE TO SUBMIT MY PERSONAL

REASONS WHY I THINK ATLANTA HAS RESOLVED SOME

OF THESE PROBLEMS WHILE IN OTHER CITIES...

SOLUTIONS HAVE SEEMED IMPOSSIBLE AND STRIFE ... AND

CONFLICT HAVE RESULTED,

AS AN ILLUSTRATION, .. I WOULD LIKE TO

DESCRIBE A RECENT VISIT OF AN OFFICIAL DELEGATION

FROM A GREAT EASTERN CITY WHICH HASA NEGRO

2 8
13
POPULATION OF OVER 600 THOUSAND CONSISTING OF

IN EXCESS OF TWENTY PERCENT OF ITS WHOLE POPULATION,

THE MEMBERS OF THIS DELEGATION AT FIRST
SIMPLY DID NOT UNDERSTAND .... AND WOULD HARDLY
BELIEVE THAT THE BUSINESS.... CIVIC.... AND POLITICAL
INTERESTS OF ATLANTA HAD INTENTLY CONCERNED
THEMSELVES WITH THE NEGRO POPULATION, I STILL
DO NOT BELIEVE THAT THEY ARE CONVINCED,,. THAT ALL OF
OUR CIVIC BODIES BACKED BY THE PUBLIC INTEREST....
AND SUPPORTED BY THE CITY GOVERNMENT... HAVE
DAILY CONCEREND THEMSELVES WITH AN EFFORT TO
SOLVE OUR GRAVEST PROBLEM.,..... WHICH IS
RELATIONS BETWEEN OUR RACES, GENTLEMEN....
ATLANTA HAS NOT SWEPT THIS QUESTION UNDER THE

RUG AT ANY POINT, STEP BY STEP,.., SOMETIMES

UNDER COURT ORDER...... SOMETIMES VOLUNTARILY
14

MOVING AHEAD OF PRESSURES..... SOMETIMES ADROITLY....

... AND MANY TIMES CLUMSILY..... WE HAVE TRIED TO

FIND A SOLUTION TO EACH SPECIFIC PROBLEM... THROUGH

AN AGREEMENT BETWEEN THE AFFECTED WHITE

OWNERSHIP AND THE NEGRO LEADERSHIP.

TO DO THIS... WE HAVE NOT APPOINTED A HUGE

GENERAL BI-RACIAL COMMITTEE,... WHICH TOO OFTEN

MERELY BECOMES A BURIAL PLACE FOR UNSOLVED

PROBLEMS, BY CONTRAST... EACH TIME A SPECIFIC

PROBLEM HAS COME INTO FOCUS,... WE HAVE APPOINTED

THE‘ PHOPLE INVOLVED TO WORK OUT THE SOLUTION.... THEATER

CWNERS TO WORK WITH THE TOP NEGRO LEADERS..... OR

CERTAIN RESTAURANT OWNERS WHO OF THEIR OWN VOLITION

DEALT WITH THE TOP NEGRO LEADERSHIP, BY DEVELOPING
15

THE LINES OF COMMUNICATION AND RESPECTABILITY...

WE HAVE BEEN ABLE TO REACH AMICABLE SOLUTIONS,

ATLANTA IS THE WORLD'S CENTER OF NEGRO

HIGHER EDUCATION. THERE ARE SIX GREAT NEGRO

UNIVERSITIES,... AND COLLEGES,., LOCATED INSIDE

OUR CITY LIMITS, BECAUSE OF THIS.,, A GREAT NUMBER

OF INTELLIGENT... WELL-EDUCATED NEGRO CITIZENS

HAVE CHOSEN TO REMAIN IN OUR CITY, AS A RESULT

OF THEIR EDUCATION... THEY HAVE HAD THE ABILITY

TO DEVELOP A PROSPEROUS NEGRO BUSINESS COMMUNITY,

IN ATLANTA IT CONSISTS OF FINANCIAL INSTITUTIONS

LIKE BANKS,... BUILDING AND LOAN ASSOCIATIONS....

LIFE INSURANCE COMPANIES,... CHAIN DRUG STORES...

REAL ESTATE DEALERS, IN FACT... THEY HAVE DEVELOPED

BUSINESS ORGANIZATIONS... I BELIEVE... IN ALMOST

EVERY LINE OF ACKNOWLEDGED AMERICAN BUSINESS,
16

THERE ARE ALSO MANY NEGRO PROFESSIONAL MEN,

THEN THERE IS ANOTHER POWERFUL FACTOR

WORKING IN THE BEHALF OF GOOD RACIAL RELATIONS

IN OUR CITY. WE HAVE NEWS MEDIA... BOTH WHITE

AND NEGRO,.. WHOSE LEADERS STRONGLY BELIEVE AND

PUT INTO PRACTICE THE GREAT TRUTH THAT RESPONSIBILITY

OF THE PRESS ..( AND BY THIS I MEAN RADIO AND TELEVISION

AS WELL AS THE WRITTEN PRESS)... IS INSEPARABLE FROM

FREEDOM OF THE PRESS,

THE LEADERSHIP OF OUR WRITTEN... SPOKEN

AND TELEVISED NEWS MEDIA - JOIN WITH THE BUSINESS

AND GOVERNMENT LEADERSHIP... BOTH WHITE AND

NEGRO... IN WORKING TO SOLVE OUR PROBLEMS,

WE ARE FORTUNATE THAT WE HAVE ONE OF THE

WORLD FAMOUS EDITORIAL SPOKESMEN FOR REASON AND
17

MODERATION ON ONE OF OUR WHITE NEWSPAPERS...

ALONG WITH OTHER EDITORS AND MANY REPORTERS WHO

STRESS SIGNIFICANCE .,, RATHER THAN SENSATION IN

THE REPORTING AND INTERPRETATION OF WHAT HAPPENS

IN OUR CITY.

AND WE ARE FORTUNATE IN HAVING A STRONG

NEGRO DAILY NEWSPAPER .,''THE ATLANTA DAILY WORLD"

AND A VIGOROUS NEGRO WEEKLY ..''THE ATLANTA

INQUIRER",

THE ATLANTA DAILY WORLDIS OWNED BY

A PROMINENT NEGRO FAMILY-- THE SCOTT FAMILY---

WHICH OWNS AND OPERATES A NUMBER OF OTHER NEWSPAPERS,

THE STURDY VOICES OF THE ATLANTA DAILY

WORLD AND THE ATLANTA INQUIRER,.., BACKED BY THE

SUPPORT OF THE EDUCATIONAL,.... BUSINESS.... AND

RELIGIOUS COMMUNITY.... REACH OUT: TO OUR NEGRO
18
CITIZENS, THEY SPEAK TO THEM WITH FACTUAL
INFORMATION UPON WHICH THEY CAN RELY. THEY
EXPRESS OPINIONS AND INTERPRETATIONS IN WHICH THEY

CAN HAVE FAITH.

AS ISEE IT... OUR NEGRO LEADERSHIP IN
ATLANTA IS RESPONSIBLE AND CONSTRUCTIVE, I
AM SURE THAT OUR NEGRO LEADERSHIP IS AS DESIROUS
OF OBTAINING ADDITIONAL CIVIC AND ECONOMIC,...
AND PERSONAL RIGHTS... AS IS ANY AMERICAN CITIZEN,

BUT BY CONSTRUCTIVE,.. I MEAN TO DEFINE ATLANTA'S
NEGRO LEADERSHIP AS BEING REALISTIC -- AS RECOGNIZING
THAT IT IS MORE IMPORTANT TO OBTAIN THE RIGHTS
THEY SEEK THAN IT IS TO STIR UP DEMONSTRATIONS,

SO IT IS TO THE CONSTRUCTIVE MEANS,.. BY WHICH
THESE RIGHTS CAN BE OBTAINED THAT OUR NEGRO LEADERS

CONSTANTLY ADDRESS THEMSELVES, THEY ARE