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Publicity for the Burlington Self-Survey on Human Relations
""Missions Accomplished"" Page 15
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THE ASTONISHING THING about Burlington's awakening was that it ever happened at all. There was no particular reason why this small, sleepy, slow- moving town should suddenly undertake to survey its race relation. There was no lynching...no riot...no violence at all. Discrimination? "Oh, well, yes" Burlingtonians would admit and then counter: "but doesn't every town have that problem?" The answer of course if "yes". That's why Burlington is important. The heartwarming self appraisal and re-education of the people of Burlington, Iowa, could happen in anybody's home town. And the success in Burlington will help it happen - all over Iowa, and with God's help, all over America. One Man's Idea A young Negro college student, home on vacation started it all. Those self-surveys he's read about in other communities - why couldn't one be started in Burlington? Through his effort it was. The small group that assembled agreed discrimination was harmful and wasteful, but that its extent was unknown. So a search for facts began. Correspondence with many national organizations and other communities invariably brought the same recommendation for a consultant: "Get the American Missionary Association's Race Relations Department at Fisk University - it's tops" So our Race Relations Department was engaged. The group expanded, formed in five subcommittees on health, housing, education, employment and public accommodations, and went out and got the facts. Mirror of Prejudice They were sent to Fisk, compiled and analyzed, reported back and worked by the committees into final form. The integrated report was presented to the public, with a statement that said in effect... "Here a mirror we've made, Burlington ... look at yourself." For the first time the town saw a whole picture of its problem in race relations. The picture was partly good, partly bad. But bad enough, apparently, to sting the conscience of the community. A Mayor's Committee was formed to attack the problem from every angle. It went to work educating in areas where it was most needed, starting among employers... it acted as a Board of Appeals...surveyed all employable Negroes to discover those qualified for better jobs... proved to the Board of Realtors a market for better housing existed among Negroes, and that unsegregated housing would be accepted. In addition
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THE ASTONISHING THING about Burlington's awakening was that it ever happened at all. There was no particular reason why this small, sleepy, slow- moving town should suddenly undertake to survey its race relation. There was no lynching...no riot...no violence at all. Discrimination? "Oh, well, yes" Burlingtonians would admit and then counter: "but doesn't every town have that problem?" The answer of course if "yes". That's why Burlington is important. The heartwarming self appraisal and re-education of the people of Burlington, Iowa, could happen in anybody's home town. And the success in Burlington will help it happen - all over Iowa, and with God's help, all over America. One Man's Idea A young Negro college student, home on vacation started it all. Those self-surveys he's read about in other communities - why couldn't one be started in Burlington? Through his effort it was. The small group that assembled agreed discrimination was harmful and wasteful, but that its extent was unknown. So a search for facts began. Correspondence with many national organizations and other communities invariably brought the same recommendation for a consultant: "Get the American Missionary Association's Race Relations Department at Fisk University - it's tops" So our Race Relations Department was engaged. The group expanded, formed in five subcommittees on health, housing, education, employment and public accommodations, and went out and got the facts. Mirror of Prejudice They were sent to Fisk, compiled and analyzed, reported back and worked by the committees into final form. The integrated report was presented to the public, with a statement that said in effect... "Here a mirror we've made, Burlington ... look at yourself." For the first time the town saw a whole picture of its problem in race relations. The picture was partly good, partly bad. But bad enough, apparently, to sting the conscience of the community. A Mayor's Committee was formed to attack the problem from every angle. It went to work educating in areas where it was most needed, starting among employers... it acted as a Board of Appeals...surveyed all employable Negroes to discover those qualified for better jobs... proved to the Board of Realtors a market for better housing existed among Negroes, and that unsegregated housing would be accepted. In addition
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