The Detroit Tribune

Plans Held Results of Court Case
Council Faces Suit For $10,000 Judgment

The City of Hamtramck may soon abandon its segregation policy in occupancy of public housing units.

Indications of such action were seen last week in a meeting of the city's Housing Commission, according to the CITIZEN, local daily.

The Detroit NAACP which has a court suit pending against segregated public housing in the northeast city expressed delight over the newspaper report that the commission made tentative plans to discontinue the segregation policy last Wednesday.

Expresses Delight

A. L. Johnson NAACP executive secretary. expressed mild surprise and added that it was a good sign "that the age- old practice of segregation was beginning to break."

"It has been reported that an official of the Federal Government recently visited with Hamtramck officials and strongly advised against a continuation of the segregation practice in public housing.

"It therefore seems quite apparent that the Federal Government," Johnson explained, "as well as the City of Hamtramck, is anxious to avoid a clear-cut decision of this matter by the Federal court which the present NAACP suit would undoubtedly obtain."

In pointing out that the city was following a pattern set by the City of Detroit, Johnson added: "It would also appear that the Hamtramck officials are now following the same course pursued by the Detroit Housing Commission last spring: in both cases. the pressure of NAACP suits seems to be doing the job."

Last November 16 a $10 000 judgment was asked in Federal Court against the Hamtramck City Council for refusing Negroes admittance to the Colonel Hamtramck Housing. Project by a World War II veteran and two unemployed mothers.

Defense attorneys. representing the Detroit NAACP also cited that a resolution adopted May 27 1952. by the City Council limits tenancy in the project to only members of the Caucasian race.