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STATEMENT UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE URBAN COALITION July 31, 1967 · Washington, D. C. PREAMBLE The tangible results of the urban riots in terms of death, injury, and property damage are horrifying in themselves. The intangible damage in terms of the riots' effects on men's minds may yet be even greater . . At this moment, millions of Americans are forming attitudes that could mean disaster to our social structure: the home-owner who vows to shoot . the next suspicious character he sees in his neighborhood; the businessman who decides. to g~t out of th_e slums; the labor leader who determines to keep minoritiE;s out; the insurance man who refuses to cover slum properties; the Negro or White who goes out to take whatever he can get his hands on; the legislator who fails to meet his public responsibHities. These people and others are reversing a trend that, however slowly, was working to the benefit of our cities' disadvantaged minorities. Let them realize that it is the citizen, in the end, who will keep our country united or will • divide it. It is government's duty to maintain law and order. st~nd that law and order is not an excuse "for oppression. . If law and order is to \ . But all must under- - be accepted by the minorities, the majority must clearly and positively demonstrate its belief that justice, social progress, and equality are rights of every citizen. J>. · We, the undersigned, pledge ourselves to this purpose. We will call upon ~he leaders of all segments of society, city by city, to publicly commit_ . themselves to 'programs enabling the disadvantaged minoritie s to share in all of the benefits of our society. .. · . .

�STATEMENT UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED BY THE URBAN COALITION Page 2 This conference of leaders of business, labor, religions, education, civil rights, and c:i,J:y govern ment has formed an Urban Coalition to bring about a sense of immediate urgency about the need for positive and progressive action for our cities. Lawlessness and all its ingredients cannot be tolerated. Looting, burning·, and bottle throwing are criminal acts and must be dealt with as such. But let not a reaction to acts, committed by a small fraction of the population of the country's ghettos, blind us to the absolute necessity of moving dramatically and immediately to correct the desperate condition of our urban centers. We call upon the Nation and the Congress to reorder our national priorities, with a commitment of national resources equal to the dimensions of the problems we face. • The crisis require s a full new dimension in both the public and private sectors, working together for jobs, housing, education, and the oth er needs of our cities. ( This Coalition believes th e Congress must move without delay on urban ·programs. The country can wait no longer for model cities, antipoverty , ·'· housing, education , and job··training legislation, and a host of other matters that have been too long denied ·t he ci_ties. We call upon the Federal Government to develop an Em ergency Work and Reconstruction Program to provide new training programs and jo bs .. · ·. �STATEMENT UNANIMO.USLY ADOPTED BY THE URBAN COALITION Page 3 for the unemployed. The Coalition also belie ves that the private sector of Ame rica must .. directly and vigorously involve itself in the crisis of the cities by a commitment to investment, job training and hiring, and all other things that are necessary to the full · enjoyment of the fr~e ente rprise system, and also to its survival. To carry this forward, the .Coalition commits itself to proceed immediately to promote "Earn and Le arn Centers" in the cities of the country to provide job training a nd jobs. The Coalition agree s these centers might w e ll b e the joint venture of business, labor, and local governme nt. The Coalition believes the sickne ss of the citie s, including civic disorde r within the m, is the r e spon sibility of the whole of Ame rica . Ther e fo re , it is the · responsibility of eve ry Ame rica n to join in the cre a tion of a n ew political, socia l, e conomic and moral climate whic h will make poss i bl e the bre a king up of the vic iou s c ycle of the gh e tto. ( The Coa lition's commitme nt can be for no l es s and its d e t e r min a tion is for e v e n mo re . Th e C oal ition'furth e r co mmit s its e lf to conve n e a n U rba n Co a lition .>. Eme rgency Convo ca tion in Wa shi ng ton n ear the e nd of Augu st . The Convoca tion w ill b e a t t e nded by 1 , 0 00 l eader s a cro s s t he Na tion of bu s iness , l a bor, re ligion , e duca tio n , c ivil right s , and c ity gov ernme n t. ·. .. �