.NTQwNg.NTQwNg

l ' STATEMENT ATLANTA URBAN COALITION STEERING COMMITTEE OCTOBER 29, 1967 During the last two decades accelerated migration from the farms, vastly increased living standards, the automobile, and other social and economic factors have changed our nation from rural to urban. Three -fourths of America I s 200 million citizens now live in cities. This rapid urbanization is unparrelled in any nation in world history. And the problems forced upon communities unprepared for this dramatic change is likewise unmatched in the development of national populations. For ten years or more economists, sociologists, political scientists, and others have urged action by local, state and federal governments to plan and implement programs to meet this changing environment. In urban areas local governments possessed neither the fiscal nor human resources in sufficient quanity and quality to do more than brace the dike against the on-rushing tide. State government turned a deaf ear. The federal government expressed concern, established some prom1s1ng programs and formed a new Department of Housing and Urban Development to deal with city problems. But the Congress in too many instances failed to register the sense of urgency the urban crises demand, with an apparent unawareness of the critical dimensions .of the p":roblem, the nation's resources have been allocated to the rac e for space, agricultural supports and defense - but little to the needs of the cities. The result is now a tragic chapter in American history. Riots , racial disturbances, civil disobedien ce in city after city throughout all parts of the country have cast a lasting imprint of inaction and indifference . And in each troubled area the story is the same: Poor people. Lack of job skills. Unemployment . Unsound housing . Inadequate parks , schools. Absense of r ealistic municipal services . Lack of motivation. Loss of faith and of hop e. What can be done? N o thing short of a total commitment of all community re sourc es and a r e assessment of priorities by our national government can produc e results �Page Two on a scale large enough to sufficiently change the direction of our cities. It isn't enough that we have a city government of concern and compassion for the problems of the poor and disadvantaged. This same concern and compassion must be felt by business and by labor, by education and by our religious institutions and our civil rights leadership. The necessity for cooperation and co0rdination of resources has been recognized by leaders of the se sectors of our environment at the national l evel. A s a result an Urban Coalition has been formed to seek ways to mobilize the unused resources throughout the urban areas of the nation and to do battle with urban blight. The Steering Committee of the national Urban Coalition has called upon our businessmen, our churchmen,: our educators and our labor unions to join with our mayors and public officials to de ve lop and implement programs which will provide jobs, decent housing, education and a better life for those trapped in the current of the urban crises. The Coalition met in an emergency convocation and adopted a stateme nt of principles of great promise. It called upon local gove rnment, business , labor, r e ligion and civil rights groups to create counterpart local coalitions to support and supplement this declaration of principles. We believe the very essence of success of the national Urban Coaliti on lies in the development of strong local coalitions. Past and pre sent efforts in Atlanta to build a great city and to meet the needs of urban growth have r esulted directly from an unstructured coalition of leade rship in all areas of community life. We b eli eve our chances for continued and expande d successes can b e made possible only through mobilization and full utili zation of all resources available to us. We , therefore, ple dge ours e lves to work together in an Atlanta Urban Coalition for the betterment of our community, and urge all groups and organizations to join us in our e fforts. �Page Three We further endorse the declaration of principles of the national Coalition and pledge to lend our talents and our labors to their fulfillment. Ivan Allen, Jr. Mayor of Atlanta Al Bows, Vice President Atlanta Chamber of Commerc e R obert J. Butler, President Atlanta Labor C o uncil Dr. John W. Letson Superintendent Atlanta Public Schools Dr. Harmon Moore, E xe cutive Director Christian Council of Metropolitan Atlanta, Inc. Erwin Stevens , President Citizens Central Advisory Council Economic Opportunity Atlanta , Inc. Reverend Samuel Williams C o- Chairman Summit Leadership Conferenc e �