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r The urban Coalition I Federal Bar Bui lding W est / 1819 H Str~et. N. W. Washington. D. C. / 20006 Steering Committee Co-chairmen : Andrew Heiskell/ A. Philip Randolph National Coordinators : John Feild/ Ron M. Linton Tc- ie;;hone 293-1530 NEW YORK TIMES October 12, 1967 Getting Off the Ground The concern of the Urban Coalition, expressed so strongly late last summer by public-spirited citizens during an emergency post-riot convocation in Washington, is beginning to find rootholds where it counts -in the front-line cities of AmerJ~a. Mobilization · of the nation's public and private resources for a vigorous attack on that urban hydraunemploy.ment, slum housing ·and aimlei;s , education -is getting off the ground. Leaders In some fifty cities wiU meet in Chicago next week to establish local action groups that can enlist the resources and energies of business, labor, religious, academic and community organizations. In this city, a New York Co~lition has just started to translate the iofty policy language of the national steering committee into local terms. High-mindedness, of course, will not be · enough. Hard-core· unemployment will take hard-core solutions. Lobbying of superhuman proportions wilt' be required in the busihess and labor communities to break down · traditional attitudes. The Federal Government is in the forefront of action. For this reason the first step of .the local Coalition ls to discuss _the inclusion of New York City in the pilot program, recently announced by the President, to engage the private sector in the attack on u'nemployrpent. But the true effectiveness of the Urban Coalition, the New . York Coalition and those to come in · other cities will be measured . by more than simply seeking inc.reased assistance from Washington. Municipalities with archaic laws and practices that have effectively barred the poor and disadvantaged ..from job and housing gains wil1 have -to be persuaded to change their customs. Certain· industries that have blocked Negroes from full opportunities will have to be re-educated. Certain unions which have denied membership on racial grounds will have to reform their practices. By enlisting the community-action groups - the spokesmen for the jobless and ill- housed - the New York Coalition is getting to the core of center city's problems. · �