Box 4, Folder 4, Document 62

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BIRMINGHAM: Fair to partly

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Alabama's ‘Good Morning’ Newspaper

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ALABAMA: Partly cloudy, warm



VOL. 99—NO. 48

Reo. U, S. Pal. Off.

Fy
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would be forwarded to mayor,
city council or department
heads. Birmingham’s neigh-
hor cities of New Grileans and
Aulanta have such a program
already in operation, This is
the first ef two articles con-
cerning the functions aml suc-
cess of those groups in those
CAGES.

m7
Dy Ot at
ha i LF;
sal Lies
.

‘EDITOR’S NOTE: A Citi-
zens Task Force has called on
Vayor George Seihels Jr. to
appoint a standing commuttee
ef six members and a chair-
Man to hokl evening mectings
in eily hall to hear problems
Wf Birmingham citizens and (o
ald public hearings on suh-
ects affeeling jurge groups.
\nalysis of problems brought
» the evening city hall mect-
nes and reports on public
eatings and “in depth”
wudies and recemmendiahons

* KOK
BY LILLIAN FOSCUE VANN ,
Dial 524-3261 in Atlanta and
you have called the Rumor :
Control Center. In operation

Rev. Samuel W. Williams,
pastor of Friendship Baptist
_and, with the late Dr. Martin
Luther King, one of the foun-
ders of the Southern Christian
Leadership Conference. The
Rey. Williams is also profes-

sor and chairman of the —
Depariment of Philosophy and
Religion, Morehouse College.
“We do not have too serious
a generalion gap in Atlanta,”
said ihe chairman, “but the
See ATLANTA, Page 2

nued from Page 1
are pushing

people
hard, as I think they should.”

at
ii

Con
cae
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LENS)

during a time of serious racial
tension or other emergency
situation, the center is ready
to give out accurate informa-
tion about what is really
happening.

The Rumor Control Center
is a creature of the Atlanta
Community Relations
Commission, an organization
that has been on. the job since
November, 1966. A group of
““grass-roots” citizens from
SoutheasL Atlania saw the
need to have an official agen-

and
General:
housing,

and

oR
itions
in
employment

ci
The commission has asked

for subpoena pow

makin

hearings.

1.
4

investigi

7
°

The thrust of the commis-

sion’s program, according to

Executive Director Nat Welch
is fo create programs which

areas of concentration for the

commission are

education,
police-community relations..

holding

BIRMINGHAM, MONDAY, MAY 5,

£E2> FA

Xoo il a

eal

Ft id

cy of city government to work
exclusively in areas of dis-
crimination and community
relations.

Mayor Ivan Allen Jr. and
olher city officials met togeth-
er in planning sessions. A
majority vole of the aldermen
for adoption of an ordinance
establishing a Community
_ Relations Commission was fol-
lowed by approval of the
mavor.

The first budget was $25,000.
This year with a staff of six,

to
by

and
understanding,
NAACP.
Thirty-five national companies

tolerance and respect among
all economic, social, religious

and ethnic groups in the city.
sponsored

the

injustices

mutual

and

he commission has held a
workshop on black business
opportunities,
seven organizations, including
the Atlanta Chamber of Com-

alleviat
foster
merce

1969

£

fr,

VV & aS ELAS

the budget is $50,000. The
chairman is black and seven
others of the 20 commission
members are biack.
ee

segments of the
community are represented
on the commission, whose
members are appointed by the
mayor‘ and approved by the
board of aldermen. The
clergy, labor, business and
the poor all have veices on
the commission, Women too

Various

the

workshop was attended by 350
technical

slowness of
assistance from the Division

school desegregation and is
Education Cppor-

tunity of the U. §. Offixe of

represented and
Education.

The commission has been
Equal

critical of the
calling on the Board of Edu-’
cation to call for

were
of

30 Pages In Two Sections

hold places on the commis-
sion.

munity with a report of posi-
live action and whatever re-
sults have come about as a
result of the first meeting’s
complaints and suggestions.
‘he commission makes an
annual report to the mayor,
but forwards recommenda-
tions’ to city officials on
whatever issues being investi-
gated by the commission.
“We have been able to
maintain a pretty good dia-
logue in Atlanta,’ said the
commission Chairman, the

A staff of six people is
headed by Executive Director
Nat Welch, former Alabam-
jan. Offices are in City Hall
where the commission holds a
public meeting once a month
at which citizens are invited
to speak. Town Hall meetings
are held regularly throughout .
the city by the commission.

Thirty days later the com-
mission returns to the com-

Milnile
several

and Hattiesburg, Miss., car
Housing

accompa-
to hear
improvin

Authority.

the
he!d
s and these have gone

mecting

then
ty has

ray toward

Chattanooga,

wow
o

“Tf

Another area in which the
commission has been helpful

Recently Welch
nied four “welfare mothers”

to Washington to give testimo-

“Since

we think Atlanta should sask
Author

for it,’ declared Welch.

ny to Georgia’s senators and
Atlanta’s two representatives.
As a result, Welch said he
thought all four congressmen
took a more sympathetic view
toward the importance of re-

pealing the welfare freeze.
in Atlanta is housing. Welch

said the commission called a

town hall
grievances of tenants of the

call for technical assistance,
Atlanta Housing

2 lan

7
o

ive director, and a let-

execut

of congratulations was

sent to the Housing Authority,

ter

*










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