Minutes 06/10/1941 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

June lOth, 1941. U~e, the Young'Men~s Civic Organization of Portsmouth, a group of public- spirit, qualified citizens~ respectfully make petition to the Portsmouth City Council to amend a previous reeo~mendati~n By ~e Defense Recreational Com~.~ittee, for a proposed recreational center for colored people, and remake provision to have constructed t?~ough Federal FuHds, a larger building with an audit~ri~ to accommodate at least 500 co~oles. TheDropoeed colored recreational building which was recommended two week~ ago by the Portsmouth Defense Recreational Com~ittee~ the auditoriu~ of which ~ould accommodate only 200 co~oles~ is whOlly inadequate; and will provide no more relief than the private auS~- toriums already here~ ~e are quite aware that the committee contends that the size of the pro posed colored building was fixed in ratio to the number of colored men allegedly e~oloyed in the Navy Yard, or in proportion to the race ratio of the colored and white "industrial popula~ tion', and the floating populatio~ of enlisted personnel. The Young Men~s Civic ~Asscciation is strongly contending that, ~n view of the _known ratio of Portsmouth's Industrial Population, a larger colored Defense Recreational_ Center should be recommended, because: (1) Portsmouth a city largely dependent upon the governmental pleats located 'v~thin its ~imits~ and in the vicinity~ has a population of about 60,000, and fully for ty per cent of t~t number is colored~ Virtuslly every colored man'in the city must be classified in our 'industrieS] population~ ... or how else could they be Justly classified? (2) Despite the contention that there areonly a little more than 3,000 colored workers in the local Navy Yard, we k~ow that virtus~ly all of the employable colored men in the City are now working at one or the other of the government plants in this vicinity. Just a little logic ~dll bear this out~ Take away the Federal plants here, and where would anybody work? With the employed men representing forty per cent of the city's entire population defi- nitely classified as defense ~orkers~ would it not seem fair that ~ey should have a larger share t~n previously recommended in the proposed recreational program for this City? A me~oer of our organization was informed at the office of the Commandant of the local Navy Yard~ that about one fourth of the total number of workers in the Nawy Yard were colored. In other word~, about 5,000 colored men are employed~ereo ~Nearly all of that numSer reside rig~ht here in Portsmouth. It ~has been estimated, on the other hand that about seven-tenths of t~ white workers of the Navy Yard actually live outside of Portsmouth. Since this is true~ and it is known that msst of the colored workers live here in Portsmouth~ does that not make the ratio of colored and wD~te defense workers residing here more in proportion to the forty-sixty actual population ratio? ~e content that it does~ and we earnestly petition the 0ouncil that a larger colored defense recreational center be recommended than the one proposed by the Portsmouth De- fense Recreational 0ommittee. The Council is no doubt aware that there are no recreational facilities for colored people such as school gymn~siou~ or YoMoC~A~, ~ich can be pressed into service to help bear the burden of providing recreation for the colored population which has been greatly augmented by the influx of defense workers and service men. Any proposed recreational facility for colored people in Portsmouth~ should adequately pl~u to take care of the needs, which are m~y and varied, The Young Men's 0ivic Association of Portsmouth~ Virginia, earnestly i~ plores the City Council to take such action as will give assurance to-the colored people that adequate recreational facilities ~ll be provided in the 0ity for them. Respectfully submitted, The Young Men's Civic Association of Portsmouth,Va. H~NoJo~uson, Jr., Acting Chairman." Motion of Ere Howard to refer same to the Committee on Recreation with the ~--~- Council's recommendation for a larger appropriation for this purpose. Motion of Mr. Fox for the Oity Manager to inform the Council as to the date of the purchase of the Glensheallsh Golf Oourse~ amount of fees received from same, aud the cost ~o the City of its operation, was adopted. Motion of Mt. Fox that the Acting City ~nager be paid the salary of $5,5OO.~0 per annum, from May ~4th, and that ~he Acting Oity Engineer be paid the salary of the City Engineer, ~from ~y 2~h, was adopted. On motion adjourned. City Clerk Approved - President