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Bigotry Declining in Education and Employment of Workers; Still Serious in Other Fields

January 12, 1951
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Minority races and religions are steadily meeting with better treatment in 17 major American cities, especially in education and in employment of skilled and unskilled workers, partly as a result of expanding defense production; but prejudice and discrimination are still serious problems, particularly in housing and in job opportunities for white collar and professional workers.

These conclusions were announced here today by the American Civil Liberties Union on the basis of a survey conducted in Philadelphia, Providence, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boston, Hartford, Trenton, Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Denver, Des Moines, San Francisco and others. Chief among efforts to reduce discrimination, according to the survey, have been laws aimed at equality in employment, housing, education, as well as semi-official bodies appointed by mayors for the promotion of interfaith and interracial goodwill.

Seven cities–Philadelphia, Providence, Minneapolis, Cleveland, Boston, Hartford and Trenton–were found to have either state or local laws for the upholding of equality in job opportunity. Nine cities–Chicago, Pittsburgh, St. Louis, Philadelphia, Denver, Cleveland, Boston, Minneapolis and Trenton–reported the existence of appointed bodies close to the municipal government for work in intergroup harmony. In six cities–Des Moines, Chicago, Hartford, Boston, Providence and Trenton–state or local laws forbid discrimination in such areas as public housing, public education or recreation and amusement.

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