More Consideration Of Blacks Urged In City Planning

Ann Arbor's black population has more than doubled in the past decade. Human Rights Department Director James Slaughter says local governmental agencies have not taken the black population into sufficient consideration in planning for the city's overall needs. 

"I look at planning documents and others, and I see nothing regarding race," Slaughter said. "I'm not sure the Planning Commission or the Board of Education or anyone has looked at the black community or its potential and what their housing needs will be in the next 10 years."

Ann Arbor's population overall between 1960 and 1970 increased 50 per cent while the black population was increasing 114 per cent. "If it continues to grow at that rate, someone ought to be giving concern to whether we're going to house all blacks in a ghetto, whether we'll have integrated schools, and what types of housing will be available to blacks," Slaughter said.

Blacks represented 4.7 per cent of the city's population in 1960 while in 1970 the figure rose to 6.3 per cent. In numbers, the black population increased from 3,176 to 6,801.

Slaughter says he does not believe there is a black ghetto in Ann Arbor at the present time. He notes that 1970 census tract figures show that 19.1 per cent of the city's blacks live in the Model Cities area. In 1960, some 38.1 per cent of the blacks lived in that section.

The black population of the north-central area increased by only 92 in the 10 years. But the white population of that area decreased by nearly 400. Therefore, the percentage of blacks in the Model Cities area increased from 37.7 per cent in 1960 to 44.8 per cent in 1970.

In 1960, there were three census tracts (of the total of 18) which had no blacks living there. Three others had fewer than a dozen. In 1970, all census tracts had some black population with the lowest figure being 56 persons. Only four census tracts have a black population that equals or exceeds the overall Ann Arbor black percentage of 6.3.

"In our planning we have to look at where they live, where they're going to live and where they work. If their needs aren't met, we'll have increased problems that development of a ghetto brings," Slaughter said.

"It would appear if housing that blacks can afford continues to be available in all tracts we have a good chance of maintaining integrated neighborhoods. But the city has to do some planning for this, particularly around schools. It will have to take into consideration what type housing is built and where, Slaughter said.

What happens in Metropolitan Detroit will have a bearing on Ann Arbor's housing patterns, Slaughter says. "If Detroit has to go to a regional school system, I'd suspect the percentage of executive types commuting to Detroit from Ann Arbor would increase."

Slaughter said he could foresee those in the $20,000 to $30,000 income range moving to Ann Arbor from Detroit and then commuting to their jobs. Persons in that income range with three or four children cannot afford private schools, Slaughter said. "But I can't see what Ann Arbor can do to fend this off."

He did note, however, that if the city does not annex new lands and thus limits the supply of housing, the housing prices will shoot upward and drive blacks into the center-city or out beyond Ann Arbor's limits.

Slaughter says there is need for more communication between his department, the Planning Department and the school board.

Slaughter, who has been Human Rights director for the past 16 months, says his department efforts are now concentrating on housing and employment discrimination.

Ann Arbor's new human rights ordinance has been in effect for little more than two years. Slaughter says he believes it is a good, workable ordinance and sees no limitations placed on the Human Rights Department's activities by the document.

But there are limitations, he notes, in the area of funding.

"If we're going to get into affirmative enforcement in housing and employment we will need to be able to collect and manage more data," Slaughter said, adding his department will have to know the circumstances of Ann Arbor's minority in the housing and labor market as it relates to the total community.

"I think we have to set up our own data collection and management system that is subject to our indicators." Such information, Slaughter said, is not now available in City Hall.

Slaughter is currently working with a staff of five, including two secretaries. There are two vacancies in the department, including the assistant director's post, which have yet to be filled.

In the area of employment, Slaughter says his department is gathering information on 24 of the city's largest employers. About half that task is accomplished and to date seven complaints have been filed. After notifying the employer, an investigation is conducted to determine whether there is cause to file a notice of hearing on discrimination or whether to attempt to conciliate the matter.

Complaints are filed if the employer has no blacks, or a small percentage of blacks, in his work force. If the percentage of blacks falls below 4.5 per cent, a complaint is filed and an investigation conducted, Slaughter said.

The complaints go to hiring and recruitment procedures - how the employer is recruiting and the standards being used for employment.

Some of the employers' recruitment programs are not bringing blacks to the gates as applicants for employment, Slaughter said. He also said that some employment agencies appear to be screening out blacks for possible jobs with local employers.

"We'll have to contend with these agencies who were supposed to be referring blacks for jobs but weren't," he said.

Slaughter said his department has not done any job testing as yet but added this is a possibility for the future. "It depends on what our studies show. With the larger employers, we may do some testing. Also, we may look at the smaller employers to see if this could be a way to get at them."

Asked what are the predominant forms of discrimination in employment now taking place, Slaughter said it appears to be in the areas where prior training is needed to obtain a job. He said it is also difficult for blacks to move above entry-level jobs. "They are getting in but aren't progressing as they should."

Slaughter noted that even those firms which have a good percentage of minority employees, the "majority of blacks are in semi-skilled or unskilled categories.

"Blacks still do not appear in significant numbers in upper-level management jobs," he said.

In the field of housing discrimination, Slaughter said his department has looked at sections of the city with the lowest percentage of black population. "We have done some housing testing and we'll probably do some more."

Slaughter said Human Rights representatives have tested 10 apartment houses and that two complaints have been filed to date. The department's testing took place in January and February. Ideally, Slaughter said, the testing would take place in August and September when there are a large number of vacancies in apartments here.

The testing program will involve about 30 apartments and be completed this spring, he said.

Most of the complaints investigated by the department result from telephone or walk-in contacts, Slaughter said.

"About 40 per cent of complaints are either conciliated or go to a hearing," Slaughter said. The remaining 60 per cent are dismissed for lack of sufficient facts to sustain allegations, lack of jurisdiction, or are withdrawn by the complainant. When the city lacks jurisdiction, the case is referred to the State Civil Rights Commission.

Although his department has not started checking discrimination in single-family sales and rentals, Slaughter said this will be done starting this spring. "The sale of used houses is the hardest area to prove discrimination," Slaughter said, "because the owner's selling price and terms are very speculative."

Also, he added, there must be a bona fide buyer before discrimination can be proved. "This is difficult to test. New housing is easier," he said.

Slaughter said his department can also test the selling practices of real estate firms, "how they merchandize housing, do they have different techniques for blacks and whites."

He said most of the housing complaints received by his department regard apartments and rooming houses. The city's human rights ordinance also covers public accommodations, but Slaughter said his department has received only one complaint in this field in the past year and that complaint was dismissed as having no probable cause.