Chicago 7 May 1927
"In Jim Crow Pact to Keep Area 'White'"
Page 1
"Aroused over what they term 'a threatened invasion of dark skinned citizens into the Woodlawn district,' the Woodlawn Property Owners association has sent out letters of warning to residents of the community to aid in keeping the district exclusively for Caucasians.
"Owners of property in Woodlawn received the letters, asking their cooperation in keeping members of the Race out of the neighborhood. This can be done, they pointed out, by refusing to sell to persons not white for 21 years.
Sign Agreement
"A petition has been circulated also among the property owners for
their signatures. It is an agreement not to sell to anyone who is not a
Caucasian. The association is said to have secured already the signatures of
more than 90 per cent of
"Active also in the campaign to exclude members of the Race from the community is the Woodlawn Business Men's association. This organization is working with the Woodlawn Property Owners' association to this end.
Incites Residents
"Fred L. Helman, organizer of the latter body
is said to have signed the letters sent out to the property owners. He stressed
the fact that 200,000 of our Race now reside in
"Helman is said to have reported to the
Woodlawn Business Men's association that a Race family already has invaded the
community. Recently, he declared, a family not white was persuaded to move from
"Other members of the Race have moved from different sections of
Woodlawn east of
"The officers of the Woodlawn Property Owners' association are Neil J. Handley, president; L.D. McGuire, secretary and treasurer. Both, however, are also members of the other body."
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