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THIS REPRODVcnON IS TIlE BEST AV AILABJ .. E COPY. INJUSTICE SHELTERED: RACE RELATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, 1945-1962 BY CARRIE FRANKE B.S., University of IlIinois, 1980 Ed.M., University of IlIinois, 1984 THESIS Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Education in the Graduate College of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990 Urbana, Illinois ---, I I UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA-CHAMPAIGN THE GRADUATE COLLEGE ___ AUGUSLJ.R90 __ \\' E IlEREB Y I{ECc);\lMEK J) TIl:\T TJ-I E TH ESIS BY CARnIE FRANKE _.- ---_.- -- ----- ---~~- -- --- I':.\TITI.E))__ __~. INJ{jSTICE SHELTERE_D: ___ .._ RACE RELATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND QH~~:r~IG~~_URBAt'J_A,_ 1!J45-)962 _ . ___ _ 1',1-: ,\c'CE/'TED 1:\ I',\/{TI.\/. I'T/'FILL~IE:\T ()F TilE 1{j':(Jl'II{EME:\T~ F()I{ DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY -- -' -- .- .- -- - (I ·,1-:- C Copyright by Carrie Franke, 1990 1ll INJUSTICE SHELTERED: RACE RELATIONS AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA, 1945-1962 Carrie Franke, Ph.D. College of Education University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 1990 Paul Violas, Advisor This is a case study of the history of race relations at the University of Illinois and Champaign Urbana from the World War II era to the early 1960s. It tells the story of racial injustice perpetuated within this town-and-gown community and how those who were disconcerted with it struggled, resisted, challenged, and changed aspects of this system. Playing host to major overlapping institutional spheres and linked together in fundamental ideological, economical, political, and social ways, Jim Crow was manifest in blatant and institutionalized ways, teetering dangerously on the imaginary Mason-Dixon line, taking on characteristics of Southern and Northern racism. Just as Jim Crow was both overt and covert in real life, so, too, was the evidence as to its existence. Ma,y rich archival sources were openly-shelved and logically-labeled; many, however, were housed under obscure titles, and it was by chance and much reading that they were discovered. The three major institutional arenas of housing, employment and public accommodations were the major focal point of the study. The patterns and practices of housing discrimination set the tone which had a detrimental effect on race relations in all other areas of living and remain the most difficult to change. Like housing, the institution of employment was also laden with discriminatory practices with the university largely mirroring the community in its racial practices, and these too remain difficult to rectify. Finally, Jim Crow existed in everyday college life as well as in everyday society, yet it was here that protest organizations made the most strides. Placed in the context of American apartheid and resistance to it, this case study reveals how the beliefs and stereotypes of Jim Crow were stubbornly perpetuated in this Northern academic community well into the twentieth century. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS This study would not have been possible without the help of many excellent teachers and many loving friends. Thank you to Paul Violas who served as my clissertation chair and who read and re-read the seemingly countless drafts I passed his way; to Patricia Violas who read, and revised, and made suggestions; to rl:>rence Karier who also read and critiqued my work; and to Georgia Garcia who not only served on my committee, but who has also offered careful guidance in my life as a teacher. I would like to acknowledge William Trent and Ralph Page for their hours of converc:ations and their support. Finally, James Anderson's teachings have had the most profound impact on my life. It was a privilege to take his courses, to work with him, and to share s in what I hope will be an unending discussion of the importance of education. Though I still have so much to learn, it is my fervent desire that his wisdom and careful thinking will remain with me for a long, long time. I want to pass on to others as b~st J can the gift;, he has given me, and that's a tall order. I also wish to thank Raymond Bial for generously providing me with outstanding photographs of the people whose stories have been told in this dissertation. His contribution brought "life" to this study. In addition to the fa,=ulty, I have been blessed with a rich family of friends whose encouragement, support, and love never let down, even when I did. Mary Prignano, Melanie Turnipseed Kenney, Connye Vyvcrberg, Steven Franke, and Eric and Sandy Geyer all believed that I could balance scholarship with relationships, in spite of the terrific forces in graduate school that seem to work against such a desire. In addition to these friends. I especially want to acknowledge Amy MCAninch who has been with me every step of the way and who consistently provides the theory to my very practical teaching and research orientation. Finally, I wish to thank my dearest confidant and teacher, Laura Wozniak who has listened patiently, guided gently, and believed in me strongly; and, my newest friend Mark Burns who has helped me see that the completion of this dissertation does not signal the end of my education, but that life's most important learnings have only just now begun. v PREFACE The universe is on the side of justice ... there is a creative force in this universe that works to bring the disconnected aspects of reality into a harmonious whole. --Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGE I INTRODUCTION: JIM CROW DISGUISED AND REVEALED .......... II SHELTERED JIM CROW: HOUSING AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA 8 Provision of Student Housing . 9 Separate and Unequal Housing ........ .. 14 Conditions of the White-Designated Black Part of Town. .. 16 Gatekeeping . .. 19 Racially Restrictive Covenants ............................. 20 Real Estate Agents as Gatekeepers .......................... 29 Owners as Gatekeepers .. .. 30 Financial Institutions as Gatekeepers . .. 31 Landlords as Gatekeepers ................................. 32 No Blacks in Dormitories ..................................... 48 Gender Discrimination . .. 52 Ethnic and Gender Discrimination .............................. 54 Dormitory Integration ....................................... 59 Other Independent Homes and Race . .. 62 Jim Crow Fraternities and Sororities. .. 64 Continued Discrimination. .. 67 III JIM CROW AT WORK: EMPLOYMENT AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND CHAMPAIGN-URBANA. .. 72 Black Occupations: Census, City Directory. Secondary Reports ........ 73 Jobs Incommensurable With Education . .. 87 The Professions ............................................ 94 Exclusion ............................................. 94 Segregation . .. 99 Jim Crow and the Entrepreneur ............................ 100 Skilled and Semi-Skilled Jobs . .. 103 Tokenism ............................................. 103 Discrimination in Hiring . .. 105 Jim Crow Segregation .................................... 107 White Attitude on Jim Crow ............................... 109 vii TABLE OF CONTENTS (CONTINUED) CHAPTER PAGE Backbreaking Work 117 Migration to Champaign-Urbana for Work .................... 117 Jim Crow Journey ....................................... 120 Railroad Work ......................................... 122 No Benefits for Arduous Toil .............................. 124 Women's Work ......................................... 129 One Income Not Enough . .. 133 Discrimination in Domestic Work ........................... 135 IV JIM CROW AT THE UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AND