Protesting Jim Crow admission
policy at Ford’s Theatre,
Baltimore, 1948.

Picket lines, especially for civil rights actions, used to be an important tool in the arsenal of nonviolent action. You do not see or hear much these days about picket lines. We tried to have one today at the location of proposed new 3.2 million dollar St. Vincent de Paul, SVDP, thrift store investment in the suburbs. We did not have the contacts to get African Americans from North Central Milwaukee where the SVDP thrift store belongs and some that showed up did not know much about the issue or came at different times.

I did meet some interesting people, those who oppose the store, like I, and those who support the SVDP thrift store as an “a way to make money to help the poor in North Central Milwaukee”. We had signs on the picket and passed out SVDP by the Numbers sheets. No one on any side questioned our numbers. I had a bunch of research information with me in case someone challenged the facts.

Learning from History how to slow down violence in the city, my letter to editor, will appear in tomorrow mornings newspaper. Those who see it might like it and even say “nice job” to me and those who read it and do not like it will just ignore it. Creative dialog on information or opinions is not in vogue these days.
Many people just “do their thing” and the spirit of working together to make a difference for change for the ‘common good’ is history.

It is easy to be discouraged. However, my spirits were lifted today by three suburban women, members of a St. Vincent de Paul Conference in Waukesha Country, who heard about our picket from a common friend. They were all eager to pass out our by the Numbers sheets and engage persons. It was refreshing.

On the other hand I got into a discussion with a strong supporter of new store. All went well until he started to talk about the poor we visit, African Americans, as poor and lazy. I had to excuse myself from the conversation. I am having a very hard time with “new Jim Crow” this store represents but overt racist remarks are more than I can handle.

I can understand why low income African Americans would not like to be on this picket line. In old days picket lines meant something. Today they are ignored and people, some very good people, just do not understand what is wrong with this type of investment in suburban white community and how it hurts people in need. No facts, no history and probably no picket line, even if it was large, seem to make a difference. Picket lines are not what they used to be.

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