The Social and Economic Background of the Negro in a Northern Metropolitan Suburb

Abstract

Literature on the Negro and Negro problems is prolific. Most of it is theoretical. A little is truly scientific in approach. But little if any of this material deals in an objective way with the problem of the social adjustment of the Southern Negro in his new home in the North. Duncan' has pointed out the population shift when he says of several Northern cities, . . . the Negro population for the decade 1900-10 showed an increase of 39 per cent and for the decade 1910-20 an increase of 95 per cent. The problems of adjustments involved have been recognized by others and the need of study pointed out2 but objective knowledge of the problem is wanting. This study therefore aims to present a picture of the conditions as they now exist in a city of 115,000 population in the commuting area of New York City. This city we shall call Suburbanville. This study was made by the Interracial Committee of Suburbanville acting under the Department of Research of the National Urban League. Four hundred and sixteen families were visited and interviewed from a schedule and information gathered about 1787 individuals. This represents approximately 50 per cent of the