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Apr. 1, 1968

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Apr.

5, 1968

Punch press operator.

2.00

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Apr.

1, 1968

19 Tootsie Roll Co..

Laborer..

2.80

Feb. 12, 1968

Mar. 15, 1968

20 International Harvester Corp.

Laborer-trainee.

2.80

19

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May 2, 1968 do.

May 2, 1968

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Chemical operator.

2.25

Mar. 13, 1968

Animal technician.

2.25

Mar. 1, 1968

Smith, Nathaniel.

18 Argonne National Laboratories, Ar

Preapprentice inservice worker..

2.25

Mar. 18, 1968

Mar. 14, 1968
Apr. 26, 1968
Apr. 30, 1968

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Minter, Charles.

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2.25

Apr. 3, 1968

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2.25

May 6, 1968

19 Canfiled Beverage Co.

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Truck helper.

2.68

Dec. 20, 1967

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2.68

Jan. 8, 1968

May 13, 1968
do.
Dec. 21, 1967
Jan. 15, 1968

Mar. 28, 1968 Apr. 12, 1968 Trainee terminated after company investigation
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STATE OF ILLINOIS,

County of Cook:

I, Edwin C. Berry, being first duly sworn on oath depose and say that I am the Executive Director of the Chicago Urban League: I have read the foregoing report which was prepared by Ashby G. Smith, Director of the Chicago Urban League Employment and Guidance Department and that the matters contained in said report are true, correct and accurate to the best of my knowledge, information and belief.

Subscribed and sworn to before me this 20th day of June 1968.

EDWIN C. BERRY.

MARIAN MORALES,
Notary Public.

Senator MUNDT. One other point, Reverend Fry, concerning the affidavit by Mr. Korey. He says:

*** The Chicago Woodlawn Boys Club was willing to work with these individuals in areas other than the recreational program *** (However) the First Presbyterian Church and Reverend John Fry promised the Rangers something else.

Reverend FRY. I don't know what is in the man's mind. I don't know what he is referring to.

Senator MUNDT. Do you remember the contest as to whether or not the Boys Club or the Rangers would get this money?

Reverend FRY. We were never in any competition with the Boys Club that I know of.

Senator MUNDT (reading):

The Rangers quickly left the Boys Club and went over to Reverend Fry because he had something more to offer.

What did you offer?

Reverend FRY. I do not agree with this construction of circumstance, that I was offering anything or that they left the Boys Club in order to come to us. The actual events which happened in and around the Boys Club, which produced very grave series of events was sufficient for the Rangers and Disciples to both disengage from that facility.

Senator MUNDT. To continue the affidavit:

Then, when Youth Action decided they were going to build outposts for recreation

Is that part of the Ranger movement?

Reverend FRY. No.

Senator MUNDT. What is Youth Action?

Reverend FRY. Youth Action is a combination of the youth welfare activities in the general Chicago community, boys clubs, Chicago streets program, Chicago Commission on Youth Welfare. It is a coalition.

Senator MUNDT. It is a community action to help youth?
Reverend FRY. Yes.

Senator MUNDT (reading):

Then when Youth Action decided they were going to build outposts for recreation, one group couldn't get along with another, so Youth Action had to build a center at 67th and Blackstone and another at 63rd and Ingleside to placate their groups.

Are you familiar with that incident?
Reverend FRY. No; I am not.

Senator MUNDT (reading):

Then on top of all this, the Blackstone Rangers reportedly split into two groups.

Do you remember that?

Reverend FRY. I do not know what he is referring to.

Senator MUNDT (reading):

One group is led by Jeff Fort and they became known as the Black Prince.

Jeff Fort is a good friend of yours. You went with him to attend the trial in the courtroom, and so forth.

Reverend FRY. Yes.

Senator MUNDT. Was he known as the Black Prince?

Reverend FRY. He is sometimes referred to as the Black Prince but he is more usually referred to as something else, as Angel.

Senator MUNDT. Angel?

Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator MUNDT. That may be your name for him.

Reverend FRY. That is his name for himself.

Senator MUNDT. He had a variety of nicknames?
Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator MUNDT (reading):

One group is led by Jeff Fort and they became known as the Black Prince. They became associated with the so-called Black Power Movement. The other group stayed with Eugene Hairston and they are still known as the Blackstone Rangers.

Are you familiar with that split?

Reverend FRY. I do not think it is accurate to call it a split, as this affidavit says. Mr. La Paglia told me that this represents a kind of administrative division that was made necessary by the greatly increased size of the organization, and it is merely an administrative distinction. Senator MUNDT (reading on from the affidavit):

These two groups played one against the other.

Is that true?

Reverend FRY. I do not believe that is true.

Senator MUNDT. You think it is not true?

Reverend FRY. No. I think it is an administrative arrangement that did not put these two into competition or contest with each other. Senator MUNDT. I read on from the affidavit:

These two groups played one against the other. How did they do it? Well, Jeff Fort decided to move his center of location away from the First Presbyterian Church and they tried to get a church over on 73d and Maryland or somewhere in that area.

Is that true? Did Jeff Fort decide to move his body from your church?

Reverend FRY. No, sir; but I would like to comment on that, if I

may.

There was a recently vacated church, and I think that is accurate, at 73d and Maryland, known as the Bethlehem Covenant Presbyterian Church. Coming out of the very successful musical review, "Opportunities, Please Knock," the Ranger leadership wanted to create a school in which professionals might train all the youth in the area to participate more meaningfully in their real musical talents.

We were seeking the use of that church in order to create a theater school.

Senator MUNDT. Did you do it?

Reverend FRY. No, sir; we were unsuccessful.

Senator MUNDT. Why?

Reverend FRY. We did not have the adequate funds.
Senator MUNDT. Purely because of a lack of funds?

Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator MUNDT. The affidavit says otherwise. The affidavit says:

When the citizens in that area found out about this

Alluding to the church at 73d and Maryland—

they raised up a storm and Commander Griffin of the Third District finally had to put a stop to it.

Who is right, you or the principal? Somebody is totally wrong. Reverend FRY. What I am directly trying to assert is that our interest in that possible theater school project had to be dropped simply because we did not have the funds and, therefore, we could not prosecute our effort to have it established.

Commander Griffin is, I think, rightly quoted in the fact that there was considerable animosity to this idea in the immediate neighborhood. Senator MUNDT. Actually, even if you had the funds available, the chances are you could not have located the operation in that church because the congregation wouldn't let you.

Reverend FRY. Not the congregation. It was a vacant church. The community was against it. I think that is accurate, Senator, that it probably would not have been established.

Senator MUNDT. He concludes by saying:

This shows that one group was willing to play one against the other to get the money in order to show that this is power.

That is all, Mr. Chairman.

The CHAIRMAN. Senator Curtis.

Senator CURTIS. Reverend Fry, have you ever received any money, directly or indirectly, from the OEO project?

Reverend FRY. The church

Senator CURTIS. No. You.

Reverend FRY. Personally? No.

Senator CURTIS. Have you ever received any money, directly or indirectly, from the Rangers or any members thereof, or any other gang? Reverend FRY. No, sir.

Senator CURTIS. Has the church received any money from the OEO? Reverend FRY. It received $343 a month rent for the period of this program in return for the use of the third floor as a job training center. We also have on the first floor of the church a Headstart program, and on the second floor of the church we have a special school which devotes itself to children with exceptional learning difficulties. Both of these are financed in part by OEO funds.

Senator CURTIS. But the third floor was the one that had the particular project we have been talking about, the Woodlawn Organization? Reverend FRY. Yes.

Senator CURTIS. And that was $340 a month?

Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator CURTIS. Did they pay anything else?

Reverend FRY. No, sir.

Senator CURTIS. Did the Rangers pay anything to the church?
Reverend FRY. No, sir.

Senator CURTIS. When did the Government or the OEO start to pay this monthly rent to the church?

Reverend FRY. During the lease period. I am sorry I can't recall, but I can supply those exact dates for you. I just do not recall the lease period.

Senator CURTIS. That is not a part of this teenage educational fund? Reverend FRY. No, sir. This rent money went into our general church fund.

Senator CURTIS. How large is that third floor?

Reverend FRY. There is a gymnasium, a rather good-sized gymnasium, and a very large room which I would judge is something like 40 by at least 40, or maybe 40 by 45, and then three other smaller rooms, plus restroom facilities. That essentially comprises the third floor. It is really a very large building.

Senator CURTIS. And this lease was for the third floor?
Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator CURTIS. The gymnasium is on the third floor?

Reverend FRY. Yes, sir.

Senator CURTIS. How many of these Rangers do you know at least casually?

Reverend FRY. I know at least the people who are listed on your board. I know all of them casually. Many others I know by face because I have seen them around. Very few others do I really know by name or have I ever stopped and talked with them; things like that. Senator CURTIS. That is all, Mr. Chairman.

Senator MUNDT. How large a membership do you have in your church?

Reverend FRY. At present, virtually 700; somewhere between 680 to 700.

Senator MUNDT. Is this an integrated church?

Reverend FRY. Yes, sir. It is about one-half black and one-half white.

Senator MUNDT. Does the congregation enthusiastically support this program with the same lack of reservation which you have demonstrated here today?

Reverend FRY. Session, which is the ruling body, shares my enthusiasm. There is never a full, unanimous support of anything in a congregation. I would say this enthusiasm characterizes a very large majority of the congregation.

Senator MUNDT. You said this morning, earlier, that you thought this program should be preserved and refunded. While that is not a particular function of this committee, certainly the outcome of these hearings is going to have some bearing, I presume, on the Appropriations Committee, which handles the funds. I would assume it would also be pretty carefully reviewed by the agency in Washington that allocates the funds to the various cities.

You have heard a lot of testimony, and there is more to come, from police officials, the affidavit from the principal, the testimony of Mr. Rose-though you haven't had a chance to review all of this carefully.

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