Poverty

AFL-CIO Metropolitan Detroit Records

drice — Tue, 09 Dec 2008 16:27:18 -0500

The American Federation of Labor-Congress of Industrial Organizations (AFL-CIO) Metropolitan Detroit is the central organization for all Michigan AFL-CIO unions that have locals in Wayne, Oakland, and Macomb Counties. Their records pertain to activities specifically in Wayne County, prior to the merger of the three county councils in 1986, including those of its former presidents Frank Martel (1948-1956), Al Barbour (1958-1967) and its former vice-president Alex Fuller (1959-1967). The records reflect the important role played in offering financial assistance to organizing drives, ending factional and jurisdictional disputes, and supporting political candidates

J. Edward Bailey III Photographs

eclemens — Thu, 01 Sep 2022 15:05:28 -0400

Photography by the renowned Black photojournalist, J. Edward Bailey III. The collection contains standard and oversized (OS) black and white photo prints, OS proof sheets, b/w photo negatives, and color transparencies. Examples of both his personal and commercial work are present, including select imagery used in Bailey's exhibits "The City Within" (Detroit Institute of Arts, 1969), and "Patient Care" (Detroit Bank and Trust Co., 1972). Subjects represented include civil rights, industry, organized labor, poverty, and Detroit's 1967 Rebellion.

Jerome P. Cavanagh Papers

drice — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 23:06:22 -0400

The papers of Mr. Cavanagh, mayor of Detroit from 1962 to 1970. They include correspondence, reports, studies, speeches, minutes, and other materials of the mayor's office and commissions and departments of the city. Efforts, both local and national, in improving economic and racial conditions in Detroit are recorded in the collection. Subjects of interest include 1967 Detroit riot; Detroit Police Dept.; urban redevelopment programs; Detroit and Michigan politics; New Detroit, Inc.; poverty programs; housing; civil disorders and police problems; and all aspects of the urban complex. Smaller groups within the collection are the files of James L. Trainor, Fred Romanoff, Richard Strichartz, Jack Casey, and Sandra McClure, all members of the mayor's staff. Correspondents are government officials on every level: U .S. presidents, vice presidents, senators, congressmen, state officials, mayors of other cities, and other prominent public figures.

Citizen's Crusade Against Poverty Records

drice — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:14:38 -0500

The UAW provided the most continuing support for the CCAP, a coalition of persons and organizations concerned with poverty problems. Walter Reuther was chairman. In 1969, CCAP merged with the Center for Community Change. The CCAP established a national training program, a Citizens Advocate Center, published poverty information, and was involved in other activities focused on poverty.

John Musial Papers

drice — Wed, 06 Apr 2011 11:16:56 -0400

John J. Musial was a student at University of Michigan who later worked for the city of Detroit. He served on the Commission on Community Relations as the Research Director in 1963. Musial wrote articles related to programs and projects in the city of Detroit.

The John Musial Papers consist of reports and other published materials created by or regarding the development of the city of Detroit. As Research Director of the Commission on Community Relations, he authored some of the reports. The reports are related to housing, population, income, and community projects in Detroit during the administration of Jerome Cavanagh until the beginning of the Coleman Young administration.

National Sharecroppers Fund Photographs

drice — Thu, 16 Jun 2016 16:19:03 -0400

The National Sharecroppers Fund (NSF) was incorporated in 1943 and grew out of “National Sharecroppers Week,” an annual event intended to rally support for the Southern Tenant Farmers Union. NSF was founded to provide financial assistance and information on government aid programs to organizations dedicated to improving living conditions for the rural poor. The photograph collection consists of images documenting NSF activities and the lives of sharecroppers and their families from the 1940s through to the mid 1970s.

Ruthven (Rudy) Simons Papers

aorchard — Mon, 09 Mar 2015 15:21:03 -0400

Ruthven (Rudy) Simons is an activist for human rights. He was a vice president of the Cranbrook Peace Foundation, a board member of the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights, a founder of the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Wayne State University, and a member of delegations to Iraq, Iran, Haiti, China, Nicaragua, El Salvador, Israel, and Palestine. As a result of his passion for human rights, he was a recipient of the Center Peacemaker Award from the Center for Peace and Conflict Studies at Wayne State University, and of the Founder’s Award from the Michigan Coalition for Human Rights.

Simons has rallied for causes such as South African apartheid, ending U.S. intervention in Central America, Haiti, Iraq, and Iran, women’s rights, and civil rights. Moreover, he has participated in numerous demonstrations for peace with organizations including Witness for Peace, Michigan Interfaith Committee for Central American Human Rights, Michigan Committee for a Democratic Haiti, the Gray Panthers, the Poverty and Social Reform Institute, Business Executives Move for Vietnam Peace, and the U.S. China Peoples Friendship Association. Because of his wide breadth of interests, this collection spans a sizeable portion of Detroit peace and civil rights protests between the mid-1960s to 2012.

The Ruthven (Rudy) Simons Papers consists of newspaper articles, correspondence, rally information, and flyers from protests and events. There are also administrative documents and correspondence from numerous peace and civil rights community organizations, as well as notes and travel details from Simons’ delegation trips. Finally, this collection contains photographs from events including the Selma March and the Detroit Walk to Freedom, in addition to demonstrations and human rights-centered events.

SEIU Executive Office: David Sullivan Records

ljones — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:02:34 -0500

David Sullivan was an elevator operator in New York City and a founding member of the Service Employees International Union's Local 32B in 1934. He rapidly ascended the ranks of the local's leadership and eventually became International President. Sullivan enhanced the union's visibility and influence by moving the International headquarters from Chicago to Washington, D.C. in 1963. In this same vein, he involved the union in the AFL-CIO's Committee on Political Education, a political fund designed to help finance the campaigns of politicians friendly to organized labor. He also became a vice president of the AFL-CIO, instituted a pension plan as well as a college scholarship program for members and their children, directed the union's attention to the elderly and retired members, and developed a Civil Rights Department for SEIU. The collection records include correspondence, clippings, reports, and other materials related to local unions, joint councils, high-ranking union officials, representatives and organizers, among other subjects.

Warren Shear Papers

drice — Fri, 14 Nov 2008 15:32:03 -0500

Letters of recommendation concerning Mr. Shear's activities on various relief programs during the Depression. He also served as an NRA Compliance Board investigator.

UAW President's Office: Walter P. Reuther Records

drice — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 15:42:54 -0500

Walter Reuther's official files reflect all phases of his career as president, UAW West Side Local 174 (1936); UAW Executive Board member (1936); director, UAW General Motors Department (1939-48); UAW vice-president (1942-46); UAW president (1946-70); president, ClO (1952-55); vice-president, AFL-CIO (1955-67); and president, AFL-CIO Industrial Union Department (1955-67). The records also document Mr. Reuther's work on numerous governmental boards and agencies and many public institutions. The collection contains material on his work in civil rights, politics, poverty programs, medical care, and other social concerns. Other topics include collective bargaining, political action by labor, defense production, government and labor, workers' education, and most other areas of interest to labor. The collection contains correspondence with major political leaders in the U.S. and abroad, leaders in the U.S. and foreign labor movements, and with many other public figures.

UAW Women's Department: Dorothy Haener Records

drice — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 14:36:03 -0500

Subjects include: abortion; aging; child care; civil rights; education; pay equity; health; National Organization for Women; poverty; sexual harassment

United Community Services Planning Department Records

drice — Tue, 01 Apr 2014 13:56:41 -0400

The United Community Services of Metropolitan Detroit has its origins in the establishment of the Detroit Community Union in 1917. The Union was reorganized into the Council of Social Agencies of Metropolitan Detroit in 1932, and merged with the Detroit Community Chest in 1951 to become the United Community Services (UCS). UCS operated alongside the United Way for Southeastern Michigan (United Foundation until 1989), which was primarily a fundraising organization. They merged to form the United Way Community Services in 1995, which merged with the United Way for Oakland County to become the United Way for Southeastern Michigan in 2005. UCS was an umbrella organization for a wide range of social welfare agencies in the Metropolitan Detroit area, and sought to promote social services (including child care, family, health, recreation, and community planning) through the centralized planning, coordinating, and budgeting of those agencies. The Planning Department was responsible for identifying social problems, working with citizens and service organizations to identify and propose solutions to those problems, and fostering the involvement of members of the community in the community service process. The Planning Department consisted of various component councils and committees throughout its history, each tasked with fulfilling the goals of effective community planning for specific geographic areas or community concerns.

Part 1 of the records of the United Community Services Planning Department consist of correspondence, reports, minutes, publications, research studies and other material documenting health and human services in metropolitan Detroit. Part 2 consists of correspondence, reports, meeting minutes, proposals, and other paper materials documenting the department’s efforts to effectively identify and improve social welfare concerns in the metropolitan Detroit area. The councils and committees represented include those responsible for planning for geographic, demographic, and functional concerns including children and youth services, health services, recreation, and social services. It also includes records related to the administrative functions of the Planning Department, including records from the Metropolitan Area Planning (MAP) Committee and the Coordinating Council.

United Community Services Records

drice — Thu, 21 May 2009 15:27:17 -0400

United Community Services, operated in Detroit since 1878 under various names, was organized by civic leaders to coordinate the work of different charitable institutions in the area, and raise funds for community welfare needs. Gradually, it became a clearinghouse for the investigation and referral of social service cases as well as an advocate for social and health care reform. The records of the UCS reflect the concerns of professional social workers, the plight of the poor in late nineteenth and early twentieth century Detroit, and the community's attempts to improve their condition through the work of public and private social welfare agencies.

United Community Services: School Program on Community Services Department Records

drice — Mon, 24 Nov 2008 10:41:44 -0500

Subjects include: teaching social responsibility to metropolitan Detroit public school children; juvenile delinquency; poverty; community problem-solving; continuing education of women; police-community relations; child welfare; volunteerism

Otto Feinstein Papers

astankrauff — Tue, 30 Apr 2019 00:00:00 -0400

Dr. Otto Feinstein was professor of Political Science at Wayne State University from 1960 until his passing in 2003. While at Wayne State, Feinstein was an educational innovator, creating opportunities for students at all levels of life and making the classroom a space for activism. The collection reflects Feinstein’s involvement with many key programs, centers, and initiatives, including the Southeast Michigan Regional Ethnic Heritage Study Center, To Educate the People (TEP), The Working Channel (TWC), Weekend College Program, Center for Peace and Conflict Studies, and more.

Subject Focus: Poverty and Charity in Turn-of-the-Century Detroit

teller — Mon, 07 Jan 2013 14:39:53 -0500

In the late 19th century Detroit’s industrial base and burgeoning prosperity quickly attracted immigrants from across the country and around the world, increasing the city’s population six-fold between 1860 and 1900. While the strong and industrious were able to find steady work, the city proved to be harsh to ill or injured laborers, the elderly and widowed, and others for whom life had not been kind. Numerous public and private social service organizations and charities formed to serve the needs of the growing number of Detroit residents living in poverty. read more »

(9163) Migrant Workers, Saginaw, Michigan, 1954

eclemens — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 10:45:18 -0400

The photograph shows the living conditions of a family of migrant workers in Saginaw, Michigan. A man works on the engine of his car while his family watches from the doorstep of their home. Part of a series.

(247) Living Conditions, Labor Camp, Florida, 1969

eclemens — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:25:25 -0400

Photograph showing the children of farm workers and poor living conditions in an unidentified labor camp in Florida.

(248) Living Conditions, Labor Camp, Florida, 1969

eclemens — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 10:28:12 -0400

Photograph showing the children of farm workers and poor living conditions in an unidentified labor camp in Florida.

(1681) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:54:48 -0400

Homeless men sleep on a tarp in a vacant lot, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1682) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:06:39 -0400

An unidentified woman relaxes in an undisclosed bar, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1683) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 09:01:57 -0400

Unidentified subjects sit at a bar on Michigan Ave.’s “Skid Row”, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1684) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:57:38 -0400

Homeless men sit outside of their shanties on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row,” Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1686) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 16:53:47 -0400

Homeless men drink from a bottle wrapped in a brown paper bag and rest on newspapers in a vacant lot on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row”, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1688) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 15:49:19 -0400

Patrons line the bar as a woman dances and waives at the photographer inside an undisclosed bar on Michigan Ave., Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1689) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:18:12 -0400

A homeless men rests on the sidewalk outside of the Torpedo Bar on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row”, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1690) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:16:21 -0400

A homeless men rests on the sidewalk outside of a bar on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row”, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1691) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:14:18 -0400

A man pulls himself off of his cot, possibly at a homeless shelter on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row,” Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(1692) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Wed, 30 Jun 2010 11:11:31 -0400

A man and a woman stand amidst the cars outside of a wholesale grocers on Michigan Ave’s “Skid Row”, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(2663) Feature Stories, Evictions, Detroit, Michigan, 1954

eclemens — Wed, 07 Jul 2010 09:16:58 -0400

A woman and her child attempt to hold back tears after they are evicted from their home, Detroit, Michigan. In the background their furniture and other belongings are piled on the sidewalk.

(2788) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave., Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Fri, 02 Jul 2010 09:29:09 -0400

Portrait of a man sitting in front of glass storefront with a dog on lap, Detroit, Michigan.

From the back of the photograph: “This man was a familiar figure for years in Downtown Detroit. His last name was Shaefer. He would sit on the corner of Michigan and Griswold with his dog and just smile or would talk to people as they passed by. I gave him a print of this photo. In the mid-1970s he disappeared and was never seen again.” - Tony Spina

NOTE: Part of an expose series of Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the row to document the way people lived. (2788).

(2789) Poverty Scenes, Michigan Ave, Detroit, 1950s

eclemens — Thu, 01 Jul 2010 15:58:15 -0400

A woman, approximately 70 years of age, sits at table in an unidentified bar with a shot of whiskey in one hand and a cigarette in the other, Detroit, Michigan.

NOTE: Part of an expose series on Detroit’s “Skid Row” along Michigan Ave. between Washington Blvd. and Fifth Street. Spina spent ten days living on the Row to document the way people lived.

(2870) Slums, Streets, St. Aubin, Detroit, Michigan, 1965

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:43:14 -0400

A view of a dilapidated homes on St. Aubin Street in Detroit's East Side. In the foreground stands a Fire Department call box.

(2871) Slums, Streets, St. Aubin Area, Detroit, Michigan, 1965

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:39:47 -0400

A close view of a dilapidated building at 2718 St. Aubin (near Leland Street) on the Detroit's East Side.

(2947) Demonstration, Civil Rights, Poor People's Campaign, Detroit, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:38:44 -0400

African-American men march down Woodward Ave. during a Poor People’s Campaign deomnstration, Detroit, Michigan. Two of the men hold a sign that reads “I Have a Dream” that has a dead rat hanging from it.

(2947) Demonstration, Civil Rights, Poor People's Campaign, Detroit, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:39:00 -0400

African-American men march down Woodward Ave. during a Poor People’s Campaign demonstration, Detroit, Michigan. Two of the men hold a sign that has a dead rat hanging from it and reads “I Have a Dream” .

(4813) Harlan County Coal War, Children, Kentucky, 1930s

eclemens — Fri, 28 Mar 2014 14:06:23 -0400

A snapshot showing the children of miners involved in the Harlan County Coal War.

(4800) Harlan County Coal War, Children of Strikers, Kentucky, 1930s

eclemens — Tue, 29 Apr 2014 09:23:26 -0400

A snapshot showing the children of miners involved in the Harlan County Coal War.

(9164) Appalachian family, Hazard, Kentucky, 1972

eclemens — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 14:20:05 -0400

Photographer's title: "Appalachia"
A woman stands on her doorstep with her two children, Hazard, Kentucky. Part of a series.

Photographer's note: " A lot of people were moving to Michigan because coal mines in Appalachia were going out of business. A reporter and I went down there to interview some of the people left behind. There was a lot of poverty. This lady was very nice, but would not give her name." read more »

(11884) Demonstration, Civil Rights, Poor People's Campaign, Detroit, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 04 May 2010 07:34:45 -0400

Protesters and activists march down Woodward Ave. during a Poor People’s Campaign demonstration, Detroit, Michigan. At center is Michigan Governor G. Mennen Williams and Congressman Charles Diggs.

(11968) Poverty Scenes, Salvation Army, Michigan Ave, Detroit, 1952

eclemens — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:48:31 -0400

Homeless men bow their heads in prayer as the Salvation Army “Bowery Corps” play.

(11997) Poverty Scenes, Salvation Army, Michigan Ave, Detroit, 1952

eclemens — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:50:35 -0400

Homeless men bow their heads in prayer as the Salvation Army “Bowery Corps” play.

(11998) Poverty Scenes, Salvation Army, Michigan Ave, Detroit, 1952

eclemens — Tue, 06 Jul 2010 15:53:22 -0400

Members of the Salvation Army “Bowery Corps” attempt to get homeless men to repent for their sins.

(25373) Resurrection City, Living Conditions, Poor People's Campaign, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:51:48 -0400

Walter Reuther, members of the UAW Political Action Committee, clergymen and civil rights activists tour the shanty town set up on the National Mall to house people who traveled to Washington, DC to participate in the Poor People's Campaign.

(25374) Resurrection City, Living Conditions, Poor People's Campaign, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:51:48 -0400

Walter Reuther, members of the UAW Political Action committee and civil rights activists tour Resurrection City, a shanty town set up on the National Mall to house people who traveled to Washington DC for the Poor People’s Campaign.

(25376) Resurrection City, Living Conditions, Poor People's Campaign, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:51:48 -0400

Walter Reuther, members of the UAW Political Action committee, clergymen and civil rights activists tour Resurrection City, a shanty town set up on the National Mall to house people who traveled to Washington DC for the Poor People’s Campaign. The exterior of the shanty in view is painted with the slogan “Bread Free Forever - Give us the Day,” however it is unclear if the structure is someone’s shelter or a feeding station.

(25377) Poor People's Campaign, Rev. Douglas, Speeches, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:51:48 -0400

Reverend Jesse Douglas of Montgomery, Alabama sings to the delighted masses on the National Mall in Washington, DC during the Poor People’s Campaign.

(25379) Marches, Demonstrations, Poor People's Campaign, Washington DC, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:51:48 -0400

Civil rights demonstrators from across the country converge on the National Mall in Washington, DC during the Poor People’s Campaign.

(25380) Marches, Demonstrations, Poor People's Campaign, Washington DC, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:52:54 -0400

Civil rights demonstrators from across the country converge on the National Mall in Washington, DC during the Poor People’s Campaign.

(25381) Marches, Demonstrations, Poor People's Campaign, Washington DC, 1968

eclemens — Tue, 14 Jun 2011 08:52:25 -0400

Civil rights demonstrators from across the country converge on the National Mall during the Poor People’s Campaign. Groups represented in this shot are the National Association of Social Workers, Maryland Chapter; United Auto Workers (UAW); Indiana United Methodists; Episcopal Diocese of Newark, New Jersey; and the --and Street Settlement.