DICKEY
REALTY
GROUP
ev. Cr·oe e t
leave's ento
Harbor a m sa
TeI'I'J
BENrON HARBOR - TelliDg
it like it 1S, Rev. Lawrence
Crockett said adieu to the Twin
Cities in a story in the Herald
Palladikt.
Noting th t Blac in the
southwestern comer of the at
tand a constant threat if the
raise their h Crockett sai
"We really don't have th
people who are coming ou
front and 51 ying out front. On
of the reasons, I guess, is th
once you get out there, theyr
going to shoot you down."
Crockett, who will be return
ing to his home town of Cincin
nati.Ohio, served the Distri
Executive of the Civil Right
Department Benton Harbor of
fice from 1969 to 1984.
• Residents of the ci y kno
wen the meaning of "shoo you,
down." The tactics range fro
10 of job to prosecution -
usually unsuccessful - in th
courts to unfair ne co erage
to harassment by the police. t
In his farewell interview with
the Palladium, Crockett
touched on many subjcc 0
deep concern to the area's
Black community.
"Regrettably, (Blac ) have
not m de the gains we should
have made, that could h ve
been made, and that I think will
be made," he said. The words
echo the deep feelingS the man
h for the failed attempt to
keep control of Benton Harbor
city hall in the hands of African
Ameri .
." Cr ett w one of the 40-
plus Benton Harbor ministers
who could not mount a success
ful campaign to elect James
Turn r mayor two year ago
and the' office fall to Wil
liam Wolf.
'T e pportuniti of Blacks .
are - . p' Whites are taking
ry
e
control," he told the Palladium.
The reference w not only (0
the cendancy of Wolf, but the
gradual replacement of Blac
employees in city government
th t has occured in the p two
years. Non-resident whites have
taken more jobs in the public
safety department, and head up
the or' office, finance of
fice, economic development
and community development.
"All of this h n indirect ef-
fect on the kids' learning,"
Crockett said.
Not d pairing of the bleak
ituation for Blac in the 93%
Blac town which i Iso
Michigan's poorest community,
Crockett added, We've got to
get together and we've got to
work together for the good of all
people." .
Rev. Crockett served a
president' of the School Board,
was clive in the Ministerial Al
liance and served as spo esper
son for the community on many
issues. The community will miss
him.
. .
opportunities
Blacks are
slipping.'