Akron Commission on Civil Disorders
AKRON.

OHIO

April 16, 1969

Mr. John S. Ballard
Mayor, City of Akron
Municipal Building
Akron, Ohio
Dear Mayor Ballard:
On July 27, 1968, you requested that a citizens' commission
provide you with an assessment of the causes of the civil disorder
in Akron and with recommendations concerning steps that can and
should be taken to reduce or eliminate the alienation and division
which exists in the city.
The Akron Commission on Civil Disorders has completed that
assignment, and I am hereby submitting its report.
In behalf of the Commission, may I respectfully request that
the report be made available to the citizens of the community and
that you, through your office, encourage all responsible persons
to give serious consideration to ways and means of implementing the
recommendations contained therein.
Sincerely,

Edwin L. Lively, Ph.D.
Chairman
ELL:mb1
Enclosure

 The
Report of The

AKRON COMMISSION ON CIVIL DISORDERS

Presented to John S. Ballard
Mayor of Akron
April, 1969

 TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
I.
II.
III.
IV.

INTRODUCTION
THE COMMISSION:

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

•
B.

V.

ITS FORMATION AND OPERATION

A REVIEW OF THE CIVIL DISTURBANCE PERIOD IN AKRON

A.

- ,

1

Gove rnment
Services
Recreation
Law Enforcement

4
7
12

13
.13

16
19

Economics
Industry, Business, Labor, Employment
Finance, Credit

23
23

C.

Education

29

D.

Housing

32

E.

General

36

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS ON THE COMMISSION

27

37

APPENDICES
A.

The Mayor's Letter to the Commission

42

B.

Hearing Procedures Adopted by the Commission

44

C.

The Law Director's Letter to the Commission

47

A312608

 AKRON PUBLIC LffiRARY

AKRON,OmO
1.

INTRODUCTION TO THE COMMrSSION REPORT
To achieve the fullest benefit from reading and interpreting this

report, it is essential that the distinction between prejudice and
discrimination be recognized and understood.

Prejudice refers to attitudes

for or against someone or something which are based on emotions rather than
facts.

Probably all humans are prejudiced in some ways--in favor of their

own children, strawberry ice cream, or the Cleveland Browns, and against
flying, guitar music, or pepperoni pizza.

Such prejudices are learned and

can only be modified or "unlearned" by education about the facts of the
matter, plus the willingness to relearn.

Discrimination, on the other hand,

refers to behavior in favor of or in opposition to someone or· something.
These behaviors may be intentional, such as refusing membership in a club
to someone because of his race or religion, or they may be unintentional,
such as giving one child a handful of candy with more pieces in it than that
given another child.

Discrimination may be the result of prejudice, and

prejudice may develop from discrimination, but it is important to know they
are not the same and do not have to occur together.
In the area of race relations they usually do occur together.
they can be dealt with separately.

Yet

A study such as the one on which this

report is based deals primarily with discrimination because it can be
seen, reported on, and proved or disproved.

Much racial discrimination is

in violation of existing constitutions--Federal, state, club, or organization-and can be eliminated by adherence to the provisions of the documents.
Many instances of accusations, complaints, and demands by black Americans

are actually directed toward the obtaining of that which is already rightfully theirs by virtue of citizenship in a political unit.

- 1 -

Such discrimination,

 whether deliberate or not, is based on prejudices whicn should in no way
limit the rights of citizens.

Whether a person is liked or disliked

should not determine his right to vote, or hold a job, or eat in a public
place.
It is not possible to legislate against prejudice directly but it
is possible to legislate against discrimination, to repeal discriminatory
laws, and also to demand that laws be enforced in a nondiscriminatory
manner.

When discriminatory laws and practices have been in existence and

enforced over a period of time, it is inevitable that they will help to
perpetuate prejudice.

It is equally true that the elimination of such

discriminatory acts or actions may modify attitudes of a prejudicial
nature.

However, it is most important to understand that no human being

should be subjected to intentional discrimination regardless of the
prejudices that may exist.

Until this last point is understood and accepted,

the fUlfillment of democracy cannot be expected in the United states.
One major reason for stressing the distinction between prejudice
and discrimination is found in the change in the thinking of many blacks
about race relations in recent years.

It used to be argued that prejudice

had to be eliminated before problems of race could be solved.

Now more

and more blacks and some whites are saying that the elimination of
discrimination is necessary and any subsequent change in prejUdice may be
irrelevant.

In other words, the black is insistent upon his rights

whether he is liked or not.
prejUdice must go.

Obviously, if total integration is to occur,

But discrimination is legally, morally, politically,

and socially intolerable and indefensible, and if it is eliminated, the
black man can live his life in accordance with his abilities and desires

- 2 -

 as every American should.

Individual success would not be guaranteed but

the opportunity to be successful would be, and therefore is demanded as a
right rather than requested as a gift.

This does not mean that the ends

are such that they justify any means toward them but it does emphasize
that black citizens are now aware of the legitimacy of the ends and their
rights to seek them in an open system.
The report which follows is concerned almost exclusively with
discrimination and its ramifications in the Akron area.

No evidence was

sought or obtained, other than incidentally, about discrimination in other
areas.

Prejudice can usually only be inferred from discrimination and

cannot in itself serve as the basis for conclusions or recommendations.
Therefore, those who read this report should be fully aware that it is a
conscious attempt to analyze and make recommendations about the actions of
people rather than their underlying attitudes and motivations.

- 3 -

 II.

THE COMMISSION:

ITS FORMATION AND OPERATION

During the latter part of July, the City of Akron experienced six
days of civil disorders.

After peace was restored, the curfew lifted,

and law enforcement units returned to their normal duties, one of the
first actions of the Mayor was to appoint a commission of ten citizens
to study the direct and indirect causes of the disorder and to make
recommendations aimed at preventing similar occurrences in the future and,
more generally, toward improving human relations in the city.

The end of

the disturbance occurred on Tuesday, July 23, 1968, and the Commission was
appointed on Friday, July 26, 1968 (See Appendix A).
The organizational meeting of the Commission was held Sunday evening,
July 28, when most of the members met each other for the first time.

Ground

rules for collecting testimony were agreed upon (See Appendix B), the powers
and limitations of the Commission were discussed, the scope of the study was
examined, and a series of dates for hearings was established.

Almost

immediately, controversy arose in the community over the composition of
the Commission.

The members also decided their charge from the Mayor was

not entirely clear.

After three meetings, including one with the Mayor,

the scope and function were agreed upon, but it was decided to suspend
operations until the membership issue was resolved.

It was also agreed that

the Commission would take no stand on membership as this was the responsibility
of the Mayor.
It was not until mid-September that the Chairman was informed that
there were to be no changes or additional appointments, and that there would
be no replacement for one member who had resigned for personal reasons.

- 4-

The

 first meeting was set for Tuesday, September 24, 1968.

Just before the

first witness was to appear, the privacy of the Commission hearings was
challenged.

The issue was resolved by a ruling by the City Law Director

the next day (See Appendix C), and the Commission held its first hearing
on Thursday, September 26, in Council Chambers of the Municipal Building.
Witnesses continued to be heard regularly into December when the Commission
began its attempts to analyze and interpret what it had heard and to work
on its report to the Mayor of Akron.

A few additional hearings were held

in February and March, 1969, to seek supplemental information or clarification on points raised in earlier testimony.
The kinds of testimony believed relevant and those persons thought
to possess pertinent knowledge in certain areas governed the selection of
witnesses invited to appear before the Commission.

It was decided to hear

first from those persons whose activities were thought to be related in
diverse ways to the actual events of the disorders.

SUbsequently, other

persons were invited who were thOUght to be knowledgeable with respect to
policies and procedures in both public and private sectors of the community.
While suggestions for witnesses were obtained from the testimony, from
members of the Commission, and other citizens, the final selection was
always the responsibility of the Commission as a whole.

All persons who

appeared before the Commission were first given ,an opportunity to make whatever comments they deemed appropriate and then a period of questioning
followed.

The shortest appearance was thirty minutes and the longest almost

three hours.

Inasmuch as the Commission had neither investigative staff nor

subpoena power, all persons who appeared did so voluntarily.

The Commission

believes that all who appeared and provided information were representative
of more than themselves although no such claims were sought or made.

- 5 -

 This report represents hundreds of hours of time and hard work by
the members of the Commission in seeking and interpreting information from
the witnesses, in reviewing transcripts and holding discussions on the
meaning and importance of the testimony, and finally in the writing and
rewriting of the report itself.

Although it was unavoidable that each

member of the Commission entered into the study with many attitudes and
experiences related to the subject matter, a conscious and deliberate
effort was made to base the report and to support the conclusions on the
testimony presented during the hearings.

Recommendations were developed

as the conclusions were analyzed and their implications for the community
emerged.

Obviously the selection of witnesses was critical in this process

and the Commission, as a group, made all selections.

No instructions or

guidance as to the nature or contents of the report were given the
Commission by the Mayor or any one else.
The members of the Commission are fully cognizant of the possibility
that this report will not please some people; indeed, it may please no one.
The task was undertaken in good faith and in partial fulfillment of the
civic responsibility, concern, and dedication of each member.

It is not

submitted with pride or in apology but as the product of a group of citizens
who have performed a task in the hope of serving the community and its
citizens.

Thanks are due to all who contributed in any way to the work

of the Commission, but it should be fully understood that only those persons
who signed this report are responsible for its contents.

- 6 -

 III.

REVIEW OF THE CIVIL DISTURBANCE PERIOD IN AKRON

On July 16, 1968, many citizens thought of Akron as a major
industrial city with renowned and reputable corporations; with serviceable
schools and a variety of churches; with many kinds of services, types of
people, and community activities; with a growing university; well-known
sports events; extensive urban renewal; and with problems that would someday be solved.
disturbance.

On July 23, Akron was a city that had experienced a civil
While a few people were genuinely apprehensive, most citizens,

black and white,did not really expect a civil disorder--a kind of "it can't
happen here" attitude was common.

Quickly, this attitude changed to one of

uncertainty and raised such questions as "Why?"

"Was it necessary?"

frCouldit have been avoided?" and "Will it happen again?"

This confusion

was at least partially the result of the fact that Akron has generally not
been a city of extremes---wealth but not ostentation; poverty but not
extreme degradation; economic stability but some unemployment; responsible
leadership, but rarely daring or imaginative.
This same moderateness had been thought applicable to race relations
in the city--much indifference and apathy but not extreme hostility or hate.

Akron's black citizens, however, have suffered the same discrimination and
experienced the same prejudicial atmosphere as that which has characterized
American cities in general.

Conditions contributing to the impatience

and resentment of the black people toward their treatment were not
significantly worse in July, 1968, than they were in June, 1968, or July,

1967.

But the possibility for trouble was greater--disturbances else-

where, talk of disturbances here, and the fear of disturbances on the
part of both black and white citizens--although many failed to realize it.

- 7 -

 The mood around the country during June and July was one of hostility and
rebellion and many scenes of violence were being seen over television.
There had been student revolts at California, Columbia, Ohio state, and
many other college campuses.

Resurrection City in Washington was

experiencing disrupted marches, arrests, and internal dissension.
occurred at the Ohio Penitentiary in June.

A riot

Racial dissension among the

Cleveland Browns was highly publicized.
In Akron, protests were voiced about welfare, recreation, and
leadership from the Poor People's Headquarters and Community Action
Council.

There was a continuing dissatisfaction among many of the people

affected by various urban renewal programs.

On Tuesday, July 16, police

broke up a fight between groups of black youths from rival North and West
side gangs and also dispersed gangs in the downtown area.

Early Wednesday

morning, large crowds gathered on Wooster Avenue, police were called in
increasing strength, rocks were thrown, windows broken, tear gas pellets
were fired, and Akron had a civil disturbance.

Before daylight National

Guard troops had been called, Command posts were established, a state of
emergency proclaimed by the Mayor and a curfew imposed.

Between Wednesday

and the following Tuesday a number of businesses were firebombed, hundreds
of persons were arrested, including many young people, and there were
innumerable confrontations between blacks and law enforcement officers.
The lifting of the curfew on Tuesday was in doubt until the last minute
but the decision to do so probably averted a major confrontation and more
violence.

The evening ended with a street dance and a release of pent-up

emotions on all sides.
There is little evidence that the disorders were planned and even
less that they were deliberately started in the middle of July, although

- 8 -

 there were some persons and groups who were receptive to trouble and willing
to encourage and accentuate it.

There is also little evidence to suggest

that Communist, subversive, or outside influences instigated the beginning
or were ve'I!y important at any time.

Small numbers of youthful blacks were

continuously involved in the disturbance with some adult support.

Some of

these people had maintained contact with militants in other communities.

A

larger number of young black people were sporadic participators while most
black adults were highly ambivalent, worried but not entirely disapproving.
Certainly many black citizens avoided the disturbed areas so they did not
provide any support to those in the streets but neither did they openly
oppose their aggressive actions.

Recurring confrontations during the

disturbance occurred between youthful spokesmen and the older, established
leaders in the black community, stemming from the dissatisfaction of the
former with the slow progress in removing the discriminatory patterns of
centuries and their impatience.
The actual motivating factors of the major participants were
complex and varied.

They included resentment against discrimination toward

blacks in all areas of community life, some anti-Semitism, personal
animosities, opportunism and hoodlumism, a lot of youthful excitement,
and the general contagion arising from an emotional buildup.

It is not

possible to state categorically that the events of July were racially
inspired, but one cannot ignore the fact that the participants were primarily from a historically suppressed minority concentrated in a ghetto-like
section of the city .

Without denying that many people suffered economically,

socially, and emotionally, the limited physical destruction and minimum

- 9 -

 of personal injuries do not suggest either a well-planned plot to riot
or a major black-white confrontation.

It is also likely that in spite

of a number of cases of excessive force and questionable decisions by
individuals, the effective coordination and control shown by the Akron
Police, Summit County Sheriff's Department, and the National Guard
contributed to the limited damage and few injuries.

It would be only

speculation to suggest what might have happened if the law enforcement
agencies involved had followed any other course of action.
There were several occurrences that may have prolonged the length
of the disturbances. One factor that intensified the resentment of both
participant and observer blacks was the unequal and inconsistent application of the curfew, especially in relation to different sections of
the city and apparently to different classes of people.

Another major

irritant during the course of the disorder was the failure of the law
enforcement officers to distinguish those black citizens who, at considerable
personal risk, were attempting to ease the tensions and disperse those
who were creating it from those who were active contributors to the
disorders.

There were also crimes committed and other individual actions

which took place during the disturbance that were actually incidental to
it, but nevertheless added to the rumors and general uncertainty about
what was happening.

While the police are convinced that the use of

chemicals minimized the need for physical force, many blacks are certain
that there was an excessive and indiscriminate use of tear gas.

It is

interesting to note that press, television and radio coverage was not
referred to in any way by the witnesses, other than a referral to something
they might have read or heard, as influencing the course of the disturbance.

- 10 -

 After the hearings got under way in late September, it quickly
became obvious to the Commission that witnesses were much more interested
and concerned about preventive and corrective measures for the community
than in concentrating on placing blame and isolating specific causes.
The Commission generally responded to this orientation for two reasons:
First, the Commission believed that its proper function was to seek out
the fundamental causes rather than to determine the responsibility for
specific actions and events; and second, this orientation placed the
emphasis on the future rather than the past.

- 11 -

 IV.

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This section contains the conclusions reached by the Commission as

a result of the hearings and a number of recommendations developed as
remedial steps to the conditions identified in the conclusions.

The con-

clusions are all drawn from testimony, usually from more than one witness.
The Commission did not have the staff or authority to investigate in depth
all statements made.

The recommendations are somewhat broader than the

conclusions but the Commission supports them firmly as actions which, if
undertaken by the appropriate persons, would lead to a betterment of the
conditions for blacks, for all citizens, and the community as a whole.
Many of the recommendations fall beyond the direct responsibility of the
Mayor and his administrative staff.

However, it is hoped that those with

responsibility in each problem area will respond to the needs, and that the
Mayor, his administration and City Council, will use their power and
prestige to encourage, support, cooperate with, and press such persons
and groups toward action.
The

conc~usions

and recommendations are grouped by the major areas

in which concern was shown by the witnesses.

The order of presentation is

based on frequency of comment, which may be treated as one way of measuring
importance.

Neither the conclusions nor the recommendations are necessarily

in order of importance or feasibility.

It does not follow that all members

of the Commission place equal importance on the statements in this section
but none are rejected or denied by any of them as being untenable or irrelevant.
Therefore, the following conclusions and recommendations are presented to the
Mayor of Akron as the collective jUdgment of the members of Akron Commission
on Civil Disorders and with the recommendation that they be studied and
implemented in any and all ways deemed appropriate.

- 12 -

 A.

GOVERNMENT

Services
Conclusions:
1.

2.

City services within the City of Akron have been (and still are)
inadequate in certain areas, particularly those in which the
residents are predominately black.
a.

Garbage collections are not made with the same frequency in
all areas despite the fact that the cost of such service is
paid from the general fund.

b.

There is no City program for frequent removal of trash. The
present policy of once a year picking up trash placed in
containers on the devil strip along paved streets is inadequate
and discriminatory.

c.

Street cleaning is inadequate particularly on the streets
where the need is the greatest. This situation is due to the
method of financing street cleaning as fixed by ordinance;
namely, dividing the city into zones for street cleaning
purposes and making the frequency of cleaning depend directly
on the amount assessed for such service against the property
owners with a different rate of assessment in each zone.

d.

Certain areas are without sanitary sewers.

e.

Streetlighting is inadequate in certain areas needing good
lighting the most.

f.

The existence of a large number of private streets complicates
the problem of providing sewer and lighting on these streets.

While the evidence indicates an awareness on the part of the Akron
City administration of the various problem areas in providing
services, there is some indication of a feeling of lack of urgency
on their part in resolving such problems.

3. There is no program in the City administration to enforce compliance
with ordinances pertaining to building codes, sanitary conditions,
etc. Enforcement is now directly through the Mayor's office or the
Department of Health.

4. Information to the public has been inadequate as to City practices
and policies in these problem areas.

5.

City officials appear prone to rely upon the possibility of
receiving funds from the state and Federal governments in meeting
needs in service areas.

6.

Complaints to various departments of city government are not
systematically handled. Those that are directed to city councilmen
seem to get best results.

- 13 -

 Services
Conclusions (continued)

7.

There is no central source of information whereby citizens can
get information about city activities, division of responsibility,
etc.

8.

Opportunities for employment of blacks in City government varies
substantially from department to department. The Fire Department
is especially deficient in this respect.

- 14 -

 Services
Recommendations
1.

2.

3.

The Akron City administration should take whatever steps may be necessary
to assure that all essential services are provided to citizens throughout the city on a fair and equitable basis.
a.

Steps should be taken to provide street cleaning on a total city
basis so that streets needing the most cleaning will receive the
most cleaning. If this requires enabling legislation by City
Council, prompt consideration should be given theretoo

b.

Attention should be given to the end that garbage collections are
made with sufficient frequency in all areas and that no discrimination
between or within areas be permitted.

c.

The City administration should adopt a program for regular and
frequent trash removal.

d.

The City administration should study all areas of the city to the
end that adequate streetlighting will be furnished where and to the
.extent needed.

e.

Steps should be taken as soon as possible to provide all areas with
sanitary sewers.

f.

Steps have already been taken by the City to obtain easements from
property owners on private streets for installments of sewers and
to provide streetlighting. This effort is commended and should be
extended to the end that all such private stre~ts will have adequate
sewers and streetlighting services.

The various building codes and building maintenance legislation should
. be reviewed to assure that such legislation does not or will not preclude
the use of modern, less costly materials in the construction of needed
housing units, when such materials are adequate to perform their required
function.
To the end that there may be vested in one official the responsibility for
strict enforcement of building codes, sanitary codes, and other regulations
dealing with building, serious consideration should be given to establishing such an office.

4. A department of pUblic relations or public information should be
established in the city government to the end that the public can be
kept well informed as to the progress of the city in all aspects of
its activities.

5.

The administration should make sure that opportunities for employment
and advancement are present for all qualified citizens, regardless of
race, creed, and sex, throughout the city government.

6. The administrative and legislative branches should cooperate in a study
of the bUdgeting and expenditure patterns of the municipal government
and, if more funds are needed to provide adequate services on an equitable
basis for all citizens, such funds should be sought.

- 15 -

 Recreation
Conclusions:
1.

The lack of good recreation and park facilities in the City of Akron
has been recognized but comprehensive action to remedy this failure
has not been undertaken.

2.

There has been little creative thinking with respect to programs of
municipal recreation.

3.

There has been a steady deterioration of virtually all parks throughout
the City. Especially noticeable is the deterioration of parks in black
neighborhoods.

4. Both the scope of programmed activities

~d the quality of park
facilities within black areas are inadequate to meet the needs of
the citizens for whom they are intended.

5.

In the areas where the civil disorders occurred in the summer of 1968,
minimal programs were staffed on a part-time basis on grounds at Lane
and Robinson Schools, and the Perkins Woods Park and Pool were operated
on a full-time basis.
a.

The Recreation Division made no effort to devise special activities
or attempts to augment programming in the troubled areas during the
civil disturbances.

b.

Throughout the entire City of Akron in the summer of 1968, forty
ten-week summer programs, basically for younger children, were in
progress.

6. There is much evidence of lack of understanding on the part of Akron
citizens concerning the organization and functions of the Parks and
Recreation Bureau, which includes four Divisions; namely, the Recreation
Division, the Parks Division, the Golf Division and the Stadium Division,
and also the Parks Board.

7.

Political and financial support of the Parks and Recreation Bureau by
both the citizens and the city government,.is conspicuously deficient.
During 1965 the bUdget for the operation of this Bureau represented
approximately $0.70 per capita. During 1966 this figure rose to approximately $1.40 per capita, and in 1967 it again increased to about $2.80
per capita. The standard level of support recommended by national parks'
advisory agencies is approximately $6.00 per capita and in many Ohio
cities the level is well above the standard.

8. The Parks and Recreation Bureau suffers in not attaining even minimal
programming through the method followed in the Akron city government
for financing its operations. Political considerations are possible
under the present system, in which all "capital improvements" are paid
out of a single fund controlled by the City Council.

- 16 -

 Recreation
Recommendations
1.

A Master Plan for the development of the City's Recreational Programs
should be prepared. The Mayor, through his administration, should seek
out leaders of our community (black and white) who are concerned for
the public recreation program and appoint a Citizens' Committee. This
Committee would be charged with the formulation of a long-range master
plan for recreation and parks throughout the City of Akron. The
Metropolitan Park Board and surrounding community park and recreation
bodies should be consulted in the development of such a plan. The
Master Plan Committee should include in its study:
A review of the effectiveness of the Division structure
currently in existence.
An analysis of the composition and duties of the Parks

and Recreation Board.
The means whereby a more stable and adequate level of
financing for the park and recreation program in Akron
can be provided.
2.

The Parks and Recreation Bureau should immediately initiate a plan that
will provide at the earliest possible moment new programming and facilities within parks now located in minority neighborhoods which will
make them operationally comparable to those in the City's regional
parks such as Mason, Patterson, Fireston~, and Reservoir Parks.

3. Installation of intermediary or "tot-lot" neighborhood parks scattered
throughout Akron, especially involving the improvement of selected
neighborhoods, should be undertaken at the earliest opportunity.

4. In certain parks located in proximity to compacted areas (such as
Elizabeth Park and Perkins Woods), where a shelter house is an
integral part of the facilities, employment of augmented park staffs
on a full-time basis should be planned.

5.

Park programs should emphasize variety. Park staffs should not
emphasize athletics to the detriment of cultural and self-improvement
activities. Emphasis should be placed on the arts and group activity
programming so as to potentially involve all residents, young and old.
The desires of the teenage group should be especially noted, directed,
and promoted.

6. Criteria for regular and summer employment should be nondiscriminatory
and publicized.

- 17 -

 Recreation
Recommendations (continued)

7.

The Administrators of parks and recreation programs should communicate
with citizens more fully:
a.

The Parks and Recreation Bureau should establish communication
with citizens by initiating the establishment of neighborhood
groups in numerous parts of the City, so as to permit expressions
of neighborhood opinion in all matters pertaining to recreation
and parks in their areas. It is to be hoped that youth, both
boys and girls, will be encouraged to participate in such representative groups.

b.

The Mayor and other representatives of the city government should
visit the parks and recreational events of note at every opportunity to demonstrate the relationship between the city government
and the Parks and Recreation Bureau.

c.

Appointment of black members to the Parks and Recreation Board is
an imperative step in the immediate future. Inclusion of the
points of view of minorities on decisions affecting forms of
recreation and cultural aims of neighborhood areas must be
provided, in order that this Board may truly represent all the
people in directing the work of the Bureau.

- 18 -

 Law Enforcement
Conclusions
1.

The Akron Police Department is a highly professional department which
m1n1m1zes specialization and emphasizes mobility and centralized
communication. Its overall performance with limited manpower has
been good, however, it has been highly sensitive to criticism, and
has rejected criticisms without regard to their validity. The Chief
of Police reports directly to the Mayor which m~ contribute to this
situation.

2.

The Akron Police Department has been much more effective in its law
enforcement than it has in public relations. It has been least
effective in its relations with the blacks in Akron.

3.

There has been an increase in the training of new policemen and
in-service training of the present force about human relations and
their importance.

4.

There have been numerous instances of rude, belligerent, and discriminatory actions on the part of individual officers. These are not
condoned by the department and when complaints are made, an investigation is undertaken with appropriate disciplinary action by the
department if justified.

5.

The Police feel strongly that disciplinary procedures should be
handled internally and confidentially. This results in an unawareness on the part of the general public of such actions and a feeling
of doubt that they really take place. The complainant is informed
of the action but not all of the many people he may have talked to
about the incident.

6.

The Police Department has not been very effective in recruiting blacks
for positions as policemen.

7.

The Police, Sheriff's Deputies, and National Guardsmen were subjected
to extreme abuse during the period of disorder and generally did not
respond with force or violence.

8.

Beat patrols are the most effective but almost the most expensive type
of police protection. The recent increase in manpower has permitted a
limited number of beats to be established.

9.

Police protection has been least consistent in the areas with concentrations of blacks. As a result, many incidents are not reported to
the Police because of a fear of reprisal, or the belief that it would
be a waste of time.

- 19 -

 Law Enforcement
Conclusions (continued)
10.

There is much confusion on the part of the public as to the powers
and responsibilities of the police in such areas as arrests and
convictions, stopping illegal activities such as prostitution,
gambling, and handling juveniles.

11.

The combination of individual discriminatory actions, inconsistent
responses to calls, the small number of blacks on the force and the
reports of brutality by police here and in other cities has created
a situation in which blacks have failed to support the police in
their work and at the same time have demanded better protection.

12.

The support of the police levy in black wards suggests a basic
support for the police, but there is also a lack of respect and a
hostility toward the police on the part of many blacks.

- 20 -

 Law Enforcement
Recommendations
1.

The Akron Police Department should continue to expand its training
and education of new and present officers in the area of human
relations, with special emphasis on the problems of blacks in
contemporary society. There should be more reliance on experts
and specialists outside the Department in the training.

2.

The Department should intensify its efforts to recruit blacks.

3.

The Community Relations Bureau should be expanded in number and in
scope to permit more involvement in in-service training and public
education about the duties and responsibilities of both the police
and the pUblic in maintaining a system of law and justice.

4.

The Department should establish a system to follow-up complaints,
at least on a spot-check basis, to determine if they have been
handled satisfactorily. The good will, confidence, and support of
the' public are critical aspects of an effective Police Department.

5.

The Police Department must respond to all calls with equal promptness
and treat all citizens with dignity and courtesy, allowing for
priorities in terms of seriousness.

6.

Members of the black community must accept their responsibility as
citizens and support the police in the performance of their duties.
A black criminal or hoodlum must be recognized as a possible law
breaker first rather than as a black. This will facilitate the
providing of better service and protection and also help change
prejudices individual policemen may have.

7.

All members of the Police Department should participate more fully
in the life of the community. Cooperation with and by social agencies,
youth groups, civic clubs, and the like, will produce increased participation and will gain support for the police.

8.

Police assignments should generally be made without regard to race,
but there may be situations where special assignments are appropriate
for black or white officers, and these should be made without concern
for charges of discrimination.

9.

A simplified and well-publicized method of filing and processing
complaints against policemen should be established. The legal rights
of both citizens and policemen should be protected.

10.

All civil service examinations for appointment and promotion should
be studied for (1) their relevance for law enforcement officers in
modern urban areas, and (2) questions which tend to discriminate
against blacks or contain cultural biases.

- 21 -

 Law Enforcement
I{ecommendations (continued) '.
11.

Effectiveness in Community Relations should be a factor in the
promotion and recognition policies of the Department.

12.

There should be serious consideration by the Mayor of ways to
achieve more citizen involvement with the Police Department which
do not interfere with the basic aspects of police work.

- 22 -

 B.

ECONOMICS
Industry, Business, Labor, Employment

COllc:lu:;ions:
1.

Lar{~e companies Lend to have olTicial policies of nondiscrimination
in employment; but where these policies have not been vigorously
implemented, earlier practices remain unchanged.

c.

Chare;es 01' discrimination in industry and business are directed
more toward personnel officers, supervisors and foremen, and
hourly paid employees than top management.
Some companies have attempted to relate racial balance in employees
with that of the population in the area in which they are located.
There has been an increase in the number of blacks hired by the large
companies. Numerically, the increase has been greatest among the
hourly paid workers. Althou~h in numbers the increase is not great,
percentage has been substantial. Blacks still tend to be placed
in least desirable working conditions and given little chance for
mcanin~ful advancement.

).

Thcre was some evidence of discrimination-in-reverse regarding
salaried positions. A qualified black individual has considerable
opportunity for employment. There is also evidence, however, that
this represents only tokenism on occasion--a desire to have a black
employee prominently displayed.

6.

The most important single cause fo~ changes in hiring and promotional
practices has been the pressure from the Federal government
particularly where government contracts are involved. A recipient
of a ~overnment contract must guarantee nondiscriminatory practices
in employment.

7.

Those industries and businesses, most frequently the smaller ones,
which have no contracts with the Federal government lack requirements
for nondiscrimination. In such cases, policies and practices on
racial matters tend to depeno on personal attitudes which are more
l:i kely to be discriminatory.

1\.

Industrial mana/~ers report that the so-called hard-core blacks have
been I~erlcrally unprepared in skills and attitudes to compete in the
industrial settin(~. These are mostly males, 16-25 years of age, and
if they have work experiencc, it is in seasonal, part-time low-payinr:
,jobs. Current programs such as MDTA, STRIDE and NAB are effective
but involve only a small proportion of the total who need training.

9. The increase in employment opportunities has not usually been
accompanied by opportunities for advancement based on merit. This
has been a factor in absenteeism, quitting of jobs, and uncooperative
behavior on the job on the part of blacks.

- 23 -

 Industry, Business; Labor, Employment
'1-:' ~cornrncndat,i()n:~:

1.

IJi:3criminaLory employment and promotion practices must be eliminated.
Such practices in industrial and business settings have a profound
negative eff~ct on the community. The elimination of these practices
requires industrial and business leaders of' the community to assume
a more meaninp;ful share of the leadership necessary for dealinr; with
these problems.
Such positive leadership should include:
(a)

A continuing examination of employment policies dealing with
race relations and a sustained effort at implementing nondiscriminatory policies at all levels of employment and
promotion.

(b)

Emphasis on personal involvement rather than exclusive
reliance on financial support in the area of race relations.

(c)

Taking public positions on questions of race relations particularly as related to the work situation.

(d)

Providing support for other community leaders in their efforts
to prevent discrimination in other areas of community life.

2.

Small business or~anizations must adopt and implement nondiscriminatory
employment practices. The various trade associations should influence
their members to follow the lead of those companies who contract with
the Federal I~overnment and adopt policies of nondj.scrimination. It
should be possible for the small businessman to recognize that his own
self-interest coincides with that of his community--that discrimination
in employment practices is inimical to his community and to his business.

3.

Inasmuch as decent employment is crucial to a decent standard of living,
those persons who can control or influence employment in various ways
should accept the fact that they have no right to let personal prejudices
influence their actions. Employers, managers, supervisors, foremen,
union officials, and stewards have the responsibility to accept persons
who can prOVide the necessary skills ffild services without discriminating
because of race, creed, or color.

~.

Company personnel must be properly oriented to programs for the employment of the hard-core or disadvantaged, and they must be orgffilizationally
supported, especially by top management. Personnel directors in particular should seek to include the disadvantaf~ed rather than to exclude
them. In con,junction with this, the limited value of traditional
selection devices must be understood. Shyness and the lack of responsiveness of the disadvantaged to standard testing procedures are well
tlocumented. Similarly, the stigmatization of welfare recipients,
arrestees, public school failures, job hoppers, etc. must be transcended,
for these are the very criteria by which the disadvantaged are defined.

- 24 -

 Industry, Business, Labor, Employment
Recommendations (continued)

5.

Absolute adherence to formal job qualifications should be eliminated
as neither a high school diploma nor a college degree provide a guarantee of adequate performance on the job. Individuals should be hired
because they can do a job. Formal credentials or their equivalent
should make a person eligible for consideration-ror employment. A
police record should not automatically disqualify an individual. The
employer must examine the type of offense and circUffiBtances of its
commitment to determine if the individual is eligible to be hired.

6.

In view of the special problems of the disadvantaged job seeker,
priority consideration must be given to: (a) employment (even if
tentative) before training; or minimally, to (b) guaranteed hiring
upon successful completion of training.
Pre-apprenticeship training should be greatly expanded. Because a
substantial number of black youth are unprepared for employment,
training programs such as the Manpower Development Training Program,
STRIDE, and others should be expanded and should get the full support
of local business and industry. Every effort should be made to train
only for jobs available and to train only sufficient numbers of
persons for whom potential jobs exist. Successful completion of
training must be followed by employment. The training programs will
fall into disrepute if ex-trainees have no jobs available to them
after completion of training.

7.

In view of the skills· gap dilemma, it is desirable for employers to
re-evaluate their current job structure. Some companies have found
that by breaking down highly complicated jobs into·separate, simplified
components, entry level jobs can be created to serve the manpower needs
of the employer and the job needs of the disadvantaged. Similar
re-evaluation can and must be undertaken if we are to even begin to
solve the unemployment problems of women and youth. Imaginative and
creative reorganization and redefinition of jobs for skilled, as well
as unskilled workers and recruits, have value throughout industry and
business.

8.

The industrial and business setting must make it possible for the black
employee to function. The introduction of black employees into a
previously all-white business or department of an industry may be
difficult initially for both the blacks and the whites. Adequate
support must be given to both groups by management. Management must
make it clear, however, that it expects compliance with its decision
to introduce black employees.
It may be necessary to provide the hard-core person, both black and
white, with intensive on-the-job counseling initially in order to
maximize his chances of remaining on the job and becoming a productive
worker.

- 25 -

 Industry, Business, Labor, Employment
Recommendations (continued)

9.

Blacks must be fully aware of the job opportunities. Information
regarding availability of jobs needs to be disseminated more widely.
Success in this effort would not only make it possible for interested
individuals to check into job opportunities but would also help
eliminate some of the widespread rumors that industry has no place
for black people.
The public relations sections of the various industries should consider
the use of pamphlets, newspapers, films and television to get the
message across that industry welcomes blacks. Personal contact is
also necessary. This can be accomplished through the various neighborhood organizations in existence and those yet to be organized.
There are many programs which address themselves to the poor and the
staffs have the direct and personal access to the community which
industry lacks. Business and industrial representatives should maintain contact with such key people and use them as intermediaries to
spread up-to-date information regarding employment.

10.

Any contractor before being awarded a contract for ~ job financed
by the City of Akron should be required to submit a pledge of nondiscrimination and a program of employment and promotion that will
assure it.

11.

All labor unions should examine their own policies and practices with
regard to membership, elections, and support in grievance procedures
for possible discrimination against blacks.

12.

Labor unions should support companies which are making efforts to
eliminate discrimination in their employment and promotion policies.

- 26 -

 Finance, Credit
Conclusions

1.

Official policies of banks and savings and loan companies appear to
be nondiscriminatory in terms of reviewing applicants for loans and
credit. The same standards are basically applied to all. Department
stores and retail outlets are much more individualized in their
standards and, therefore, more likely to be discriminatory.

2.

Because of their lower employment levels and concentration in residential areas in certain sections of the city, the application of
these standards to blacks on an equal basis with whites results in
a much poorer opportunity to actually get loans or credit and is in
fact discriminatory in its effects.

3.

The young are considered poor risks because they have not yet
established a record of responsibility, while the older persons
cannot get assistance because they have a limited time of employment
for. repayment purposes.

4.

It takes three to five years or more to re-establish a good credit
rating once it has been lost. This particularly affects the black
who is attempting to upgrade himself through some of the recent
opportunities for job training or entry into new fields of employment.

5.

On

6.

Insurance companies frequently refuse coverage of homes in cases where
lending institutions are otherwise inclined to take a chance.

7.

Black contractors and businessmen believe there are double standards
in making loans for purposes of meeting payrolls or purchasing
materials.

8.

Banks and savings and loan companies believe that many persons who
would be eligible do not know about or utilize their services.

home, large appliance and car loans, the down payment required
is usually too high to permit most low-income persons to receive
loans through the larger lending institutions which have lower
interest rates.

- 27 -

 Finance, Credit
Recommendations
1.

Financial, industrial, and business institutions should investigate
the possibilities and opportunities of establishing an Institution
for Investment in Economic Opportunities for Blacks.

2.

The criteria for determining "risk" level should be re-examined with
a view toward assisting blacks who do not meet traditional criteria
in getting credit but who deserve help.

3.

A consulting service should be made available to persons in the lowincome groups to advise them on matters such as personal budgets,
comparative buying, methods and costs of installment buying, and
management of personal income. One logical and available source
of talent for such an undertaking would be the recently retired
persons from the financial, industrial, and business community.

- 28 -

 C.

ELJUCATION
Conclusions:
1.

Segregat:Lon does exist in the City of Akron and de facto
segregation exists in the schools.

2.

Racial isolation in the schools, whatever its orlgln, inflicts
harm upon both black and white students and the entire social
structure.

3.

As an American citizen the black student is entitled to a firstclass education. This expectation is precisely the one which
white students have but are more likely to have fulfilled.

)~.

At present the Akron Public Schools recruit at only two predominately Negro colleees--Central State and Wilberforce-thus limiting the availability of black educators.

5.

Compensatory programs such as Remedial Reading, Remedial
Mathematics, Junior First-Grade Readiness, Pre-Kindergarten,
Academic Day Camp, Learning Resource Centers, Counselor-Home
Visitors, and Tutoring have been somewhat successful in efforts
to improve individual achievement in both public and parochial
schools.

6.

The responsibility for equal, integrated and quality educational
opportunity must be shared by the entire community; business
leaders, professionals, clergymen, civic groups, and fraternal
organizations as well as school officials and this responsibility
is not fully accepted at the present time.

7.

Community-school relations have varied Widely in their effectiveness from school to school and neighborhood to neighborhood.

- 29 -

 Recommendations
1.

A coalition of government., business, industry, and education
shoulu exert vigorous and bolu leadership in Akron's efforts
to eliminate se[~reeation in the City of Akron and ue facto
segregation in the schools.

2.

Increased numbers of qualified minority personnel should be
employed on each professional,.paraprofessional, and subprofessional level, especially at the policy-making level.

3.

Special preservice education should be a requirement. for new
urban teachers.

4.

Both intensive and extensive in-service training should
continually be strengthened as a necessary activity concurrent
with striving toward educational excellence.

5.

A requirement for educational excellence in our schools is a
continuing revision of the curriculum to make it relevant to
all classes and races of' people served by the schools.

6.

The success of the Head Start and other preschool programs in
bringinrf, the benefits of comprehensive early childhood education
to children from disadvantaged homes should be the basis for
expanded services to all such children.

7.

To increase the relevance of education to needs and aspirat.ions
of disadvantaged youths and to prepare them for full participation
in society, opportunities for vocational education should be
expandeu. It is also important to stress that these programs
must provide important and relevant quality education.

8.

To making better use of the major capital investment in school
plants, school facilities should be available during the after
normal school hours and on weekends for a variety of community
service functions for both children and adults. This approach
will encourage residents to regard their schools as vital
community centers.

9.

Year-round education is needed, but not twelve months of the
same routine. Innovative programs tailored to educational
needs and providing a wide range of educational activities
(verbal skills, culture and arts, recreation, job training,
work experience and camps) should be developed during the
summer months.

10.

As the school board and school administration discover performance
differentials among the schools, the causes should be sought and
remedied as quickly as possible.

- 30 -

 Recommendations (continued)
11.

Opportunities for community and parental participation in the
school system are essential to the successful functioning of
schools. School personnel should seek the consultation of
non-pro I'essionals in the community in developing school policies.
A Task Force composed or school board members, the principal,
teachers, parents, and students should be developed for every
school or cluster of schools.

12.

Parents and educators must make the learning process from
pre-kindergarten through high school, so attractive to children
that they will be eager to be in school instead of conniving
to stay out.

13.

The emphasis of the school system should be on Urban Living
which encompasses the relationships among classes, races, and
the total way of life of the citizens.

14.

The University of Akron should seek to employ greater numbers
of qualified black personnel on both the academic and nonacademic levels.

15.

Ghetto concern must be a vital part of The University of Akron's
service to the greater Akron community.

16.

The University of Akron should continue its efforts to develop
new courses and to create options in existing courses to
educate all students about the black man and his contributions
to the development of the United States.

17.

The University of Akron should ~eek ways to provide more tuitionfree educational opportunities for both black and white young
people of high potential and limited financial resources.

- 31 -

 D.

HOUSING
Conclusions:
1.

Pattern~

of racial segregation in housing throughout Akron and
nearby communities are obvious and continuing, despite many
efforts and laws intended to ameliorate the City's housing
problems.

2.

Reports of discriminatory practices, with respect to housing,
were consistently heard from black witnesses. No white witness
appeared who acknowledged that he or the civic sector of which
he was a representative currently engages in racially discriminatory practices.

3.

More than two-thirds of Akron's black citizens are concentrated
in only 17 of the City's 58 census tracts, most of which are
deteriorated neighborhoods.

4.

Creation and growths of black ghettos in Akron, mostly during
the past twenty-five years, cannot be explained solely in terms
of increases in black population. White hostility toward
virtually all issues and actions which involve the prospect of
acquiring black neighbors has strongly shaped the City's
changing patterns.

5.

One of the root causes of the civil disorders in July, 1968, was
the aggravated compression of black people into Akron ghettos
primarily as a consequence of the urban renewal programs in the
Grant-Washington area, the area south of the University, and the
downtown area.

6.

Lax enforcement of Akron's housing and building ordinances contributes distresses to ghetto tenants, further aggravating the
injuries of unstoppable overcrowding.

7.

There is still a serious shortage of low-cost and low-rental
housing. No new housing of any description has been constructed
under Akron's urban renewal program. In this respect, expectations have not been realized. The failure to provide living
accommodations for the thousands of citizens dispossessed represents a deficiency in both the philosophy and the implications of
urban renewal. The "relocation service" offered to those citizens
has greatly contributed to the compacting of the ghettos. Even
less excusable is the practice, too frequently followed, whereby
Akron residential properties have been condemned, commandeered,
demolished and left as empty scars on the city, in locations so
small and scattered as to preclude any possibility of private
developers undertaking suitably large-scale projects of constructing
new residences, low cost or otherwise. Subsequent use of these
sites as commercial parking lots is a further irony.

- 32 -

 Conclusions (continued)

8.

Authorized, recognized, and responsible leaders and officials
of the City have taken too little interest in the emergence of
housing situations which have entrapped thousands of Akron
citizens in environments which individually are merely inadequate but which collectively comprise a menace to the public.

9.

Since the civil disturbances in July, 1968, the only visible
step taken by Akron's city government to mitigate the City's
housing crises has been the appointment of a Housing Commission.

10.

Most ghetto dwellers consistently demonstrate good citizenship.
Their captivity within the ghettos is exploited, however, both
by criminal elements for their purposes, and by aroused black
leadership for demonstrations of the injustices of the predicaments of which they are a part but which they are incapable of
resolving by themselves.

11.

Some progress is being made. Akron is fortunate in containing
and benefitting from a variety of housing programs and excellent
private enterprises all dedicated to amelioration of housing
problems. Current accomplishments by the federally funded Akron
Metropolitan Housing Authority, under which 1400 housing units
are now being operated, with provision of many hundreds more in
prospect, should be singled out for commendation. Similarly,
the constructive efforts of such non-government organizations as
Fair Housing Contact Service, West Side Neighbors, Inpost, and
the Lane Improvement Association, are contributing much of value
to the community.

- 33 -

 Recommendations
1.

A Summit County Housing Coordinating Agency should be established
by joint action of mayors and commissioners and charged with the
following duties: '
a•

Soliciting and reviewing current information from all
agencies (governmental and private) engaged in programs
related to amelioration of housing problems; coordinating
and disseminating the resultant information to citizens
and agencies, whereby pertinent facts can readily be
made known to any inquirer.

b.

Sponsoring and publicizing "self-help programs," throughout Summit County, whereby individuals and groups seeking
to rehabilitate housing can be given guidance and voluntary
assistance on a coordinated basis.

c.

Publicizing instances of salutary housing accomplishments,
and of instances of prejudicial injustices in housing affairs,
as contributions of value in, community education.

d.

Assisting in the development of essential housing programs in
both the public and private sectors throughout Summit County.

It is recognized that to establish any such county-wide agency,
and to provide it necessary support, may require legislative and
financial innovations, in order to qualify it to work across all
boundaries. To make its activities possible and effective, it
should be provided with pUblic and/or private funds sufficient
to permit employment of a professionally qualified full-time
executive director, and to pay for essential office accommodations
and services.
2.

Existing or improved housing and building codes should be strictly
enforced, particularly with respect to the correction by landlords
of unsafe, unsanitary or excessively dilapidated housing. Whenever
appealed to by tenants of substandard living accommodations, the
City should be prompt and adamant in requiring compliance with
applicable codes and ordinances.
~

3.

With the passage of numerous city, state and Federal laws prohibiting discriminatory housing practices, perpetrators of such
practices should expect their illegal activities to be given the
same treatment in the Akron Beacon Journal and the other news media
as other law breakers receive; namely, prompt and conspicuous
citation.

- 34 -

 Recommendations (continued)

4.

Rehabilitation of large tracts of substandard housing, as a civic
objective, seems as urgent and significant a requirement as
demolition and reconstruction. Economic integration of neighborhoods, whereby the affluent and the not-so-affluent and the poor I
can reside in community, is another essential objective, to assure
long-term civic stability.

5.

Future extensions of Akron's urban renewal program should include
firmly-planned arrangements to provide replacement housing on a
scale at least as substantial as the intended residential demolition.

- 35 -

 General Recommendation
A council of representatives from all political subdivisions in
Summit County--Cities, Towns, and Villa@es, the County, Townships, and
School Districts--should be created for the purpose of examining and
recommending to' their respective units waYs of cooperating and coordinating
those actions which have impact beyond their unit.

It seemB indisputable

that effective resolution of many of the areas referred to in this report
cannot be achieved by the unilateral action of one political unit.

At

present, there seems to be a willingness to shift problems from one
jurisdiction to another without recognition of the fact that they are
thereby left unsettled.

The creation of a council to undertake joint

consideration of the complex problems which Summit County citizens must
face would not threaten the sovereignty of any unit.

It would require

that the welfare of the community as a whole be placed above narrow
partisan

inte~ests.

Such a council should be initiated as an advisory

and recommendatory body, with any change in its status to be reserved for
the future.

- 36 -

 V.

CONCLUDING THOUGHTS OF THE COMMISSION
The following comments are based on the reactions of the Commission

members to more than six months of study and thought on race relations in
Akron.

They are intended to express overall feelings which could not be

presented in the specific conclusions and recommendations above.
The level of vitality and the well-being of a city are intimately
linked with the cooperativeness, respect, and responsiveness with which
people relate to each other.

The impetus for growth and betterment must

come from a general concern, not a narrow self-interest.

The welfare of

every person in the community is to some extent linked to the welfare of
every other person.

If businessmen are only interested in business,

teachers only in the schools, blacks only in blacks, and the poor only
in the poor, the basic social relationship is going to be one of conflict
with those outside that area of interest.

Certainly people must look out

for themselves and protect their interests but they must also realize that
cooperation with and assistance to others is a way of helping themselves.
Accepting this principle of common interest and responsibility, the
Commission cannot conclude this report without taking note of the deep
concern expressed by a large number and variety of witnesses.

This,concern,

often accompanied by a sigh of despair, usually took the form of one or
the other of these two statements:

"So little has happened since the Civil

Disorders" or "So many people don't seem to care."

To the members of the

Commission, these two statements are inseparable, and together they explain
the despair, resentment, and anger of the black people of Akron.

No human,

no matter what the color of his skin or the extent of his patience, can

- 37 -

 live without the hope of accomplishments', results, action, victories, or
successes.

Neither the leadership in the public and private sectors of

the city, nor the general public, has conveyed to the blacks sufficient
statements or actions that would encourage them that results will be forthcoming.

The failure to show concern about the conditions of poverty,

deprivation, degradation, inequality, and discrimination is the food on
which tension and hostility feed.

It cannot be denied that sound and

effective actions to remedy existing conditions take time, money, and
planning but sincere concern can be immediate and is a prerequisite for
them.

Collective violence is a measure of the extent of desperation of

people who

~ee

no other way to be heard.

Whether it is justified or

whether it accomplishes anything are not the questions asked by persons
directly involved because they are engaged in an action of hopelessness,
not hope.
It is also apparent that open and frank communication does not
exist in Akron.

Within the black community, there has been a struggle

for power, especially between generations, that has severely hampered
communication of the problems to the people as a whole.

Younger blacks

have demanded action now while older people have argued for change on a
les~

dramatic basis but neither have developed a comprehensive'plan

containing priorities and procedures for implementation.

It might be

argued that this is not the responsibility of the blacks, but the fact
remains that it would establish communication with the whites in terms
the whites are more likely to understand.

Moreover the failure to do so

has permitted white leaders to rationalize their inaction by placing
blame on the blacks, i. e., "how can we help them if we don It know what

- 38 -

 they want?"

There are also instances in which black leaders have lost

much of their possible effectiveness because they have placed personal
ambition or the desire for recognition above the welfare of the black
people and the community as a whole.

Differences in philosophy or

approaches are inevitable and often desirable but rejection or non-support
of ideas and proposals because of personality conflicts can only be harmful.

It was most disappointing to the Commission to find the only persons

who refused to appear were a small number of blacks who were not willing
to share their information and ideas with the community through this
report.

Some of the refusers were persons who have been loudest in their

insistence in having a voice in the planning and decision-making processes.
The major focus of this report has been on the problems of the
blacks in Akron as they have experienced discrimination and its consequences.

Obviously many of the conditions of poverty and deprivation

are equally applicable to many whites and the implementation of many of
the recommendations would have beneficial results for people with limited
education, training, and income, regardless of race.

There are many needs

of such people that must be resolved by state and Federal government action
and thus the Commission members felt were beyond the scope of their assignment.

One of the most serious of these needs lies in the inadequacies and

inequities in the public welfare program.

Until the policies, procedures,

and payments are related to the contemporary situation, a basic current of
dissatisfaction and hostility will continue to run through the community.
Lack of support and out-of-date policies are also applicable to the mental
hospitals and correctional institutions in Ohio which bear on community
problems in the f'orm of an absence of adequate rehabilitation f'acilitd.es.

- 39 -

  

 

There are other situations which require action beyond the boundaries of
Akron, but this should not be considered as justification for inaction in
areas in which local action is possible.

Finally the question of cost and expenditures of remedial action
should be examined. If a segment of the population lacks purchasing power,
or disrupts the schools, or engages in anti-social behavior, what is the
cost and who must bear it? Is it preferable to Spend money on the costs
of the civil disturbances rather than on recreation, job training, special
educational programs, and the like? Those concerned do not understand why
money can be found after disturbances when it was not available before
why are priorities in eXpenditure more flexible at one time than
another?). Even if the immediate costs were the same, there is a greater
return in the long run in preventive measures. The increasing cost of
the United Fund and public service agencies, higher crime rates, expanding
welfare roles, and even the problems of downtown businesses, are influenced
by failures in the area of human relations.

We wish we could conclude this report on a note of optimism, but
at present we cannot. Those conditions which fostered the hostility behind
the civil disorder of 1968 are still present. The people of Akron and its
surrounding communities have not shown an understanding and concern that
could lead to their reduction and elimination. Whether future disturbances
actually take place will depend on many things, but all the ingredients are
still present. It is hoped the implementation of all or part of the
recommendations presented above would reduce the probability of trouble. In

recent weeks there have been positive developments that should not be

ho 

 

overlooked--the commitment to Joy Park, the opening of some black-owned-.
and-operated businesses, the possibility of providing an agency center in
the former Fire Station on Wooster Avenue.

However, above and beyond all

actions, there remains a community attitude of indifference.

Until this

changes, the members of the Akron Commission on Civil Disorders cannot be
very hopeful for the future of race relations in Akron.

Respectfully submitted by the
Akron Commission on Civil Disorders,

M. B rell

. '. J'~'

/'

10/

~ ~&:t~&J!C-Z~J
Ml;!4;in O. Chapman

1I

~u'-M,~
Mrs. Henry GU~ ~
Q~;--S~ t~
D. Bruce Mans ield

William Polanka

?'!zw..t:Lj/t~~
Franklin SprUi 1

Mrs.

Vb~~i~

- 41 -

 J O H N 5. E t A L L A R D

MA YO^'

J u l y 27, 1968
D r . Edwin L. L i v e l y
Dean o f G r a d u a t e S t u d i e s
The U n i v e r s i t y o f A k r o n
Akron, Ohio

Dear D r .

Lively:

D u r i n g t h e e v e n i n g o f W e d n e s d a y , J u l y 1 7 , 1 9 6 8 , t h e C i t y o f Akron
e x p e r i e n c e d a n e r u p t i o n i n t h e W o o s t e r Avenue a r e a w h i c h q u i c k l y
grew i n t o a s e r i o u s c i v i l d i s t u r b a n c e r e q u i r i n g t h e a s s i g n m e n t o f
a l l a v a i l a b l e p o l i c e and S h e r i f f ' s personnel t o t h e a r e a .
I n t h e e a r l y h o u r s of t h e f o l l o w i n g morning, u n i t s o f t h e National.
Guard w e r e a s s i g n e d t o d u t y i n Akron.
The c i v i l d i s t u r b a n c e c o n t i n u e d u n t i l t h e f o l l o w i n g T u e s d a y ,
During t h i s s i x day p e r i o d s e r i o u s d i s t u r b a n c e s
J u l y 22, 1968.
a l s o o c c u r r e d i n t h e South A r l i n g t o n S t r e e t area.
A l a r g e number o f c i t i z e n s o f a l l a g e s , b o t h b l a c k and w h i t e ,

p a r t i c i p a t e d i n varying degrees o f involvement i n t h e disturbances.
I t i s c l e a r t h a t a deep f e e l i n g o f a l i e n a t i o n , h o s t i l i t y and
f r u s t r a t i o n i s h e l d by s u b s t a n t i a l n u m b e r s o f o u r N e g r o c i t i z e n s ,
e s p e c i a l l y t h e youth.

T h e r e was e v i d e n t l y n o p r e c i p i t a t i n g i n c i d e n t w h i c h " t r i g g e r e d 1 '
the disturbance.
Once s t a r t e d h o w e v e r , a l i e n a t i o n , f r u s t r a t i o n ,
and enmity p r o v i d e d f u e l f o r t h e s p r e a d and e s c a l a t i o n o f t h e
disorder.
I have a p p o i n t e d t h e Commission o f which you h a v e g r a c i o u s l y a c c e p t e d
t h e c h a i r m a n s h i p t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e s e u n d e r l y i n g forces. and f e e l i n g s
which e r u p t e d l a s t week.

We n e e d i n s i g h t i n t o how w i d e s p r e a d a n d d e e p - s e a t e d a r e t h e s e
f e e l i n g s o f f r u s t r a t i o n , a n g e r and a l i e n a t i o n i n Akron.
We n e e d i n s i g h t c o n c e r n i n g t h e a i m s a n d o b j e c t i v e s o f some m i l i t a n t
o r g a n i z a t i o n s which are a t t e m p t j n g t o e x p l o i t and deepen t h e
a l i e n a t ' i o n which e x i s t s i n o u r community.

I n s h o r t , I a s k t h e Commission t o p r o v i d e m e w i t h i t s a s s e s s m e n t

.

 D r . Edwin L . L i v e l y
J u l y 27, 1968
Pa& t w o

o f t h e c a u s e s o f t h e d i s o r d e r a n d make r e a l i s t i c r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s
which a r e w i t h i n t h e competency and r e s o u r c e s o f Akron's
M u n i c i p a l G o v e r n m e n t c o n c e r n i n g s t e p s we c a n a n d s h o u l d t a k e t o
r e d u c e o r e l i m i n a t e t h e a l i e n a t i o n a n d d i v i s i o n which e x i s t s i n
our City.
I w a n t t o t h a n k e a c h member o f t h e C o m m i s s i o n f o r h i s w i l l i n g n e s s
t o s e r v e o u r C i t y i n t h i s most d i f f i c u l t a s s i g n m e n t .
I am s u r e
y o u a l l a p p r e c i a t e how i m p o r t a n t a n d t r y i n g a r e t h e r e s p o n s i b i l i t i e s
you have assumed.
I h o p e t h e Commission w i l l a p p r o a c h i t s t a s k w i t h o b j e c t i v i t y and
No d o u b t y o u r r e p o r t a n d
r e a l i s m and w i l l " t e l l it a s it is".
r e c o m m e n d a t i o n s w i l l b e c r i t i z e d b y many.
I do not ask you t o
I only ask you t o do your
a t t e m p t t o p l e a s e everyone o r anyone.
best.

The C i t y Government s t a n d s r e a d y t o c o o p e r a t e w i t h y o u i n y o u r
w o r k i n a n y way w e c a n .
A g a i n , many t h a n k s .

Yours v e r y t r u l y ,

Mayor

 APPENDIX B

AKRON COMMISSION ON CIVIL DISORDERS

Hearina Procedures
I n t roduc t Ion
I n o r d e r t o f u l f i l l i t s t a s k of r e p o r t i n g t o t h e Mayor concerning t h e c i v i l d i e o r d e r s
i n Akron and the o v e r a l l p i c t u r e of race r e l a t i o n e a s caueal f a c t o r s , t h e Comaiseion
w i l l conduct a number of hearings. These h e a r i n g s a r e intended t o provide information
'from which a s e t of recomeendations f o r a l l e v i a t i n g t h e t e n s i o n s and c o n f ' l i c t r i n t h e
cormunity can be developed. It i s not poaeible a t t h i s t h e t o determine t h e number
of witnessee t o be c a l l e d o r t h e number of hearing8 t o be held.

It i e a n t i c i p a t e d t h a t t h e r e w i l l be two kinds of witneseee: (a) h o s e i n v i t e d t o
provide g e n e r a l information about t h e s i t u a t i o n i n t h e conwunity, f e e . t h e d i r e c t i o n
of t h e i r teetimony w i l l be unknown p r i o r t o t h e hearing, and (b) those i n v i t e d t o
t e e t i f y on a s p e c i f i c e i t u a t i o n o r a r e a of concern. Witnesses of type (a) w i l l be
heard f i r s t and w i l l continue u n t i l an o v e r a l l impreeeion of t h e problems involved fs
gained by t h e Com~ieeion, and t h e n d e t a i l s or e p e c i f i c d i r e c t i o n s w i l l be pureued through
witneeeee of type (b).
Witneeeee during t h e i n i t i a l phaser of t h e h e a r i n g s w i l l be sought from t h e g e n e r a l
community ae known l e a d e r s of a s s o c i a t f o n e , u n f t s , and o r g a n i z a t i o n s o r as perronr
known t o be r e l a t e d t o the problems t h e Conrmission expect8 t o be concerned with.
Suggestions a s t o these witnesses w i l l be obtained from Commission members i n t h e
beginning, from wftnesses themselves, and o t h e r a p p r o p r i a t e sourctae.
t h e second phase of hearings a planned sequence of w i t n e s s e s w i l l be developed t o
~ t a b l i s ha systematic i n v e s t i g a t i o n of those a r e a s of concern. Such a r e a s might
i n c l u d e t h e following: housing, induetry, l a b o r , schn-;e, p o l f c e and f i r e s e r v i c e s ,
r e t a i l s t o r e e , insurance, bonking and finance, government o f f i c e s , and t h e l i k e .
I

I n c a s e s of u n c e r t a i n t y a s t o t h e appropriateneer of a given witneee, a m a j o r i t y v o t e
of t h e Conmriseion s h a l l decide t h e question.

1

Witnesses i n v i t e d t o appear before t h e Commission s h a l l be n o t i f i e d of the d a t e , time,
and p l e c e by C e r t i f i e d Mail and w i l l be requeeted t o confirm t h e i r appointment and
i n t e n t ion t o appear by telephone. A epecif ic member of t h e C-iseion
s h a l l be
designated t o receive t h i s conf innation.

 2
Bearings
Closed hearings will normally be held on Tuesday and Thursday evenings each week until
the CommisH10n feels it has sufficient information with which to prepare a report. The
time schedule is as follows:
7:00
7:30

Business Meeting of Commission - Planning for evening's meeting
Presentation by Witnesses
Conclusion of Testimony - Business Meeting of Commission Planning for next session

Other husiness of Commission will be conducted in meetings called by the Chairman at
other timeR.
A quorum of the Commission shall consist of five (5) members and no hearings shall be
held or businesR conducted without a quorum in attendance.
The hearings shall be held in public buildings with preferences being the following:
(1) Council Chambers, (2) Court House, (3) Mayor's Office. A law enforcement officer
shall be Atationed outside the hearing room to serve as bailiff and sergeant-At-arms.
Hearings shall he chaired by the Chairman of the Commission, or in his absence,
(1) the Vice-Chairman or (2) someone designated by the Chairman. The Chairman shall
present the witness to the Commission and aid him in the presentation of his material.
Names shall be placed in front of each Commission member present to enable the witness
to respond to a questioner by name. All members of the Commission present sball be
given tbe opportunity to question any witness who appears for a hearing. Witnesses
may be permitted to have legal counsel if they desire.
Testimony
All testimony will he recorded by the Commission stenographer and one tran8cription
of each day's testimony will be prOVided. The Chairman shall be responsible for
keeping such transcripts and for making them 8va11able for individual members of the
Commission's use when appropri8te.
Members of the Commission will not discuss the testimony or business of the Commission
outside the Commission meetings with anyone other than other members. Public statements on behalf of the Commission will be made by the Chairman only. Members of the
Commission should make it clear to others that they will not speak of the work of tbe
Commission in public.
Final Report
The preparation of 8 final report shall begin upon the conclusion of hearing witne.se ••
This report should include a brief resume of the actions of the Commi.sion, a eet of
recommendations based upon the Commission's assessment of te.timony, and general
8uggeGtions for implementing the recommendations.

- 45 -

 (3)

Final Report (continued)
Work on the report prior to the final draft will be done through 8ubcommittees of the
Commission. ~rea8 of conc~rn ~lill be identified and assigned to members of the Commission as individuals or in groups to draft a summary and tentative recommendations.
These will be examined by the Commission as a whole, returned to committee if necelsary,
and then the entire Commission will work together to compile the final report.
The report in final form shall be presented to the Mayor. It seems proper to suggest
public release and distribution of it, although the final decision 1s his. The press
and radio shall be notified of the submission of the report to the Mayor but shall not
be released to them by the Conmt1seion, nor shall Bny details be "leaked" by individual
members.
The CommlsHion ghall pe discharged as a Commission upon submission of the report to the
Ma¥or.
September 24, 1968

- 46 AKRON PUBLIC LmRARY
AKRON,OHfO

 APPENDIX C '

WILLIAM R. BAIRD

"1"

OIRECTOR OF LAW

.. ' 0

~.fON.O~'\

CHARLES M. GREENE
JAMES R. GRAVES
ALVIN C. VINOPAL
GEORGE L. WIDICAN
EDwARD J. COMPARDA
. JOYCE J. GEORGE
ROBERT H. COLOPY
S. JOHN NOSTWICH

CITY PROSECUTOR'S OFFICE:
CARL L. REED
BRUCE N. METZ
MICHAEL B. HENDLER
JOHN C. ZIMBARDI
HAROLD K. STUBBS

DEPARTMENT OF LAW
304 MUNICIPAL BUILOING

ASSISTANT OIREC TORS OF LAW

ASSISTANT OIRECTORS OF LAW

AKRON, OHIO

44308
376·1431

September 25, 1968
(~::.~) b ! '.;' ~ ;. ':' i':
'--' f\rL..1 U .. - .. f L.:

Dr. Edwin L. Lively
Dean of Graduate Studies
The University of Akron
302 East Buchtel Avenue
Akron, Ohio 44304
Re:

S[P 26 19(;8
DIV{Sf;()r·~

Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders

Dear Dr. Lively:
Mayor Ballard has requested that this office reply to your
inquiry as to whether the Mayor's Commission on Civil Disorders
may properly conduct its meetings in private.
In response to your inquiry, we have examined the provisions
of the State Statutes, the Akron Charter and the Akron City Code
relative to "open meetings." The statutory prohibition only
applies to meetings where final, formal action is taken (Ohio
Revised Code, Section 121.22; Beacon Journal Publishing C~.
Akron, 3 Ohio St. 2d 191). Both the Charter Provision (Section 141)
and the Akron City Code Provision (Section 133.01) relate only to
meetings of boards or commissions created by the Charter or by action
of Council.
The meetings in question are investigatory in nature, and this
Commission is an advisory commission to the Mayor and was not
created by the Charter or by Council action.
Accordingly, since
none of the above criteria are applicable to these meetings, there
is no requirement that they be public.
Very truly yours,

uc((;1a
I' 0'

J

;(/ iJ1
,r;;:
(}Y2<'--L 0

William R. Baird
Director of Law

WRB/ns
cc:

HI.

Mayor John S. Ballard

- 47 -

t