The Black Coalition
Accession 296,307
Records, 1968-1969, 2 Linear Feet
BACKGROUND
The Black Coalition was formed in response to the growing concern among certain members of the Greater Philadelphia Movement that efforts to establish a meaningful dialogue between whites and blacks in Philadelphia were failing. The reason for this was attributed to the lack of communication with the so-called "gang element" in the city. Convinced of the necessity to deal with this element a meeting was planned for Good Friday, April 12, 1968 one week after the assassination of Martin Luther King. A broad crosses section of both the White and Black communities were invited to this meeting, including a number of gang leaders. It was at this meeting that the Black Coalition was formed, as a vehicle to maintain an ongoing dialogue between the White business community and the gang element, as well as other segments of the Black community within the city. Funds up to $1,000,000 were to be raised by the business community. Projects would be initiated by the coalition and funded by the Whites through the Good Friday Group of White businessmen. There was no attempt to dictate funds and responsibility was placed squarely in the hands of the Blacks. At outset of the Black Coalition was representative of rather broad cross-section of Black community. With the passage of time, however, dissension began with in the Coalition and a power struggle began between the more moderate members of the Coalition and the militants. As a result of this problem the whole project appeared to be headed for collapse, leading to the disestablishment of the Black Coalition and its merger with the Urban Coalition in May of 1969. The records of the Black Coalition contain approximately two cubic feet of materialS divided among Black Coalition, Good Friday Group and Programs and Projects records and is arranged as follows.INVENTORY
BOX 1
ADMINISTRATION
Authorizations (payrolls, bills, etc.) 1968-1969Checks to Black Coalition-Photostats
Board of Directors-Members and Minutes
By-Laws and Background Information
Correspondence and General June 1968-April 1969- 3 folders
Employment Data
Expenditure Data Sheet
Funded Activities in Connection w/Get Set
Inventories
Job Availability for Applicants Recruited by the Black Coalition
Miscellaneous
Proposals from North Phila. not funded by the Black Coalition
W-2 Forms
Good Friday Group-Authorizations for Proposed Projects General
Greater Philadelphia Foundation Material on Black Coalition
Greater Philadelphia Movement- Visit to Urban Youth Action- Pittsburgh, PA
INA-Blanket Liability
Material on Disestablishment of the Black Coalition- 1969
Merger with the Urban Coalition – Urban Coalition Material Merger
Minutes- 1968- 1969
Policy Committee Meetings- 1968
Project Expenditure Audit
Good Friday Group-Proposals for Improved Planning and Funding of Projects in Aid and Support of the Black Community (Bond Proposal) and Nix Amendment 1969
Good Friday Group-Bound Volume w/General Material, Correspondence, Memos, Meetings, Reports etc. on the Black Coalition and Good Friday Group.
PROGRAMS AND PROJECTS
Adventures (a miscellaneous Program of Activities) 1968Afro-American Art Festival (Black Student Union- LaSalle) 1969
Center for Personal Adjustment, 1968
Children’s Aid Society Project for recruitment of Adoption Families for Black Children, 1969
Community Betterment League
Community Concern #13 Incorporated
Correspondence File re: Program Funding 1969
Educational Self Help Movement- (Rev. Hatch) 1968
Greater Basketball League, 1968
Greater Philadelphia Consumer Development Corporation
Greater Philadelphia Enterprises Development Corporation, 1968
Group Centered Business Administration (Drexel), 1969
Mantua Medical Center
Narcotic Rehabilitation Program, 1969
Neighborhood Assistance Act ( Work File ), 1968-1969
BOX 2
On the Job Training program in the Garment Industry, 1968-1969Our Neighbors Civic Association, 1969
Operation Outreach
Philadelphia Apparel Industry Project, 1968
Philadelphia Committee for College Placement, 1969
Pre-Apprenticeship Training Program (Philadelphia School District) 1968
Program in Institutional Change- (Drexel) Proposals
Program File-List, Description and Amount of Contribution
Program in Industrial Change (Drexel) Proposals
Programs to Improve the Educational Conditions at Gratz High School 1968-1969
Project HELP- 1968-1969-Photos
Project IN (V. Mallory) 1969
Project PRIDE (4 Square Brigade), 1968
Proposals
Proposals -Bound Volume
Recreation and Growth- Baptist Church of the Redeemer-1968
Reference Publication File- B.E.E.P
"Daytop Village Inc.
"Juvenile Gangs"
"MA-4 Training Program"
"Phila. Institute of Vocational Training, The Sedgwick School, The Jackson School"
"The Philco-Ford Corp., Education and Technical Services Data
"Urban Youth Action"
Remedial Education Adjustment Diagnostic Program, 1968
Summer Program for Culturally Deprived Youth, 1969
Teen-Aid (Big Sisters)-1968-1969
The Circle of African-American Unity, 1968-1969
The Summer Program (Father Washington), 1968
United Veterans for Freedom, 1968
University City Arts League Inc., 1968
Urban Survival Training Center-A Project of CORE
Young Black Alliance, 1969
Young Black Society, 1969
Young Great Society-Medical Center, 1968