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ouse
no one would use it. I asked her why.
She said they can’t – they couldn’t even
go to a park if there was one – because
it’s too dangerous. This is why the kids
never go to Kingdom House any more.
She told me later that no one ever
crossed Twelfth Street, ‘so you know
how bad it is.’
...in what cases would these women
tolerate integration? Only, I think, in a
somewhat structured (i.e. ‘safe’) situation,
which provides some kind of service upon
which they depend, and only when children
not yet approaching dating age are involved.
A perfect example is the nursery at Kingdom
House, a service which is in great demand,
especially among women who work, and
which has been able to remain integrated
when other groups could not. Even Mrs.
D. plans to send her daughter there when
she is old enough, and apparently without
any concern about the presence of African
American children.
...There is a lot of fear and prejudice in
the area, and given the high concentration
of low-income, dissatisfied [footnote here
reads: None of my interviewees would
98
A
P
hoto
:
A:
Site preparation at
11th and Rutger Street
Note: partially
constructed St. Louis
Arch in the background
and Ralston Purina
Checkerboard Tower just
to its left.