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Burlington Self-Survey on Human Relations: Final report, 1950

Page 28

28

we have to subtract at least 8 percent willing to change, leaving 23 percent to precedent-- making discrimination. Since this survey covers all of the public amusement enterprises listed in the Burlington telephone book, we can definitely state, from their own responses, that public opinion, policy and practice could counter whatever influence precedent exercises in sustaining discrimination in the amusement facilities of this community. 
   The over all picture of public amusement in Burlington adds up to an established, though changeable, pattern of discriminatory, restricted service. The majority of enterprises draw the color line: more than half of them (55 percent) not serving Negroes, another 18 percent doing so on a restricted basis and a miscellaneous 6 percent openly evading the question to the point of suggesting discomfort to the idea. Thus by their own admission, 79 percent of those establishments make a distinction between Negro and white in their public practices. The remaining 21 percent give the impression of being truly public, rendering service to all the city's residents on an equal basis. 
   It may seem questionable to interpret the special optional practice, which obtains in all the theatres in town, as discriminatory device, since occupancy of such a section is "optional" However, whatever the given rationale for this type of practice, no one cn deny that it unquestionably makes a distinction between the color of patrons., allowing an option only to be the one group. 

Table 5, under "YES", the total of the answers listed as "only to take out," "before or after hours," "segregated" "with special section optional," and "but rather not."

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28 we have to subtract at least 8 percent willing to change, leaving 23 percent to precedent-- making discrimination. Since this survey covers all of the public amusement enterprises listed in the Burlington telephone book, we can definitely state, from their own responses, that public opinion, policy and practice could counter whatever influence precedent exercises in sustaining discrimination in the amusement facilities of this community. The over all picture of public amusement in Burlington adds up to an established, though changeable, pattern of discriminatory, restricted service. The majority of enterprises draw the color line: more than half of them (55 percent) not serving Negroes, another 18 percent doing so on a restricted basis and a miscellaneous 6 percent openly evading the question to the point of suggesting discomfort to the idea. Thus by their own admission, 79 percent of those establishments make a distinction between Negro and white in their public practices. The remaining 21 percent give the impression of being truly public, rendering service to all the city's residents on an equal basis. It may seem questionable to interpret the special optional practice, which obtains in all the theatres in town, as discriminatory device, since occupancy of such a section is "optional" However, whatever the given rationale for this type of practice, no one cn deny that it unquestionably makes a distinction between the color of patrons., allowing an option only to be the one group. Table 5, under "YES", the total of the answers listed as "only to take out," "before or after hours," "segregated" "with special section optional," and "but rather not."