State Commission to Investigate Living Conditions of the Urban Colored Population: Transcripts of Commission Hearings, November 29, 1940; January 3, 4, 27, 1941 | Illinois State Archives

Scope and Contents: Transcripts of commission hearings held in East St. Louis, Chicago, and Springfield concern race relations in those cities as well as relations in Peoria, Champaign, Urbana, and at the University of Illinois. Transcripts contain testimony about discrimination in the administration of relief programs, segregation in school systems, violation of state civil rights laws by entertainment corporations, discriminatory employment practices engaged in by private businesses, restrictive membership regulations and policies of labor unions, and attitudes and practices of law enforcement officials. Transcripts also offer information about New Deal programs and their affects on the "urban colored population."