As most of you know, I was born and raised in Up South Pittsburgh and the only period of time I ever spent away from this town was the two years I spent in the service. In 1949, as I first went to the election polls, it was an introduction to a one-sided love affair colored voters had with the Democrat Party.
The district I lived in was the 3rd ward, 9th district and those of us who were registered Republican were outnumbered 15 to 1; 1500 Democrats and 100 Republicans. The political jobs were given out at a ratio of 5 to 1, five Whites to every Black person. White voters were rewarded with white collar jobs, police, firemen, deputy sheriffs, district attorney’s office, register of wills, treasurer (city and county), morgue, commissioner’s office, controller’s (city and county), heavy duty equipment operators, truck drivers, brick layers, electricians, carpenters, meter readers, mechanics, painters, Allegheny County police, firemen and airport.
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