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What factors should you be locking for when you make this “social inventory?" k . Who has the power in the community? That is, which people, families, and business concerns, which politicians, ministers, educators have the authority to make decisione which influence the behavior of other individuals or groups, or things? Generally speaking, the real decision- making power will tend to overlap with "society." Not all people in "society" have power, and not all power people are in the society, but as a group they will overlap. The elite (and this is just as true im the Negro community) will have gone to certain achools and universities, will live in a certaim area considered more desirable, will belong to certain social clubs, will attend certain churches, and above all, will be concentrated jm certam occupations and professions: directors ‘ef large business, (smaller in smaller communities), fimanciers, and the lawyers who serve them con- stitute the "power elite" of a community. The elite will vary, of course, with the kind of comm- unity--in an area of large plantation-type agricul- ture, there will be one kind of elite. In a more commercial and industrial area, there will be another. Above all, it is important to remember that elites do not always agree among themselves. They have interests which differ and sometime eonflict. These differences and conflicts can be “uned'' by the smart civil rights worker. Example: Generally it is wise to try to boycott ali stores, even when some stores are prepared gies in to demands on equal hiring and serving. ‘Fhe managers who are willing to give in will then peeseure the more stubborn ones, “moving on. It is generally necessary to deal with the power structure when raising civil rights demands, and it is important that the power structure be aware of the issues. Frequently the biracial commission or Mayor's Committee will channel information from the civil rights groups through to the power structure, and this is valuable. A power structure which is ignorant of the issues, and of the nature of the opposition, cannot make realistic decisions in the conflict situation, Nor can the movement act realistically unless it is aware of what the power structure is likely to do, Conflict is ultimately the test through which both sides learn about each other, and this is one of the best aspects of the dispute. The century-old silence between the races {and ignorance about real feelings despite all talk that ''we know our Niggras") is being broken, because conflict talks. 2. What are the relations between the racial groups? In making out a social inventory it is crucial to know what the situation is, and has been, before What rights do Negroes have? How did they get these rights? Can Negroes be police- men? Firemen? If so, only in Negro sections? Who votes? Who rides buses? Who can go to the movies? Balcony only for Negroes? Which Negro businesses are really white controlled? Which churches? Which politicians? Which school board members? , The most important factor, again, in determining the present relationship of the races (and making a prediction of the degree of resistance to future change) is the proportion of Negroes in the population. The more Negroes, the more resistance, except in large cities, 7