Slomovitz, Philip, 1896-1993

The South End is the official school newspaper for the Wayne State University campus, located in the heart of Detroit. Originally called The Daily Collegian, South End was renamed in 1966 to reflect the changing demographics of Detroit due to the effects of "white flight" to the suburbs. The term "south end" separates the urban school from the northern Detroit suburbs.

The change of name was not the only radical change to happen to the paper in the 1960s and 1970s. Soon after the change, John Watson was made editor of the South End . Watson changed the South End from a college paper reporting campus events, into a r adical "revolutionary" newspaper for workers, reporting on domestic and international issues. Watson used South End to educate workers on unionization and their rights as well as oppressed peoples everywhere, rather than inform the students of Wayne State. Using the phrase "One class conscious worker is worth a hundred students" Watson shaped the South End into the paper he wanted. He changed the masthead to include two black panthers and include the line "Year of the Heroic Guerilla." Soon, half of the published South End papers were being distributed to workers at the Dodge factory in Detroit to educated workers and not students on Wayne State's campus.

The radical newspaper began attacking all levels of establishment, candidly reporting from a socialist standpoint. On two egregious occurrences, South End printed anti-Semitic articles, specifically in 1973 using a graphic of a Star of David with a swastika printed in the center. The Detroit Jewish community and alumni reaction was outstanding. South End became a point of great controversy for Wayne State. It was not until after 1973 that Watson and his successor, Gene Cunningham, were removed from the South End staff, and the newspaper began to refocus on its role as a campus newspaper like it is today.

From the guide to the Philip Slomovitz South End collection, 1969-1974, (American Jewish Historical Society)