Roy Innis, the new National Director for CORE initially supported economic development as a national project, but he changed his mind. Conversely, he will not support direct action either. The CORE chapters that left over strategy disagreements never returned under Innis' leadership, nor did they form an alternate organziation.
CORENCO fails and the Community Self Determination Bill lingers in Congress until 1972 due to opposition from all sides. The Nixon administration refuses to embrace a broad capitalist approach.
Mr. Innis refocuses the organizational mission on independent black school districts. Education supersedes employment discrimination as national CORE’s new directive. Innis also prohibits the selection of another national director. He takes over CORE for decades into the future. Economic development is dead, and so is direct action protest.
Meanwhile, Cleveland continues to deteriorate. Its decline is marked by an infamous environmental disaster. In 1969, the Cuyahoga River catches on fire. The black community remains mired in poverty.