Committee for a Unified Newark meeting, 1970

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Good evening
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a number of individuals and agencies have taken responsibility for
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putting this evening if you will on the map
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a committee for unified Newark the
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Diocese of Newark Presbytery of Newark.
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The Metropolitan Ecumenical Ministry the business community the
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academic community and so on.
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But I would trust that
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everyone would agree with me that fundamentally tonight all of that.
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And the last word is inside and we are
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gathered here tonight. All of us fundamentally in the name of humanity.
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Someone has said as we left the 60s we left behind this slum of a decade.
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Well in the six days the poor were put in motion
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and as for an evening such as tonight for us all to affirm our solidarity with
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a kind of most this is an evening we trust
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of solidarity and of affirming
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humanity.
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And on that note if I may I should like to read a paragraph or so from yesterday's
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New York Times
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and you may wonder who wrote this If you have
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not read yesterday morning's New York Times listen
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Won't you please very very carefully.
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George the Third was the symbol against which our founders made
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a revolution now considered bright and glorious
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we must realize that today's establishment is the new George
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the Third whether
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it will continue to adhere to his tactics.
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We do not know.
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If it does the redress honoured in tradition is also revolution.
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Now I want to affirm that nobody in this room wrote
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those words
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those words come to us.
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From Justice William O Douglas.
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And he speaks to us all.
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The plain common cause what is known as either
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the establishment or those who are in motion.
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We affirm tonight our solidarity and I want to present
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to you at this time if I may our moderator for the evening
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Mr. Ralph Grant.
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Grant.
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Thank you very kindly.
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In the words of the great late Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.
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He said as evidenced by your presence here tonight we have
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all come to realize that.
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Our destinies are inextricably bound together.
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What affects one affects all it
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is gratifying to see as many of you out tonight as our here
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and we certainly take delight in knowing that it's nice
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to swallow our pride occasionally.
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It's not fattening
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we have come to a time and since this is a religious
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edifice I think whatever is said in a humorous way should somehow
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be centered around the religious attitude.
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There was a short story told of a minister while riding
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the plane heard from the pilot that they were about to crash.
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And they ask the minister riding the plane why Reverend won't you do something
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religious as a last memento.
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He said Why certainly. He took off his hat and took up a collection.
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It is very important to concern our efforts
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but it's even more important when we consider our efforts in a positive constructive
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vein.
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Most of us who've studied science are any phase of physiology
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we know that somehow a caterpillar rolls along
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its belly in the muck and mire of the earth
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then this caterpillar goes into a cocoon through
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a stage or term known as metamorphosis
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when this caterpillar comes out of this cocoon after having undergone this
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change he now is a butterfly splitting
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the air with its wings.
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I'm referring to the butterfly in terms of the city in which we live.
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This city of New at one
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time the city of Newark was resting on its lese
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and then it too went through a political transformation.
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We thought we were on our way to great things.
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But the city administration unlike
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the butterfly has somehow crept back into this
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stage of metamorphosis and has gone back
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to being what it was in its bad days so to speak
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nowhere can we find where a butterfly returned to the cuckoo
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went back through the stage of metamorphosis in reverse and then back to
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the stage of being a caterpillar what we need to do now
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with the broken pieces is to pick them up.
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Cement them together see just how far we can go.
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The efforts of everyone concerned is certainly appreciated
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not only in terms of a verbal communication but
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rather in terms of action you know there is an old poem
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that goes something like this I'd rather see
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a sermon. Then here one any day.
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But rather one should walk with me than merely show the way.
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The eyes a better pupil more certain than the ear
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flying council confusing examples.
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Always clear the best of all the preachers are the men who live the
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agreements. Or to see the good in action is what everybody needs
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I can soon learn how to do it.
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If you let me see it done.
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I can watch your lips in action but your tongue too fast.
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Wrong. And the lectures you deliver may be very wise and true
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but I'd rather get my lesson by observing what you do.
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And when this meeting would have come to a close this evening I would hope
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that the lessons that we will go back and present to our communities
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will be one that young people older people and all citizens can follow
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in a constructive way.
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We are certainly certainly happy to have with us this evening.
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The men seated at the table.
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We can't technically call it a dais or restroom these
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men have come from far and near to share their thoughts with you.
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The reference to what's going on in the inner city
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the very first gentleman upon whom I will call
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is the former administrator for the Small Business
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Administration in the state of New York.
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It has been extremely active in the black
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economic development program especially within the urban area.
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He is presently a candidate for the governorship
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that mighty state New York ladies and gentlemen
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may I introduce to some and present to others Mr.
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Howard Samuels.
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I'm glad you made it very clear that I'm not running for the mayor of the city of
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fact is when Dick Gregory found out that
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I was going to seek the governorship of the state of New York he called me on the phone.
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Is that Howard I'll help you in any way you want.
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I'll help in any way that I'll do the best before you again.
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You guessed it was ever will help you the most.
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I'm very proud tonight to be here and participate for a few minutes in this
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program and possibly in some way to
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give some guidance to the specifics that may come from the program.
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Seems to me that dynamic Dalton said it very well few minutes ago when
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he said the challenges of Newark the same as the
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challenges of every major urban area in the country except you got
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their first and whether we make it as a nation and that may
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well be in doubt.
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Whether we make it as a nation or not will be no small extent
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related to whether somehow we can make our political institutions
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responsive to change.
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And maybe this is the theme of what we want to accomplish tonight.
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How do a black and white set out specifically to make
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political institution Newark responsive chain.
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How do we take an evening that starts and hope and ended on some
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direction.
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That's a film in Martin Luther King also said
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that we either live together as brothers or we parish schools
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this is not only the challenge of the world but it's the challenge of Newark
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and so I come here tonight to learn to
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participate and possibly in some way to help in the goals
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that I think you have.
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Beautifully set forth for this meeting and it's my first
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responsibility to in a divorce the next speaker
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I met Guy Jones METTLER I and
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I active participation in charge of black economic development.
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Washington and there I.
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Think I found out in my own heart that man can make progress
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with black and white together.
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And Roy Jones when I met Larry first he said the great
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first thing we have to do is find out how to communicate.
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Seems to me this is a great challenge in the nation's my black and white
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and I found out this week between father and son no
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challenge in this world is communication.
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And so I am proud of the kind of leadership that Roy Jones
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has said here and it's my pleasure to introduce him to you tonight Roy Jones.
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As
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I want to be briefer probably than a lot of people thought in my remarks
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because actually the reason that we tried to get people together
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tonight was not so much to hear us run
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on and on although we certainly are equipped to do it
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but because we wanted to try if possible to get a real flow
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of ideas interchange of ideas.
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Now we could have gotten together with a lot of
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people that many of you would be more comfortable in the room with people
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that you've used to talking to people that you're used to relating to.
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Rather than myself and some of the people you see around you I suppose making Think of
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all kinds of terrible things are things other than
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progress. But what we are trying to get to tonight is some kind of frank
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appreciation for each other if that's possible.
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Some kind of very elemental communications
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now in this town I know that I certainly represent something
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to many of you.
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Mr. Samuels doesn't live in Newark so I suppose what my name means to him is
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quite different from what it means to a lot of people in
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the cell literature outside Newark had never seen it so
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too many books in Newark for instance so I don't think that I'm known to much as an
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author. For instance in Newark.
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But what we're trying to sort of is raise Newark to
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a level of sophistication if you will
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raise level to raise Newark to a level of communications
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between black or white so that we can accept each other first for what we actually
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represent. Not for what we think we represent or
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the euphemisms or the negative descriptions that we might make
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of each other to the detriment of our town.
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The detriment of our lives.
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But what we actually do represent
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the Committee for unified Newark which I have the good fortune of representing is a
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nationalist organization. It's also an organizational council.
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It's a council of many organizations I say it's a nationalist organization
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because I'm trying to describe the tone and tenor and direction
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but this nationalist me is a mean militant.
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Well we say that a militant you can be militant about wanting to have a water fountain
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on your lawn.
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If a lot of people don't want you to have it then I guess you can make
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some even more militant statements about it.
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A militant doesn't actually determine what you are doing.
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What is the nature of your work. What is the content of your activity.
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We are committed to change as black people
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we are not. Committed to the compromise for the sake
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of getting along with people past intelligent level
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we are committed to change because we do not have any choice
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it is much simpler for someone from say a tower ivory
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or stone or removed from Newark
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that is I would suppose it is a little different looking at Newark
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from a few stories up in the air.
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Then being walking the streets when people talk about
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junkies knowing what a junkie actually is
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having one lived next door to you go through your house from time
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to time looking for merchandise.
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What we're trying to say is if we can put those two experiences together where they
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complement each other rather than antagonize each other we can begin to see
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a city move.
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Each generation in America new people come with new ideas
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with a fresh fresh approach to the
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during the 30s and the 40s
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the Jewish intellectuals revolutionized Mira
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turned America around not only with their political intensity and the direction
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of their thoughts.
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But also with their writings with their words that revolution is still
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with us. The works of people like Saul Bellow
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and Philip Roth who's from Newark by the way Alan Ginsburg who's
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from Newark by the way and many other people like this
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who are writers who are Jewish who are writing about a Jewish
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experience universe alive by the intensity of their description
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by the clarity of their description by their skill and talent.
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But. Portnoy is a Jewish experience.
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Augie March is a Jewish experience.
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It is universal lies by the intensity of the detail but the art
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involved.
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Augie March is no more racist then I would think tails
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but this is what we're dealing with a new generation of thinkers in America.
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The beginning of say black people beginning to express themselves without regard
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to what it makes other people feel like or say
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that is what we say we say to describe our situation not necessarily to
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offend you.
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Because you are not our primary audience our primary audience as
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with any artist is ourselves and ourselves multiplied.
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As our people that is when we look in the mirror.
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We do not see Governor Rockefeller or President Nixon
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or May or amnesia.
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We see ourselves and our understanding of these people must be interpreted
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through our own experiences now our whole lives
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in this city must be the same way.
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Our lives as black people in this city can only be interpreted by
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our experience to us.
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Crucially where it's closest to us.
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If I have to live my life by your definition I will never know who
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I am. I will never know what the possibilities of my life
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are. If you had to live your life.
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By my description of you you would be equally barred
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from full participation you would be a particular
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categorization a particular way of describing you
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if I had to describe America.
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As far as my relationship with its courts with its city
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government with its Housing Authority
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if I had to describe all of America by descriptions of how street
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or sterling street where we live our 13th Avenue
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we had to describe America by saying the only new building in our facility is the new
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jail.
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Then we begin to see that our experience is different
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if I look out of my window on Sterling street I do not see
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a plush dining room or a private club.
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I do not see a 50 yard line.
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Are people watering it for me.
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I see two junkies sitting on the step trying to plot a way
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to get into my house and get what I have.
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We're talking about reality now we must know
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first how each other actually live
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we look at television. We have an idea how many of the people
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who the television characters
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are archetypes for how you live what you want what you think
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you need.
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We have not had similar exposure so we can always claim to be a little more secretive
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with our lives.
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We do not have programs coming on 24 hours a day describing our lives and our needs and
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our desires to you.
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We would like to have.
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We would like to have programs coming on 24 hours a day.
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Describing what I wants or needs or desires are
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when we say we are nationalists and we are talking from the activist part of the
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community now we're not trying to make believe that we're representing here with me
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talking the doctors and the lawyers the teachers
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or that particular person that you know who best whose best friend you are
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or that person on your payroll.
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We are not trying to represent them.
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What we are saying when I stand here what I try to represent to you is a nationalist
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thinker that's what is being represented
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an activist a man committed to change
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now when you say Who do I represent I represent the people I represent I represent the
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people who think like I do obviously.
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Who do you represent you represent the people who think like you.
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But what we're saying is the people that I do represent
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are among the most conscious articulate
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people in this community among the youngest the strongest
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the most energetic people in this community among the most sophisticated
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people in this community.
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That's why I said describing myself to Mr. Samuels and yourself.
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There might be some difference of opinion.
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What does the nationalist one.
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These are questions that come up again and again.
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What do you want. Well we used to say when we were more naive.
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What does any mean.
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We were insulted then because people were asking us what we want.
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And we figured that if they knew what they wanted they would know what we wanted.
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Only we wanted to do it ourselves but what the
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nationalists want is self-determination
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in a city say of over 60 percent black people and Puerto Ricans
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we feel that black people in Puerto Rican should have that let's say about the city
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government. Not all of this immediately
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when we talk about saying black political power someone says Well that's
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a Nazi concept.
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You're talking about totalitarianism.
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Both of these are European words. I'm not a European but we
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are accused of some things that we have never done.
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We were accused of wanting to do the same thing to Newark.
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That has been done to it.
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We don't think for instance we could ever do as much to Newark as has been done to
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we would not try to exceed the present administration's pension
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for whatever it has a pension for
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but what we are saying is that black people Puerto Ricans just like
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white people have lives to live.
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Have a certain level of development that they are following.
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And it goes without saying that sooner or later by one means or another they will achieve
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these
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we are interested in the transfer for instance of economic power
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the transfer of political power the transfer of institutional control.
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When you say you're interested in the transfer of these things what do you mean we mean
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exactly in proportion.
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To the population we mean as there is one
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man in a room.
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He deserves the life that another man deserves.
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What does nationalist mean. What does a nationalist want the Nationalists wants first
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self-respect. What any people wants he wants
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self defense.
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He wants for instance when we say self-defense.
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He wants the police department to represent him
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as well as being used to contain this is a hard
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concept to understand perhaps many people I don't think understood what police brutality
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was until Chicago and the Democratic convention
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when white youth were beaten and police brutality became
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a reality for somebody this has never been a fantasy for us.
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We're always accused or imply that we lie when we say police brutality
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self-determination we mean that we black.
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Just like the white community must determine what we want to do with our lives
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it does not have to be detrimental to the interests of the United States of
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America.
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But we are saying what we want.
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We must decide now this might again sound greedy
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or like we are trying to cause friction.
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But this is what any people Shirley Chisholm said as a press at a press
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conference last Friday. This is what every people has wanted when it came to these
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shores. I suppose even those anglo saxons came
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with the Mayflower who were immigrants of a sort
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wanted that self-determination and certainly all the other waves of immigrants
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the East Europeans the Central Europeans the Middle Europeans
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have all wanted the same thing self-determination to be in control of some
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aspect of the society in which they live to be in control say
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of the schools we're faced with a situation now where we
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have 78 to 80 percent black and Puerto Ricans in the school.
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Yet we have no say about where the schools are.
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Run we have no say about what the curriculum
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is when we talk about black studies again
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the mind seems to close on black studies as if we were talking about some kind
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of totalitarian attempt to force our culture on someone else.
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This is racism to try to force your culture on another people
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is racism. We agree to that.
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But Black Studies is meant to balance racism
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has already existed if our children have to study
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the fairy tales of La Fontaine and grim but never
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understand Anansi or Ashanti fairy tales.
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That's racism.
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If our children have to internalize the literary
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and political and economic histories of Europe but
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never even conceive of themselves as finally being an African people
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as militant as that might sound then that's racism.
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What we're trying to see happen here in Newark if its possible
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is to order that to balance that.
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Kenneth Gibson said the other day that wherever American cities
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are heading Newark is going to get their first
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which I think is a very profound thing to say.
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Wherever these cities are heading this town will beat the rest of
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them by several yards and that's what we're here
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to see which direction we can get this city to go
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in the reason we tried to call this and this might
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have sounded very presumptuous to a lot of.
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Here he's calling a conference.
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Why should become.
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Well we call this conference because we wanted to try to communicate
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we want to tell you what we wanted and we wanted to find out what
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the white community.
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One it's fruitless we think to keep pretending that
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these terms don't exist. That there is not a white community and there is not a black
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community. Unscientific liberalism is not the answer to our
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problems. Claiming that there is no black community or there
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is no white community that we all here in America together is not the answer
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to our problem.
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We feel that the answer to our problem is begin to understand that there is a white
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community and it has certain desires certain needs and certain priorities
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and the most certainly is a black community and a Puerto Rican community and a Mexican
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and Indian community who have certain needs and
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priorities.
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And can we isolate these.
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Find out what they are and see can they complement each other.
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So we have some points here that we wanted to
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mention. I don't know maybe it is premature.
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We have some points here that we wanted to mention as perhaps food for thought.
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The reason that we made this up is because we call the kind of
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the next time. We hope that we can have lists.
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Priorities from the white community and as long as we resist these
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designations we can't get anywhere as long as they
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people resist the idea that Bell Telephone Company and Prudential and Rutgers
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are run by white people.
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And by and large the interests served the needs
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that are met.
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Are those of white people.
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Until we can get that and not gulp or not be mad at me because
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I have said this when we can confront this
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horrible idea you think desirable and begin to
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move on that then we can make some progress if we can admit actually the way north
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is today.
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Not what you think it is and not what I think it is but what it actually is.
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We can admit these things then we can make some progress but unless
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we can actually say that these things exist.
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Francis we talk about drugs and say drugs where do drugs come from.
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Well they must come from or do they.
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Do they come out out of the earth that do little gnomes bring them out
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of the alleyways no one
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can win.
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When will we be able. When will influential black people and white people in this town
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begin to sit down and say look you know the way I think drugs get into this town.
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I think they come in boats to port. No.
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And I think that if you put somebody down and look in all those boxes you could stop it
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or if they come from New York City.
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I think if you stopped and looked in these boxes this is just an illustration.
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I'm not being specific. I don't want to you having any drugs
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but we're saying that when can we sit down and discuss these issues as if they actually
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existed in a real world.
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And could be solved by real people.
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Now when we start working together we do not mean that we must live together.
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We're not talking about.
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We do not mean that we must have the same cultural interests.
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If we say we going to work together it does not mean that I am going to run out and buy
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tickets to see the Bolshoi Ballet.
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Nor does it mean necessarily that you have to start looking for John Coltrane.
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But is there some meeting place given our
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diverse backgrounds interests
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that we can begin to talk about absolute concrete things and make some adjusts.
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There is no future for Newark and we said this in 1967 at a meeting
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they said we said there's no future for Newark if things keep going like this.
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Talk about the medical school. You say you a million.
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And we went through that. We all went through 1967 I lost some
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teeth.
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Some people lost their lives. Your loss and property.
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So now in 1970 and we again at the same point
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where we can begin to say now what can we do right now right now
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together in some kind of rational way so that we can begin
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to come closer together to achieving our goals.
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Now even though you might have the biggest corporation in the
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world or the third biggest because I have a lot of money I live out
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there and are not affected after 5:00 by what we say
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if you are here it means you have some interest new there is no
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chance of picking the telephone company up overnight moving
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our prudential or the Newark news our record's
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nobody is going to pick that up and move it.
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Gateway proves that there is some continued interest and commercialization
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of Newark Now what we're saying is we want to outline
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certain hard and fast thing and we want to see well what is your opinion about this
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we don't necessarily want to argue we can't.
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I'm not adverse to argue but I don't think we can achieve anything
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by arguing. What I would like to see and all these gentlemen are going to get up
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and say the same thing is if we could put some major issues down
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arrive at a consensus you know what this is what I think.
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You know the activist community thinks this is what I think the business community.
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This is what I think the religious white religious community thinks
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and begin to see can we move a little closer.
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A little closer on these objectives
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all right all right.
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I'll be back to read these a little later.
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Thank you. All right. I want you know when I came from the Ark.
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I didn't bring one of those boxes
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before I was the head of the small business administration I was
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under secretary of commerce.
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And before that I was a businessman.
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So my background in life comes from the private sector in
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America and probably that's the contrast
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I saw and maybe was unprepared for.
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When I entered government service and became active in American politics
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because I saw an the private sector of America the whole dynamics
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of chain the ability of an institution
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that's what's happened to American business.
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Be creative to adjust its management.
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To attract its brainpower to stimulate its structure to meet its objectives
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the paradox is wherever you go in the world the management of American
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businesses to meet its objectives is considered as an institution
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the idol of the world.
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And what I saw on government was the antithesis so institutions
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that were not responsive.
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I saw as Thomas Jefferson said when he said
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that laws and institutions was changed with changing times as man makes progress
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as institutions must keep pace.
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I saw institutions that didn't keep pace but I also
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saw some hope.
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And part of the hope I saw was is the undersecretary of commerce
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and as the head of the small business administration the beginning of the involvement
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of the creative minds of American business and the need to
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guide social change in the nation the beginning of a whole
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new era of American businessmen long absent
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he began to recognize that the business of business was America.
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Who began to recognize that the free enterprise system will never be free.
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If it doesn't pay attention to the public sector of the country
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that the creation of wealth is not the answer to America.
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It's one of the answers but how we use it in terms of our social goals
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is the real answer.
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And one of the businessmen that that's really taken a leadership role.
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In America is a man in Newark
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and he added me when I left is undersecretary of commerce
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and head of the SBA when I came back to private life to see if possibly
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I couldn't in some way with him and work
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and involve his business more actively and how they could serve the social
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progress in Jersey and New Jersey and Newark
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so I like the man I'm gonna introduce now and I like him because I think he represents
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the what I see as the best in American business.
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I present to you your applause.
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Thank you Howard ladies and gentlemen
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I was very pleased when Mr. Jones wrote
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me a letter and asked me if I would not attend this meeting tonight.
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Because in his letter he said that he thought
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that for New York to survive and thrive
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in the future it was essential that all elements of the city
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carry on.
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A positive worthwhile dialogue.
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And I can't agree with you more.
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I take that you are absolutely right that unless
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the various elements of our city
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are able to sit down and discuss the problems of New York
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in a positive manner then the future of Newark is indeed
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bleak.
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As was already said
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Newark is simply one example of what is happening to
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all of the great urban centers of America at least all of the Northern
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urban centers of America.
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And I sincerely believe that our economic system
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our social system and our political system.
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Cannot survive.
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The failure. Of these great urban centers
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to say nothing of the tremendous hardship
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that many of the people who had to live in these great urban centers must
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go through. So it is the responsibility
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of all of us those who live
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in the city those who work in the city and those who do not.
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To put whatever effort and attention they can
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to helping to solve the problems of the urban centers
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and it will take the efforts of everyone all
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elements of our society and I speak particularly to
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those who live in the suburbs if you think you can
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walk away from the problems of the city because you do live in the suburbs
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and work in the suburbs or simply work in the city day times and live
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outside at night.
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If you think you can simply walk away from the problems of the cities I say to
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you again that our whole way of life cannot
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survive the failure of our cities.
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And that includes your way of life to why
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should a businessman sound like a sociologist.
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Well because my business
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is as much a citizen of the city of New York
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as are the individuals who make up the citizenry of Newark
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and like all citizens this corporate citizen of mine
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has the same responsibility to its community as does all citizens.
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And if this dialogue that we are beginning tonight
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will help in some small way to bring about
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a better state of affairs in the city of Newark and a better city for
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the future. Then I will devote all the time that
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is necessary to help make that a reality.
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Thank you.
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I'm certain most of us if not all have enjoyed everything that's
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been said thus far.
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And just sort of break in here with a bit of
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dry or dry humor.
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There is a story told of a young man that applied for a job one
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day.
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And the personnel manager asked him young man do you drink
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No sir I don't drink well then do you smoke.
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No I'm not really addicted to tobacco.
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Well do you like lots of women said.
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No I don't particularly care for women that much.
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So wait a minute that way.
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He said You must have some advice.
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Said I do.
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Well what is it. He said I lie a lot.
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Well we need and stand here and tell you of all the truths that have happened in Newark
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recently because you may say we lie a lot.
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Rabbi Jochen Prince who is the leader
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of Temple the Abraham in Newark could not be with us this evening.
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So in turn he has sent his assistant we'll come
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to us with a few words.
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May I introduce to some and present two others Rabbi Barry Friedman
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from Temple Vinay Abraham.
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NUR.
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Dr. Prince didn't send me.
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He escaped.
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Actually when this meeting was first being discussed Dr. Prince was about to take
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off for Israel and asked me to participate in
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any way that I could and that he would join us as soon as
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he returned. But Israel is now in the very beginning of the spring.
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And when one returns from bathing on the beaches of Tel Aviv to the glorious
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weather of Newark it was much too much of an adjustment even for
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Dr. Prince to make and so he's in bed sick now.
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I come this sort of a representative of at least part of the
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religious community of Newark.
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And in that role feel compelled also to tell you a very
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brief story of a clergyman who is interviewing for a position and
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gave what is affectionately called in the clergy his test
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sermon. And prior to the service he was having a meal with the president
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of the congregation who said to him sir what will you give your sermon on.
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And he said well I thought I talked about the war in Vietnam and how immoral
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it is. And the president said well there are many hawks in the congregation
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I think it would be best for you to avoid that subject.
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So he said well then maybe I'll speak about the
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more realities of suburban living.
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And he said you better not do that either because some of our successful business men are
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involved in a little hanky panky on this side and they may take offense
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to some of the things that you have to say.
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So he said Okay I won't talk about that.
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And then he said Well what about open housing and the president had a bit of a fit and
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said you know this is a nice suburban community we don't talk about those things.
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So the clergyman being at a complete loss after having gone through anything
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and everything that he thought relevant to modern American life said to the president
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what do you suggest I talk about.
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And the president said well why don't you talk about religion.
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Now that I think all too often is a great
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merit of religious life in the United States it all too often is
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concerned with those things mostly irrelevant to what is happening in the world around
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us. Many people have referred this evening to what is going on
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in the American city. I don't want to be too particular about it because I
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only returned to Newark a year and a half ago but in general my observation
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of what is happening in the American city is absolutely nothing.
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And perhaps that's the problem of the American city I was in Cleveland during
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the riots.
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They called them riots and we had a meeting of clergymen on this
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the second day of of the rioting in half and
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everyone gave their suggestions at what should be done for the city of Cleveland.
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And most of the clergymen in many of the the laymen there said well we have to set
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up food centers and a friend of mine who is a rabbi stood up and said you
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know it reminds me of my grandmother.
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The solution to any kind of problem is feed them and there
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are problems in the United States today which food will not solve.
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Now I think that we are guilty of
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and see the fulfillment of a certain biblical prophecy coming true.
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There are parts of the Bible that rub us sophisticated man of the 70s
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the wrong way. We don't like the idea that sons will suffer for the
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sins of their fathers and yet this is the life that we live in the United States today.
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Because I am not concerned with the city of Newark just because I live
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in Orange and because I'm not concerned with transportation from Newark
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or from orange to Newark my son can take advantage of nothing that the
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city of Newark has to offer.
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And therefore I because of my total neglect of this city
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have.
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Have caused my son to suffer.
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In that he does not know what life in an American city is.
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All of those great things that only the city can offer.
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He is denied he's denied because of my petty fear
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of the suburbs. And this is what we discussed when we sat quietly and thought one
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of the reasons that I am here is because I resent the euphemisms
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in my community talking about Newark as they
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I can't go to Newark because I'm afraid of them and they
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do this and the same situation I think exists in the residents of Newark talking
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about the person in the suburb. It's time that we do away with the euphemisms and
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we talk to each other in terms that both of us understand
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and.
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And stop punishing the children of the suburbs for my
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sins and stop punishing the children in the city for my sins.
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And and this is something that I as a father and only a father can do.
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How does one sleep at night whether it be in a quote nice section of Newark
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or in a suburb. How can one possibly sleep at night when we
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know that there are mothers who are afraid to put their children to sleep because rats
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will come out of the walls to convey the gross immorality
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of Vietnam is only to tell the mother or father go in tonight
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and talk to your child.
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Tuck your child in and look at that kid and say that this year he is being tucked
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in and there are parents in places of the world that can't tuck their children in.
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And that in five years or 10 years from now he won't be around for you to talk
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and personalize it to that point.
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Stop visiting the sins of the fathers on the children.
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Martin Buber recounts a story that this found in Farsi the literature of the
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two men who are sailing or rowing in a boat.
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And one that is rowing while the other man sits with a drill and drills a hole
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in the bottom of the boat.
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And the man who is rowing turns around and says What are you do.
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What are you doing. As the water comes up the center of the boat.
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The man with the drill in his hand says don't worry about it I'm drilling under my seat
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as the boat sinks.
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Now we all live in the same boat
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and the ignorance of the communities around here.
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That went nowhere thanks. I see.
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There is no suburb without the mother country so to speak.
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There is no suburban Essex County to revolve around the city of Newark.
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All that it does offer all that it can offer.
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And if I sitting in the suburbs drill the hole and say nine to five
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I care after five o'clock the hell with the city in Newark as I drive up.
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Springfield Avenue.
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There is a great deal that we are all guilty of.
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We missed the boat.
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I think that the white business man in Newark has never been convinced
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of the fact that people get sick from mind to fight and it's good to
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have decent hospitals where you get sick.
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Not everybody gets sick in the evening at the nice hospitals in the suburbs and to
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walk around with this kind of attitude of the drilling the hole in the bottom of the boat
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because it's not under my seat.
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I think it's not only criminal I think it's ignorant and we are a society
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in the United States today that does not tolerate ignorance on any level.
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There is a responsibility that the person in
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Levittown has to know it.
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Americans must have a sense of responsibility to the American city.
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It hits us a little more because we live in this town.
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I think that it's enough talk.
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I think we've had enough sober enough seminars in the suburbs.
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I think that the time has come to do certain things.
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I think the time has come to do some kind of work.
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I've seen it done in Cleveland.
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Carl Stokes was an acquaintance of mine and I think he was qualified
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to do it. He involved the business community.
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And let's not question one's motives.
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America is a business community and we've heard that there is a risk a sense of
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responsibility on the part of the business community.
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But it is it is time for work I think there is a sense of
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one this or that if it's not existent it has to be created.
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And I think the religious saying for our times and the City of Newark can no longer
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be. I am my brother's keeper.
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It's a sense of patron is.
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That's not religious enough for us in our community I think the byword of the 70s
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for us is without any kind of schmaltzy religiosity in
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it. But in a real sense of work and sense of responsibility not sense of charity.
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The motto for us for the seventies has to be.
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I am my brother's brother.
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And if we do this and if we believe this this sense of responsibility
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for people.
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And for the city then we will not visit the sins of the fathers upon
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their sons and we will win the race of where all the
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American cities are going. But at least when it cry.
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With a firm hope that that fund this meeting would come
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with some specifics and with the
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rabbi mentioning one of the specifics that I am my brother's
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brother it seems to me that we should now get down
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to opening the meeting for some
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hope of some specific plans that we might come out of this meeting
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with together.
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One of the specifics that I discussed with Ryan.
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Do you want me to mention this.
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Because if we're going to talk about self-respect we're going to talk about brothers
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brother.
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We're going to talk about political participation talk about political
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participation.
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We've got to talk about a specific voter registration
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it seems to me that one of the things that might come out of this meeting
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and I now open the meeting as for suggestions as
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to how this community could maybe lead the nation
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and a massive program of voter education and voter registration
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and if no one objects I open this up now for the first
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attempt at some specifics to come out of the meeting and I would open
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up either rye or Don.
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Do you have any suggestions of.
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From the start.
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Voter registration I think that Dr. Nathan right said Friday that
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the greatest enemy of voter registration and political participation black
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people in Puerto Ricans is urban renewal.
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That is the buildings are torn down. None are put up.
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There is not sufficient voter education to tell those people who
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have to move that number one they have to notified
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people that they moved that they're not automatically registered.
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Also just in term of voter education we see
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advertising for some of the most horrible products known to man
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products that people even tell you will kill you.
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One ad says smoke this is good.
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And then the next answers will kill you.
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But. We never see any kind of concerted
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effort to educate people about the political institution
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to educate people on how actually to involve themselves with the political process.
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We are told very superficially you must involve yourself in the political
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process. But since the resources are all in one part of the
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community. How do we go about involving ourselves with this
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political process. And I just want to add that
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in the last two years we've unified Newark which I'm representative of has registered
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about thirty six thousand people in two years.
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With the help of the NAACP project concern and the Urban League.
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But during these same periods of time some 20000 people have been removed from
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the rolls because of urban renewal
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also we're facing a situation in this town where we are going to be refused
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the books. Refuse to let us bring the voter registration rolls
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out into the community not out not refuse but they will limit us to say
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Stephen Green Village or many other places
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that don't really have the black population.
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So this is one point.
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How can the business community and all of the community involve themselves in voter
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registration. How can we get these books these voter registration books
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out of the.
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What is it. Hall of Records and into the black communities for instance
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one of the candidates had an idea that since the people in the projects pay their rent
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usually once a month.
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Why not have the voter registration books right there.
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Why not make it so that everybody in these projects is eighteen thousand people in one
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square mile between High Park gardens and Hayes homes
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if voter registration was pushed with the same kind of intensity that say the
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taxes are pushed it's all part of you know our involvement with
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American life.
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Then we would see a change we'd see a change in the political process and we'd see more
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involvement by black people in the political process.
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I think Howard you picked a good subject to start off
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with because I think the basic problem is voter registration
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I think that in order for this city to
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make any progress politically that all of the
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elements of the city should have a viable political
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political tone.
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For example the majority of the population the city
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is black.
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Therefore the the black people of the city should have a viable
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political base and organization and they never will have until there is
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adequate voter registration and education and incidentally also
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political leadership got to have that too.
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The same is true of the Puerto Rican population of the city as well as the
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Italian population of the city and or any other elements there may
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be voter registration is beginning now.
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Voter registration is going to be tougher than it has been in the past because
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I know that some of the funds that you got last year ago to help
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with voter registration came from one of the foundations in New York and it was funneled
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through the urban coalition here and it's going to be tougher under
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the new tax law for foundations to participate in voter
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registration drives.
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So this is will tend to dry up
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a source of funds.
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Howard Samuels made a suggestion a little while ago which I thought a very interesting
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one. He said that he thinks that voter registration ought to be the
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responsibility of government that government should
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finance and see to it that adequate voter registration
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was carried out in all areas of the country.
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I hadn't thought of it myself.
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I think it's a rather interesting proposition.
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Nobody has any objection.
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I think what we've come up with is a specific way in which the black community
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is saying to us that they feel that in terms of self-respect
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in terms of participation they want to help and
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graduates in the community devote they
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say to us in the white community and I hope you don't mind me using
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us in your community.
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We have the resources we have the communication they need help.
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And if we're going to come out of this meeting with some specifics and I'm a great
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believer in specifics not just rhetoric we're going to come out of the meeting with
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specifics.
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Do I hear some suggestions from the field on the floor
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as to how we might organize white black.
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Together. For a massive program of communication
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and a registration Noah if I have some comments
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from the field and floor in the field I want to I think I
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have.
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As to how we might do that.
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Yes I'm making very
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good. I guess I just came from the
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cheap league with
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football.
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I think you get together fine
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I think that the Lou I mentioned
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some very specific kind of problems that we have we have a communication problem.
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We have many people here from the television the leadership of the television stations
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in Newark Do you have any suggestions in terms of the
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business station should directed almost
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exclusively the Spanish speaking population.
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My other patient we don't need it.
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We will not need an organized group to come to us.
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We will conduct a very active voter registration drive 47.
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I pledge to all that we've started rapidly as from
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next month.
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Got it.
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It seems to me that what is needed here
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is and I think what Roy would like if I read into this
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is some specific organization that might come out of here
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that may then call a meeting with what the lady in the back
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suggested other organizations NAACP Legal
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women voters and have some whole structure of of the society
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in terms of organizing everybody and voter registration.
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Do you have any suggestions as to
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how we might do that.
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There is a man.
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Yes.
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That's my point.
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I guarantees against the legislation.
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Well I think that those are the specifics that this group can then deal with and I
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don't think tonight we should attempt to deal with each of the individual specifics
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of procedures should be put together by a massive organization who would relate to the
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city administration and its responsibility because they have a responsibility.
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Voter registration relate to the communication groups
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that are here representing the newspapers and television relate to the business community
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and the chamber I hope will take an active part in this.
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But can we come out with a specific thing done of somebody
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who would put this together and and meet.
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Does that sound like a reasonable beginning.
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As a practical matter voter registration traditionally in this country
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has been pretty partisan.
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Voter registration groups usually work for the purpose of
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the advocacy of a group of candidates a candidate.
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This is not true of the League of Women Voters and several other community organizations
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but it has been the traditional pattern of voter registration in this country.
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You're suggesting that as far as New York is concerned that should and that
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we should get all of the various groups together under one head
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for the purpose of a citywide voter registration drive.
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I think it's a good idea. I'm not quite sure how.
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Don I also go back to your comments at the first step that we have to
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make in bringing self respect here tonight as a method of voter participation.
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And if this is the strong feeling of the black community.
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Then I and I agree with it then I think you know we have to decide that
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if this isn't a Democratic or Republican registration
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whoever has the best candidates to.
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Appeal to the people who were going to register to win but there is no question
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that a right of America is the right of voting.
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And in this city our registration percentages are considerably lower
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than they are in some other cities in the nation.
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And even then I can take you to my state they're very bad and in almost all the urban
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areas of the state of New York and that's one of the reasons that I mentioned that the
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whole approach to voter registration is is a disaster.
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Can you imagine what we could do.
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My friends today that the politics of this country if we could register the blacks in the
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south we could change the whole politics of the country.
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That's how important it is.
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Yes.
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I don't suggesting things Mr. McDonald.
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First of all the other coalition has already developed in terms of a jewelry scheme
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of something called maximum density registration and per operation by which attempts to
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amend the Coalition act with some sort of neutral kind of do it coordinated
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administrative capacity. As you are probably all aware there are various
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organizations in the city that are already conducting relatively effective and relatively
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low registration activities to.
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It bothers etc.
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I would estimate success what they are lacking is two principal agrees
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that the greater the American citizens need a greater sum of money
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it costs money to register and be unrestricted particularly access
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listening for state long which provides more registration
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activities up until 40 days prior to the initial confrontation with your customers
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your mail is being made.
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So it was not when I asked you specifically in terms of a commitment on behalf of a
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president of the world's largest corporations it certainly is unchallenged business
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leader in the city tonight.
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Would you commit yourself to providing once a specific
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mechanics are worked out that is even through the Coalition or the League of Women Voters
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or the Urban League or the NAACP would you commit yourself to engaging in a public
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fund drives whatever funds are necessary to increase the effectiveness of
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voter registration a and b also commit yourself to undertake whatever
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executive political force is necessary i.e.
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County Registrar's Office with the governor necessary and legislature to ensure
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that these organizations will have unrestricted access to both.
speaker
Walking through the city I would like just one last.
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Yes. I need you.
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I don't know how this is structured in terms of all logarithms opportunities that are
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there. Samuels rules of order.
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Does that correspond to the normal policy the.
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I mean I don't really think we wanted to get that.
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You got a specific suggestion Make it out and we'll try to put it together.
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I might suggest find it been since three of these suggestions.
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So moving of any verb present because the instructor can immediately move
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the area helping the necessary apparatus mechanisms and convening the
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necessary groups and it be within a specified period of time 17 days
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report to his body necessary in terms of what their findings are in terms
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of what's necessary certainly and what funding.
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And the last one I think I think the Coalition
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is logically the organization which could very well
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at this point. Let's be very frank because as you know there
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are many people in the industry that the Coalition would be suspect
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would say would be favoring one group as opposed to another.
speaker
I think that maybe we ought to get the coalition and several other
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organizations to head this up rather than just the coalition
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itself. For example the mayor and the president
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administration would say that if there was a coalition sponsored
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voter registration drive that it was suspected of being organized for the purpose
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of see to it that only those voters who
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would vote against he and his administration should be registered.
speaker
That's a great idea but this is a criticism of it.
speaker
We have a lovely coalition so I think there ought to be more than the coalition.
speaker
Well it is I took it down and I hate to put it.
speaker
What do you want to say.
speaker
I just want to say I agree with your reasoning.
speaker
But I think it should be a new thing.
speaker
I think it should involve.
speaker
I think what he's saying is very good but it should involve the most
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influential people in whatever areas we could frankly look as
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and they should be each come together.
speaker
I mean that very sincerely I mean we should have a representative of the attack
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business and they should come together and do the same as equitably as
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possible.
speaker
Now we certainly don't care as long as everybody comes together.
speaker
Mean we have opposed any group or groups
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being represented equally.
speaker
I mean I think because you could do it but I know prejudice
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against the urban coalition simply because they were the conduit for us getting money as
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if it was something bad.
speaker
I mean we went out with that money but still I understand
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the prejudice against the coalition so I would say that perhaps the best thing
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to do is get the names of businessmen
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legitimate and form a totally new group committed
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to voter registration in all areas
speaker
with the same kind of stipulations.
speaker
Yes.
speaker
Couple more comments on one of the comments.
speaker
I think it's one thing being overlooked that
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the point of this mental.
speaker
Credential is the ability for printing on printing press
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printing presses down on unused time.
speaker
Well you can see this could put you or your faith pretty
speaker
broadly which potentially can still save a lot of doubt
speaker
a lot this week.
speaker
So here's
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one of the few big business
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news credential of innocent men to be hanged and having
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a vice president and some individual
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usually working hand-in-hand and getting off using that expertise.
speaker
And the central personality of the individual on the street I think is
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great.
speaker
Thank you for your comments coming out.
speaker
We have already started our program voter registration
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in the city. In fact we have over 50 days
speaker
50 sites to bring the books.
speaker
This is the first time we've tried to have voter registration
speaker
because I'm afraid it would not.
speaker
People might think it's a tough thing to volunteer
speaker
because you cannot control prove you have a volunteer
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force you to set out and you have about four hours if you want to have
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people out of any area soliciting votes knocking on doors
speaker
when you have a volunteer.
speaker
These days. These months it feels like giving you a half an hour.
speaker
Give you a half time. There's nothing you can say about though you can see that
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unless you have money you're not going to be affected.
speaker
So even though at this time we have the less
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I have the feeling in the last few weeks at the school that
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he will not bring a substantial amount of money
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unless we do have some fun out
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breadsticks people knock on the door and maybe it was of
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course ready to that all secret
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and you slam the door.
speaker
Well I don't have time to talk about voter registration
speaker
not because I have but this is the
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volunteer will come back
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and ask you to let him go on the long wait.
speaker
But if you have people then you pay him a small amount of money and
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especially the youngsters this means a lot to them and they will
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do a pretty good job.
speaker
So what we are saying is we have the things we have
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quite a number of supermarkets and we can't let the supermarkets
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register more easily because we had a built in thing.
speaker
We didn't go out to shop.
speaker
I don't know what a restaurant registry
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in the private. But this kind of weather because it's going to be tough to
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get people out here with this kind of weather.
speaker
I don't know. What we did go ahead to move to a good job and
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get the stairs and going and all these sorts of alleys
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and buildings unless we have moved.
speaker
So this is the paramount thing. If you have make money I feel as though we can do the
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job.
speaker
Yes I might say My brother is very good
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to see that we have bread.
speaker
We don't let anyone deny it now.
speaker
I think it would be instructive for us to understand something
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of a magnitude dollars required
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to do the kind of job.
speaker
Our brothers are. Thank you both tonight.
speaker
And perhaps one more thing be the one and
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cite something at the mention of this before us because I dare say most of us really
speaker
begin to appreciate they at the mention of money
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require that I call can't believe.
speaker
I just want to say one thing I think is very important.
speaker
Rather than getting into a situation where somebody will be giving money to someone
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do.
speaker
What I would like to see happen is a vehicle created
speaker
that whose job it will be to see that it's done what it
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has done in a total sense because people tend to be reluctant about watch.
speaker
But we want to see something created a structure created that can assume
speaker
this and get it done for the whole city in a completely efficient scientific
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way today.
speaker
I'm not 1930s mimeograph
speaker
but the same way you do your marketing you sell your products
speaker
the same way you get people to buy provincial or advertise
speaker
on Channel 40 said these.
speaker
Up to date modern contemporary methods.
speaker
This is the way voter education and voter registration is not good in
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Washington.
speaker
In 1968 registered twenty thousand people have voted for
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it.
speaker
Well maybe not voting for hopefully over 12000 voters
speaker
were looking to find out what our military education is now.
speaker
So we're asking for a modern scientific debate
speaker
here on our program that can involve all these heads
speaker
of state as it were in figuring out how to do it.
speaker
Well the arms and legs that's one function.
speaker
The money is another function advertising press media
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is another.
speaker
How can we break all those together and have one function.
speaker
That's what we're interested in not sending somebody out again to do
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a good job but not as good as radio or television
speaker
motion pictures loud speakers at your disposal.
speaker
We want to reach as many people as you get in trouble
speaker
with the same methods the same effect.
speaker
That's what we're interested in making is making comments.
speaker
It to Work.
speaker
And I think everybody
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is saying the things that these people
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they may never know or make time for
speaker
me and I might add.
speaker
What do you say to that.
speaker
So far everything is said and much
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much more 74.
speaker
The only thing I've heard so far this year don't
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say we should get everybody out by the way.
speaker
That's why I came here.
speaker
And that's why the Bible can make
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everybody.
speaker
Yes everybody read
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everything the other day.
speaker
Not that we went out to raise money.
speaker
The only place we've gone so far that I can see
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to think everything else.
speaker
Good thing.
speaker
You know it seems that you all
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including my right side both parties
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which is not the to people that
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is not getting us anywhere I would be up for
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that.
speaker
Listen I think that you know let me get something else.
speaker
One other thing it seems to me that what came out Jones said
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not everyone is dead.
speaker
And that is why they didn't feel that the black people must
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do for themselves the kind of registration that
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it is equally to blame for a crime.
speaker
Oh is this same many white people who are still
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like it is the most important thing.
speaker
I think or I don't believe that we're going to have an area
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like the women voters going to the 8th or
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registering people that know that they're gonna be out
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any more than I believe number eight or nine.
speaker
No are not going to give up silver like this.
speaker
You are right. Knocking on the doors at 8 o'clock
speaker
at night.
speaker
I'm like there's no real.
speaker
Well we have a black
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and white.
speaker
We all have our own game.
speaker
Oh.
speaker
Many of those games and the
speaker
O or a if we can learn even
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a boy who saw the same problem
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in I don't care what you make of voter registration or
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public account I can think of six that
speaker
Norm Miller show you some pretty horrible things down
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the way like Sterling that we don't like.
speaker
Or I can take you to North Broadway.
speaker
It doesn't say that all problems in housing
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are all public.
speaker
Of all the people there are so many things
speaker
that our a 78 percent in
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school lack. I'm not going to forget that 20 percent of them are
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our view is we're going to move ahead in this new.
speaker
We must bring everybody in the
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day together every day
speaker
of what can be a beginning by working on common
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aim.
speaker
Each doing his own thing with his own people if he
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desires.
speaker
We not that line of comedy.
speaker
In addition to voter registration.
speaker
I know that. How well I have to.
speaker
Now.
speaker
And although when we agreed on one aim tonight
speaker
and I'm not leaving until we get a specific plan on how we're going to approach that
speaker
Ayman trying to deal with specifics in that rhetoric I didn't come over here for rhetoric
speaker
I can get that New York State.
speaker
I came here to see if we could contribute to some specific.
speaker
We have a specific game.
speaker
I think we all agree on and that's voter registration and voter education and we have a
speaker
suggestion from some done that he'll take some leadership in
speaker
this role role in this.
speaker
Talbot will you take some leadership in that work.
speaker
But that's that's you.
speaker
But Mr. Jones mentioned you once in this program representatives from all
speaker
areas of the community.
speaker
Yes I believe in the Senate confirm that you sent.
speaker
So I want to be very specific. Yes OK.
speaker
I would suggest that where we are right now each point you an individual
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or an organization undertake following text and then of course the next three or six days
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this whole organization will undertake to consider what I
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did with composition or for that matter if you'd rather individuals organizations
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consider which other organizations and individuals represent the sectors of this
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larger community that industrial.
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39 cents education etc.
speaker
should be engaged legitimately in nonpartisan voter registration activities and a list
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of those organizations today's meeting can use forty six persons or some other
speaker
arbitrary and that sense would have to be arbitrary body upon which I
speaker
would charge during the census would suggest these are the 80s personalities that ought
speaker
to be gay. So you've got my understand.
speaker
Yes you made your comment earlier about the urban coalition that is not
speaker
being new for you. I can certainly understand there might be objections.
speaker
My point in response to that is that it might be seen by some segments every party
speaker
or any other organization would be passed.
speaker
That's why there has to be a body to which in a sense potential individuals organizations
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are being considered roles are submitting and that kind of chart charter after a
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consensus can be agreed upon.
speaker
Well I think the Urban Coalition minds might
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serve the purpose of creating a committee such as yours suggest.
speaker
Maybe that's about right.
speaker
Who could we then move to draft Mr. Halliburton.
speaker
The Coalition would be undertaking investigation as to what maintenance these
speaker
organizations do or should be engaged in the committee to deal with non-partisan.
speaker
Oh boy that worries me right now.
speaker
Take an investigation.
speaker
We want action out of this meeting if we want action.
speaker
Let's put a committee together tonight and let's go do it.
speaker
Got.
speaker
I take it you represent the Urban Coalition
speaker
the community a
speaker
couple more and then I'm going to have some recommendations.
speaker
One is registration at age 0 1.
speaker
There's one thing we're all asking.
speaker
I don't unify or bad experience because you ask for 50 or 100
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of them to show up.
speaker
I'm speaking from my own experience.
speaker
How many of you have been on the league two nights.
speaker
They promised to show up at 3 a.m.
speaker
on a Sunday. Throughout the Bush administration I had 24
speaker
let us say I'm going to let them on the telephone this
speaker
I'll show up three people showed up.
speaker
You can register all you want.
speaker
You can do anything you want to donate the money on the right.
speaker
Pray tell me how you want to get the blacks and whites in the city.
speaker
Be concerned with the condition additional North.
speaker
This isn't your crime. The merit of it is absurd.
speaker
So many ideas are needed. I would like how many and when we can suddenly
speaker
real upset is really not what Rainbow.
speaker
Maybe 100 percent yes. No I get it.
speaker
Laughs You got to get people to serve the nation in the north.
speaker
They don't have to be people who live in the suburbs and all around us
speaker
people who are eligible to vote.
speaker
I'm sorry.
speaker
You're just wasting your time because if you register everyone notices that
speaker
you're getting your boss.
speaker
Well let's get these people so sorry.
speaker
On your real.
speaker
Yes that's right.
speaker
I would like to make a concrete proposal.
speaker
It's getting late and since there are people here in the machine not
speaker
the U.S I selected that word.
speaker
Everyone that's in the room now.
speaker
I think that voter registration can be a diving board to every community
speaker
ill that faces us but it's an instrument which serves
speaker
itself as well as an hour period.
speaker
I think that we need we need from the people here and expanded
speaker
as was mentioned by now that we need a committee of up.
speaker
This is a group whether whatever groups we represent we
speaker
in this room now constitute some kind of group.
speaker
I would like to see something concrete.
speaker
We assume we're in favor of voter registration.
speaker
The mechanics of it there are people who know the mechanics of voter registration.
speaker
The problems have been pointed out.
speaker
The ascent of leaders of the business community and religious community has
speaker
been good. I think that in terms of the people sitting here we need a group
speaker
of people a smaller group to sit down tomorrow morning to get this thing going.
speaker
Somebody tell me what are three groups American Jewish Congress like marathon doing.
speaker
I don't know tell me who you want me to call tomorrow morning and I will call.
speaker
Tell me what do you want me to do.
speaker
Groups that I can relate to and I will do it.
speaker
I think that we should not go away.
speaker
We should do it quickly with some kind of committee and voter registration
speaker
subcommittee.
speaker
Don't go away. Lock the door until we decided that publicity.
speaker
I think find it should not be open.
speaker
Well I obviously I think get done and maybe you have the suggestions because I think in
speaker
the end you represent the Muslim community here and in terms of the presentation
speaker
you want I picked out the name of the present Urban Coalition.
speaker
I picked out Frank.
speaker
I think Rabbi Friedman.
speaker
I think we're all you should set out that Malcolm Talbot I think
speaker
would you set out that those five.
speaker
I think we probably do if we left out in terms of of
speaker
a meeting that Italian community is or somebody
speaker
and the Puerto Rican community.
speaker
Mr. Damiano here you here.
speaker
Would you sit on that committee
speaker
and we'll find a member of the Puerto Rican community who would sit down.
speaker
Where will the media be and when
speaker
I hate to put you on the spot but you're here.
speaker
Oh I don't know.
speaker
You don't have to pretend to know.
speaker
Can we have it. We have it at the convention.
speaker
Let's meet at the Prudential Building. Let's look.
speaker
I think nobody's right.
speaker
Do you have any. Is that OK.
speaker
Does that I think any anybody more than sit.
speaker
That's a group of six we will make with it with
speaker
Don and we'll set up a out of that meeting will come a specific
speaker
plan of voter registration.
speaker
I don't organize a community out of being the community groups together how to finance
speaker
voter registration program in Newark.
speaker
I got I put Gus Hindenburg from the Urban Coalition I don't know gas but I think
speaker
his participation frank in our host.
speaker
All right John welcome Talbot from Rutgers University.
speaker
Rabbi Friedman and Mr. DiMaggio
speaker
is at it.
speaker
And we'll ask for a Puerto Rican representative.
speaker
And I guess you'll just have to decide that.
speaker
Dan maybe you can invite somebody from the Puerto Rican community.
speaker
Do we have somebody for the Puerto Rican community.
speaker
Can we. Is that a specific name.
speaker
When's a meeting on you know what your schedule is.
speaker
All right.
speaker
One of the essential things this meeting will be for
speaker
media outlets both I don't know not to speak for the
speaker
media. That's my window.
speaker
It's basically business as I would I would be very
speaker
anxious to include someone from either the television or the newspapers
speaker
on radio.
speaker
Definitely gentleman there. What would you what is your name.
speaker
Mr. Green.
speaker
Certainly a immediate plan is an important part radio television communications important
speaker
but we've we've covered one
speaker
specific plan here tonight.
speaker
That's why I have your comment I find myself unique
speaker
when I come here.
speaker
No one but myself to take time.
speaker
I come here every night.
speaker
I guess my presence here is guarding obviously concerned
speaker
and in some way very much involved in your work and problem.
speaker
I hope that you're right.
speaker
I also don't work here and it seems to me that in this committee is certainly one
speaker
of the reasons that I am here is that if you overload
speaker
the server if you do not make my opinion I would be
speaker
way off but if things do not involve someone you do not
speaker
know those huge masses of people whether they are economically
speaker
involved a player like to be involved.
speaker
Are emotionally involved no matter how they are resolved.
speaker
If you do not involve those people in these problem then you will have will have lost
speaker
one of your most valuable assets in every way.
speaker
So it would seem to me and I'm not welcome here.
speaker
I could be the. But I think you really should have no
speaker
problems like. I was a are you concerned money to be made.
speaker
We have vast suburbs in this city or of city.
speaker
I think you're right. I've been pointing out the suburbs can't exist city but
speaker
we know the problem and is restated that.
speaker
But again I must caution that you must talk with yourself or what you might
speaker
call it the other way. You must get someone to work with you.
speaker
Greatest way would go to a metropolitan government in this state which
speaker
I'm going to fight for in the state of New York and we certainly should have it here.
speaker
Yes
speaker
sir I
speaker
know
speaker
you have a secret.
speaker
I don't even try it.
speaker
Does any day. Can I can I move on here a
speaker
couple of minutes because there were some specifics that we related here tonight.
speaker
One was I'll be with you in a minute.
speaker
One was to hope to get some program on the macro to
speaker
democratize izing or whatever the word is.
speaker
What did we say that close.
speaker
You can tell I've been up since 5:00 this morning and voter registration was more
speaker
it was very important how to get the books right is all involved in registration the
speaker
question and why I wanted us to talk about a little
speaker
resources and technical economic aid and I'm convinced that political action is
speaker
part of the road to economic action.
speaker
I don't know I think it's getting very late in the night tonight and we've been here for
speaker
a couple of hours and we've come out with a specific I believe that after all
speaker
the rhetoric after we commit ourselves have a plan of action and that we may need to
speaker
begin with.
speaker
Yeah.

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Title: Committee for a Unified Newark meeting, 1970
Description: Meeting of Committee for a Unified Newark, featuring Amiri Baraka (introduced as Leroi Jones), Presbytery of Newark, Diocese of Newark, former Small Business Administration head Howard Samuels.
Creator: Presbyterian Church (U.S.A.). Presbytery of Newark
Date: 1970
Type of resource: sound recording
Genre: sound recordings
Form: audiotapes
Extent: 1 open reel audiotape, 3-3/4 ips
Subject names: Committee for a Unified Newark
Baraka, Amiri, 1934-2014
Rights status: IN COPYRIGHT - NON-COMMERCIAL USE PERMITTED; http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC-NC/1.0/
Physical location: ARCHIVES 19-0519; Presbyterian Historical Society, Philadelphia, PA
Related item: Presbytery of Newark records, 1953-2016--http://prestohost68.inmagic.com/Presto/content/Detail.aspx?ctID=Y2RiNWNk...
Identifier (local): 19-0519_CFUN1970
PID (Persistent Identifier): islandora:149276

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