Voter's Pipeline; Black History

True throughout the United States this is Black History Month a time to reflect on both the contributions and the concerns of black citizens everywhere. RH county's black community makes up only 1 percent of the county's 2 million population but its concerns are important and should be understood by everyone. Today's program presents some community leaders talking about black history. The whole cause was investigated by the late Dr. Martin Luther King. Green I am running to. The meaning of it is very. Real to me. To. That exciting statement by the late Dr. Martin Luther King States the concern that continues in the nation and in Orange County there are many people concerned both about black history and the concerns of black citizens. Now let's meet our special guests Dr. let Macon's is a successful Orange County

realtor he holds a Ph.D. in political science from the University of Southern California and was the former administrator of the Santa Ana College public awareness center. And he's a former assistant professor at Cal State Northridge Although Dr. Aiken's never completed high school. He attended community college in Los Angeles and later went on to get his advanced degrees. Carolyn Green is an urban planner and manager of the Policy Planning Department of the jack Robb company. She was recently elected president of the Orange County Urban League and is the chairperson of the health motion task force of the Orange County Health Planning Council. She also worked on the South Coast Air Quality board for the League of Women Voters and the Lung Association. Dr. Rick Turner is a lecturer at the University of California Irvine and he's director of the tutorial assistance program. He teaches in lecture social science classes and classes in comparative cultures before coming to Orange County 977. Dr. Turner worked at Stanford University as the assistant director of admissions. I think Dr. Turner I'm going to come to you to start out this discussion because we are observing black history in general.

And then I'd like to talk about some concerns about Orange County black and people. Let's start with that I had a dream that famous thesis of Dr. King. How far have we come in that 10 12 15 years from the time that he was making that kind of a speech. I had a dream. I think Jim that we have made some considerable strides in the society in regards to. Equality of opportunities for black Americans and other minorities. But we haven't gone far enough. We still have some of the similar types of problem problems that beset. Black people and other minorities in this country. Institutional racism is still rampant in this society. And all the ills that beset the black people and other minorities so we've come some ways but not nearly far enough. Many people must have wondered I have wondered what Martin Luther King would say were

he to be here were he to be able to come back right now take a look around and say well there are people. Like you people who are very successful black people who. Have made it as the expression goes. People who are going in college are people who are now. Scientists authors poets writers educators or black people. I wonder what he would say. Could we speculate a little bit on that question. What do you say about that. GREENE 12 years 15 years later. How about you Do you have some thoughts about that. Well. I think he certainly would be pleased that some of the progress that has been made particularly by the black middle class and I felt that he probably would be a little distraught because some of the leadership problems I think we have nationally and of course locally. You mean black leadership like leadership problems. I think it is my opinion that the black leaders.

Should be speaking out on issues and problems that particularly beset the young the youth of our society as it relates to. In my opinion individual efforts on the part of people I happen to feel that the best salvation is probably weighs in the individual the individual has to exercise the primary initiative. He is primarily responsible for his own destiny and it is up to him to if you will make a million dollars in society. And I think that's very important and I think we perhaps do not have enough individual responsibility being stressed now by our leaders. Martin Luther King coming back around today would find very successful incompetent black mayor in Los Angeles and Washington D.C. and Atlanta

he would see a lot of important achievement at least from my perspective that I think would be leading to one of what he would find it would be not pleasing to him. Carol I think you have to remember that Dr. King was a man of the masses and while he would be clearly at the strides that. A rather elite group have made he would. I think you would still be distressed at how far the masses have not come. You will remember that during the later years of his life. His concerns went beyond just racial concerns. They embraced economic concerns which And in that regard black people and poor people in general have not come very far. In fact I think the record will show that they've lost ground and I think that that's probably where

Dr. King would find most distress is that our central cities appear to be crumbling except in very small instances. But our tech social instead affects everyone in our city doesn't it not. That's right he's And you know I think that it's probably easier to identify the problems within the black community because we are identifiable because of our skin color and because we tend to be concentrated in an area so so that you can get a pretty pretty good focused view of what's going on. But our problems are not unique to us alone. There are problems of Chicanos there are problems of Indo-Chinese the problems of poor white too by the way outnumber in sheer numbers far outweigh blacks who are are involved in poverty situations.

And there's such an enormous range within the black community and within other communities and between the very poor and middle class and the upper income people. What kind of advice would you have for a young black man or young black woman to make it and I use the word to achieve success and we think about success and that a good life is satisfying rewarding challenging. And nice home as we call it The Good Life. One advice would you have if you had me sitting here today I think what do you say to him. Jim I think one thing that has to be stressed today is that. One thing I would tell young black students yes is that most of the onus is is on them that they have to become more independent in the struggles to obtain some semblance of education. We are faced with a problem that we have faced historically with the miseducation of black children in the schools and the rampant racism within the school system. We

cannot let. Racism destroy the type of initiative that we need to have in the 1980s. The size or even with the rampant racism we have to understand that in order to have any type of equality most of that equality has to come from within. What would you say that young black man or a black woman that is just starting out and you want to happen make it. I got I mean achieve a good life and good success. Oh I would agree with with Rick's statement. But I also would tell that person that they have to develop a clear notion of who they are and what they work because you care really seize the situation and have it come out. In a way that positive for

you. I want to know what you want out of that situation. Unless you know where you're going in and what it is you're willing to do to get there and you think that individual effort don't you boast for individual effort you think that's the best way for them to achieve some kind of success and the value of their life rather than waiting for an organization to do it for them or the government to do it for them or the schools to do it for them. Well yes I think that the initiative has to start with the individual but I think that it has to be carried that step further. It's the notion of each one reach one. So that I think that organizational and community efforts are very important. But you can only be of use to a larger body i.e. a fairly or church or community. If you are a strong person and you're positive person yourself.

Yes what do you say to that young man and you look like you had something that you want to get off your chest would you say Well young man or woman. Well Jim I think it's important and it's not that I do not disagree with doctrine I think certainly there is racism in society. But he said the rampant racism also in the school is not with you. Well it's and this is throughout society. Grow up. You know I think that that certainly there is but I feel that the real onus for improvement is on oneself. I don't think it's on. I don't think any individual can say that because of this I because of that I think he owes it primarily to himself to improve himself or herself. The person does and we have had it's quite interesting Jim that we have a lot of racism in society apparently but that hasn't kept off a lot of black people from achieving an awful lot. And I happen to have a lot of faith in the average black person and I think the average black person

can pretty well get along in society. You know you must have been the recipient do you. You say that you came. You mind if I ask you the question your own back on the very very poor a poverty background is that right in your own. That is exactly right. By poverty What do you mean poverty. Well I do not mean poverty of the Spirit. My father was a minister and he sent him himself through college in the Depression and I mean poverty economic poverty. Yes I am. From extreme economic poverty and all the things you are associated with economic poverty picking cotton chopping cotton. Ours is not adequate medical facilities and things of that sort but that make you angry when you were younger. Well when I was younger I was really kind of taken aback because my day's days are changed tremendously and and this gets us to some of my concerns. I used to be bossed by our

school two miles away bus to a bright school 20 miles away that make you mad you know that doesn't make me angry. I I I view I viewed it then and I view it now as a tremendous opportunity to use that those experiences positively. You won't get achieve anything in society by being angry. You can be angry all you want to but you will not achieve very much I I believe it is time for our focus to be placed primarily up on the individual and society and. And for us to emphasize the fact that he is responsible for his own destiny. And I feel that when we get into areas of saying that you know I owe this an hour of that to society and I don't want to differ with differ all you want to hear and that we don't expect it all at the same advice. Primarily we owe it to ourselves to change our destiny. What would you tell a young student who had many students before you would rip you say to them to give them some

advice to help them deal with life to cope and to make some achievement on their own. Well I would say to them primarily that I don't think you ought to focus on anything negative I think you ought to realize that there are opportunities there. And that that I have faith in yourself and that you have every opportunity in America to make it as anyone else. Are things being equal. And I think you should go forward and do it. You know in my opinion there's just too much focus on negativism. I not I've been throughout Orange County for example it's one of the most conservative counties presumably in America and I really haven't encountered any right hostility such right racism as such. There have been individuals that have shown great hostility toward me. Individually it was probably because they didn't like me or something.

But I think that for that to to tell our young people to emphasize racism too much negativism too much I think that's a great danger. Counterproductive you think. I think so. I think so. And I would like to say in a couple of things very briefly. One I think that well placed anger is very useful sometimes. I don't think that anger that consumes one man makes one incapable of rational thought and action is useful. But I think that you do sometimes need to get angry and then do something about it. Secondly though Raiola I think that. In the final analysis one does with one's life what one will that still does not excuse the fact that there are a lot of things in the system that work against the individual and particularly against black and poor people.

I can't entirely tell someone to get off of welfare or to get a degree or or any of those other things. If the if I know that the society has arbitrarily decided that some people will not be able to do that. There are not enough jobs for everyone. One cannot have to work toward toward those those kinds solving those kinds of ills. OK you want to me I wanted to make. I also mentioned you asked the question why what I say to you to black you. Yes I also will say that Woods would say that. You know something about your history and have some pride in your heritage. Read about your history. Know that black people have made some outstanding contributions in American history and I think that is what is lacking. Oftentimes in the school system

because. The school system from kindergarten to graduate school. Have cast a negative shadow on the contributions of black Americans and often times black youth have no identity structure. They know very little about their history their own their own hair their own heritage and I think that when one is ignorant of the history they're ignorant of life and the road to any semblance of happiness yet would be void if they don't know anything about his drinking. A perfect example was Alex Haley whom I had the pleasure of talking with just recently who had done that. He has remembered his history but he's out with an achiever as a journalist came out of the Navy. And worked his way up as a journalist and has him our times and now he's done an enormous thing both to remember their heritage but he's also an achiever and in his own right. And he had to do it in a very tough competitive industry.

Back to the focus of this leg which is Black History Month. Yes I think that. With out other things being done within society i.e. without the assimilation of black people and black accomplishments and into society as a whole than Black History Month and its predecessor Black History Week is very useful. Unfortunately until the accomplishments of black people in American society are made a part of American history and are not set aside as black history are not limited to one week or one month in the year. We're really not going to be able to feel good about our heritage

because frankly I think that singling black history out in one week or one month of the year means that those accomplishments are exceptional. And that's not true that is not the case. Black men and women have been making contributions to this society throughout their lives and they've been making accomplishments just like whites or just like Italians or for yours or Irish or whomever and we all benefit from that don't we that's exactly the message that enriches all of our lives. We don't have as much time as I would love to have for this program and I want to move around in a couple of other subjects. What makes the Orange County condition of black people different than other areas we don't have large ghettos we don't have areas like Detroit or New York and Chicago. An enormous concentration of black people living under very impoverished conditions. What makes Orange County unique. What are the unique problems of Orange County. Black people must all have some

perspective on that. I think a one one statement by a person that a person may say that black people don't come to Orange County to be poor they come north kind of to be rich. I don't know whether that's true either but it has been a part that has run into as an urban planner who has a fascination with statistical data and demographics. It's I think the great part that's a true statement particularly for black people who've come to Orange County within the last five to ten years and I was doing some research. And in 1976 there were about 1.1 percent blacks in Orange County that was about nineteen thousand five hundred out of 1.7 million and 80 percent. Two thirds of those I'm sorry lived in Santa Ana. So there was a pretty concentrated pocket of black people that still meant that there were sixty five hundred people black people living in Huntington Beach Fountain Valley

Newport Irvine areas like that. I tend to think that since 1976 when at a time when the black population in this county has grown by about 32 percent as opposed to the overall County population growth of only about 14 percent those blacks have tended to be equal or or are brought out of the county average in terms of education and income level because Orange County. Stereotypically is seen as a hostile environment for blacks so there's got to be some usually economic reason for their being here. The blacks that are moving to Orange County are professionals. They're technical people. They're managers of corporations so they're able to to afford to live in Orange County and you're not going to find them as much insanity you're going to find them in mission be a hoe in South Orange

County in the Anaheim Hills. That affair has been a fair indictment of Orange County to say that it is hostile to blacks or is it unfair. What about that. I think it's unfair and I think it's really unfair to say that it's hostile to blacks. I think what Orange County is hostile to is people who are greatly different. Then it is. I mean I believe in different politically are different reference as far as the social standards go. Economically I believe that the average person would not object to a black person living next door to him as long as he has his income and the educational achievement. So I really don't think Orange County I think it's an unfair indictment of Orange County to say it's it's hostile towards blacks are any more hostile than any other part of the country. I see blacks as having a great opportunity here too. What kind of an opportunity economic opportunity educational opportunity economic opportunity.

And of course educationally all of California is pretty good economically. They have a great opportunity because there are while there may be some obstacles those ops obstacles also can be opportunities for them too. Forge ahead and and or work together. We have largely a vertical community here as Carolyn just indicated we don't. We no longer have our own community. Blacks live everywhere including Corona del Mar so that maybe there is no sense of community among blacks here lechon would say for example in Harlem or in Detroit or in Chicago or in Philadelphia or Rogers or grabbing them a sense of community jam. I think there's a sense of community among blacks here but I do not think it's a sense of sameness. I think blacks are very sophisticated know which county they recognize that there is a great amount of differences I see here and we may have time to get into this and we may not but I see

a tremendous reservoir of potential leadership leaders national leadership and local leadership here in Orange County because among black people among the blacks because you have a tremendous number of them that are pretty affluent. They don't have they happened to book be closer politically to Owens County rights than are black who lives in the inner city would be more conservative thinking you mean. Well I believe that I believe that's a true so let me let me give you a fact and the disturbs disturbs many people and this is not an opinion it is a fact. I don't play you 16 to 19 among whites today as we're doing this program it is 17 percent it's a terrible figure 17 percent of young people 16 to 19 or right are out of work. Let me give you a more serious horror story. As of this afternoon it's thirty seven point four percent for blacks. So when we start thinking everything is a lot better I think it comes along like this one says wait a minute it isn't so

good after all that went out that night out in Orange County you know with this international I think it was for the U.S. national debt is that. Those percentages but the situation I got some county Maggie with the percentages we have it's in Orange County it's 6.3 percent. For white youths and twelve point six percent for black you know it's true the percentage is still bad. That's right there. Now writer that eagerly distressing where Orange County has a serious problem in getting people to move here to fill jobs. I get to get back to the housing question though doesn't it. It partially speaks to the housing question but it also speaks to. A mismatch between the kinds of jobs that are going begging here and the kinds of skills that are being taught to people who already live here. It seems to me

it's all it's much more cost effective for a corporation to train someone who already lose in Orange County who obviously already has found housing within this environment to to perform a job that that corporation needs done then to bring someone to work three or four thousand miles away and have to pay that person a relocation premium because to get into a house here is the Urban League going to work on that if you're there one of your objectives. I hope it's something that we do. We we're concerned about employment particularly about the mismatch between the people living here and in the job market situation or what we would like to do is get employers to start thinking about utilizing the skills that are already here in the community I think that's a good word.

The mismatch in working out the mismatch and on that note we're going to have to move along which we have a lot more time to cover other territory it's been exciting talking to you and I hope we can do something like this again. I would like very much to do it and maybe focus on some one of the problems going on. Thank you very much for being with us. Dr. Carolyn green and Dr. Turner remember to be with us on March 20th at the same time when we look at another area that is concerned Orange County and that is the problem of battered and abused women in Orange County. Please be with me on that same time on March 20th. I'm Jim Cooper. Thanks for being with us. I. Think the. Fact

that.