Conditions in the Oakland ghetto

I'm in the studio with two visitors from Oakland and both of them are associated with the Oakland Direct Action Committee. Mark comfort I believe is the President of it. And Ronnie Stevens has been active in the work of the committee and they have come into the studio to talk about the fact I think that conditions in Oakland and particularly for the people who are activists are pretty serious right now. That to be one way to launch this discussion what in your view Marc you've been involved in. Activist work now for a long time. What gives in Oakland now. Well I think that. The problem still exists. Sorry to say you know what has happened. And in some cases have grown worse because of the money that have been poured into the Oakland from the private concerns you know and also the

federal government is that we have found myself in Oakland receiving some 46 million dollars. But it seems are always that when money is sent in to help people that it never really reaches the people they need it to most U.S.. So like right now we find ourselves with some 20000 youth on the streets that can't get work. And there was some I was at the NYC program and some three or 4000 applications in now that will not be feel before the you know school starts back again next month. Well now 20000 people in the pen early in the night will it take it. Yes that would be out of work. Do you know what percentage of the workforce that is. If I am not mistaken I think that this would be mostly speaking between the youth between the ages of 16 and 21 and

I know it is the highest unemployment rate anywhere in the country and exists in the city of Oakland. And I think it runs somewhere between 8 percent among that. You are not mistaken I did have a figure on it but I'm not quite sure right now you know but I know it. I know one thing it is the highest unemployment rate in the open area than anywhere else in any state. And then also you know youngsters who in fact would like to get some work and then go back to school they constitute part of this number do they. Yes correct. You see right now that you don't have you know they haven't gone from door to door asking people if they own dogs you know and if not you know if they do they have a license and this is one way that trying to get work for the kids you see but the unemployment rate you know is it's not really that much work you see. And to pass out of this many people don't employ using what what do you feel is the is the base the mark now that

I have I have the impression somehow that so many people speak in more or less the way you are speaking now about it. It's a question that it's kind of being done from the ground and in some way I think these 20000 kids. Are they able to work in the sense that I have they've been trained to take their place in in a technological society or are they just running around trying to find odds and ends and bits and pieces that they can give them in order to keep them off the streets. I think there would be more what appears is that if just to create some type of we're going to some a vacation to keep them off the street after the Summer vacation is over and they read back where they started from you know. Otherwise if they hadn't used the money to buy clothes or a car we have a case of Mad Men doing that summer vacation. So they're going to have you know close and someone in a pack when school starts again they find themselves and most of the same with the world because when they

first got jar and what happens at the most of the training programs does not really constitute the way that they can really take them and place them on a job after they come through this here training program using most of the kids that I went through the. Neighborhood Youth Corps have at least have the one thing I can say that at least I've had a chance to further the education to help them get a certificate which is equivalent to a graduation diploma. Once they come through you can go out and unemployment hours and take this test you see which cost them you know cost them five hours to take the test you see of the basket. Then I get a solicitor for the scene and it is equivalent to a graduation diploma. Then most of the people that you know kids I've talked to actually had one out and finding your own job using this or certificate but very few are really placed on jobs after they leave like you the skill center they have might almost eighteen hundred and eighteen hundred you know it's very few of those that are actually replaced on a job you think and what this makes is better when you're training people for jobs it doesn't exist you're saying and that when you have unions that discriminate you know and races

and it also constitute an approach to a problem for them to get into this union you see because you're always using your gimmick is that we only you know the books are closer we don't have enough work around man's using. So here they are walking around with nothing saying so I think that. Here's what is happening here is that the government have put all this money into the easier target areas but they do not the people. Very few of the people actually are hired from those target areas that knows the problem and deal with that problem you see. They usually get people that are the area you know with a good education you know and they get so much money a year U.S. but yet the people that knows a problem very few are given the opportunity to work. U.S. young men now supposing somebody who did know the problem I think this is what I'm after. Supposing that the oaken direct action committee were put in charge of it. What would you do. Well I would if I was put in charge of a journal which is not likely you know well we know

and I don't know. Let's grant that it's not likely but nevertheless this is this is a very important point because I think that that even many people of goodwill. In the situation feel defeated by the magnitude of it. But where do you begin. By you know what should be done. What is the basic thing that should be done. Well give a phone an example. You see the first part of this year and we spend some three months and trying to get money to open up a culture center using which would be given in. Negro history and the brain of the upgrade so they went you know through the back people will have some sense from where they came whence they came and what black people have to attribute you know to the society in this country and also that we had a program the way to work out the way that we would have people to volunteer to come in and teach in our own mechanics and also body and fender work which is a very open field for that and that we had private concerns which were willing to go to a fantasist for a period of two

years and the bather tools and everything to work with they also had volunteer teachers would come down and work with the tutoring classes you're seeing which you hope program would have been open to the community writes Baghdad and the community and the thought is you know since I'm not that well liked in the Oakland area authorities went out into the community which is the police knocked on the doors telling the people that I would be bringing hoodlums in from all over the US open area would be cut and shoot on the weekends or stuff like that when we had dances you seen and people believe what they had to say no one contacted me the exact way I was trying to do so when the time came for us to get a use permit. We were blocked from getting it using some of the people from the community you know and the Brookfield village area and East Oakland. So here was the building which we already have you know but we cannot open it because we don't have a use permit. So then you know the kids got disgusted about it you know and figured every time we try to do something you know that's constructive you know really help the people in a community that someone of your thought is somewhere move to stop it because they dislike me. Because as you

know and have been involved in IRA thing you know over the last 70 years and we're going to quite frequently be behind the different movie you know civil rights activists have been taken you see to try to break the barrier and I think that you know the program that we had met with people from the Caracas company and Bell telephone from San Francisco and quite a few ministers you know which from the press attorney and judge and that they all agreed that you know was a right track to go because here we had you in a way also that we would put up. An unemployment office there within the community itself otherwise kids would wither with application made out that we would have on file and there would have to know who we were dealing in with experience that it had so that we can also you know shoot in from the different areas to the unemployment office and we said well we have this may suddenly would be something similar to what the Urban League see but we would be dealing with people that dont have all the experiences that certain you know the people do that you know they list with the Urban League you see here a people that haven't had a chance to get the Haskell diploma here people are willing to work but are not given the opportunity to work. And here's people that would need some chance to learn some

skills that they could actually go into after they had learned to treat not stand around after it was over no place for them still to go to X. We had really had it when they would have accomplished anything that way. So what happens is that. Myself in the program I was definite it would work because I had been working with the youth you see since 65 in the Jack of Clubs and he saw Quinn you know mainly Amber dukes and those the outlaws and and another Mexican jacket club there which is no longer function and enchanted Marvins which is another club. And here we were kids that wanted to do something so central labor council we had a youth program in 65 they call it to us to bring in kids you know and so we finished almost the first 200 kids and they had to work on a program. But yes when he was over there they were back where they started from. Well one of the men I know in this community but in

another community with similar problems. The thing that he keeps say is that not only are most of the kids unemployed when they drop out of high school or come out of high school but that are in the modern employment market they're virtually unemployable. Because they have not been given and there is no no program to give them the kind of training that would really put them on the job market so that it works both ways that you know supposing you get the kids interested and and then then there is there's no place for him to go you know with no training. Now I have to agree with him on a few seaworthy and they become automatically an unskilled labor mass you know of army of unemployed and I believe this runs not only through the kids but arm up

that the unemployment rates in the in the minority communities are very high all over the nation in the big in the big employment in the big population center and Iowa is not going any better really because you see that. I would have to agree with this rather what he said because it's so true is that. Excuse me I found out you know through working with the central liver cancer 65 66 that one thing about if the kids were you know and some of which were men you know from 16 18 you know me to 21 and you beginning with men's and American have families and they can't find anything and if they were given a decent wedge you see is dollar very fast as an hour. You can live on that you see and you've got some kids that have a wife and kids you know little babies of the own which we get the federal government in front of all this money. Looks to me that they will be able to give the people at least you know two and a half or three dollars an hour. You see the way that they could actually really bring in a decent paycheck for those first three months it would be work and then after they were laid off the program was over the least they could go and put in for the unemployment then he would also file for the income

tax return and at least keep him moving along you see perhaps maybe he would find something else after that you seen. But this is not done to the various you know that they can put in for the unemployment because they don't have anything coming to live on. You know after that so you have thousands of people. You see this you know after so we're back on the streets again with nothing to do. Well they haven't really accomplished the problems I was thinking it through. You know I found out that there was a lot of jobs available through the nonprofit organizations you see that the federal government was willing to pay. You know these people to work and they could at least be willing to give them a decent a decent wage and they can work for these nonprofit organizations you see anyone and it's not work to somebody is not part of our nation to carry me around you think. And it is because of you know the YMCA the boys club the U.S. welfare center and and reset or you know like to station here you know if if they were you know the federal government would have to furnish the money and take out the bill and at least be willing to give the people a decent salary and some good work year round.

You know what how your ideas on the subject I mean Steve it. I think what is needed is meaningful work. I worked with young people on different projects here in the Bay Area at different times and now I see that and working with young people that when you speak of education what are they able to do many things that young dropouts are able to do. They're not given a chance. First right here on the street outside barge coming through there's a lot of operation of heavy equipment going on. Having been in the service myself. And had a chance to what not any previous knowledge to learn to operate some pieces of heavy equipment. I found that it's not that

difficult that a person really wants to land. On a trip here recently that I took all the way down the coast that ended up in front of the Hearst Castle on the coast. There's highway construction on on and there's the use of heavy equipment. They have programs they have vested there's a program of best programs that where young people like the Peace Corps get a chance to go overseas and I offer to help other countries if we would train our young people here at home in the operation of heavy equipment equipment used they could be used to help people build roads in their countries to raise food. The operation of tractors and. Heavy caps are type-A heavy equipment these young people could be trained to

use this equipment then they could be shipped overseas not as soldiers but as goodwill ambassadors. They would be useful. This would also in my estimation further their education they say travel broadens one. It would give our young people from the ghetto a chance to meet people in other countries. Chance to. Get done the stand themselves and the peoples in this in my estimation is education it's a lack I magine do it should it be that that each company has to have some kind of a training program that is just automatic and a part of their responsibility should be done through government agencies. You hear so much complaint about the thing coming from the top rather than the bottom. But in certain ways it has to start at the top someplace it's a question of how what top and who they

are who they deal with. Are there any successful training programs for example where private industry set up. Training programs for for the young people that are coming out of school. There is you know through a lot of the companies their training programs are set up. But there is not enough set up to cover the mass unemployment. You know among the people who live in a ghetto is not only black but white you know and considering just poor people and needs a chance to to to break out and make it you say. And I think that the programs that we do have a training program is not nearly you know it is no its not even a drop in the bucket to cover the unemployment MFM plan that we have in this country today. And it's just you know it's a shame to say there's riches this country as it shouldn't even be but it is U.S. And I think that if the federal government you know since they have taken a great big share of the of making money available through these different. Programs that have been set up across this country I think that you know if they really want to do the

job and I've said this all of the many of times the government may have came I have taken him on a tour through Oakland and shown him the conditions and he goes back in the statistics and that's where it stays you seen then when something blows wide open you know and sort of rebellions and there are always people shop opposite. Why did it happen and we were always you know it's time we walk in picking liars and certain in an obviously goshi Asian because that was telling the people was a problem though in that was years ago four five six years ago. And up until now then the federal government still has to do the same thing. They will still refuse to deal with the grassroot people you see just because they happen to be militant people who are just because they happen to be one of the other stammers doesn't like they have to make one thing that these people that live in the community grassroots are more closer to the problem and the people that they use to put these here programs in charge of the people in charge of these programs are so far away from what is really happening a community that is just a waste of money going down the drain. But what do they do. Now you said that some 46 million hours had been reported in

the Oakland. Who is using it for what no one seems to know where the 46 million dollars went missing. That's the whole thing. Nobody knows where this money went. You know like that front 110 million dollars that that they just got here is supposed to be the open air port to train mechanics using it. But. And the hangers it says ten million dollars now if they do train airplane mechanics then and this would be good because I where they can move out of there into the field you see and it's a fuse cover my fellow the work and you know take a training program for your you know through all of this you want to hear. Airport he's studying he's going to school and he gets $20 a week and he has a wife and a baby and but he's just you know one of the few you see. Otherwise it never touches you know how many people are involved in that program. And no I can't say offhand how many I would even dare to say but I know that you just have to be one of a you know as part of the club that you know is in that program and from here I could probably find out you know but that's the only one that I

know you know that when do they get paid where they learn and then after it's over they you know they can move into it you see $9 a week is a good paycheck you know for a kid is 19 years old and a wife and a baby and if you finish finishes program training then he can go into the field and you see then then that's doing something that is happened using I think that in programs like this he should involve you know thousands of these you know you've you know young men that are trying to make it using. And. I don't know you really is that you know a lot of question have been asked you know where this money go because it has really reached into the promise so that meant that someone has to be packing it somewhere or something is happening to you because it's not reaching out in there into that into the into the deep black community where the people who are using. Well I mean are there any government employment agencies or or offices or anything where people in the ghetto can go and find out what's available.

Oh they have an issue they have and I think it is a 100 Some of us already in Oakland you know from one end to the other you know but usually they're you know they're set up there you have the food with your committee you have these open visor committee you know through the Economic Opportunity program you have the one downtown Oakland on Broadway. Is that the NYC program and Wesley program there and. And I talked to the man was in charge there and and he just said Look marquees it is 3000 applications right here 3000 applications and now we can't even cover you know we recently we can find a way to you know where we can place these people using and we end the job situation you know for the unemployment is so had you seeing is aware that those 3000 people that he has will never see any work for some. Well then what I gather from what both of you have as it said Pardon me. Is that it really does look as if it's got to be if it's going to make a dent in this situation that there's got to be a really large scale program.

In other words some kind of a program which would involve thousands of people not just a few jobs here and a few jobs there in a training course here for 50 people and something else there for 100. But that whatever plan is going to to really work. It means that they don't say how many people have you got and if you say 20000 they have to say yes. Yes well we were you know something that will be done at that level of magnitude was if things are so bad I was like it was in a 30s when I had a CC cams and you know at least they were kept a set up you know where people you know could go were going to get so much money to be they were paid to do that work you sing and I think you know that too they see a neighborhood where they've been sending kids from different states to these camps you know are they supposed to be teaching them something you see they get $50 a month you know. And when they all come back to say the same thing that we have learned anything. You know we don't really make anything new you know and he says you know and if it is smart to try to develop you know the education of like I said before to get a low certificate you sing so they come out when you want to model my father and they are the amber dukes. He just graduated you know they're here years on the street is no job for him to

go. He graduated last week from Job Corps U.S. And he says well I'm going to now Marcus or go out and take a test to see you know if I can get my wrist certificate. And do what I can put in place a moment Jack was there wasn't a place in the places where the whole year that he spent you know on Job Corps that he comes out and only thing he was able to do was develop his education he says only thing he got out of it because he studied hard while he was there and he said this is mostly the case and it one is involved in that very few of them are placed on using They have a family own jobs when they come out. So it was we set up camp like a double pianist and paid the people you know the kids you know that so not don't have families and they are you know like I say a place where they can stay food on board and work you know to the farms you know on companies and like to see you know like I said DPA you know on a CC camp that we have come to that now and I didn't have to stablish you know on something like that to really get to the hard core of unemployable in the meantime really doing one of the other you know jobs out there and the kids are.

And there has been already. Widespread violence in her country and what are the more militant younger people what are the terms in which they are thinking now. I mean what about the trip to Sacramento and things like that. Well the trip up to Sacramento you know that open direct action committee his group supported the Black Panthers to go and this was the reason this established reason why we went in the first place was that the Black Panthers had a police patrol while they were patrolling to police in and out of an area to try to keep down violence you know we have to make that we have a police force but all of them are perfect you know they have a tendency to be people around a common you know. So when people in the police force and that patrol the name and taking pictures and you know of the activities which were bugging them which didn't like another thing that the Panthers carry guns with them in the car the thing so it all came out in the wash you know that the police department asked Margaret you seem

to to try to get a bill you know to control guns you know becoming any Black Panther because well it became the same. And though it was legal because of the laws on the books at that time stated that you could carry a loaded gun anywhere in any public place in a state of California. Long as the gun was not concealed using and load it means when the bullet is in the fire chamber not in a magazine. So now as you know we went and we were arrested. Now in the capital because of the cap of the read aloud to us he said every gun is in plain sight. He's long gone sad to interrupt the Sami everything is OK and we assure him that we wasn't for that purpose we were there protesting you know this bill because we feel that the bill was prejudice and it was directed directly at one group the U.S. and which we feel was unfair because American actually Party you know the you know when the rock was big you know they have you can see on TV man Stanley raff was on a show nobody ever say anything about this. So we left the Capitol and three blocks away a police officer there said seen us and right away he see

black people with guns. So his whole imagination runs away with him the next day we were surrounded by police with a gun ruin everything any place is under arrest you know what the rush is well at first they arrest us with the. Under the official game of our you know loading guns in a car and we can make that stick and we found a place with a felony saying that we spirited to corrupt the Semele U.S. which was not true. So we went out as a drug around up until three weeks ago six of the adults had to plead guilty to a misdemeanor to cut nine of our salute. You sing and they call this justice. And the reason that we cannot fight a Supreme Court because we don't have the funds to go that far you see take it will run is almost like $15000 and we can even you know we have money to how to pay the you know the pay to bail out raise that kind of money to fight a case so therefore we found the people who had you know the fellows I went Well I had never been arrested before and they agreed to plead guilty to a misdemeanor to cover most of us and the other ones are loose and did have records before you know and this is what happened and the same thing in the

juveniles once you've been happy guilty to court for the juveniles who lose so the 9th which is Wednesday will go back up for Senate hearing so at the meantime is that we still have to figure out some way to pay the bell Bahman for putting up the bond for us in the first place and so this is where we stand now. So the bill is passed and signed by Governor Reagan along misdemeanor was it was what the misdemeanor was interrupting the the assembly. Say disturbing the peace using of the Assembly and it was only four people entered into the assembly so we had people there pleading guilty that had never seen it have never seen the inside of the assembly using and this is a weird Stanny much the prosecutor had to admit that they had no case. But they know we had no money using to fight it and so that's what happens. So now we don't know what the outcome is going to be we hope that the developer will receive probation. But they have this cross about we can do anything they want to do Wednesday they can

give him 90 days or six months if they want to then given probation. But we're hoping that that we will get some type of justice and that we fellas be guilty like I say to a crime that was that he never committed using and what do the black paint that people still carry guns in Oakland now they don't carry guns anymore because there are laws on them and now the law is passed and signed by Governor Reagan is that it's a misdemeanor to carry a loaded gun with one hundred fifty six of in a resident place and the nine hundred fifty six feet of a residence. Yes. Another way and also where a gun cannot be fired so that means that. That's not counting the hundreds the hundreds can carry you know as Raffles and it can is trucking always car if you've gone one using but that limit you for them carrying guns for is on a police patrol that are patrolling the police to try to hold down any type of violence you see because people get tired of being hooked you know by police and I think that none of us can deny the fact that it doesn't happen because of the human relation of the police department Sam Sisko stated 46 percent of the people that are shot

by police or shot in the back plane that's a lot of percents when you start thinking about it for the 6 percent. Yes but supposing the panther patrols had seen the police. Beating someone. What would they have done with it while you're really planning on shooting. Now really not that wouldn't be now the last dancer. Now they stated that they would take pictures of it and that they would move you know and to the police not to be beaten but they were not firing on the police you know they said but they would fire if the police shot at them you know. But luckily the police of cinema never began to shoot any of them you know. But that has been eliminated now. You know that and I do they still do the patrols. They have to patrol without the guns and the police Devaney on their backs now every time I see him there pull him over and check the cars out to see if they have any guns in the car using. But so they just between with the camera now and reason that they were you know they were they were within their rights of the law because the Constitution of the Second Amendment ganti And you know the right for everyone to bear arms. They're also following the law

which were on the books the state of California to see what would happen if people start you know Karen got on the TRO see what the outcome would be since it was already a law seen anyone can use it. Then well I think I was 5 what happened here because the movie had a way to eliminate the law and make a new law which would restrict people from carrying guns you know. And he stated the Panthers you know that the Panthers. So we had the organ Direct Action Committee we felt as though that it was a just cause for the demonstrations so therefore we went using and we were arrested and some were found guilty after pleading guilty to a crime it didn't commit and so the outcome of that would be Wednesday to see what happens there. So at the meantime we're trying to do the best we can to eliminate the bill that we have or you know with the belt by using. So it looks like every time that you know OK what we do if it so we're going to pick Inanna lane and I'll give it a peace group or whatever group it is anything that it looks like you know is against the establishment

establishment will move to eliminate it using and this is where it happened I particularly hate using But we had patrols over cabbage rose and and the soaking area but we don't carry guns you know we just carry cameras and walkie talkies and try to find where the person was arrested then tried to go down to the police department if it was unjust and try to bail him out. You know a good tourney form you know. And of course that was very expensive so we finally had to cut that out too because it could cost you no cost too much money trying to keep a patrol gone because of the equipment cars gas you know and said really something that has to be done almost like 24 hours a day. So since that time and what we're doing now is that local direct asking me we're launching a program tomorrow to raise food for the people in Laos County Alabama which is on the plantation territory and. We hope that the people will come through and donate as much food as possible you know nonperishable goods and that we have a truck you know PR you have gave us a truck

to transport the food there once it is loaded and lucky mark it on second one tab and he's 14st where the truck will be parked at have let us use the parking lot. So we figure that. We'll do that you know at least it will keep most of the youth. We give them something to do in a field they feel great about doing it because it is happens on one you know and they are on a street in a cave and your job and gave up on the jobs anyway so we figured this would be a good opportunity for them to go after truck loaded you know with the truck are so down we export it all the way to make sure that it gets to its destination was give them a chance to see how some of the people do live in a southern state in which will probably give them hope. A lot more sense of value and that we have to make it you know that you just don't give up. You know is that a lot of struggles and I found it to the youth that I have been dealing with have gave up completely. You know they say well why get an education you can't get a job after you get it. You know miles west on a cone and you know big moment to stand on a corner and I can you know we walked in we are now our

own doors you know. Otherwise by going to the factories to try to get jobs and they have been turned away so many times that they finally just give up hope are together. And when one gives up hope and he doesn't care anymore what happens using life is not worthwhile and so we figure through this program here which will launch and that we will least give them a chance to see that there is something to live for because compared to the people who live there most of us are millionaires or we are poor Using the people down there we're beyond poor than here in very bad shape. And that people lunch programs to feed the hungry in a starving in a foreign countries but we have hungry and starving. But here in this country in Maine in Mississippi Alabama and right here in the Bay Area for a second so you know and I hope the people in the Bay Area you know will join with us on a program to where we will get enough nonperishable food you know to take down you know and means beans rice and sugar. How are you now going to get in and out of the later stuff that you know people can feed families which we know and can do stuff like this here and and hope at the same time that the

legislature will get off of the bare hands and do something about the sound you see because as you know Mohammed Ali and the degree he was wanting to made a statement during the course convention about feeding the hungry in a South Africa doctors and made a survey. Yeah and he was not permitted to file in the state of California and now his passport had been lifted so left we cannot leave this to the country so we figured we would take up where he left off. And as to bury people to join with you say to police launched a program of you know and I'm hoping that it will catch on. Thanks an awful lot both of you for coming in. Thank you for having me.