Adam Clayton Powell testimony; Harlem by Ellison and Powell

I cry my presentation and solving the black. Ribbon crisis. Today under the committed leadership of a man whom I am convinced history will regard as one of our greatest presidents. And then maybe Johnson. America is now spending more money directing more federal energy. And mobilizing more private reserve OSAS to cure its domestic ills than any other period in its history. May I also. Jack the fact that in March of 1959. I was the first Northern a black all white to qualify for the election of Lyndon Johnson as president United States. And my distinguished Special Assistant on my right as editor of the newspaper that time in my own district. When the front page of his newspaper wrote an editorial blasting me for calling him to be president United States. But as in any society of imperfect human beings.

My gusto has promises and miles to go before I can see. The black rebellions we are witnessing and I may just cities they are no different from the Irish rebellions and the Jewish resistance movements when these people want uncompromising battles for freedom and the dignity of them exist and the white people of this country should ask no more understanding no more wisdom and no more patients. Black people and white people themselves with India. If the two situations were the vast right before us the sum of the wrongs and humiliation during a century of degradation. Back. Mine. May not be the final solution. But if it is nothing out of. It. The requisites drum call tomorrow for black people themselves to do something about the punishing inequities which

dominate their lives in the city. That century in the black man's degradation 1910 in 1960. America witnessed two overlapping major revolutions the transition from a big rural to urban culture and the accompanying upsurge in migration of black people into the city. America has yet to come to grips with this strong or urbanization as rapidly as we have seen some of the old problems in urban Reno transportation education. And fiscal management employment industrial development and law enforcement we have spawn new problems in housing segregation in Feria our black rising welfare costs increasing unemployment among black people and police brutality. Why Stargirl failure to adequately treat the problems arising from

urbanization. And draw the umbilical cord of racism that still strangle the black man in employment housing and education in the last year from 4 percent to 3.5 on employment for black people has increased from eight point three to nine percent. Same for. The militias under employment of black people by American industry. And the disgusting tokenism practiced by the overwhelming majority of labor unions in there are punishing programs is manifested by the disparity of median family incomes between whites and blacks. The median family income for black people today in 1966 is still lower than the median family income was for whites five years ago. Three thousand nine hundred twenty seven dollars for blacks and one hundred sixty six thousand

thirty five dollars for whites in 1961. Congress has been busy passing civil rights laws for the rest of the country. This is just as busy practicing its own brand of racial discrimination. I have went may save Council appointed by the speaker of the House Tom Burke former councilman of Boston where they voted his whole time to this and has brought up the fact that absolutely this thing about the discrimination being practiced here in the capital. All I wanted to do was visit the various opposition representatives and senators including those from and those from the bay said a hand count the number of employees and then know the uncountable absence of black people among them but my committee I just said Mr. Chairman has done a great job.

The members of the committee are the same Mr. Chairman thing that has made it a great committee is the fact and I'm the rest barracks and our staff director. We hired people regardless of the kind of the spin out of the seven top professionals of our staff are black. So it's the staff that has done the job because the members of the committee have remained the same employment regardless of race creed or color isn't on no one on Capitol Hill. Only a few weeks ago I said there were NO NO Tom Burke uncovered a plantation system on Capitol Hill. Man pay no large number of black employees as temporary. This is brought to my attention by our distinguished majority leader in the house but excluded white employees from this. That stat 70 percent of black employees on Capitol

Hill concentrated in grades 1 through low paying unskilled jobs some of them working 10 and 15 yes as temporary imply and by going to cover this. Let the speaker know about it and praise be to John McCormick. He issued an order making all of the temporary employees within the past couple weeks for the first time some I'm working and the converse is true of the majority white employee commissions are no better on the Senate side but that's your business. We need a PC just for Congress. Including the opposite represented insanity. Good incentive. I know. I'm not so appalled by all of these statistics as I am I the failure of the federal government to materially reduce economic disparities between whites and black people.

There are vast sums of federal money expended in various programs run manpower development and training activities in 1966 which is one of the first bill that I started work on the day after I was elected. This thing was done with Pennsylvania Mr Holland. Congress authorized a few dollars shy of 400 million dollars. Public wants an economic development act caused by expenditures out three quarters of a billion dollars. I was an economic of attorney when I like a few million shy of 2 billion dollars this year to continue what I called it to me against the war on poverty in our country. But the combined financial results of these various programs over three billion dollars what have we bought. Where Born increasing unemployment among black people. As I point out that the great higher welfare and costly explosions violent discontent within the ghetto.

That we have continued to appropriate mark our own money and I submit part of the problem has been the lack of understanding of some of the federal agencies and their contract. However arrangements for privately operated programs will only get a prime example of the police spending the manpower the government contracts the pardon of Labor has signed with the National Urban League. I left the department one way to get to the happy hunting grounds of racial integration depended on these kind friends the Avonlea which in no way represent nor speaks for nor is in intimate contact with the black masses has nonetheless received hundreds of thousands of dollars of MDT a fund to help train a few new blacks right now throughout the nation. Ebony has been battling an operational budget at the expense of the federal government we have been witnessing Marisol

travelers more riot more rebellion more black resentment and more disenchantment by the black masses of federal programs. Have a sorry sir. Five million eight hundred and seventy five million eight hundred seventy thousand dollars for every b c the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission to six million five hundred thousand dollars for the Atlantic Pacific into oceanic canal study commission. They are spending one million last program one opportunity misspending for their man to Pacific into earth and a canal study commission. Seven million two hundred forty brought thousand dollars for the National Planning Commission. Thirteen million nine hundred thirty thousand dollars for the National Foundation on the arts and humanities and an incredible 35 million dollars.

Seven hundred and ninety one thousand for the Smithsonian Institute ensured we are spending six and a half times as much money preserving the heritage of dead white people as we are doing to try to uplift living black citizens into the economic mainstream of America. We continue to appropriate federal funds to build a segregated high rise concentration camps for black people and more spacious middle income bungalows for white people only. Who's guilty of this ugly inconsistency. The Congress of the United States. We are just now becoming aware that the educational genocide practiced with hypocritical tacit consent against black children in the north is as they struck above their human spirit as an open and flagrant

cultural castration in the south. Combine Civil Rights Act of 1965 and when they passed it 1966 back some of our law you're right make no significant changes in the status of blackface and degrading toilets. This country and probably sometimes Bulgaria says integrating the toilets of this country does not guarantee equality and pretty nozzles on fire hydrants for black children to play in the sizzling heat of Chicago's streets make their skin but it will not rush away the grime and stench of separate but equal treatment of their families and neighborhoods dropping a few proposals which I met more vigorously attack some of the problems plaguing the Bragg masses in America today. I do wish to reiterate that I do not believe any of us were

taken and Congress should be attending the place the blame somewhere else. And this is what the good Senator Williams just said before me. I go out with Congressman Paul I think all together too much in these herrings we've been laying the stick on the back of the administration officials. That's all right where it's deserved but like lay it on the Congress. But I would not have had its obligations in this field and I'm delighted to have the brain realized that I was here in the Congress to legislate the program the president must administer if we failed to appropriate sufficient funds. Every legislator by fragmentation as we have done in passing first a MANPAD about an act of war and poverty act then an economic development act and not providing for any unifying administrative coordination between all three programs then that is the fault of our inadequate legislative intelligence and the house I mean this year

we passed back gratifying lopsided vote a bill that would strengthen the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission which I'd first read by the way when I came to Congress 22 years ago. But there is no indication as of this morning that the Senate intends to strengthen the principle of fair and whining because it is now and you can talk to Frank and the rug about Sam and I but as it is now it cannot be administered by one of the love side of majority the house without any filibuster we pray and cease and desist orders rather than having me dragged through the federal court. President Johnson has demonstrated an amazing forms of understanding not only about changing urban culture but of the suffering and mistreatment of black people. I some may occasionally disagree with him on the amount of money a proper program of a particular legislative approach and I do write very few indeed can doubt the compassionate concern he brings to the wise administration of these many programs I would now like the establishment

of a national multi-purpose Council. Dad comes from Dr. Lawrence Foster from our present at Lincoln University and now economic consultant in New York City Primary Ghar national market purpose Council the development Democratic re assert power rack that self-help program for the involvement of residents of urban slums in the redevelopment of these areas through nonprofit organization. A key row residents of slum areas in the planning policy making administration of all redevelopment programs for such areas as well as in projects to improve human resources would be a step. To save a great nation a multipurpose can throw 35 billion dollars would be a probably a good add in rehabilitation for the next 10 years starting with a black guy was a white fathers Westside. Cleveland and other areas whether black on CAD or

are led to ensure that such funds would be used to get priority to the poor ones would be allocated per Gresham a district on the basis of median family income for example. This I know is that a shack where my can get Congressional District the 18th which is substantially higher as a median family income of only three thousand nine hundred ninety nine dollars. The lowest in New York State and of three hundred and seventy lowest in this nation. What a tragic and ironic instructive position of living conditions of the 17th Congressional District which is now sadly missed the cut MN promised by our good friend the mayor of New York Menzi which is just across the tracks from mine is the fair price. Family income over congressional districts. So you live across the tracks in

the north as well as in the south. Second I propose that the various employment economic development and Ron poverty programs all be coordinated through one up quickly as these programs can and must be administered to change the economic condition of the black masses. And of course the right. Ron probably should not be brought in a pitiful little vacuum. Nor should the public correction Economic Development Act expanded with no relationship to the manpower development and training are and should be under a single. After all we are for example and our single administrator again and possibly a future earlier director who has the highest authority in the street and act for the administration. And I can think of no more able and no more competent person committed to the full equality of black people to coordinate such a broadly based program.

My friend and our beloved Vice President Hubert Humphrey from any of the prom any of those now in the freedom fight ever knew there was such a thing as race required day. Humphrey was on the front line trenches battling for equal rights for black people. Never forget that. Cause such a program could achieve this administrative unit day. I rs I was made to experience strata design and direct the opposite economic opportunity. Strive as capable as a brilliant salesman for Democracy can be equal. Why not. You are by no coverage sorry there is no one in our government who isn't more brilliant salesman for our democracy than my good friend the dedication service around an expanded apas economic opportunity which will encompass the Ron poverty ministration manpower programs economic development X PRIZE unity cable

administers capable administrator somebody for example with the exception no administrative challenge of a better word Sir Bob McNamara I think the federal government should not be deprived Stratus concert of accounts and hope rain and now it could be used to be most excellent as an under secretary of state if not secretary of state. But it's clear that the Ron Hartley in particular needs a more vigorous generalship. More fearless and obviously more consistent ministration than has been characteristic for how much with the program the national multi-purpose Council and the newly acquired native federal programs the Office of Economic Opportunity ministration and Economic Development Act cost faster than see this program estimates that a 10 year program across thirty five billion dollars if we double our present far outweighs the One Power and manpower administration and economic demand Development Act from its present level three billion to six billion dollars

that result in a total figure of nine point five billion dollars a year or approximate 10 billion dollars a year for 10 years. This exact figure that Michael Harrington writes the concept of the armed robbery and Leon Keyserling have both testified before my committee it's like a minimum and I do this. Say we're going to get the money. Read crap read crap it higher than I've ever been in the history of our government. Let's stop talking about income taxes affecting the people and let's what a corporate tax on corporations that are making more money than ever maybe grow and then come up with the money. Not only that we would save money with this program on welfare costs. We would save money on as welfare in this program by putting it into the mainstream of American might train people. We would save money. By putting

down the betterness the blind returners of blind young people who strike out in the dark not knowing what else to do. Problem is second class citizenship of the black man is not the black man's problem nor is it the white man's problem it is not the president's problem nor is the Congress problem it is an American problem which can only be solved by the collective energies and goodwill of all Americans. Saran stated all responsibility so eloquently oftentimes I've heard you speak of one who commits a wrong as well we are not you and I view it as strange unto you and an intruder upon your or I say that even as a holy on the righteous cannot rise beyond the highest which is in each of you so the wicked and the weak kind of far lower than the lowest which is in You also has a single leaf turns not yellow but with a silent knowledge of the whole

tree. So the wrongdoer cannot do wrong. The hidden where all of you are. Thank you very much Congressman how a matter of fact I think what you did Congressman Powell in writing this act I don't know whether or not your committee was aware of it or not. You wrote in this act the strongest co-ordinating language of any law that's ever been passed the history of United States correct. Now they're going to do it if we're going to get at poverty then somebody has to have a coordinating function of all these programs. Congress has passed it the Senate passes the House and I think there it is rock and we do it. Second if France does not fulfill the law as passed by Congress. How can we possibly executive branch still fulfill the law. I'm insisting that the administration coordinate all of this off already

through Mr. Shriver or is your objection to Mr. Stryver such that you don't want it coordinated through him until you get a new with a new director. I believe that we need a strong man a stranger in order to coordinate these various departments because he has realized that the head of a way out does not have cabinet status. Any dealing with members of the cabinet to a great extent. And it takes a man with some guts to come in there and say let's go and when you talk to these men as I have and I've just repeated to talk to you they are ready to go out with oil wealth so that you brought but the fall where I know at the at the door of the director of the daughter of the president. THE PRESIDENT I have a problem maybe about the president's chief executive trying to get Autor it down. I disagree with you I think so I describe her as a capable ma'am and so there's a difference I might as you know.

This house just the other night and wife and your beloved mother was there to send candy. In Sunday night. You have a lovely time. The function of the poverty program. Do you think that the poverty program should be an action program. Should be a stimulating experimental program that seeks to take new courses and new approaches and once said establishes a program that's successful that turned the the operation of it over to another department. I believe in both the primary and action program. I believe an action program with applause as they rode into the lower your good is right and I voted for I should be involved in policy making in an advisory position and I think a city like Chicago. For I haven't got anything to do with a private program. Yes but that isn't quite the question it is about the point that neither party has something or it has not something that say that. Let's take Head Start

Head Start has got glamour and everyone says a successful and it's popular and it's working. So Head Start is an experimental program and I believe that only the poverty program could have started this experimental program. Now it's working. Should it stay under the jurisdiction of the administration of the poverty program or should it now go be transferred over to the H.E. double to the office of education in which it is folded in with the overall educational programs that your committee passes that every single thing that o e o has provided and is now conducting should be kept in 0 0 0. Otherwise we are back tracking going right back into the red tape the bureaucracy of days gone by that stifle these programs are so than in other words you believe that only you know does have value to stay as an action program.

Absolutely Al is an experimental prajna should be expanded as I said in my testimony to include other organizations the power is there with additional funds giving at the 10 billion dollars a year.