Muni; Miscellaneous; Health and the Negro
- Collection
- Muni
- Series
- Miscellaneous
- Episode
- Health and the Negro
- Contributing Organization
- WNYC (New York, New York)
- AAPB ID
- cpb-aacip/510-3x83j39p5t
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- Description
- Description
- Dr. Whitney Young of the National Urban League speaks to an American Public Health Association Luncheon session on African-American health. Young exhorts these medical professionals to begin integrating their boards, staffs, facilities and programs. Makes the argument against segregation and says that we are now in the midst of a revolution and that they must effectively and thoughtfully get on the band wagon. He begins with story about of a famous auctioneer selling the contents of an old elaborately decorated home. The sale starts with an old violin. Bidding starts very low. Then an old man comes up and stops the bidding. He plays the instrument amazingly. It goes up for auction again, it is suddenly fetching significantly higher bids. The moral: "It was a touch of a master's hand." Young says this is true today. So many of us are permitting human resources to be sold cheaply because of our inability to look beneath the veneer. Beyond the lack of sophistication and beyond the color of one's skin. With the help of a 'master's hand' will help us to see the human value he's talking about. Young raises the issue of the health gap between Negro citizens and non-white citizens. Higher mortality rates, etc....These are the things any researcher can find which is why he wants to talk to you about the revolution and what it is all about. He says this is not a drive for status or reaction to mild inconvenience, but stems from the fact that there are citizens in the U..S who are in a disaster, catastrophe, an emergency situation with as much as 25% unemployment. Young goes through the various economic, health educational and housing statistics for 'Negro' citizens.that place them at a massive disadvantage to whites. This, he says, is what the revolution is all about. Dr. Young says this is the home of the free and land of the brave and that America must live up to its goals and slogans. Our problems, he says, stem not from ill will or good will but from no will, indifference. No American or institution can claim to be unaware of the fact that 'Negroes' are not happy about their state. The validity of our values and institutions are at stake. If we fail, we will have lost our right to be called decent human beings." He discusses the 15% backlash i.e. surfacing of old attitudes. Talks of infiltration of Klan by sending liberals, to find out if our houses would be bombed. Refers to recent vitriolic backlash at protest at Tri-borough bridge by white commuters. Young says he has faith in the 75% of Americans who will not vote for prejudice. Dr. Young argues a major barrier faced in the civil rights struggle is that now that the civil rights bill has passed, that people now think everything is okay. It's called "frivilous inertia, " and he refers to "the gentle people of prejudice whose sins are of omission." The removal of old signs and symbols will not correct 300 years of depredation, denial and humiliation. We have to have a crash program of corrective steps to compensate otherwise democracy and 'freedom now' are just intellectual noise making. He calls for a domestic Marshall plan for health, education, and housing for African-Americans. In health - you have to do some honest soul searching about your staffing, facilities, representation on your boards, the location of facilities, and the extent of your outreach. There are all kinds of reasons for not being able to do this. If we can use the same creativity, imagination and skill to apply to integration as we have with segregation then we have it made. Health professions can do the kind of things that will make for great changes. Reform and social action left the health profession. The APHA needs to make a major contribution to change by debunking myths, and racial stereotypes, and the notion that illegitimacy being a congenital moral flaw. It's a question of who has money and who doesn't. "No one says nigger any more" but it is substituted by,,,, Dr. Young continues: Integration is good for whites as well blacks. Nothing creative comes out of sameness. He refers to "the compounding of mediocrity." There needs to be an aggressive effort at diversity because out of diversity comes creativity. Nothing is more tragic in today's world than feeling uncomfortable with diversity. Drawing on the positive of both cultures. That's integration in the positive sense. If you really want to find board members or staff, you can do that. Young says the masses are pushing for integration because they feel they can't get equality without it. "Anytime you can segregate against a group you can discriminate against it. And historically, no society has been able to resist that. temptation....I've never believed that Negroes can work better with Negroes simply because they're Negroes." He says "sensitive human beings are the best workers whether they are white or black...." Negroes, he argues, can now be executives and professionals. He closes by telling his audience of health professionals that they can expect more impatience, more aggressiveness, and attacks by the press. He tells them "you are not immune." "I have hope. I know that Negro citizens believes in America."
- Description
- 2-7in. reels ltk. 7.5ps,
- Description
- Dr. Whitney Young of the National Urban League speaks to an American Public Health Association Luncheon session on African-American health.
- Broadcast Date
- 1964-10-06
- Genres
- Event Coverage
- Subjects
- African Americans--History.; Public health--History; African Americans--Civil rights--History.; Integration, Racial.; Segregation.
- Rights
- Owner/Custodial History: Municipal Archives; Acquisition Source: Municipal Archives; Terms of Use and Reproduction: Municipal Archives
- Media type
- Sound
- Duration
- 00:42:01
- Credits
-
-
Speaker: Young, Whitney M.
- AAPB Contributor Holdings
-
WNYC-FM
Identifier: 150622.1 (WNYC Media Archive Label)
Format: BWF
Duration: 00:42:01
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- Citations
- Chicago: “Muni; Miscellaneous; Health and the Negro,” 1964-10-06, WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC, accessed September 14, 2025, http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-510-3x83j39p5t.
- MLA: “Muni; Miscellaneous; Health and the Negro.” 1964-10-06. WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Web. September 14, 2025. <http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-510-3x83j39p5t>.
- APA: Muni; Miscellaneous; Health and the Negro. Boston, MA: WNYC, American Archive of Public Broadcasting (GBH and the Library of Congress), Boston, MA and Washington, DC. Retrieved from http://americanarchive.org/catalog/cpb-aacip-510-3x83j39p5t