Vel Phillips Papers (Radio scripts, Box 2)

For May 17, 1967

Still want to use this script

DURING THE LAST TWO BROADCASTS, WE HAVE BEEN TALKING ABOUT THE PRACTICAL MEANING OF "BLACK POWER," AS ANALYZED BY DR. JAMES COMER OF YALE UNIVERSITY.

AS A NEGRO AND A PSYCHIATRIST, DR. COMER FEELS THAT ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT NEEDS OF ALL NEGORES IS A POSITIVE GROUP IMAGE -- A UNITY AND SOLIDARITY THAT WE DO NOT HAVE NOW. Now have

TODAY, in our final discussion of Dr. Comer's article LET US HEAR DR. COMER'S his SUGGESTIONS FOR THE TANGIBLE FORMS THAT THIS "BLACK POWER" COULD TAKE IN THE IMMEDIATE FUTURE. HERE IS WHAT DR. COMER SAYS:

"THE SELF-HELP APPROACH INVOLVING AN ORGANIZED NEGRO COMMUNITY WITH BROAD GROUP REPRESENTATION APPEALS TO MANY. SUGGESTIONS RANGE FROM DEVELOPING HOUSING AND BUSINESS COOPERATIVES OWNED BY NEGRO PEOPLE AND INSTITUTIONS --CHURCHES, FRATERNAL GROUPS, CIVIL RIGHTS GROUPS, ATHLETES, ENTERTAINERS AND PROFESSIONAL PEOPLE, FOR EXAMPLE -- TO CONDUCTING NEGRO CULTURE SCHOOLS TO IMPROVE THE NEGRO CHILD'S SELF-IMAGE AND PREPARE HIM FOR HIGH LEVEL ACADEMIC, WORK AND CITIZENSHIP ACHIEVEMENT.

It is also believed that "THE NEGRO COMMUNITY COULD DEVELOP CREDIT UNIONS. IT COULD SET UP ORGANIZATIONS TO WARN AND PROTECT PEOPLE AGAINST UNSCRUPULOUS MERCHANTS AND LENDERS. IT COULD SUPPORT EFFORTS TO PROTECT ITS MEMBERS' LEGAL RIGHTS, NOW FREQUENTLY ABUSED IN THE GHETTO. IT COULD CHALLENGE AND CONTERACT POSITIONS TAKEN BY POLITICIANS AND BUSINESSMEN WHO NOW EXPLOIT INTERRACIAL TENSIONS FOR THEIR OWN GAIN.

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"AN ORGANIZED NEGRO COMMUNITY COULD FORM THE NUCLEUS OF A POLITICAL ORGANIZATION FROM WHICH OFFICIALS WHO TRULY REPRESENT THE NEGRO PEOPLE -- AND NOT A POWER STRUCTURE MACHINE CHOICE -- COULD BE ELECTED. MORE EFFECTIVE ORGANIZATION WOULD ENABLE NEGROES TO OBTAIN JOBS IN AREAS NOW CLOSED BY CERTAIN UNIONS AND BUSINESSMEN.

"A PROGRAM TO FIND, ENCOURAGE AND REWARD TALENTED NEGRO YOUNGSTERS AND LESS TALENTED STUDENTS MAKING A SATISFACTORY EFFORT COULD BE DEVELOPED. MANY CAPABLE YOUNGSTERS ARE NOT NOW FULLY DEVELOPING THEIR TALENTS BECAUSE THEY ARE NOT RECEIVING SUPPORT FOR IT FROM THEIR FAMILY AND ENVIRONMENT. IF NOBODY IN YOUR FAMILY HAS EVER BEEN TO COLLEGE, AND YOUR FRIENDS ARE NOT INTERESTED, IT IS DIFFICULT TO BE DIFFERENT.

"THE ENTERTAINER RAISING MONEY FOR SUCH ACTIVITIES WOULD PROVIDE AN EXCELLENT OPPORTUNITY TO INSTITUTIONALIZE THE NEGRO EXPERIENCE. NEGRO DRAMA, SONG, POETRY AND OTHER ARTS COULD TELL THE STORY OF THE NEGRO EXPERIENCE IN A WAY WHICH WOULD BE OF BENEFIT TO NEGROES AND WHITES ALIKE.

"MOST IMPORTANT, THESE APPROACHES WOULD BRING ACHIEVING NEGROES IN CONTACT WITh TROUBLED FAMILIES IN A WAY WHICH WOULD PROVIDE MORE CONSTRUCTIVE MODELS. A MESSAGE WOULD BE TRANSMITTED WHICH WOULD SAY THAT TO BE A NEGRO IS TO ACHIEVE AND TO BE CONCERNED ABOUT ONE'S FELLOW MAN, RATHER THAN TO LIVE A SELF-DEFEATING STYLE OF LIFE."

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DR. COMER ADMITS THAT WHAT HE US [IS] ADVOCATING IS NOT A "NOVEL" APPROACH. SOME OF THESE THINGS ARE ALREADY BEING DONE IN SOME PLACES. BUT NOT ENOUGH OF THEM ARE BEING DONE IN ENOUGH PLACES.

HE CONCLUDES HIS ARTICLE ON THIS NOTE:

"NEGRO PROTEST GROUPS HAVE LONG BEEN ADDRESSING THEMSELVES TO PROBLEMS OF DISCRIMINATION IN HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, RECREATION AND JUSTICE. THE PROBLEM TO DATE IS THE FAILURE OF THE NEGRO PEOPLE AND GROUPS TO ORGANIZE IN A MASSIVE, COORDINATED AND MORE EFFECTIVE WAY. THE PRESENT MODE OF OPERATION FAILS TO BRING THE SUCCESSFUL NEGRO IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH THE MORE DISADVANTAGED GROUP, TO TRANSMIT HIS VALUE SYSTEM AND LIFE SYTLE.

"THIS APPROACH NEED NOT CLOSE OUT WHITE PEOPLE WHO WANT TO HELP NOR SHOULD IT INTENSIFY RACIAL UNREST. WHITE PEOPLE WITH TECHNICAL SKILLS, MONEY AND JUST PLAIN GOOD WILL COULD SUPPORT THE VARIOUS PROGRAMS, EVEN SERVING ON RACIALLY MIXED STAFFS.

"THE ENERGY AROUSED BY THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT DESPERATELY NEEDS A PERMANENT, CONSTRUCTIVE CHANNEL TO DEFLECT IT FROM THE SYMBOLS OF OPPRESSION -- WHITE POLICE POWER AND BUSINESSES, WHICH IN THE FINAL ANALYSIS ARE NOT THE REAL ISSUES. THUS, THE "BLACK POWER" MOST NEGROES ARE INTERESTED IN SHOULD PROMOTE BETTER RACE RELATIONS RATHER THAN INTENSIFY RACIAL UNREST."

THE OBSERVATIONS DR. COMER MAKES ARE WORTH THINKING ABOUT -- AND WORTH DOING SOMETHING ABOUT. THAT IS ALL FOR TODAY. GOODBYE FOR NOW, AND THANK YOU FOR LISTENING.

ALD PHILLIPS SJW: cms 5-10-67 [Pencil Written Text: 1: Job Opportunity]

THANK YOU AND HELLO AGAIN.

SUMMER VACATION IS RAPIDLY APPROACHING, AND THE NUMBER OF SUMMER JOBS, ALWAYS SMALL, IS SHRINKING RAPIDLY. IF YOU HAVEN'T LOCATED SUMMER WORK BY THIS TIME, YOU MAY VERY WELL FIND YOURSELF OUT OF LUCK IN MANY OF THE PLACES YOU MIGHT APPLY. HOWEVER, THE CITY STILL HAS A NUMBER OF OPENINGS FOR SEASONAL EMPLOYEES IN SEVERAL DEPARTMENTS, AND YOU MAY TAKE THE EXAMINATIONS DAILY AND FIND OUT THE RESULTS IMMEDIATELY. FURTHERMORE, TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES ARE USUALLY PLACED ON ELIGIBLE LISTS FROM WHICH THEY ARE GIVEN PRIORITY WHEN THE CITY REHIRES FOR SIMILAR POSITIONS DURING THE NEXT SEASON, OR FROM WHICH THEY MAY BE OFFERED FULL-TIME POSITIONS AT A LATER DATE.

YOU STRONG, HEALTHY YOUNG MEN OUGHT TO CONSIDER WORKING AS SEASONAL CITY LABORERS [Pencil written text: How about considering this. This is good work for strong healthy young men]. THIS IS NOT THE MOST PLEASANT OF JOBS, THE WORK IS HARD, AND OFTEN DIRTY, BUT IT IS OUTDOORS WORK, AND GOOD EXERCISE FOR THE SUMMER MONTHS. AND YOU WILL BE DOING A NECESSARY SERVICE FOR YOUR COMMUNITY. DURING THE SUMMER CONSTRUCTION SEASON, LABORERS REPAIR MUCH OF THE DAMAGE THAT WINTER HAS DONE TO OUR STREETS AND SIDEWALKS, AS WELL AS DIG TRENCHES FOR THE LAYING OF NEW PIPE, LOAD AND UNLOAD TRUCKS, AND ASSIST IN REGULAR LABOR, SUCH AS COLLECTING GARBAGE AND RUBBISH. AS I SAID, THIS IS NOT THE NICEST WORK, BUT IT HAS TO BE DONE, AND SOME OF IT CAN ONLY BE DONE DURING THE WARM MONTHS OF OUR RELATIVELY SHORT SUMMER. THIS IS WHY SO MANY MORE LABORERS ARE ADDED TO THE CITY'S ROLLS IN THE SPRING TO WORK ONLY THROUGH THE SUMMER CONSTRUCTION SEASON. IF YOU ARE 18 YEARS OLD OR OLDER, AND YOU ARE NOT AFRAID OF HARD WORD, THIS MIGHT

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BE AN IDEAL SUMMER JOB FOR YOU. IT PAYS $100 A WEEK, PLUS OVERTIME, AND CAN LEAD TO A FULL TIME APPOINTMENT AFTER 22 MONTHS OF SERVICE IF YOU WISH.

IF YOU HAVE HAD THREE YEARS OF HIGH SCHOOL LEVEL MATHEMATICS, AND YOU ARE INTERESTED IN ENGINEERING, THE CITY HAS SEVERAL SUMMER POSITIONS OPEN FOR ENGINEERING TECHNICIANS. AS AN ENGINEERING TECHNICIAN, YOU WOULD BEGIN AS A RODMAN, OR A CHAINMAN ON A SURVEYING CREW, AND DO SOME DRAFTING WORK. BECAUSE THE CREWS DO A GREAT DEAL OF SURVEY WORK DURING THE SUMMER MONTHS, A NUMBER OF THESE POSITIONS ARE OPENING UP NOW FOR THOSE MONTHS. THIS, AGAIN, IS A POSITION WHICH COULD LEAD INTO FULL-TIME EMPLOYMENT IF YOU DECIDE THAT YOU LIKE IT WELL ENOUGH. IT MIGHT BE A GOOD CAREER IDEA, WITH ITS SALARY RANGING FROM $104 A WEEK AT THE FIRST LEVEL TO $137 A WEEK AT THE TOP. OR, IF YOU PLAN ON BECOMING AN ENGINEER, THIS MIGHT BE VERY GOOD TRAINING FOR YOU, AND YOU MAY FIND THAT THE CITY WILL HELP YOU TO PAY FOR YOUR ADVANCED EDUCATION, IF YOU WANT TO MAKE YOUR CAREER WITH US. ONE OF THESE SUMMER POSITIONS, AT $104 A WEEK MIGHT BE A VERY GOOD CHANCE FOR YOU TO FIND OUT, IF YOU AREN'T are not SURE, WHETHER ENGINEERING IS YOUR FIELD.

SOMETHING A LITTLE MORE SPECIALIZED IS PUBLIC HEALTH LABORATORY AIDE. THIS IS SUMMER WORK ONLY, CONCERNED WITH DETERMINING THE MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF WATER AT MILWAUKEE'S BEACHES. THE REQUIREMENTS ARE A LITTLE STIFFER TOO: EITHER YOU MUST HAVE HAD TWEL COLLEGE-LEVEL CREDITS OF WORK IN BIOLOGY INCLUDING FOUR CREDITS IN MICROBIOLOGY, OR EIGHT CREDITS OF COLLEGE-LEVEL BIOLOGY AND AT LEAST TWO MONTHS OF EXPERIENCE IN AN APPROVED BACTERIOLOGICAL LABORATORY.