.

NATIONAL URBAN COALITION

MINUTES

STEERING COMMITTEE MEETING

Madison HotelWashington, D. C.

September 22, 1971

ATTENDANCE LIST

MEMBERS REPRESENTATIVES

Albert Arent David Stahl for Richard DaleyArnold Aronson Tom Martin for Samuel JohnsonGeno Baroni Samuel Negron for Louis NunezJoseph Bernal Allen Green for J. Irwin MillerGeorge L. Brown Charles V. Hagler for James RocheJames A. Christison Warren Lindquist for David RockefellerJohn Driggs Jack B. Davies for David RockefellerWilliam D. Eberle Dick Rockefeller for David RockefellerCasey Eike Charles Bragg for Lelan SillinHector Garcia Ernest Moran for Leonard WoodcockWarren Gilmore John Hein for Jerry WurfIra HallRichard HatcherAndrew HeiskellGustav HeningburgAileen HernandezVernon JordanJoseph KeenanMoon LandrieuSol M. LinowitzTony LovatoGordon McAndrewAlfred MillsLorenzo PatinoHillary RodhamHenry SantiestevanJohn SimonMartin StoneFrank SullivanJohn WheelerCynthia Wedel

MINUTES OF

STEERING COMMITTEE

OF

THE NATIONAL URBAN COALITION

The meeting was called to order by Ambassador Linowitz at 3:00P.m.

Mr. Linowitz called for the ratification of the appointment ofM. Carl Holman as President of the National Urban Coalition. Thiswas moved, seconded and unanimously carried. Mr. Linowitz calledon Co-Chairman W. D. Eberle to make the nominations for a newCo-Chairman, Steering Committee members and Executive Committeemembers.

A motion was made to elect Vernon Jordan, Executive Directorof the National Urban League, as Co-Chairman of the National UrbanCoalition. It was seconded and unanimously carried.

Mr. Eberle moved that the following list of people be electedto the Steering Committee of the National Urban Coalition, (listattached and thereby incorporated into the body of the minutes).The motion was seconded and unanimously carried.

Mr. Eberle moved that the following people be elected to theExecutive Committee: Geno Baroni, Executive Director of Center forUrban Ethnic Affairs, Hillary Rodham, Yale University Law Student,Miss Dorothy Height, President, National 'Council of Negro Women, andGustav Heningburg, President, the Greater Newark Urban Coalition.The motion was seconded and approved unanimously.

Mr. Eberle pointed out that the Coalition presently had 80Steering Committee members, and was authorized 100. He suggested thatall board members submit recommendations for the remaining positions.Mr. Eberle noted the wide cross section of leaders already partici-pating, but suggested the board make a concerted effort to expand toplevel business involvement.

COMMISSION ON THE CITIES IN THE 70'S

Mr. Linowitz gave a brief history of the Commission on the Cities.Following the Kerner Commission study, the Coalition and Urban Americajointly prepared a report entitled ONE YEAR LATER; this showed thenation's relative lack of progress in dealing with the problems high-lighted by the Kerner Commission. In late 1970, the Steering Committeedecided it was again time to assess the mood and spirit of the cities,and focus public attention on the unfinished business of the urbancenters. Accordingly, the Commission on the Cities in the 70's wasestablished and co-chaired by Senator Fred Harris and Mayor JohnLindsay.

Mr. Linowitz introduced Aileen C. Hernandez, a member of theCommission on the Cities. Mrs. Hernandez explained that the Commiss-

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ion itself had visited four cities (Atlanta, Detroit, Los Angeles andPhoenix), and that the· staff had visited two more (Newark and El Paso) .She said they went into cities primarily to listen, and to try tounderstand the problems and solutions as seen by the people.

Summarizing, Mrs. Hernandez explained that many times the Comm-ission had not been welcomed, and that there was a sense of deepdistress among those interviewed. They felt too many promises hadnot been fulfilled and had serious doubts the "system" would beable or willing to cope with the problems. One frequent theme wasthat the people themselves would have to take the lead in bringingabout a more equitable distribution of opportunities and wealth,since the governmental structures were not responsive enough. Mrs.Hernandez played to the Steering Committee a tape recording of oneof the Commission meetings in Detroit which captured the essence ofthe points made in her summary.

Monsignor Baroni, another member of the Commission, pointed outthe polarization that has taken place in the cities between the black/chicano/Puerto Rican minorities and the white ethnics. The fact thatnational programs and public attention are almost entirely directedat the problems of others frustrates and enrages them. This is par-ticularly true when the problems of inefficient school systems, drugs,underemployment, lack of community services and increasing crimerates are also realities in the ethnic neighborhoods. MonsignorBaroni reflected the reactions of the white ethnics in the cities bywarning the Coalition of the dangers of ignoring this group, whichhe believes is becoming more and more disenchanted with America.

A third member of the Commission, Mr. Henry Santiestevan, informedthe Steering Committee that he too had heard the angry voices in thecities, but that he also heard voices of hope. He said the Americandream was part of every ghetto and barrio in the nation, but that thoseindividuals and institutions in key positions had not yet learned torelate to the minorities...leaving the dream just that, rather thanmaking it a reality. Mr. Santiestevan stated that progress will take"hard decisions" by business, labor and political leaders, and thatthepoor were willing, indeed longing to relate to such efforts.

4 Mr. Linwoitz asked the Steering Committee if there were specificthings the National Urban Coalition could do to help solve theseproblems. Mrs. Hernandez said that it might on occasion be necessaryfor the Coalition to move strongly on important issues, even thoughit was not possible to get the support of all the Coalition's majorcomponents.

Martin Stone pointed out the opportunities and difficultiesinvolved in entering into important, controversial areas. He explainedthat there was a serious police-community relations problem in LosAngeles. In the opinion of many, including the Chairman and ExecutiveDirector of the Los Angeles Coalition, a federal hearing on the subjectwas one of the few ways to diffuse the situation. When this did notappear to be forthcoming, the Coalition leadership offered to hold thehearings. Mr. Stone believed that if these hearings do occur, despitethe complete backing of the minority community, the business andpolitical leadership of Los Angeles would probably withdraw their

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support from the Coalition.

Mr. Linowitz thanked Jerry Donovan, Executive Director of theCommission, and mentioned that all but one of the Commission membershad signed the report (subsequent to the Steering Committee meetingthe remaining Commissioner agreed to sign).APPROACH OF THE NATIONAL URBAN COALITION

Mr. Holman said that the Coalition's success would be entirelydependent upon its ability to (1) narrow the focus of the organizationby concentrating on fewer major issues in which the Coalition isuniquely equipped to play an effective leadership role, (2) activelyreinvolve the private sector in policy and operational matters and(3) forge a much stronger supportive link between the national andlocal Coalitions. Mr. Holman called upon each of the SteeringCommittee members to help in establishing the National Coalition'spriorities by forwarding to him their opinions as to the three mostimportant program areas in which the National Coalition should beworking. He mentioned that the Coalition is putting together aNational Issues advisory group, which would act as another soundingboard for Coalition programs.

John B. Davies, Director of Urban Affairs, Chase Manhattan Bankannounced the formation of a corporate urban affairs advisory committeeto the National Urban Coalition. The committee is composed of keyurban affairs officers in major companies. Its initial goals are toreview the program budget for 1972, and to help determine the bestmethod of. expanding the business community's involvement in theCoalition, nationally and locally.

Mr. Holman mentioned that the program budget for 1972 would becompleted in the middle of November. This contrasts to our AprilCompletion date in 1971, which complicated substantially the fundraising process. Mr. Heiskell, Chairman of the Financial ResourcesCommittee reported that $900,000 had been raised from corporationsthus far in 1971 and $750,000 from foundations. He stated that itwould require a major effort on the part of all Steering Committeemembers to complete the fund raising job successfully this year.Mr. Holman explained that in anticipation of lower than forcastedrevenues, he had already begun scaling down the level of operatingexpenditures.

NATIONAL-LOCAL COOPERATION

Vicente Ximenes, Vice President of the Field Division, reportedon the steps being taken to improve the relationship between thenational and local Coalitions. He mentioned that three Chairmen andthree Executive Directors of local Coalitions had been appointed tothe Steering Committee. Mr. Ximenes also announced the formation ofa staff level committee, appointed by the Executive Directors Ass-ociation and Mr. Holman; the initial goal is to deal with the operat-ional problems causing friction, misunderstanding and inefficiency.Ira Hall, Executive Director of the Stanford Mid-Peninsula Coalition,announced formation of a Steering Committee level Task Force on LocalCoalitions. While not limited to Board Members, it would actively

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involve all segments of the private sector in the problem solving andpolicy decisions necessary for a successful local Coalition movement.

SCHOOL BUSSING CRISIS IN PONTIAC, MICHIGAN

David Doherty, Executive Director of the Pontiac Michigan UrbanCoalition, gave an example of a local Coalition responding to a crisissituation. He explained that the Pontiac Board of Education wasfound guilty of de jure segregation. The District Court ordered themto desegregate their schools under a bussibg plan. While appealingthe court ruling, the school board began implementing the bussing plan.However, the board refused to be a part of any educational campaignwhich could help allay the fears and tensions mounting in both thewhite and minority communities.

The Pontiac Urban Coalition was the only organization willingto deal with these problems. It convened community meetings, presentedposition papers and acted as a communications-education vehicle whichallowed all segments of the community to explain their individualperceptions of the problem and possible solutions. While the situationis'still serious in Pontiac, the Coalition is credited with playing acrucial role in mitigating a crisis which was moving rapidly towardsphysical violence. Mr. Doherty commended the National Coalition fieldstaff for their constant assistance and presence during the difficulties.

Gordon McAndrew, Superintendent of Schools in Gary, Indiana,explained how his community had handled desegregation by bussing. Mr.McAndrew said it had been absolutely necessary to have numerous meet-ings with parents and community leaders and school visitations; bussingopponents were even used as aides in the schools. The ultimate reasonfor a successful solution of the problem 'in Gary, however, seemed tobe a concerned Board of Education that had a credible relationship withthe community.

Hector Garcia spoke of the failure of the federal, state and localgovernments to play a positive enough role in desegregation. He saidtoo much was left to the courts.

HEALTH MANPOWER PROGRAM

Alfred Fisher, Administrator of the National Urban Coalition'sHealth Manpower Program, was called upon to give the highlights of thisproject. He explained that there is a severe shortage of healthpersonnel, and the problem is particularly acute in the ghetto comm-unities. Sundry minority representation within the professional healthcategories is extremely low. The specific Coalition approach to dealingwith these problems was to set up a national mechanism which:

(1) facilitated the placement of trained health personnel intolow income, minority areas - thereby immediately improvinghealth delivery to the poor and,

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(2) provided financial assistance for the recruitment, trainingand employment of low income/minority residents in an arrayof health careers - thereby opening meaningful and newemployment opportunities.

The Office of Economic Opportunity awarded a $2,000,000 grant tothe Coalition for these purposes. During the last year 111 communitiesin 24 states have received over $1,420,000 in grants from the Coalition'sHealth Manpower Program: $760,000 for student programs, $420,000 formanpower development consortiums, $140,000 for para-professional programsand $100,000 for community Health Fellowships. Mr. Fisher felt the OEOwould commit another $2,000,000 in October of this year.

Mr. Samuel Negron, representing Louis Nunez from the PuertoRican education organization ASPIRA, gave a detailed explanation ofone of the Health Manpower Programs in action in New York.

RESOLUTIONS (Welfare Reform; EEOC - Cease and Desist Powers)

Two resolutions were distributed to the Steering Committee forsupport. The first called for President Nixon not to postponeenactment of a Public Welfare reform bill. The second resolution wasin support of giving the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission,(EEOC) stronger enforcement powers, frequently referred to as "ceaseand desist" powers.

Mr. Holman suggested the Steering Committee members each studythese resolutions and inform him within 48 hours as to whether or notthey should be issued by the Coalition.

OTHER BUSINESS

Mr. Holman-'then referred to National Urban Coalition's involve-ment in the widely publicized Serrano case; the Coalition filed an"amicus curae" brief. In the Serrano case, the Supreme Court ofCalifornia said that it is unconstitutional for a school system tofinance their schools according to the property tax structure, as thissystem of funding discriminates against poor children. Mr. Holmansaid the Coalition was working with the Lawyers Committee on CivilRights on this matter and had been assured of a grant by Ford Foundationto support this activity.

Mr. Holman introduced William J. Kaufmann, who is to becomeExecutive Vice President of NUC on October 4, 1971. Mr. Kaufmann ison leave from Chase Manhattan Bank and has been associated with theNew York Urban Coalition since its inception in 1968. Most recentlyhe was Executive Director of the National Alliance of Businessmen/Coalition JOBS.

Mr. Angel Ortiz was also introduced; Mr. Ortiz is a NationalUrban Fellow who will be on the Coalition's staff for one year. Mr.Ortiz pointed out that the Coalition would be more of one if it hadgreater Puerto Rican representation on the Steering Committee. Mr.Holman stated that this weakness would be rectified at the nextExecutive Committee meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:40 p.m.

NEW MEMBERS ~STEERING COMMITTEE OF

THE NATIONAL URBAN COALITION

Clifford Alexander, Washington, D.C., attorney and formerchairman of the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

The Very Rev. Geno Baroni, Director of the National Center forUrban Ethnic Affairs, Washington, D.C.

State Senator George L. Brown, Executive Director of the MetroDenver Urban Coalition, Denver, Colorado.

Robert D. Clark, President, University of Oregon, Eugene,Oregon.

The Hon. John Driggs, Mayor of the City of Phoenix, Arizona.

Ms. Casey Eike, National President, International Associationof Women Students, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas.

Peter F. Flaherty, Mayor of the City of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.

Owen Funderburg, Executive Vice President, Gateway National Bank,St. Louis, Missouri.

R. Ray Goode, County Manager, Metropolitan Dade County, Miami,Florida.

Leonard Goodman, general agent for John Hancock Mutual LifeInsurance Company in El Paso and Chairman of the El Paso UrbanCoalition.

Mrs. Katherine Graham, Publisher, The Washington Post, Washing-ton, D.C.

Ira D. Hall, Executive Director of the Stanford (California)-Mid-Peninsula Urban Coalition and Trustee of Stanford University,Stanford, California.

Gustav Heningburg, President af the Gfeater Newark Urban Coali-tion, Newark, New Jersey.

The Hon. Moon Landrieu, Mayor of the City of New Orleans.

Gordon MacAndrew, Superintendent of Schools, Gary, Indiana.

Donald H. McGannon, President and Chairman of the Board, West-inghouse Broadcasting Co., Inc., New York, New York.

Gordon M. Moodie, Vice President of IBM Corporation and Chairmanof the Westchester (County) Coalition, Inc., White Plains, N.Y.

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Jacob S. Potofsky, General President, Amalgamated ClothingWorkers of America (AFL-CIO), New·York, New York.

Joseph Rhodes, Harvard University student and former member o fthe President's Commission on Campus Disorders.

Hillary Rodham, of Park Ridge, Illinois, Yale University lawstudent and member of the Women's Advisory Council on EconomicOpportunity.

Frank E. Sullivan, Chairman, the Community Coalition of St.Joseph County (Indiana) and Director of Sullivan Associates,South Bend, Indiana.

Jerry Wurf, President, American Federation of State, County andMunicipal Employees (AFL-CIO), New York, New York.