Show — AwWMM-- — 1— wm What’s changed since the 70s? Political gains eroding health care and a lack of momentum Opinions split widely on how far we've come since the the Civil Rights Act Minorities say they're still hurting where it counts — on the job at school in the Compared with the 1970s the decade after the Civil Rights Act was passed are minorities today faring better or worse in: pocketbook Whites are more upbeat and even minorities see gains in political clout But without exception minorities are much more likely than whites to say conditions have worsened in categories ranging from health care to economic power and housing Other reader results: Health care has gotten worse social status better and housing about the same NEWSMAKERS READERS Employment “We don’t set dogs on people anymore We just alienate them from the system by calling them underclass and creating barriers to access to education and jobs If you consider the homeless the decline of rural America and the inner cities — the number of people who are impacted by institutionalized racism — things are worse” — La Donna Harris president Americans for Indian Opportunity American Indian 60 “Things are worse now Discrimination is more dangerous now because it’s gone underground It’s more difficult to fight it when it’s not out in the open Yqu see it in employment: Now they’ve figured out ways to do it under the table to discriminate legally by obeying the letter but not the spirit of the law They find the white male they want then they write the job description to fit that person” — Donna Lopiano director of intercollegiate athletics for women University of Texas white 44 “The presidentattorney general are now basically against civil rights legislation and litigation a blow to political power The federal courts are also increasingly negative re: affirmative action and minority rights” — Jimmy Carter former US president white 66 “Black people especially women still are at the bottom of the economic ladder and we’ve been in the work force for hundreds of years We have a cowho are terie of African-Americans 14 USA WEEKEND June 28-5-0 1991 4 s k think things are worse than in the ’60s and 70s Nowadays you have a black man who’s chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staffs and Louis Sullivan is our secretary of Health we have far more representation in so many more areas In the past five years two black people have won Academy Awards I have a black law firm that represents me a black accountant I’m from the ‘You’d have to be blind to I across-the-boa- rd I South Side of Chicago and if the opportunity was there for me I have tobelieve the opportunities are there for everybody” — Marsha Warfield actress black 37 educated who have been in the corporate sector for dozens of years yet most at some point find themselves stagnated They don’t reach a glass ceiling but a concrete ceiling I do see a lot of African-Americaturning their frustration into entrepreneurship” — Susan Taylor editor in chief Essence magazine black 45 ns ‘There has been a huge surge of blacks into the middle class You can really see it if you live in the suburbs I grew up in Virginia when it was segregated I went to white schools Look at Virginia now and you can see a great degree of integration It’s not total racial harmony by any means but there has been a great deal of economic and political success Look at the many black mayors and Gov Doug Wilder in Virginia And I think there is going to be a further explosion of black elected officials in the 1990s” — Fred Barnes editor The New Republic magazine white 48 “Education for blacks is becoming better We are finally on the threshold of establishing separate facilities to meet the needs of black children Such as separate schools for black boys ages taught mostly by black men” — Shahrazad AO author black 42 5-- 12 “People at the lower end of the economic scale find themselves in dire straits in health care Am I prepared to pay more taxes so the economically deprived of whatever color can get health care? Yes If people need the care give it to them if they are not healthy they cannot contribute to society” — Paul Philip special agent In charge FBI San Juan Puerto Rico office black 43 “It’s hard to make a case that things haven’t gotten better There’s a lot of opportunity today especially at the higher levels of corporate America” — Alfredo Estrada editor Hispanic magazine Washington DC Hispanic 31 Photograph by Amy Etra Outline : ' |