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Show BLACK NO Speech Given by Reverend France Davis to the Governor’s Black Policy Council. UTAH IN PROBLEM finds some useful protection in the surrounding mountains from grasshoppers and Ache r mind _pollutions. Unless One, The truck landed in a ditch and the rabbit ran for its life across an open field. fA A cares, thal. slateand church should exist as , 3 ‘| se sparate ‘institutions in OUF society. The oe are no real differences which make this peculiar communily. I tell you, a unique environment is like ugliness - in the eyes of the beholder. Similarly, tracing the proble m spots in this communily of U tah has been just as rewarding an eye opener. there-are no problems communily. For | find that for Blacks in this That is unless one is not will- ‘ing Lo accept every thing at face value. Unless one is determined to challenge rather than believe all of the whitewash that the majority wants one to. Unless one is dissatisfied with being an objéct Lo be stared at and would eather be a person to respect. There are no problems for Black- in this communily unless one wants Lo demand that somebody else be the last hired, the Jeast promoted, and the first fired. U nless educalional tokenism is not sufficient for the survival of a great people and their-culture. Unless the spiritual, the cultural, and the economic. well-being of every distinct pa t of this community ae something to do with the Lotal welfare. And even if there isa problem, theyy say, it’s a Black proble m. A Black problem? Well, it is only a Black problem in the sense that ethnics of color feel the adverse effects of racism more directly. Blacks have been ~. the suffering objects of racist attitudes while others have been cursing agents. Blacks have carried their burdens and the burdens of others in the: heat of the day and night. A Black problem?I beg your pardon. No longer will we be the silent scapegoats for your inactivity. No longer will we just sil on the side lines of a busy life letting some outsider, so to speak, call our shots for us. This situation is progressively more intolerable when all the shots called, instead of being for us are directed against us We will only be a part ot preserving a structured well- being and never a part of -any systematic elimination. And though we be few in numbers, we will allow none to assume that we are the weak Lo be pitted against the weaker while the strong paces the fields of luxury withoul a challenger. Those who presume to ‘be masters shall always find their efforts to place the house slave in compctition against the field hand futile. No! the problem ts nota oe k problem. It isa dominate community problem. Until we face up and quit kidding ourselves, until we understand the problem to be a peoples ; oroblem we shall stumble around in the pe dihee: like the lightning bug with our headlights on behind. I tell you that a:new day is devo iahees The ery rings out, “Watchman, what of the night? -Since | came to this community some two years ago. | have been a chary but fast learn-ing stude nt of Salt Lake C ity and Utah life styles. [t isa community many more. inapt- ly called the Land of Zion. And because of my curious-nature and a sense of adventure, Fhave sought out those things which make this a unique place. Facing the problem spots has been a number one priority. Watchman, what of the night? The watchman said, The morning cometh.... Travelers are moving. Watchman, tell of the night, what ils signs of promise are? il darkness take flight’? Perhaps now is the time for us to take another look at where we are going. For many. of us are nol going where we think” we are going. [’'m reminded of a pel shop delivery boy who was not exactly the I have searched to learn what must be done to make this place a better place for all. Yet, brightest lad in the world. One day he was told to deliver a pet anche to “Mrs Jones, out of my community spirit springs some Route 2-Box 4..... “You better wie special concern for the affairs of Blacks. In a real sense, the facts show that there “is no real difference which make this community peculiar. That issunless one considers isolation from the rest of the world unique. rising and Unless one is concerned about a Salt Lake resting on the desert edge _ without evidential origin. Unless one the address down in case T forget,” the boy said. Slipping the paper in his pocket the boy started on his errand, Every now and then he glanced at the address and said, “I know where Pm going. Mrs. Jones, Route 2-Box 4.” Kvery thing PAGE ELEVEN: = = e. HE BROAD AX FEBRUARYI975.. went smoothly until the truck hie was driving hit a bump in the road. Dee GS a Be vac Thg-bey stood. there laughing ail babs = ine. A. passerby: asked, ° ‘What's so funny? The boy answered, “Did you see that =% } crazy rabbit running across that field? Well, he doesn’t know where he’s going “cause P’ve got the address in my pocket. Some of us are out and running across the open fields but our goals are not set. Qur aims are nol defined. For the address is in somebody else’s pocket. We must begin with our little preschool children. Give them the motivational skills required for survival. We must tell them that they are somebody. You can be what you wanl to be if you have the will, the ability, and the strength to fight to be. For if we don’t support our ihiiduen nobody else will. I tell my children, “You stand up and PIl stand with you.” When our children start to formal. . school, we must require for them the very best education this country can pro- vide, not just afford. That their teachers be teachers. That their textbooks represent a total society. And that our children get their equal share of every penny spent in this state for education. We must assure the administrators that our Black children have a right to all of the educational resources Whether they be in Salt Lake City, Lehr, New York, or Timbuctu. - Reading , writing, and ‘rithmetic may sound funny but they are basic, and you got to have them. And [ tell you that a mighty few are getting them in school these _days.. Thus-we oaliet fe the courageous - voice. For there are still those who under- stand silence to mean consent. Not only ought we be racing to get more Blacks into institutions of higher learning , — bul we must work to keep them there. We must instill within them a genuine desire to work and learn. Tell them that in these days — of PhD overstock, they must be more career oriented. Séek specialized education with specific and stabilized goals and objectives in _mind. In other words, ‘eet the address and then run. Secondly, we must demand that the government be attuned to our needs and interPrograms being instituted must serve us and our communily. No longer will-we allow ourselves to be ripped off by political animals. And the officials of government are account-. able to us, the people. For legislation without direction is elimination. How do we affect it? Well, we register, we vote and elect, and whenever our needs are ignored we recall and replaces” Thirdly, when jobs are created a when jobs are open, we want access. Not only do we want to know about lower level job vacancies but we seek to fill some of the higher policy-making positions. We will not be” satisfied with mere application so that certain affirmative action guidelines are met. - We are determined to be hired. By the way,we have filled more than our share of temporary jobs already, and we have worked too long on probationary . periods just to be fired. Andanotherthing, . why ts it that almost all of the Blacks hired in high level jobs must depend on federal dollars? Doesn’t this state, this city collect taxes? Where are all the dollars going? In conclusion, there are no Black problems here. But there are problems for all people everywhere. As long as we simply accept the token amends being made for the mistakes. of yesteryear and not turn them into developments for todayasw.e have no : hope for tomorrow. This advisory council is one of your links for a brighter tomorrow. Make your concerns known. - Require of them an answer. * The watchman answered, The morning cometh. anes . |
