Arizona sun., 1962-04-19
A Most Unpleasant Responsibility l..

For several years the NAACP belief that
greatest responsibility improve the employment opportunities
for Negroes Phoenix forgetting the complex of other prob
which involved George Brooks has
this need more clearly than many of us for long
perenc young Presbyterian minister the south side caused
him the people in his parish and
through them in many other Negro youth on the south side
sharpened problems of these people
securing He has also what the Illustrations of
tinued failure to secure jobs can do to Negro youth
Through past several years Negroes
the electronc plants and has sat in their offices He
over and again they policy of discrimination but
that they have jobs This after he has been told that they are
hiring He seen young people applications and
never hear any thing from them, efforts find
from the plants how Negroes they have employed and has
been told by them that they cannot r security
security? give that they do know who
among their employees Negroes The Urban League which
for Negroes has similarly ebufed The jobs sought have
most assembly lines which hundreds
employed many as tranees, but no Negroes.
when Reverend president of the NAAcP
hearty two years ago pledged increased efforts
TO track down any executive orders by firms
federal state contracts by state other governmental
agencies through which these plants seek employees
By an act of Go there fell into the hands of the NAACP
memo sent out by supervisor of workers to other
supervisors similar positions stating that General Electric had
issued work order presumably through channels asking
workers from welfare rolls between 8 and
high school graduates and white and need not have taken the
Aptitude Test Battery tGATB The originated
NJ Clark stated that from telephone call
from 1 Patterson and that contacts should be made with two
people in the State Employment agency.
Unquestonaby was by federal
the first places and in the second place accepted and proessed
was criminal ofense the Of the federal state and county
agencies involved and serious violation of federal order by the
firms involved
What was the duty NAAcP upon receiving this actua
evidence of discrimination all the possible facts that
such organization entitled and to them to
the legal whose duty that this information is
carefully by proper agences Certainly
we this effort The denas and switch
les responsibility which Immediately evident would indicate
to that those involved counted this But they probably did not
count en- our persistence
If Reverend Brooks tmd accept his duties
in this regard have kind than
the NAACP- THOUGHT THEY WE'RE ELECTING TO THE PREs
DE He would have been leaving the Negro the rolls
of the camtv welfare who are not given this opportunity for re-
habaon by job open accusation often made that they
chee who prefer welfare to job He would be permitting
the firms which over several years he has personally taken
Negro women desperately seeking of making an
honest livelihood continue this policy of discrimination for which
he already facie evidence for believing it to exist
None Of this is pleasant task became unpleasant
when person proved to be little
woman respecting and to
questions stated that she does not know how she could have made
mistake but she that she misunderstood Mr. Patterson
of the State Rehabilitation she is taking full responsibility
having passed statement which he did not make She
smiled wanly when she was told by fol-
low this evidence through agencies concerned To this she
answered that this responsibility and could do this
If wewanted to.
Was she speaking from the assurance along
she would be taken Of she assumed the full
responsibility? Who knows? She asked everything else in
the correct and replied that was Yet on the next day
she the firm involved not General Electric but Motor
tansped make this change necessary? Who knows?
Who would want to cause trouble a little who
admits mistaken On other hand the NAACP be accused
rabbe rousing because follows
through the first nconrovetbe evidence that perhaps hundreds
Negroes opportunities for honest
spoyment the level of their skllS?
We thank that have that will
publish the evidence that have and of the per-
sstence efforts correct it exists the unaness OF all
involved this with insecurity of reprisal than
and retired school prlcpa? can assure
anyone neither of enjoys this We COM
pee amaeurs and the NAACP know that as Negroes
better opportunities today than were enjoyed
by yesterday somebody worked yesterday dcu
sometimes unpleasant tasks If children
are have better life tomorrow someone must tackle heSe
today Rev. Brooks is dedicated young minister
and the that he in the chair at this crucial
time. w. A. hoblNooN