KTLA News: "NAACP press conference on equal rights" (1971)

we feel that it's a a right that minorities have under the 14th Amendment it's an affirmative Duty placed on the states to see that all citizens are treated equally and we know that that's not happening in the state of California and we're asking the federal court to direct the agencies involved to make sure that all citizens of the State of California enjoy equal rights uh we called this press conference today for the purpose of first introducing our cause what kind of action are you seeking from the courts Mr Kaplan I I think that's a kind of a question that Mr moton would have to answer what we're asking the court the federal court to do is to direct direct the state agencies involved in housing education uh employment to do a long range planning program to eliminate discrimination uh in California right but not fast enough it's uh there is Improvement little by little as we travel around I spent four days in Mississippi week before last and to have over 200 black can candidates and even a man that was defeated for the governor proves that we have made progress but not as fast as we'd like to see it Mr Kap what is your reaction to the legislation is buzzing strictly a racial issue you believe then yeah yes I do why because they don't want to uh integrate the schools it's a simple very simple the end ACP is has always fought his b official uh opinion as to what the headquarters I haven't been in New York for several weeks I just got out of the hospital a couple of weeks ago do you have a personal opinion no I haven't I haven't been up what in your opinion therefore would be a fair representation of blacks in these agencies that's what we're asking the agencies to come up with a presented plan that is reasonable to the federal courts we do not plan to get up get ourselves uptight and tied in with setting down guidelines that some someone can dissect and bisect anytime they get ready we're asking these agencies to come up with the a proposal of their own and we're asking the federal government to direct them to do it put what's going to be the major attack you're going to make on on civil rights in 1972 well the first thing we want to get all of the laws that are on the books implemented we want to see that we have Fair Employment that the unions all open up and that there's no discrimination against the black man and uh we want to get equal education for all our young men and young women when you take the new figures that just came out recently the average earnings of the black workmen in 1960 was 53% of what the white workmen earned and with the great strides that we made we went up to 61% in 1970 a gain of 8% but that wasn't as far and as fast as the white workmen went and that doesn't tell the story of the unemployment which is at least two times as great in the adult black people and up to 40% in the youth and uh on housing there are statistics that show that the black Workman pays from 11 to 25% more for inferior accommodations and all of these things have to be rectified if we're going to have uh equality for all of our citizens and these things are morally and legally wrong what can and should be done about it therefore I mean should the federal government make efforts the the federal government should make efforts to see that all laws are properly implemented what what would happen if people decided that they just didn't like the income tax law we'd have the jails filled with these people behind the bars what right of citizens to say that they're going to obey the income tax law but they're not going to obey the desegregation and the busing law and the education and employment and all these other laws this is not right and these things are in the hands of the federal government and the white power structure and they're the ones that got us into this mess and it's up to them to get us out of this mess and they've got a moral and legal obligation on your comment in regards to your position so far as a busing statement this morning would you reiterate that for us please as to what your feelings are my feelings are that the busing situation is good enough for the white boys and girls it should be good enough for the black boys and girls and that the busing has been going on for decades and there was never any complaints about busing when they were busing the white children but the minute they started to get equality on busing black children in order to integrate schools then and only then did hell break loose and this is not fair or Equitable and I do a lot of traveling through the South during the winter and I found that in the southern particularly in Florida that the white kids get the heated and air conditioned new buses and the black kids get the old dilapidated and no heat or no air conditioned buses and it's it's unfair right from the beginning