KTLA News: "Tom Bradley and Daryl Gates press conference on school desegregation" (1978)

we can demonstrate by the way in which we conduct ourselves in a peaceful nonviolent compliance with the court's order that we want to teach our children how to respect each other by our own conduct as we respect each other we look forward to a peaceful and constructive opening of school tomorrow one which will give the kind of opportunity in the kind of atmosphere in which the children of this school district are going to get off to a good start and a new development in their educational career we have been and that we are now and we will continue to be monitoring this entire situation from what we know that we're very optimistic we see absolutely no problems on the horizon I'm very hopeful that very shortly we can reassign the people that we have assigned to this to do other kinds of police work that we think is appropriate and I simply want to assure all parents that our principal interest is the safety of all of the children involved in this operation the one let me just set the format I will make a brief statement all then as we're about to open a very important school year tomorrow the Los Angeles community is faced with another opportunity to demonstrate its greatness the people of this area have responded so well in times of crisis times of peril in times of disaster and while the opening of school is neither or none of these I think it is an opportunity for us to once again look at how we respond to the important circumstances that confront this city whether it has been an oil embargo or an energy shortage or a water conservation program or an earthquake or fire the people of Los Angeles have always shown their greatness by responding very well tomorrow were asking them once again to respond to that fashion to make this city proud of them to be proud of our children and they in turn to be proud of us around me here this morning representing the Council on peace and equality and other leaders in the community who have for the past two years done an outstanding job of preparing the climate in which all of us could say today the time has come and we ask you today obey the law comply with the court's order and do it in a peaceful and constructive way the president of the council on peace and equality who has worked so hard of the Board of Education I'm going to call upon him at this time to make brief statement art Thank You mayor Bradley it's been my pleasure a coalition of responsible leaders from business labor ID group of citizens of this community as a leader of that group it is this my suspicion of our cause taking the opportunity we appeal to all our fellow citizens to protect our children's right to gain their education under peaceful and assuring circumstances and at the same time we must ensure equality as well as the highest standards of education for all our children and as we face the court-ordered desegregation of our public schools we should be guided by our moral teachings as well as the experience of other cities we must avoid the dissension and violence which harm the community and especially harm our children it is our duty as law-abiding citizens to observe the court order and to assist others in observing it in order that there will be no confusion or misunderstanding we're planning good communications wholesome community involvement I was pleased that the spokespersons for Boyd the bus car bus stopped the principal opponents to this implementation of the plan have also said don't boycott comply with the law if there is a challenge to the the law it will be through the court procedures and I think that's the way it ought to be and I'm pleased about that