Pat Harris says Congress seeking to curb her power, p.8
Dublin Core
Title
Pat Harris says Congress seeking to curb her power, p.8
Description
"PORTLAND - Madam secretary, Mrs. Harris and Pat were the type of warm greetings Patricia Roberts Harris received at the 69th NAACP Annual Convention here on Independence Day.
As she stood to speak to the 10,000 delegates and friends gathered in the Portland Memorial Coliseum, she received a standing ovation. Throughout her speech the audience responded with “Tell ‘em Pat,” and she did.
“Part of the task of the black movement for the immediate future...is to identify and to promote the large number of blacks in this country who are already ready to perform leaderships tasks of significance,” she said.
“I am concerned that we do not reward performance of those who are competent and instead question whether their very competence has turned them white.
When I appointed an outstanding career civil servant who is black to head a major office. I heard grumbling that ‘He is not black’. I have even heard this about myself…”
Mrs. Harris said that in recent months she had appointed black persons to local offices in the Department of Housing and Urban Development in cities diverse as Birmingham, Ala., Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Va., Louisville, Ky., Washington, D.C., New Orleans, La, and Chicago.
“Each appointee is responsible for the oversight of the disbursement and management of millions of dollars of HUD funds. In every case, all persons vying for the positions were recommended by panels with a majority of white representation…,” she said.
Mrs. Harris said “After years of using block grants for general purposes and after decades of the maladministration of housing programs for the poor, we are now making efforts to direct these funds to areas of greatest need.”
Because of this, she said, efforts are being made “... to take regulatory power away from me. Assistance guaranteed by Congressional statue,” she said, “cannot be denied.
“Those who represent the poor, need to speak out. The NAACP and other constituent groups must help. This battle cannot be won without your support.”
Mrs. Harris was interrupted frequently but she won loud shouts of approval when she said:
“We must all look for ways to help others share with us the burden of correcting inequality. Let us try to increase available resources, but until we are able to do so, let us learn to share both burdens and benefits. Let the young poor and the elderly poor receive their fair share…”"
As she stood to speak to the 10,000 delegates and friends gathered in the Portland Memorial Coliseum, she received a standing ovation. Throughout her speech the audience responded with “Tell ‘em Pat,” and she did.
“Part of the task of the black movement for the immediate future...is to identify and to promote the large number of blacks in this country who are already ready to perform leaderships tasks of significance,” she said.
“I am concerned that we do not reward performance of those who are competent and instead question whether their very competence has turned them white.
When I appointed an outstanding career civil servant who is black to head a major office. I heard grumbling that ‘He is not black’. I have even heard this about myself…”
Mrs. Harris said that in recent months she had appointed black persons to local offices in the Department of Housing and Urban Development in cities diverse as Birmingham, Ala., Columbus, Ohio, Richmond, Va., Louisville, Ky., Washington, D.C., New Orleans, La, and Chicago.
“Each appointee is responsible for the oversight of the disbursement and management of millions of dollars of HUD funds. In every case, all persons vying for the positions were recommended by panels with a majority of white representation…,” she said.
Mrs. Harris said “After years of using block grants for general purposes and after decades of the maladministration of housing programs for the poor, we are now making efforts to direct these funds to areas of greatest need.”
Because of this, she said, efforts are being made “... to take regulatory power away from me. Assistance guaranteed by Congressional statue,” she said, “cannot be denied.
“Those who represent the poor, need to speak out. The NAACP and other constituent groups must help. This battle cannot be won without your support.”
Mrs. Harris was interrupted frequently but she won loud shouts of approval when she said:
“We must all look for ways to help others share with us the burden of correcting inequality. Let us try to increase available resources, but until we are able to do so, let us learn to share both burdens and benefits. Let the young poor and the elderly poor receive their fair share…”"
Creator
N/A
Publisher
Baltimore Afro-American
Date
1978-7-15
Collection
Citation
N/A, “Pat Harris says Congress seeking to curb her power, p.8,” African American Fourth of July, accessed April 29, 2024, https://africanamerican4th.omeka.net/items/show/272.