Page Six
Young notes
By SUSAN ArES
'We, as black people, have
made unprecendented gains in
the past 15 years. Take note of
the progress we've made, take
note of the number of black
officials in the national politic
but also take note that we have
a long way to go and that pro-
gress is being chsllenged o-
day," said Detroit Mayor Cole-
man Young addressing the
Michigan Conference of Black
Public Officials last Saturday
at the Ann Arbor Inn,
The full-day conference, which
focused on the obstacles black
officials face in performing their
duties is to be an annial affair
designed to facilitate communi-
cation between black adminis-
trators as well as inform them
of programs affecting blacks in
the state.
"THESE MEETTNGS are a
testimony of a new level of
sophistication and unity on the
part of Black Americans to in-
sure that our newly won piece
of the action will be protected,
expanded and advanced," You
said.
Speaking on the theme, "Co
mon Bond-Common Future
the 58-year-old mayor enco
aged his colleagues first to(
fine the nation's most ov
whelming problems and th
recognize that these difficult
are often magnified for the cot
try's black citizens.
"The key issue that is bef
as in 1976 is unemployme
Jobs, money and poverty ha
an impact on black people twi
and thrice the impact it has
white people," Young said,t
fleeting the bleak image paint
by members of the panel d
cussion which preceded t
mayor's keynote address.
"AN EFFECTIVE confron
tion of black issues must rev(
that they are not in opposition
the advancement of' the nati
as a whole," he explained. "t
less Americans can come
grips with black agendas of
sues there can be no Americ
agenda."
The key to dealing with t
THE MICHIGAN DAILY Tuesday;May 11, 1976
black gains at meeting
tng "black agenda" is involving Despite the gains, Young ex- office there was "the sound of
black people in the political pressed disdain over the accel- footsteps" coming from minor-
im- system, allowing them to deter- erating trend toward "regional- ity, poor and oppressed peoples.
e," mine their own futures, accord- ization," a system of collective However, the President was
ur- ing to Young. Since blacks are decision-making by the city and atuned to another march, he
de- predominantly situated in the its surrounding parts often in- claimed. "He (Ford) heard and
er- cities, they should be represent- volving the incorporation of sev- reacted to the footsteps of the
ten ed in city government in propor- eral counties. West-Ronal d Reagan's foot-
ies tion to their numbers. This would As part of a larger territory, steps - they were the footsteps
in- insure proper attention to black Detroit blacks will lose their of reaction he heard and turning
needs. political leverage to the greater to the right he turned away
ore Young, who considers himself percentage of whites in the sur- from the cities and he has
nt. part of the first generation of rounding suburbs. treated the blacks with benign
tve black elected officials, forsees "EVERYBODY is reaching out neglect.
ice the waning of what he calls the for control of our city (De "It's time to look elsewheres,"
on "firsf black syndrome" because troit)," he claimed. Young added.
re- blacks are training for admin- "The newly won power over Young posed a question: "Can
ed istrative positions on a larger the city is jeapordized . . . And we expect all- black elected of-
is- scale. as they saying goes, if the bell ficials to endorse the same can-
he DOING HIS own part for ad- tolls for Coleman, baby, it also didate?" Looking close to home
vancement of black political ac- tolls for you." at Ann Arbor's own black mayor,
ta- tivism, Young recalled, "I said Meanwhile, Young is also con- Albert Wheeler, one can see
eal when I was elected that I would cerned over the national political that black politicians are not
to be a 50-50 mayor," meaning picture. "This is a critical elec-- yet unified in candidate prefer-
ion that as a leader of a city with tion and we must have a change ence. Last weekend, Wheeler
Un- a 50 per cent minority ppula- in national leadership," he said. announced his support for Mor-
to tion he intended to boost the Over two months ago, the in- ris Udall.
is- ratio of minority representation fluential Detroit mayor pledged Reacting to Young's choice,
an from 95-5 to 50-50. "I have since his support to Jimmy Carter. Wheeler said, "I don't really
increased black representation YOUNG denounced Ford ex- know what Carter's 'agenda' is.
he by ten-fold," he boasted. plaining that when he came into I don't know enough about the
___.____________ man's plans. But look, I think
Coleman Young is one of the
best politicians in the country
and I don't think he'd be out
there sticking his neck out by
supporting Carter if he didn't
think Carter could do something
for blacks and minority groups
in this country."
WHEELER himself attended
_ the conference and later told
the Daily what he thought the
black situation in Ann Arbor
- -_ _ was. "As far as the problems
- for the blacks, they are the
- - same as they are in Detroit . . .
ist in different numbers (3,000
in Ann Arbor as onnosed to a
half-million in Detroit).
Bitt Wheeler said he has seen
a dramatic change in attitude
in Ann Arbir with regard to the
needs of blcks. "Fifteen or
twenty years ago I got kicked
all o'er town trying to get this
community to relize we had
ac {- suhbstantial racial problems,"
said the mayor. "Bt today af-
ter the libera moement of the
60's inerle in this ity are more
r ac sitive (to nprohlms facing
black constituents)."
PERMANENT
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Lt b ~by Pro Fu ar paeas
aa" aUf
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ei
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