FLAMES
By Evelyn Sell
Detroit
The Johnson administration's two-year-old ‘"War on Poverty" has always been intimately linked with the American black people's war on racism and second-class citizenship. Federally funded and controlled programs are continually being dangled in front of Negroes in the hopes that a lot of promises and a few crumbs will dampen and divert black protests and struggles.
A recent move along these lines is the special task force, created by President Johnson and headed by Vice-President Humphrey ,. » to reduce teen-age unemployment and social unrest during the coming summer. Unemployment among Negro youths consistently runs twenty- — five per cent -- substantially greater than among white youths. The government estimates that 1,750,000 youths will not be able to find work this summer without aid.
Humphrey headed a similar task force last summer. The ‘plainly announced goal at that time was to head off the kind. of racial explosions that rocked the East Coast during the summer of 1964. Almost a million jobs were found for youths during the summer of 1965:- (37,000 jobs provided directly by the federal government and the rest by private industry, churches and social welfare groups). Despite this apparent success, the Watts ghetto of Los Angeles exploded in a mass black revolt that made the 1964 Harlem events look minor by comparison.
Undismayed by this. contradiction, this year's task force is again designed to prevent black youth revolts. Just ten days after the president announced the job-getting program, Watts erupted again. The occurrence of "another Watts" provides a significant commentary on the effectiveness of federal antipoverty programs as a means of stifling ghetto struggles.
After the Watts revolt of August 1965 a Governor's Commission was created to study the underlying causes of the event. After a 100-day investigation, the commission issued its report (popularly known as the McCone report because the commission was headed by former Central Intelligence Agency Director John A. McCone). Among the "series of aggravating events" in the year preceding the August revolt were listed: "Publicity given to the glowing promise of the federal poverty program was paralleled by reports of controversy and bickering over the mechanism to handle the program here in Los Angeles, and when | the projects did arrive, they did not live up to their press notices.
_ The press notices following the August revolt continued to give publicity to glowing promises that never came true. For example, a Detroit Free Press headline [November 25, 1965] announced: "Watts — Gets 1.8 Million For Poor." Sargent Shriver, director of the Office of Economic Opportunity, announced that this sum for neighborhood social services had been designated specifically for Watts and the surrounding area. Three days later, the New York Times pointed out that the funds allocated for the Watts area are for “long-term social assistance projects rather than anything geared to the urgency suggested by the County Commission on Human Relations." This commission had stated that 5,000 new jobs were “imperatively" needed in the Watts area to avert further "trouble." Local politicians were reported to be reluctant.:to funnel millions into: Watts because they didn't want to. appear to, " reward lawbreaking. Me a
Article after article about Watts. cited ‘the lack of jobs as a crucial factor which:helped provoke the August revolt. It was estimated that one out of every three men in Watts was without work. Press reports repeatedly highlighted the demands for federal job programs from high-ranking committees and public figures. The California advisory committee to the U.S.Commission on Civil Rights | called: for "Immediate assignment of a federal official. to decide on allocation of federal funds, Among other things, -he would.help establish a crash program-to help the unemployed find jobs, including new jobs created with: federal funds."
The McCone Commission recommended that “our robust community take immediate steps to relieve the lack of job opportunity...by cooperative programs for employment and training." California Governor Brown hastened to agree, stating: "Your proposal confirms to me the fact that the real key to this is jobs." He told the commission that he had sent a copy of their report to the Office of Economic Opportunity.
Glowing promises again.
A March 8 Detroit News article, however, reported "Watts Unchanged as New Programs Lag." The article explained:
"Four overlapping community action programs have been initiated by Mayor Samuel Yorty of Los Angeles. He takes a lively interest in the politics of the situation but has failed to convince any of Watts' thousands of Negroes that he really cares.
"Gov. Brown' s request for a $2.5-billion massive public works program has gone unheeded in Washington. "
Six months after the August revolt, it was “reported that. ‘Watts had the following antipoverty programs in action: the Westminister Neighborhood Association with an annual budget of $840,000; four teen-age canteens; a legal: aid assistance office;-a- state employment referral office. Social workers in the area were calling for a crash program that would channel from $40 million to $75 million a year into Watts.
Six months of. pious speeches and prononcements from President Johnson down to Mayor Yorty. Six months of calls for crash programs. Six more months of living with the cancerous problems of the Watts ghetto. While the glowing promises were making the headlines, the Los Angeles police were preparing.
The day after the March eruption the Detroit News reported: "Lt. Frank Beeson said police had learned some valuable lessons: last August which were applied successfully yesterday. 'Last time we used motorcycle officers, who proved very vulnerable. This time we are’ sending everybody down in cars,' he said."
_. The next day the Detroit News explained: "Police maintained .. a tight’ grip on the Watts area today. Code 77 -- police radio language for rushing in every available patrol car to a specific area. at the first hint: of trouble -- was the newest step taken.‘by the community. to minimize disturbances. before they could build ‘into riots...Sheriff's deputies and California highway patrolmen would be available to back them up, as would California national guard, if needed."
Instead of stifling and diverting black struggles ,: ‘the "War on Poverty" has. served to add fuel to the burning frustrations already present’. Then, when these frustrations reach ‘the boiling point, the "War on Social Revolt" is launched. Once again, the ruling class relies on naked police force.
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