Ask the Scholar
Document scope · 1 page
Scholar
Ask about this object, its catalog metadata, its source description, or the page inventory.
For page-specific OCR and visual context, open one of the page chats.
Scholar Source Context
Document identity
localId
7341614
label
Remarks of the Vice President at the Council of 100 Dinner, Washington Hilton Hotel [Speeches by Others]
core
doc
dtoType
document
citationUrl
pageCount
1
Source metadata
id
7341614
sourceUrl
contentType
document
title
Remarks of the Vice President at the Council of 100 Dinner, Washington Hilton Hotel [Speeches by Others]
citationUrl
collections
White House Press Releases (Ford Administration)
Press Releases
largeImageUrl
imageCount
1
hasImages
yes
source
import
hasTranscription
no
Source extras
naId
7341614
levelOfDescription
item
productionDates
day
18
logicalDate
1975-11-18
month
11
year
1975
recordType
description
ocrSource
nara-archive
Single page context
seq
1
pageIndex
0
type
document
mediaId
db683bb0d86de72f
ocrText
Digitized from Box 18 of the White House Press Releases at the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library
FOR RELEASE THURSDAY AM's
NOVEMBER 19, 1975
NOVEMBER 20, 1975
Office of the Vice President
Washington, D. C.
REMARKS OF THE VICE PRESIDENT
AT THE
COUNCIL OF 100 DINNER
WASHINGTON HILTON HOTEL
WASHINGTON, D. C.
November 19, 1975
All of us are here to promote the election of more Black Americans
to Congress and to other political offices. That is a means to
an end. The end is to expand opportunity for all Americans on
the basis of full equality. The best argument for expanding
opportunity is right here in the Council of 100.
Behind eachcof your lives is a success story often achieved
against formidable obstacles; success in fulfilling yourselves
individually; success in strengthening our country collectively;
and success in presenting a model to which black youth can aspire.
I also want to take this occasion to thank the Council of 100 for
your invaluable support during the Vice Presidential confirmation
hearings. It is an honor for me to serve the President -- and
through him to help serve our country.
You have allowed five generations of Rockefellers to march with you
on that long journey -- still unfinished -- toward human justice,
individual dignity and equality of opportunity for all. I can
still remember how some of the most exciting stories of my childhood
were told about my great-grandparents, the Harvey Spelmans. They
ran a station on the underground railroad from their home in Ohio.
Spelman College in Atlanta is named after their daughter my
grandmother, Laura Spelman Rockefeller.
My grandfather, John D. Rockefller, had enormous faith in the power
of education -- though I must say both my grandfathers did all
right for high school drop-outs. Under John D. Rockefeller's
various philanthropies, about $62 million went to advance the
opportunities of black youth through better education in this
country.
When I was elected Governor of New York, I had the chance to put
into practice myself the family's long-held convictions and
dedication to human rights, equal opportunity and public service.
During those 15 years, the number of black state employees rose by
50 per cent. More important, blacks in professional posts rose by
140 per cent. And Ersa Poston, my appointee as Chairman of the
State Civil Service Commission, deserves a lot of the credit.
I appointed six black New Yorkers to head state agencies -- and
30 others to judgeships and key sub-cabinet posts. I appointed these
men and women because New York State government needed their talents.
Racial prejudice is not only morally wrong -- it is stupidly
wasteful. This country simply cannot afford to waste human talents.
Obviously, there are a number of things that are essential to the
development and release of those talents.
Good health and good education are indispensable. One of the most
effective roads to success is the pathway to elective office.
Nobody has stated the case more concisely than Senator Ed Brooke.
"Political power and public office", he has said, "have been the
keys which opened the doors of opportunity for various groups in
America since the founding of our country."
Kenneth Clark put it this way: "Social implementation in a democracy
is politics -- and the agents of implementation are public officials.
They are both right. The courts can only do so much. Public opinion
does not remain aroused.
- more -
Page 2
But elected officials provide the on-going leadership and laws
that are essential. Elected officials have to create the
framework of laws and incentives to formulate and encourage the
creativity and dynamism of the private enterprise system --
which is the wellspring of economic growth and increased job
opportunities as well as the strength and vitality of America.
Political power means being heard. Political power means being
heeded. Political power means clout. The way to work towards
one's legitimate goals in our system is to make the political
system work for the best interests of all. This is exactly
what black Americans are doing to an increasing and impressive
degree.
In 1969, that outstanding research organization, the Joint
Center for Political Studies, began keeping score. In 1969,
there were 1,135 black elected officials in this country. Today,
there are 3,503 -- an increase of almost 200 per cent.
Blacks have won election to offices that would have been
undreamed of --- and in places that would have seemed incon-
ceivable just a decade ago. Ue are inspired by these election
victories.
But Floyd McKissick laid it right on the line: "The myth must
be destroyed", he has said, 'that all blacks can be represented
by one political party. To voter's politics ought to be
taken for granted. The considerable leverage of black voters
should not be conceded to one party.
Just look at 1974 a tough year for Republicans. But those
Republican candidates -- liberal or conservative -- who ran well
among black voters were the ones who got re-elected: In the
U.S. Senate, for example: Dole in Kansas, Bellmon in Oklahoma:
Javits in New York; Mathias in Maryland; Schweiker in
Pennsylvania. In the races for Governor: Bennett in Kansas;
Milliken in Fichigan; and Rhodes in Ohio.
Just keep this fact in mind: Fifty-five per cent of all black
voters are either Republicans or Independents. And less than
half are Democrats. So the Republican party has an excellent
chance to succeed with black voters and black candidates.
The Republican party has got to show Americans in all walks
of life that it understands their problems, that it cares about
their problems, and that it has positive approaches for dealing
with their problems.
The party of Lincoln has got to make it clear that it still is,
in fact, the party of the people -- by the people -- and for the
people -- and that means all kinds of people.
Martin Luther King said it all with simple eloquence. "The
most significant steps that black Americans can take", he said
"is the short walk to the voting booth." Of course, the
imediate reason for encouraging that short but significant
walk is to open fully the opportunities of American life to its
black citizens. But the even nobler and wiser reason is to
release the best that lies within each American, for the
benefit of us all, and the betterment of our entire Nation.
# +