Viewing page 18 of 196

This transcription has been completed. Contact us with corrections.

8. Get fully involved in our own communities. As black men in major corporations, we should know we could not be of nearly as much value to them if we did not have deep respect from within our own community. As an example, executives within my company have not fully understood in all instances why I kept as broad a contact as I did with a broad spectrum of the black community ranging from the Panthers to the NAACP. One technique I have used in bridging this understanding gap was to bring representatives of these groups to meet with our executives. It has resulted in better understandings on both sides.

A number of us who have been likewise involved have influenced many a young group to change to a more constructive or fruitful track in prodding for equitable changes in our system. Part of our job, as I see it, is to be involved even when it is exceedingly painful. Otherwise, our companies have no realistic link to the various elements in our companies.

9. Make and keep contacts at the very top of your company. There are some decisions which can be made only with the consent of the chief executive officer of our companies. An example is seeing to it that minorities get fair consideration in the $25,000 and over salary range. It is unrealistic, in most instances for any of us to feel that those decisions to bring in new minorities at that level are going to be made without top level approval and encouragement. Without direct contact with the top officers in our companies, those of us charged with the responsibility for helping our companies in race-related matters just can't do our jobs. Surely, this much be done without needless offense to others with whom we must relate in our companies. Respect for all our associated is basic.

10. Help make NAMD a better vehicle for bringing about changes. Times have changed- and so must the perspectives of NAMD continually do so in order to be relevant. There was a time when NAMDers could not afford easily to do some things. Yet, now there are things NAMD cannot afford to escape.

NAMD should be working side-by-side with programs like those of Operation Breadbasket, the Civil Rights Leadership Conference, The Opportunities Industrialization Corporation, The Black Economic Union, local and national Urban Coalitions, etc. These are organizations working toward building equity and which are committed in various ways toward opening doors for entrepreneurs, to developing and then helping to place minority group managers and executives, as well as facilitating transfer of ownership of ghetto businesses from white to minority group hands. These leadership organizations, I feel, must be able to count on us for strong rights arms...as we move to develop programs of our own such as our Job Opportunities effort started by C.B. Davis and other involvement programs pushed by "Chuck" Smith.

Discrimination is one of the major problems facing us in securing positions at the upper management and executive levels. We in NAMD can, and must, work within our companies to see that constructive changes are made, At best, it cannot be easy since "right thinking executives tend to maintain their long-held puritanical thinking about the "American" system...without looking underneath at the frightening injustices which must be rectified if we all are to live in a peaceful climate.

All of us who have worked in the best of companies know that when we fight for equitable adjustments, there are will always be many lonely and seemingly thankless days...days when no one understands us...days when so many think we're against them. Yet, whenever we choose to educate, confront and otherwise seek new power relationships, we can always expect some trauma and misunderstanding.

"Is it worth it?," one might ask. All os us have seen the bloody confrontations in the streets, the underground movement with sometimes indiscriminate bombings, sabotage and the like. The Black Panther Party and others like them may have never have come into existence if reasonable men had used reasonable means to prevail on those in power to move toward more equitable relationships.

None of us can condone violence. Yet, we can understand how men can become so frustrated that they feel they must use these means. Otherwise, how could we in America have used violence to free ourselves against what we felt was the tyranny of a British government?

So, since change toward more just relationships between man and man must come, what reasonable choice can we in NAMD make other than to "do our thing" in the most creative way possible to help reshape the thinking and actions of our management in this area of job opportunities? Hopefully, we can set enough good examples for others before time runs out.