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  • Multi-Media Collection

Agenda: San Diego law enforcement, 1968

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CIC_REEL016_002
Agenda: San Diego law enforcement, 1968
Citizens Interracial Committee (CIC) Community Dialogues, 1968
1968-07-26
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Citizens Interracial Committee
Moderator: Waymon, Carrol
One of CIC's primary activities was to hold biweekly meetings called "community dialogues" to discuss broad issues such as racism, police sensitivity, education, and employment discrimination within the city of San Diego. The number of attendees at any given meeting was usually quite high--perhaps as many as 30 or more persons--representing an extremely wide variety of backgrounds, including city officials, educators, administrators, religious leaders, law enforcement, journalists, and minority community spokespersons.

The agenda for this meeting's dialog was law enforcement, both the San Diego Police Department and County Sheriff Department. The first topic was the image of the police and sheriff's departments, based on minority perceptions of them. Police were described as "storm troopers" who were too focused on riot control, who were sadly insensitive to minority communities, and who responded differentially in African-American or Mexican-American versus white neighborhoods. Another key discussion was the demand (from an earlier 9-point presentation by members of the African-American community) that there be specific, immediate appointments of African-American police officers to positions of sergeant, lieutenant, and investigator. Talk bogged down, as police administrators attributed the lack of promotions to the failure of any African-American officers to pass the required tests for promotion. George Stevens, from the Urban League, gave a heated, uncompromising rebuff (01:59 on audiotape), based on former statements that the tests were culturally biased, and therefore failed to excuse the racist passing over of African Americans for promotions. He called for the immediate appointment of African- American supervisors. While some were initially put off by the outburst, it was soon agreed by many that he had every right to be angry, and that he had spoken the truth. A committee was formed to approach city officials and the police chief, who was not present, regarding the appointment of African Americans to supervisory roles as soon as possible.

The meetings were moderated by CIC Executive Director Carroll Waymon, and his voice is often the first one heard in the audio recordings of the meetings. The tape constitues the minutes, but a summary consists of 11 pages of handwritten notes on stenographic-notebook paper, with tape-recorder-counter numbers at the left (002-565) next to names of speakers, with comments about motions, agenda, and comments, etc. One page is labeled "Education," with a list.

Citizens Interracial Committee; CIC; Carrol Waymon; Racial tensions; Racism; Meetings; Ladonna Hatch; Estelle Chacon; Byron Lindsley; George Stevens; Rosemary Layng; Edward Butler; Bill Reid; Martin Nelson; Fern Ellery; Anderson Berry III; Leon Williams; Meno Wilhelms; Warner "Bud" Renas; Chuck Adams; Milt Gray; Bud Bigge; Charles Smith; Michael Scheafer; Don Keller; Don Logans; Jack Katz; Bob Russell; San Diego; City governments; Civil rights; Human rights; African Americans
California - San Diego
The copyright interests in some of these materials have been transferred to or belong to San Diego State University. Submit requests for permission to publish to the Head of Special Collections, San Diego State University Library and Information Access. The user must assume full responsibility for any use of the materials.
  • Multi-Media Collection
English
Reel-to-reel audiotape
02:40:16
No
fs-w-063; WAYMON-2011
  • San Diego State University Library and Information Access, Special Collections and University Archives
Audio
WAV
3.44 GB