[Congressional Record Volume 149, Number 93 (Monday, June 23, 2003)]
[House]
[Pages H5687-H5688]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
REMEMBERING MAYNARD JACKSON
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Under a previous order of the House, the
gentlewoman from California (Ms. Watson) is recognized for 5 minutes.
Ms. WATSON. Mr. Speaker, I want to add my voice again to those who
are lamenting the life well-lived, and the life just going into
transition. It was Maynard Jackson, as my colleagues just heard, who
had a vision of inclusion.
{time} 2000
Maynard was able to unite various groups and interests in building
one of the most complex airport terminals in the world ahead of
schedule and within budget. And as I said before, it is particularly
amazing that today was the day that Maynard Jackson transitioned and
also the day the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling.
In two successive votes, the Justices recognize that the most
effective way to cure society of its exclusionary practices is to make
special efforts to see that Americans are included, which is exactly
what Maynard Jackson stood for when he mentioned the phrase
``affirmative action.'' It was first used in President Lyndon Johnson's
1965 executive order. In 1967 Johnson expanded the executive order to
include affirmative action requirements to benefit women. The policy
was significantly expanded in 1969 by President Richard Nixon and then-
Secretary of Labor George Schultz.
In 1973 Maynard Jackson began his leadership in implementing these
policies, which enabled Atlanta to become a true world class city.
There has always been affirmative action in public policy; but for many
years it fought to exclude, rather than include, people of color.
Affirmative action was put in place to not only encourage diversity but
to be a minor step in the direction of justice after hundreds of years
of institutional and social discrimination against women and people of
color in the United States of America. Much of the opposition to
affirmative action is framed on the grounds of so-called reverse
discrimination and unwarranted preferences. In fact, less than 2
percent of the 91,000 employment discrimination cases pending before
the Equal Opportunity Commission are reverse discrimination cases.
Under the law as written, in executive orders and interpreted by the
courts, anyone benefiting from affirmative action must have relevant
and valid job or educational qualifications. Opponents of affirmative
action also claim it is discriminatory. The problem with this myth is
that it uses the same word, discrimination, to describe two very
different things. Job discrimination is grounded in prejudice and
exclusion; whereas, affirmative action is an effort to overcome
prejudicial treatment through exclusion and to provide inclusion. The
most effective way to cure society of exclusionary practices is to make
special efforts at inclusion, which is exactly what affirmative action
does.
When thinking about affirmative action policy, it is important to
keep this principle in mind. In fact, despite the progress that has
been made, the playing field today is still far from level. Women
continue to earn 76 cents for every dollar earned by a male. Black
people continue to have twice the unemployment rate of white people and
graduate from college at half the rate of white people. In fact,
without affirmative action, the percentage of black students at many
selective schools would drop to only 2 percent of the total student
body.
While I applaud the Court's decision today, our society still suffers
from racial discrimination. And in the name of Maynard Jackson, we must
carry on his legacy and his commitment to never waiver from equality
for all Americans.
Mr. Speaker, I rise today to express my shock and sadness at the
untimely passing of my dear friend Maynard Jackson--former Mayor of
Atlanta and one of our country's most charismatic political leaders. I
also want to take this opportunity to remember Maynard's contribution
to affirmative action on the day when the Supreme Court declared its
support for the program.
Maynard was a giant of his time, a trailblazer and a dedicated public
servant who became the inspiration for generations of African American
politicians. His election in 1974 as the Mayor of Atlanta helped usher
in a new movement of racial equality and a new process of interracial
understanding and co-existence where the spirit of the civil rights
movement was carried forward by victories at the ballot boxes.
Maynard will be remembered as the South's first big-city African-
American mayor, but his
[[Page H5688]]
legacy was much more than that. During his three terms as Mayor,
Maynard oversaw construction of the midfield terminal at Hartsfield
Atlanta International Airport, established a cultural affairs
department, brought the Olympics to Atlanta, and all the while gave a
voice to the city's in town neighborhoods.
Perhaps one of the most significant accomplishments of Maynard
Jackson's tenure was his early support and leadership on affirmative
action. During his first term, Maynard instituted a groundbreaking
affirmative action program that elevated the percentage of city
contracts awarded to minorities in Atlanta from less than 1 percent in
1973 to 38.6 percent five years later.
One of the great success stories of Maynard's affirmative action
program was the creation of a ``joint venture'' between white and
minority-owned businesses during the construction of the Atlanta
airport. Working from a vision of inclusion, Maynard was able to unite
various groups and interests in building one of the most complex
airport terminals in the world ahead of schedule and within budget.
It is particularly ironic then that Maynard passed away on the day
before the Supreme Court issued its landmark ruling. In two successive
votes, the Justices recognized that the most effective way to cure
society of exclusionary practices is to make special efforts at
inclusion, which is exactly what affirmative action does.
The actual phrase ``affirmative action'' was first used in President
Lyndon Johnson's 1965 Executive Order. In 1967, Johnson expanded the
Executive Order to include affirmative action requirements to benefit
women. The policy was significantly expanded in 1969 by President
Richard Nixon and then Secretary of Labor George Schultz. In 1973,
Maynard Jackson began his leadership in implementing these policies,
which enabled Atlanta to become a world-class city.
There has always been affirmative action in public policy--but for
many years it operated to exclude, rather than include, people of
color. Affirmative action was put in place to not only encourage
diversity, but to be a minor step in the direction of justice after
hundreds of years of institutional and social discrimination against
women and people of color in the United States.
Much of the opposition to affirmative action is framed on the grounds
of so-called ``reverse discrimination and unwarranted preferences.'' In
fact, less than 2 percent of the 91,000 employment discrimination cases
pending before the Equal Employment Opportunities Commission are
reverse discrimination cases. Under the law as written in Executive
Orders and interpreted by the courts, anyone benefitting from
affirmative action must have relevant and valid job or educational
qualifications.
Opponents of affirmative action also claim it is discriminatory. The
problem with this myth is that it uses the same word--discrimination--
to describe two very different things. Job discrimination is grounded
in prejudice and exclusion, whereas affirmative action is an effort to
overcome prejudicial treatment through inclusion. The most effective
way to cure society of exclusionary practices is to make special
efforts at inclusion, which is exactly what affirmative action does.
When thinking about affirmative action policy, it is important to keep
this principle in mind.
In fact, despite the progress that has been made, the playing field
today is still far from level. Women continue to earn 76 cents for
every dollar earned by a male. Black people continue to have twice the
unemployment rate of white people, and graduate from college at half
the rate of white people. In fact, without affirmative action the
percentage of Black students at many selective schools would drop to
only 2 percent of the total student body.
While I applaud the Court's decision today, our society stiff suffers
from racial discrimination. It is unfortunate that after all these
years we are still fighting an uphill battle for full inclusion into
our Nation's society.
However, we are fortunate to have had the civil rights movement and
leaders like Maynard Jackson. In remembering Maynard, we must carry on
his legacy and his commitment to never waver from equality for all.
____________________