[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 149 (2003), Part 12]
[House]
[Pages 15752-15753]
[From the U.S. 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

[[Page 15753]]

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 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.

                          ____________________