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Good evening ladies and gentlemen from the hotel Americanos grand ballroom your city station brings you a special broadcast from the first annual New York Urban League awards dinner the Frederick Douglass Awards will be presented to A Philip Randolph president of the International Brotherhood of sleeping car porters Robert Sarnoff president of R.C.A. and former Mayor Robert F. Wagner speakers tonight will include Senators Jacob Javits and Robert Kennedy of New York and Frederick O'Neal president of Actors Equity the master of ceremonies is John Mosley a president of the Moser save company and of the New York Urban League just a few moments ago prior to our going on the air live from the hotel America Mr Moser introduced the many day as guests assembled here tonight among the honored guests was Mayor John Lindsay who was introduced by Mr Mosley and made a brief greeting to those assembled here we recorded mayor Lindsey's greetings and at this time we bring you the mayor's remarks. Noted the ease with which people from private life. Have allowed themselves to be called into the service of the United States government civil and military aspects but the extent to which people have avoided involvement in the most important front line trench. Which is dynamic changing and somewhat dangerous areas of the urban centers of this country. Has been at times past rather discouraging. And one sees in this room here summed up in the words Urban League. A combination. Of forces and individuals. Before the big city came into its own knew exactly where the shortages were and where the first effort was needed. You hear tonight. Three of those who understood the problem and early heeded its call in Philip Randolph Robert son off and Robert Wagner. Urban League which for a long long time before others came along to. Move forward and take their positions in the front trenches. Symbolizing by its makeup by its program leadership what has been needed for more than a century in the great cities of this country. The Urban League stands there as a symbol of progress. Of innovation. And at the same time of stability. With the respect for the traditions of the old and of the new. This organization. Kind of the best of New York. Gathered. Much of their time their resources their energy and in so doing they remember the best of the past and they look hopefully to the best of the future congratulations and thank you. Thank you so. Just heard the mayor of New York City the Honorable John B. Lindsay with his introductory remarks of greetings to those assembled here at the Imperial ballroom of the hotel America where tonight the Urban League of Greater New York is assembled the program opened about an hour and a half ago with the invocation by the most reverend Terrence J. Cooke and the national anthem was sung by The New York City senior high school chorus under the direction of John Moxley John Moe slurped president of the New York Urban League is acting as toastmaster and he introduced the many day S. guests as well as Mayor Lindsay whose remarks were recorded for broadcast at this time. Whether the W N Y Z microphone's is the associate director of the Urban League of the Greater New York William H. tolls grading Mr Toles Good evening it's a pleasure to be here and the mayor is Mark's remarks were very apropos because it goes back to the years of ninety nine in one thousand and ten when the Urban League was first formed to assist negroes who were moving from the south to the north to the large metropolitan areas and as they move they were not so we say sufficiently urbanize and as a result the Urban League came into being to help Negroes assimilate and to adjust to urban living this is one of the main pushes towards job opportunities towards education towards housing and moving the plight of the Negro. Up and forward towards a better type of a more democratic society excuse me I think beginning now with Mr Bangs the chairman of the board of The New York Urban League who's about to say a few remarks. We may have to tune in to what they're saying at the moment all right we'll take you to the stage and listen to remarks of Mr Mangum and then we'll come back to you Mr Toles after his remarks a lot of the Scots this matter with your father so now we take you to the day as of the Imperial ballroom. Well that's one thing that's certain ladies and gentlemen that lady that John was talking about is now and probably is reading the faces anyone could possibly be because I think she is probably one of the Cyrus persons I know but at any rate I can state that probably. No one who will be introduced tonight will be introduced in that fashion. But I just want to let my mama boss know that I wouldn't let him get too far ahead of me so I decide to join him and. Jim Thompson just asked me as I came up to the microphone what I intended to say. And I told him I had decided yet and it would begin to come off the top of my head although I've been thinking about for the last couple of hours. I'd like to get out right in front of some of the things which all of us here and there have been made in New York City would like to say to all of you that we deeply appreciate your contribution of time and money and energy to our program I've been a member of the Urban League board for about fifteen years and New York and this is the first den are given by the New York Urban League and what's the proceeds of the data exceed one hundred thousand dollars. And although there's another very modest lady in the room I must add as the chairman of the board of The New York Urban League this is do practically completely and kill. The. Course she has a husband who helps too. We also would like to make special mention of the fact that there are many labor leaders in this room who are present and paid for their tickets out of their personal funds and not out of union funds. This is what you call getting real labor support when you get that way. We appreciate this kind of mattress on the part of these gentlemen and ladies obviously they are many leaders of industry here that we wish to thank now having paid my respects to everyone except our president I'm reminded of. An interview I had a few days ago with a lady who was interviewing me for a radio station a radio program and we got to talking about the color question civil rights problems and we talked about an hour and then I played something about we Negroes and she looked at me and said You're Nigro. And I said to her that I had been all my life about forty four years and. That I was hoping that one of these days we wouldn't worry too much about what color a person was that the question of who is and who is not a Negro would never come up. But every once in a while it becomes convenient to remind people that you are no matter. What they may think and I must say this as. A negro and I feel that the only way we're going to find that kind of day come to pass in this country at Frederick Douglass talked about many years ago. Is by new girls and whites joining hands not just a Dennis not just on Brotherhood they aren't doing Brotherhood Week on Negro History Week but every single day of the year. We're following a very tight schedule and I was given ten minutes I've got about four Think left and the last four I want to use to say this we've changed practically fifty percent of our Urban League boy in the last year and a half we have brought into the boy dynamic and energetic people both Negro and white. We want to while thanking you for all of your contributions and your support and especially your presence here this evening we want to ask you as we leave here and you see the development of the Urban League of Greater New York program that you join hands with us as we pursue these programs as you have this evening at this down because some of these programs may not be the most popular ones for us to pursue and maybe in some instance may step on the toes some people in this room but those of us who are on the board now starting with the president and going through the entire board feel that the Urban League in New York City can be no less a potent and constructive force in the civil rights movement and all of the other worthwhile credible agencies working in this field although we do not intend to take it we leave that for other organizations who have a different way of doing things but we feel they as an essential important place in this whole civil rights feel for each of these organizations. We feel that one compliments the other and we have our own which may be a little different but in the final analysis we are only reaching out for the same thing we're reaching out to something that should have been given to minority group people when they wrote the constitution instead of having us wait and fight and get arrested and beaten up in order to get it and as long as I. Am a member of the Urban League board and I'm speaking for the entire board we want to dedicate ourselves to taking the proper course of action that indicated in this city and elsewhere to bring about this American dream that I've been hearing about every sense out of the hole in Harlem and I'll tell you very frankly despite probably one of the most humanitarian administrations that we could have and could have had in this city and despite the great leadership that's taken place in Washington and despite the fine senators we have in the state we are far cry from living the way all human beings should be living and all you have to do is take a walk around the city and you see it in times of unemployed men in terms of children who can't get ahead in school in terms of having the highest death rate among infants being with Negroes and Puerto Ricans as much to be done in the city and speeches by me as a public official as regional director of the poverty program. And by other legislators and office holders will not do it we've all got to join hands to do it together. So in closing I'd like to say to you that if the Urban League in the future let's take a position which may be a bit awkward for some of your and for some of us because they may decide to take a whack at the poverty program to which it is indicated they should do that I think you have to just say this is part of your contribution to make in America what we tell the world is thank you very much. Thank you. Thank you very much Mr Mangan this is a wonderful man that just spoke to you I have worked with him now very closely I can say that this problem is a problem of color is a problem of our time there is no one in this room there's no one in the United States that can identify with this problem and you guys heard from a very wonderful man who was a great leader in this area and now I have a very exciting task to do. The Evan league of New York at this dinner tonight is going to announce the appointment of a new executive director of. The Evan league after this dinner is going to be quite softened. And therefore quite in a position to move the way all of us want to move as your contributions that have made this possible but we can't move without leadership we can't move without somebody who they and I dedicate every bit of his effort to the task. What wrecked is the AT in league has appointed Reverend Eugene St Clair calendar jam at the border Hi you actually introduced you to before minister of the church on master will be shortly resigning both of these positions soon the position of the executive director of the Evan league of New York will give the program a lot and I can reduce revenue being talent. Thank you Mr President and Mr Chairman members of the board of the Urban League of Greater New York an Office of National Urban League distinguished guests and again ladies and gentlemen. I still haven't quite recovered from the excitement of receiving the opportunity to lead the Urban League and the new channels and directions that problem to spoke about I was deeply moved a couple of years ago in reading the speech by President Johnson to the graduating class of Howard University when he coined that eloquent phrase to fulfill these rights. That speech provided the impetus that led to the passing of the civil rights bill in the voting rights bill as a result of that legislation thousands of non white Americans are prepare the first time in their lives to perform any acts that white Americans have to long taken for granted to register to vote to use public accommodations and to attend non-segregated school ten years ago however responsible study revealed that seventy percent of the public elementary and junior high schools in our city were segregated twelve years ago the Board of Education of this city proclaimed its interpretation of the Supreme Court's decision. That it was a legal and moral reaffirmation of our fundamental educational principles it declared twelve years ago that racially homogeneous public schools are educationally undesirable and committed itself to approach more closely the racially integrated school in all communities the flesh is so often weaker than the spirit of the morrow drive that produced the policy lag in its implementation people in high places say after all the segregated schools are only a little thin and since we've been learning more or less comfort me for so long Let's don't clean it up too fast and let's be practical has been substituted for let's be morrow many of us have come to see that a large measure of the delayed delinquency social segregation and racial tension is grounded in the racially restricted residential patterns our president has vigorously repeated and called our attention to the depressed countries and nations of the world but we have our depressed areas and districts in this rich city which is increasing and restlessness and discontent and we can predict that there will be spreading conflicts and explosions within our city unless we find ways more rapidly to increase the share of these districts and the full stream of our community life business and industry seem content to employ the labor of these people but take little responsibility for their existence in crowded tenements and stinking slums every landlord our real estate operator our mortgage lender who turns his back on one of these families contributes to the shopping resentment and tension so does the housing inspector who looks the other way at code infractions every court that penalizes housing laws lawlessness by slaps on the wrist and the policeman with his hand in the back door at numbers gambling prostitution and dope traffic. The man who has suffered the wrong in the end is the man who must demand redress said Frederick Douglass a long time ago he is the man who must strike out and cry out he who has endured the cruel pangs of slavery is the man to advocate liberty these phrases were uttered by Frederick Douglass one hundred years ago and although he died seventy one years ago he is as current as this morning's headlines one hundred ten years ago he was staging sit ins on Massachusetts railroads one hundred six years ago he was leading a fight for integrated schools in Rochester New York one hundred years ago he was denouncing hypocrisy and fraud with pre Baldwin fury this is what he said if there is no struggle there is no progress those who profess to favor freedom and yet deprecate agitation are men who want crops without plowing up the ground they want the rain without Sunder and lightning they want the ocean without the awful roar of its many waters this struggle may be a moral one or it may be a physical one or maybe both moral and physical but it must be a struggle. As the executive director of the Urban League or bridge in New York I intend to press the vigorously for the complete eradication of all the social ills of which Mr Douglas complained and which continue to plague us this day and I thank the board for this opportunity. Thank. You. Thank. You. Thank you. Reverend calendar. Director the press fair to York. A man of high and a vision is also a man that the director's. Take with a unanimity in it. That it was a pleasure to. Be part of and I think that we are all fortunate that a man like this is part of this great movement. And learn callid I want to thank you for those excellent words which you said here this evening thank you thank you. Now we've had a lot of very handsome men excluding myself because I was here sort of the. Opposite of that. But I think it's high time we had a beautiful girl and we happily fortunate to have one. It's my pleasure to introduce the lovely the beautiful the town of The Leslie Uggams. Thank you. Ladies and gentlemen I'd like to say that. When I chose these selections that I'd like to sing for you I chose them because they happen to be favorites of mine. But now when I think about the purpose of the dinner I think it really helps sum up some of the lovely things everybody had to say tonight. Rouleau. So. Hopeful a. World. Wide. And open. Full run. Is. Good. But. With. Murder charge. A. New. Yeah. I know I was wrong was. In. Way. Now. And. And. That. Buchanan. And isn't she just. Ladies and gentlemen Joseph. Great Grandson of Frederick Douglass who is chief office of interagency Liezel office of the Director of National Institute of Mental Health and former executive director of the Washington league will be asked to present our Was the seasoning and I would like to ask Mr Joseph Douglas to step over on my right here. Senator Robert Kennedy would you please step up to the microphone. The Ark Urban League Convention Sen Robert F. Kennedy presented Stuart civil rights legislation. And looks to him for a commitment in the struggle that lies ahead to fulfill these rights and now that he's in gentleman I would like to ask Mr Douglas to present this most Well there's a reward to Senator Robert F. Kennedy. Mr Chairman that's to. Thank you. To chairman Mr Douglass. Mr Randolph Mayor Wagner Senate a jab at and ladies and gentlemen I am very highly honored and very pleased to receive this award from the Urban League and I'm very grateful. To all of you I am very grateful to be see this award in the company of Mr Sarnoff. Mr Philip Randolph. Who has led this fight for such a long period of time Mayor Wagner was done such a outstanding job here in the city of New York for those of all races and creeds and my colleague Senator Javits who was in the struggle for when that was not popular when those such as Senator Javits were a small minority so I'm very pleased to be here I'm very pleased to think of what we have done in the past but I think we are also aware of what we need to do in the future as I look down at this day S. and I look out at all of you and see these familiar faces of those of you have been in the forefront of this struggle I think back over the period of the last three or four years and the fact that we were successful in passing legislation which would permit a for after a hundred and seventy five is it would permit a negro to eat at a Howard Johnson restaurant and we congratulated ourselves and we passed legislation that would permit a negro to stay at a hotel and we thought that was marvelous and then we passed legislation that would permit a negro to vote one hundred sixty five here in the United States and we thought we had taken a major step forward and I think we understand as we sit here tonight that the struggle really is just begun that the Negro is in fact here in the United States at the present time in one thousand nine hundred sixty six and particularly in our urban areas is a second class citizen and he does not have all the rights of a white man that a negro a child who was born in Harlem is twice the much chance of dying as a white child born elsewhere in the city of New York President Kennedy said in one thousand nine hundred three a negro child and a white child born in the same day in the same place negro child has a. Half the chance of finishing high school a third the chance of finishing college a third the chance of becoming a professional man a seventh a chance of earning ten thousand dollars a year twice as much chance of being unemployed chance of earning only half as much as a white man and a life expectancy of which is seven years less and the fact is that not only was that true in one thousand nine hundred sixty three but it was it's also true in one thousand nine hundred fifty six in the major question before all of us and not before the negroes of the United States but before all of us and particularly those of us who work why is whether we're going to change that whether we're going to stand for something in all over the world or in your pronouncements about the Constitution of the Declaration of Independence and whether we're going to do something about this kind of a problem here in the United States because this is our problem this is a problem of the white man this is not a Negro problem this is a white man's problem and that's why we need today we need tonight I think to pledge that we're going to take some steps that we're going to make the effort I have visited a high school here in the city of New York where eight hundred seventy five children started in the ninth grade that by the time the twelfth grade came along there are only two hundred seventy five left and at the end of the twelfth grade only thirty two received academic diplomas here in the city of New York or another high school here in the city of New York fourteen hundred started in the ninth grade four hundred fifty got to the twelfth grade and only seventy two of them received academic diplomas this isn't satisfactory this is a situation that we cannot exist with this is a situation that we must do something about and those of us who are in public life those of us who are in private life those of us who believe in our society and believe that this country can do better. Well that this is the first step that we have to take that we have to do something about education we have to do something about jobs have to do something about housing have to do something about recreation we have to do something about the Negro that's living in the ghetto here in the United States in our northern cities and it's not just a question of passing legislation it's a question of taking a step and making a commitment whether we're in business or labor or politics of taking a step forward in understanding the present situation is unsatisfactory and will not be accepted Sophocles one said what your years there and day that follows day some swift and some slow with death the only goal I think that's the situation for many of our fellow citizens in the United States I think it's on satisfactory I think we should do something about it thank you thank you thank you very much Senator Kennedy. And I'd like to ask the senior senator from New York would you please step. Thank. The New Yorker been League Ben Senator Jacob Javits for his efforts toward civil rights legislation and looks to him for commitment in the struggle lies ahead to fulfill these rights and we know that if there is anyone in this land that is committed we know that we can look to Senator Jeffords as he has for so many years to lead us all Mr Douglas Wood to present the order to Senator Jeffords. Thank you very much. Chairman. My colleague Senator Kennedy. Johnny. Mr Randolph who represents one of the disciplines in this great struggle the discipline the voluntary organisation who can forget Sal Randolph after that march on Washington which he literally shot. In my former colleague and government Mayor Wagner who made New York I think in a very real Why spend for what New York is all wasted for the strength of its people whatever may be their race color or creed with great sincerity. And the boat. And Bob Sarnoff with whom I'm delighted to be joined in honor tonight who is always stood for practicing what you preach as a business man and probably the most crucial area where civil rights will be implemented in the United States which will test us as never before and which will prove the things that Bob Kennedy and I are trying to legislate into actual jobs and the advancement and training of people involved by Bob sign off I compliment you and fellatio on this very great honor tonight. Now my friends one needs a VERY know more about Bob Kennedy my colleague in the Congress with whom I work as attorney general on the civil rights laws and with whom I am our work. As a colleague in civil rights legislation in the Congress. He is always stood up manfully to the dedication which he asks of us all and I must I do that I think New York is very felicitously situated in the major issue in which your concerned in the Senate of the United States. You will not find the harder working team and I think Bob I'm a more resourceful one. Than ourselves now I have. A supplement as it were to the things which you have heard from my colleague which have given you some of the details of the handicap upon life in the a judgment of life which the denial of basic American justice has imposed upon ten percent of our population for so long and I would like to ask you one thing and I think it is really in the great spirit of this organization as as exemplified by the Reverend calendar and young and by all of the great so of the lead of this movement and that is don't get tired don't get tired this is a great struggle it is and it's beginning there are a very effective network of laws on our books. We need more laws the president does not propose that we deal with further with discrimination and housing and so I feel rather strongly that it could have been done by executive order that's neither here nor there the author of the day is the dog by law and we'll get it done by law we only can. And then there's the problem of purifying the American jury system where it's been distorted and abused those lady like Mrs Motley was going to be one of our judges any day now I hope. So readily understand and then two very importantly. We have to increase the penalties to fit the crime for those who would even want to murder prevent people from enjoying their civil rights a lot as equally important prevent other Americans for helping them to seek that enjoyment Now these are the laws they're on the books that are now in the Senate and in the house and I have little doubt that we will and I some effective measure based upon the latest recommendations but now comes the hard course of implementing those law or some will be implemented rather effectively by the sheer force of the law itself as is now indicated in respect of access to so-called places of public accommodation staus movie theaters etc By no means perfect but still a great deal of progress. But the miniscule progress in public school desegregation complicated by the ghettoizing of neighborhoods the fact that equality of opportunity and employment cannot become a reality until skills match the opportunity and skills are a century behind just as opportunity was until but yesterday a century behind and in terms of housing ghettoized patterns based upon the longest stablished relationships of communities leading almost to that very ancient but I'm happily a true aphorism that people just want to stay where they are because even them are comfortable in their misery than going somewhere else the costs of new housing the inadequacy of the necessary monies to construct a low income housing etc All of this is the long hard road of making the performance equal to the promise it's going to be awfully easy to get tad my friends and I look to the Urban League and this Urban League of New York as magnificently led and magnificently are going to for that purpose I look to the Urban League to keep our determination unflagging aisle those of us who have been struggling in the civil rights fight as long as the or our warranties and my colleague in the Senate and myself I'm not going to be here to carry on this fight forever this torch will be taken up by other hands and it will not be ended unfortunately at least the full measure of justice that must be done will not be done within the proximate period of years which we would pray for and there will come times when you could get tired. When you could feel well you've done about all you can when you could feel it well some of this is an average of all and you can't do much about it. But I hope very much that you will never let that overtake you and that's the Urban League will be one are going to sation which will keep us on flying lead to our task and finally let us remember this everyone of us if we're really to be honest about the situation can do more than we're doing personally and I mean personally whether it's the accommodation of people in housing or in a neighborhood it happens to us as well as to a lot of people may not know as much about it whether it's being an agitator or even a committee of one and your own bank your own firm or your own cooperation whether it's befriending people who need a helping hand this to where they might be trained also west of where they might find a job opportunity where it's straightening somebody out a doesn't understand the responsibility carries as a member of a minority where if he makes a serious mistake I'm fortunately and unjustly but factually it's charged to the whole minority every one of us can do more than we're doing and so as I believe all awards Bob are only incentives for future action I beg of you don't get tired and remember that we can do more than we're doing and I can pledge you I know for all of you our deeds today that we understand that only too well thank you very much. When the constant men ourselves for having been Americans and having elected to sex great senators to lead not only this state but on time a country we had to find its senators and we are fortunate indeed to have to thank you. Now there may I would like to read a wire which I just received I greatly regret that previous commitments require me to be in Albany tonight to make it impossible for me to attend the first annual leadership awards dinner of the Urban League of Greater New York Please extend my congratulations to the award recipients A Philip Randolph Robert W. soft and Robert F. Wagner his contributions to the communities welfare deserve the appreciation of all New Yorkers sign Nelson Rockefeller. Thank you. Now it is my great pleasure. To ask that wonderful gentleman ask Mr A Philip Randolph to please come forward. To her. In presenting the first Frederick Douglass AWARD TO A Philip Randolph The New Yorker man League is profoundly aware of his inheritance of the torch passed on by Frederick Douglass to our generation. Just as the Life of Frederick Douglass has become part of the legend of America so A Philip Randolph in his own lifetime has become an inspiration to people all around the world who are still struggling to secure their full human rights Mr Randolph who is vice president of the A.F.L. C.I.A.O. and president of the International Brotherhood of sleeping car porters studied our own City College of New York and for years was publisher and editor of the messenger Journal of Negro life founder an organizer of the World War two March on Washington which led to President Roosevelt's fan point and practices committee to eliminate discrimination defense industries he was also the leader of the movement which helped bring about President Truman's order banning segregation in the on forces of the United States as a director of the world famous march on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in August one thousand nine hundred eighty three he demonstrated once more the greatness of heart and mind that have guided his untiring efforts on behalf of his fellow men Mr Randolph is even now re dedicating himself to the struggle as chairman of the forthcoming White House conference to fulfill these rights for distinguished leadership toward equal opportunity the New York than Lee is indeed proud to present its first Frederick Douglass award to a man in the noblest tradition of mankind. It's one of the. And that wonderful a day of grace and charm and dignity. As a spirit dorky inspiration motivation. All this good a full affair and follow friends of the Urban League my distinguished associate awardees Mel Wagner and Mr Sun all accept this award the in the deepest humility confident of the fact. That life is complex and that no single individual is wholly responsible. For the achievement of a single object and I therefore accept it in the names of all the members of my organization the brotherhood of sleeping car porters the Negro American labor council These are times. That try men's souls we are in the midst of a great civil rights revolution revolution which shall inches the conscience of our country as no single event has ever done before it has been said that we are moving forward and that is unquestionably true it has also been said that we have a long way yet to go that too is true I want to hail and salute the great freedom fighters in the civil rights revolution both white and black because. The civil rights revolution is fighting for an integrated America and that fight has got to be carried on by an integrated Army this is why we seek a national coalition of conscience. Two back to the civil rights movement a coalition composed of labor the church the business community the intellectual community but government and all of the agencies of all life may I bid you onward forward and upward leaders of the National Urban League and the New York urban we are fighting for racial and social justice and the future belongs to the organized the educated and those who press forward without let or hindrance call his own to the fact because when on the left we are willing to fight thank you very much. Now it's my great pleasure to ask Mr Roberts on us to come forward the Son place. That he ought Avonlea presents it's Frederick Douglass one to Robert W. son of president of Radio Corporation of America and pass chairman of the National Broadcasting Company for leadership but equal opportunity here in twenty five he is in the communications industry the sauce broadcasting career spanning the history of network television has been closely identified with significant human rights advances that have mocked the entire television industry. You know knowing Mr song off the New Yorker been really based tribute to the cooperative effort of the industry toward cultural informational and educational programming especially significant in the movement toward equal opportunity has been the establishment in conjunction with other industry leaders of the broadcast skills bank which encourages minority group employment cooperatively with the Urban League's own skills Bank and the Mississauga US leadership in the sea steadily expanded the opportunities both before and behind the cameras and microphones for members of minority groups the York City saw Bob T. given his own news program and a new N.B.C. T.V. nationally Bill Cosby became the first Negro the start in a network dramatic series with the international espionage show I spy the late Nat King Cole and Sammy Davis Jr stars of their own N.B.C. series on network television showed it consciously a favor that attitude on the part of N.B.C. that brought other breakthroughs in executive supervisory and technical positions as dishonest interest in the expansion of news programming including a unique three hour nighttime presentation on civil rights has further advanced the Corps dynamic citizenship that led the New York openly to confer upon him its highest award. Mr President Mr Chairman. My two senators from New York awardees and distinguished guests and ladies and gentlemen the words are often used but I think never more meaningful than tonight when I say that it is with the pride and gratitude that I accept. This first annual Frederick Douglass award of the Urban League not just for myself but for the National Broadcasting Company on behalf of all its employees whose achievement is honored tonight it is customary on occasions such as this to single out individuals who have made significant contributions but as Mr Randolph has so eloquently indicated that really would be inadequate because in this whole field of equal opportunity it is not individuals what is the commitment of an entire organization that is able to move ahead and to achieve success in this area and it is this commitment on the part of all the employees of N.B.C. that I believe is being honored the seasoning and I might at the same time say that there are many others outside of N.B.C.. Regardless of race religion color or creed or nationality who have contributed so much to this movement through their contributions to the service which N.B.C. in turn provides to the whole population of our country and I would just like to say this that in my many years of work in association with the Urban League and its outstanding leader Whitney Young. I have always been tremendously impressed with his dedication to purpose and the manner in which it sought to achieve its objectives and so on behalf of N.B.C. and its parent organization R.C.A. whose leadership in the field of equal opportunity is well known I accept this award with a proof. Thank you so. Now it is my pleasure to ask Robert Wagner. And Douglas to give him the right thank. The New Yorker been League present Frederick Douglas awarded. Robert F. Wagner in recognition of his leadership toward equal opportunity twelve years as mayor of the city of New York. During his and. During his administration. New York became the first city to create a commission on human rights and the first to enact a fair housing practices law on his recommendation a provision was inserted to prohibit discrimination in employment by any contractor or sub contractor paid by city fines establish a committee on exploitation of workers to protect low paid workers New York became the only city to provide funds to help community action organizations organize themselves such pioneering programs as join for this advantageous youth how you act and youth in action or form is ever to combat bigotry Robert Wagner selected Negroes Puerto Ricans to an unprecedented number of public positions including the first Negro borough president of Manhattan first Negro state supreme court judge the first Negro commissioner welfare and hospitals the first department of relocation and the first Puerto Rican commissioner of it the first Negro chairman of the Human Rights Commission and director of the city's And I poverty program and the first Negro member of the housing redevelopment board who later became the first Negro member of the camp and a president of the United States born the same year the Urban League was founded Robert Wagner has proved himself a courageous and effective leader in the fight for human rights in his native city and was. Very much like a friend John was a reverend members of the clergy. Two distinguished senators Jack Javits and Kennedy. And Whitney Young and. Famous as the husband of. My fellow went as Mr Randolph who. Has been a great inspiration to me over the years and was a great friend coworker with my father and he is gone by and of course to Bob son of done so much I feel very lucky and fortunate to be awarded this beautiful medal together with these two great and distinguished gentlemen I must say that. As we listen to the speeches that have been made and our all inspired to work even harder to bring all of the benefits of democracy to this great city of Oz but also realize that even today. Just a little proud at least. When the most controversial part of the new program of the president to bring greater democracy to all of our people and that is to outlaw discrimination in rental and sale of housing was passed here when I was mayor some eight years ago over eight years ago and we set the standard for the rest of this country and it was adopted by so many cities and states after we. Made our initial stot we had a lot of opposition to it then we found out that the city still prospered and we know that if this is adopted. On a nationwide basis the United States will still live and prosper and can hold its head high in the world as a real leader in democracy for all of our people John Muslim mentioned that I was born on the same year as the Urban League was born actually April twentieth nineteen ten was a very important year for this country because on that very day the Urban League came into being April twentieth one thousand ten was somewhat of an important day for me and for my parents but I was born on. And. Show nobody else is particularly excited about it. But I want to say this I look back over the years and A Philip Randolph I know can understand it a bit because we talked about it and I think maybe the two senators can understand it a bit too that it's only a little over just about thirty years ago when the parent of that young boy born on April twentieth one thousand in the United States Senate together what Senator cost again of Colorado they courage to introduce and this is only some thirty years ago a bill to outlaw some of the actions that had been taking place in the south lynching and they had to carry on the two of them a filibuster of their own and I can tell you in the Senate so that it isn't so tough these days to be for civil rights some of the Southern senators didn't talk to my father for a year after. For at least he stood there and fought in those days just to get a bill through to outlaw a lynching So we've made some progress in these years since then. And now. We know that with these two fine representatives following I sincerely believe in his traditions that they will keep fighting for our people as we all will and I say to to a man who was gracious enough to be here tonight that he has his problems I know that. Somebody said I look so much better than I did a year ago and I said I must've looked awful enough. But I say this sometimes it's easy to easy to make speeches about what we should do to bring the benefits of democracy to all of our people even to pass laws but to those of us who have served in the city that's where it's tough everybody is for housing but not in my area everybody is for their rights but don't let it affect me and those who are on the local scene. All of our help and support in the problems that lie ahead and I for one as a humble citizen will always try to help local officials in meeting these problems just as well as lending my little voice in helping our national leaders and making these strides for social justice and democracy in our land and so I s'posed I'm just given a minute but the Senate is took a little more than a minute so I thought I could but. I accept this award John with Douglas with the deep appreciation. Of one who has tried to do his best over these years in public service and continue to try to do its best as a private citizen the things that you and I believe him and I accepted to in the memory of that proud father of April twentieth one thousand nine hundred ten who gave me. The inspiration and courage to try to emulate him and if I have emulated him in some little way and I've contributed something because to me he was the greatest American who have a thank you thank you. Just say short time ago I had the privilege of attending the equal opportunity Day dinner of the National Urban League where a magnificent gentleman by the name of Frederick Douglas O'Neill received the award is now my pleasure to introduce Frederick Douglass O'Neill president of Actors Equity who will now give us a few readings from the works of Frederick Douglass. As we conclude our program for saving this Mr O'Neill would you step up please. Frederick Douglass was born in eight hundred seventeen and he died in one thousand nine hundred five his believe that he exerted more influence on the future of the Negro people during that period and even after than any other single person. And this would include President Abraham Lincoln who acted out of force of circumstances whereas Douglas elected to do so out of personal concern he spoke out clearly and concisely on the problems and issues of the day and some of his words sound as if they were spoken this morning perhaps by many people on this day is A Philip Randolph. Whitney Young Roy Wilkins Roman calendar Martin Luther King and many others to whom this nation owes an undying debt of gratitude he became head of the newspaper new national air on September eighth eight hundred seventy and in his first editorial he wrote this follows We will serve as an advocate and an educator and will consider the whole circle of moral social political educational and material interest of the newly in French citizen we cannot promise to please everyone we can only offer the assurance that we would use our talents for the benefit of all mankind regardless of race country or color to the former slave I say I too am a poem a slave to the colored man to the Indian Mongolian Caucasian to the man of every nation candid tongue and people of all latitudes and longitudes and attitudes I say that I too am a man and would scorn to demand for the man of my race a single right up privilege that I would not freely grant to yours. And on December the twelfth eight hundred seventy when Douglas became the sole owner of the paper he needed but two sentences to put forth what was described as a broad and strong program they were free men free soil free speech a free press everywhere in the land the balance for all education for all and fair wages for all and that last line he began to supplement because he won. Or rather he stressed the importance of organizing Negro and white workers together he won the discrimination by labor unions because of nationality sex a color was suicidal for at a rate against each other groups which ought to be a lie in the closest union and at the convention of the National cut of labor union in January of eight hundred seventy one Douglas was elected president for the coming year it was a sign that the organization recognized the necessity of political action in the labor movement delegate after delegate from the south stressed the fact that the immediate task confronting the negro workers was to compel the federal government to take vigorous action against Klu Klux terrorism to protect the color of Manchu right to vote and to force Congress to enact some the supplementary Civil Rights Bill Douglas was viewed as a logical man to lead in the struggle for these demands and he wrote in eight hundred seventy in his paper as follows The pen is often mightier than the sawed and the settled habits of a nation mightier than a statute it has been said that no people are better than their laws well many have been found worse than the laws we elect to franchise without protection in this exercise amounts to almost nothing in the hands of a minority with a vast majority determined that no exercise of it shall be made by that majority and then he also wrote. We are often cautioned against demanding too much for the colored people of this country this cautioning questioning is invariably accompanied with the full narration of what has already been done for our people that we should be satisfied at least long enough to allow the nation to take breath after the strenuous exertions an accomplishment of the result so beneficial to us to such persons a fact that we have been oppressed outraged and wrong for more than two centuries seems to be no argument why the nation should hasten to undo the wrong it is sanction against us now that it's fully admits that evil perpetrated upon us we certainly hope that the time will come when the colored man America just seems to require special efforts to guard their rights and advance their interests as a class but that time has not yet come and is not even at the door he wrote of school desegregation in eight hundred seventy two as follows He said Our idea of mixed schools comprehends the employment of colored as well as white teachers and of neither unless they are competent anything less than this would be fostering the weary very caste system of which we all complain it is saying to the colored job you may learn and acquire an abundance of intelligence but you must never hope to know enough to be able to teach a primary school composed of white children and colored children we look to mix school to teach that work and ability to be the criterion of manhood and not race and color and in summarizing his life I think that the distinguished Negro poet Robert E. Hiten writing in The Atlantic Monthly of February nineteenth forty seven expressed the yearning of the Negro people for full freedom and the place that bred big Douglas occupies in this struggle that poem reads as follows. When it is finally our freedom this liberty this beautiful intolerable thing needful to man as a usable as the. When it belongs at last to our children when it is truly instinct brain matter diastolic systolic reflex action when it is finally won when it is more than the gaudy mumbo jumbo of politicians this man this Douglas this form of slave this negro beaten to his knees exile visioning a world where none is lonely none. Eighty on this man's a superb in love in logic this man shall be remembered. Not with statues rhetoric not with legends and poems and reason bronze alone but with the lives thrown out of his life the lives flashing his dream of the needful beautiful things. Just couldn't have been a more. Be fitting into this wonderful evening and ladies and gentlemen my mask you rise as the reverend gonna tell I have conquered Baptist Church will give the benediction reverent. Gracious mercy. We thank Thee for the blessings in. Which brighten and I particularly colleagues and friends whose faith and vision give character great day to our city could I grant that be examples of unwavering courage steadfast a devotion and on wearing inconstancy which we have had held up before us tonight you know fellow citizens justly are not. Will give heart and hope to each of us in that sphere of influence in which our day as a cast that's all organizations who seek to lift our society toward a true democracy particularly. Whose banner we have gathered senders for what is die people committed to die purposes strengthened by the hand and possessed by a diversion of a fat free land and to the be all honor and glory a man. You have been listening to the first annual Frederick Douglass awards dinner of the New York Urban League among the speakers were senators Jacob Javits and Robert Kennedy of New York Mayor John the Lindsey and Frederick O'Neill president of Actors Equity Frederick Douglas awards were presented to A Philip Randolph Robert Sarnoff and former Mayor Robert F. whitener John Mosley president of the Moser safe company and president of the New York Urban League was the master of ceremonies and I'll from the Imperial ballroom of the hotel Americana we return you to our studios in the municipal building.