Conversation: 051-012
Prev: 051-011 Next: 051-013Start Date: 25-Mar-1971 5:00 PM
End Date: 25-Mar-1971 6:30 PM
Participants:
Nixon, Richard M. (President); Congressional Black Caucus; Diggs, Charles C., Jr.; Hawkins, August F.; Clay, William L.; Collins, George W.; Conyers, John, Jr.; Dellums, Ronald V.; Fauntroy, Walter E.; Metcalfe, Ralph; Mitchell, Parren J.; Rangel, Charles B.; Nix, Robert N. C.; Stokes, Louis; Chisholm, Shirley; MacGregor, Clark; Finch, Robert H.; Shultz, George P.; Romney, George W.; Brown, Robert J.; Garment, Leonard;Recording Device: Cabinet Room
NARA Description:
On March 25, 1971, President Richard M. Nixon and the Congressional Black Caucus, including Charles C. Diggs, Jr., August F. Hawkins, William L. Clay, George W. Collins, John Conyers, Jr., Ronald V. Dellums, Walter E. Fauntroy, Ralph Metcalfe, Parren J. Mitchell, Robert N. C. Nix, Charles B. Rangel, Louis Stokes, and Shirley Chisholm, as well as staff members Clark MacGregor, Robert H. Finch, George P. Shultz, George W. Romney, Robert J. Brown, and Leonard Garment and press photographers, met in the Cabinet Room of the White House from 5:00 pm to 6:30 pm. The Cabinet Room taping system captured this recording, which is known as Conversation 051-012 of the White House Tapes.
Nixon Library Finding Aid:
Conversation No. 51-12
Date: March 25, 1971
Time: 5:00 pm - 6:30 pm
Location: Cabinet Room
14
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
The President met with Clark MacGregor, Robert H. Finch, George P. Shultz, George W.
Romney, Robert J. Brown, Leonard Garment, Charles C. Diggs, Jr., Augustus F. Hawkins,
William L. Clay, George W. Collins, John Conyers, Jr., Ronald V. Dellums, Walter E. Fauntroy,
Ralph Metcalfe, Parren J. Mitchell, Robert N. C. Nix, Charles B. Rangel, Louis Stokes, and
Shirley Chisholm; photographers were present at the beginning of the meeting
[Discontinuities appear in the original recording]
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
Meeting agenda
Diggs
-Chairmanship of Congressional Black Caucus
Blacks’ concerns
-A position paper by the Black Caucus
-Black Caucus
-Approach
-Representation, scope
-Goals
-Employment
-Housing
-Civil rights guarantees
-Affirmative Action
-Business and community development funds
-Participation in decisionmaking
-Health care
-US involvement in Indochina
-Purpose of meeting
-Recommendations of the Black Caucus
-Employment
-Federal job programs
-Youth unemployment
-Types of jobs
-Poverty
-Office of Economic Opportunity programs
-Organization, history
-Need
-Military
-Remarks by Chisholm
-Treatment of black soldiers
-Defense Department organization
15
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Justice, State, and Defense Department coordination
-Frank Mendary
-John [Surname unknown]
-State and Defense Department representation
-Melvin R. Laird
-Civil rights
-A previous meeting with Laird
-Assistant Secretary Roger T. Kelley
-Law Enforcement Assistance Administration
-Black judicial appointments
-Crime Control Bill
-No-knock policy
-Mississippi
Meeting with President
-Expectations
-Purpose
Blacks’ concerns
-Foreign policy
-South Africa, Mozambique, Africa
-Portugal, France
Meeting with President
-Views of black community
Blacks’ concerns
-Criminal justice system
-Jesse L. Jackson
-Voter registration
-Richard Hatcher
-Justice Department
-Richard Henry
-Republic of New Africa in Mississippi
-Police harassment charges
-Frustrations
-Integration versus segregation
-Drugs
-Remarks by Rangel
-Relation to other social problems
-Sources of supply
-Possible US measures
16
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Methadone program
-Results in Harlem
-Scope of problem
-Sources of supply
-Impact on blacks and Puerto Ricans
-Administration policy
-Possible US measures
-Housing
-”Black tax”
-Recommendations
-Release of funds for public housing
-Implementation of relocation legislation
-Local jurisdiction over low and moderate income housing
-Baltimore County, Maryland, legal opinion
-Revenue sharing
-Remarks by Stokes
-Black Caucus’ voting record
-Needs in black community
-Release of appropriated funds
-Urban renewal, water and sewer, mass transit
-Employment
-Emergency Public Services Employment Bill
-Detroit and Cleveland experiences
-Bureau of Labor Statistics figures
-National average
-Youth unemployment
-Welfare nationalization and reform
-Need
-Possible change in administration legislation
-Distribution formula
-Grosse Point Woods, Michigan
-Palm Beach, Florida
-Wellesley, Massachusetts
-Beverly Hills, California
-Baltimore
-Chicago
-Los Angeles
-St. Louis
-Application of Titles VI and VII of Civil Rights Act
-Welfare reform
-Caucus’ position paper
-US involvement in Indochina
17
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Remarks by Dellums
-Use of funds
-Caucus’ position
-Use of funds
Vietnam
-US involvement in 1961
-US involvement in 1969
-Clark M. Clifford’s statement
-President’s record
-Funds
-Troop levels
-Casualty level
-An April 1971 announcement
-President’s record
-Vietnamization
-Cambodian operation
-President’s goals
-Troop withdrawal
-Use of funds domestically
-President’s record
US foreign policy
-Africa
-Compared with US policy in Japan, Latin America, and the Middle East
-Importance to blacks
-French, British, and Portuguese policies in Africa
******************************************************************************
[To listen to the segment (12s) declassified on 02/28/2002, please refer to RC# E-512.]
******************************************************************************
Meeting with President
-Length
-Attendance
Blacks’ concerns
-Caucus’ position paper
18
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Welfare
-Administration attention
Meeting with President
-Attendance
-Romney
-State, Defense, and Justice Departments
-Previous meeting with John G. Veneman
-Caucus’ position paper
-Attendance
-Justice Department
-Veneman
-Finch’s [?] acquaintance
-Health, Education, and Welfare Department
-Shultz
-Donald H. Rumsfeld
-Follow-up
-MacGregor’s office
-Finch’s office
Blacks’ concerns
-Concerns regarding funds
-President’s previous meeting with mayors
-Carl B. Stokes
-Caspar W. (“Cap”) Weinberger
-Shultz
-Weinberger
-Shultz, Weinberger’s responsibilities
-Housing
-Department of Housing and Urban Development policies
-Urban distribution
-Justice Department
President’s schedule
-President and Patricia R. (“Pat”) Nixon’s 6:15 reception
Blacks’ concerns
-Administration contacts
-Office of Management and Budget
-Rumsfeld, Finch, Brown, Garment
-Henry M. (“Scoop”) Jackson
-Brown, Garment, Finch, Rumsfeld
19
NIXON PRESIDENTIAL MATERIALS STAFF
Tape Subject Log
(rev. 10/08)
-Shultz
-MacGregor
-Possible solutions
-Legislation
-Black Caucus’ meeting with President
-Purpose
-Possible follow-up
-Previous promises
-Possible future meetings with officials
-Political considerations
President’s 1948 election
Press briefing
[General conversation/Unintelligible]
The President, et al. left at 6:30 pm