The Reformer, October 20, 1968

              Beebee Challenges
Job Training Conference

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Notre Dame, October 11,
1968. "Job Development and
Training—New Directions
and Responsibilities" was
the title and subject of inten-
sive discussion at a recent
conference in our com-
munity. National figures who
are leaders in job develop-
ment were assembled to re-
late to the local business,
educational, and social or-
ganizations what the national
scene in this crucial area is
and what some of the existing
programs are doing to meet
the demands.

Leo C. Beebee, Executive
Vice Chairman, National Al-
liance of Businessmen,
keynoted the conference. He
expertly "said it like it is,"
he decisively confronted
each person present with one
simple challenge: Why are
you interested in those that
"can't quite make it?" He
asserted that if their motives
were selfish, if they were
at this conference because
someone told them to be
there or because they thought
it a matter of status, then
they were doomed to failure.
The keynoter sounded an
urgent plea for a new union
of business and government
to combat our social ills.
He suggested that business
and private industry set it-
self up as competition to
governmental agencies.

After the luncheon meet-

ing, a general session was
introduced by the Honorable
John Brademas, UJS. Repre-
sentative, 3rd District, who
turned the discussion over
to Dr. Grant Venn, Associate
Commissioner-Adult, Voca-
tional and Library Pro-
grams, U.S. Office of Educa-
tion. Dr. Venn outlined es-
pecially the Vocational
programs of our gov-
ernment.

The conference then split
into three workshops for a
closer look at the problem
from slightly different in-
volvements: Vocational Ed-
ucation; Business Involve-
ment; The Role of Govern-
ment.

Following the workshops
three separate panels at-
tempted to synthesize for the
members of the conference
what could be done on the
local level. Some specifics
were talked about, but there
was a great deal of frustra-
tion felt by all.

At the closing dinner ses-
sion, Honorable Stanley H„
Ruttenberg, Assistant Sec-
retary of Labor for Man-
power, Washington D.C., re-
viewed the manpower re-
training crisis of the Stude-
baker Nightmare and sug-
gested that South Bend gave
this country the lead in co-
ordinating National, State,
and Local resources to meet
(Continued on Page 8)

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Vol. 2, No. 6

130 South Walnut Street South Bend, Indiana 46625

October 20,1968

Urban League Begins Career Program

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A sixth grade career club program in progress at Kaley School. Left to right;
Mrs. Frances P. Dixon, Director of the Education Department at the Urban League;

n! homeroom president Jeff Patterson; sixth grade homeroom president
Barbara Shurn; Mrs. Gladys Earles, Cosmetologist; and Mr. Willie Lott, Barber.

The Fifth Dimension Rock "The Bend"



THE REFORMER Editor Don Land poses with THE
FIFTH DIMENSION star Florence LaRue following her
performance on Saturday at Stepan Center,

More Black A&	P Jobs In Chicago
After BreadbasI	ket Campaign

CHICAGO -The 14 week's
picketing of A&P food stores
has ended, as with food
chain's agreement to hire
more Negro workers and up-
grade qualified black em-
ployees.

The agreement was made
with Operation Bread-
basket, which has been lead-
ing a program of "economic
withdrawal against A&P",
while picketing certain A&P
stores.

The food chain agreed to
hire 268 more Negroes dur-
ing the next year and said
it would promote at least
20 black workers to execu-
tive and managerial posi-
tions.

A&P also atrreed to rehire
300 employees who had been
laid off because of reduced
business at some stores in
black areas.

The agreement was the
second made by A&P and
Breadbasket. A year ago,
a similar pact was made, but
Breadbasket officials char-
ged that it was broken by
A&P.

After the new agreement
was signed, the Rev. Jesse
L.Jackson, national Bread-
basket director, asserted
that the pact should be a
"sign to all companies who
profit from black consumers
that we are serious in our
pursuit of justice, dignity,

and the economic develop-
ment of the black com-
munity."

That more than 5,000
walking people "have free-
dom from colonial exploita-
tion is more important for
our souls than rest for our
weary bodies," he said.

"We were tired of A&P
taking profits from us, but
leaving only few jobs, poor
jobs, little business oppor-
tunity, and broken agree-
ments for us. Our walking
has shown A&P that they need
us, black consumers, and has
brought us to this table to
sign an agreement of mutual
respect for mutual in-
terests."

On Saturday, October 12th,
THE FIFTH DIMENSION,
one of the finest group of
singers today, appeared in
concert at Notre Dame's
Stepan Center.

The auditorium was fiHed
to capacity, with standing
room only. THE FIFTH DIM-
ENSION received a mighty
ovation from the audience
when they walked out on
stage.

They exhibited a most fas-
cinating performance that
made the audience caU for
more. THE FIFTH DIMEN-
SION sang all of their hit
records that put them among
the "cream of the crop"
in the entertainment field.
They sang Up, Up, and A way,
Stoned Soul Picnic, Land of
a Thousand Dances, and
many other hit songs.

THE FIFTH DIMENSION

is a unique group in pop
music because it appeals to
both Afro-Americans and
white audience. The group is
made up of five young Afro-
Americans, Florence, Mar-
ilyn, Bill, Lamonte, and Ron.
Each member of the group
is very talented and has his
or her own definite style of
singing.

When the group sing a soul
rocking song, you rock along
with them; when they sing a
sad song, you almost feel
like crying. THE FIFTH
DIMENSION closed the
Stephan Center concert in a
very big way. The group
brought members of the aud-
ience to dance with them
while the band grooved on.
We hope THE FIFTH
DIMENSION will keep head-
ing "Up, Up, and Away"
toward success.

NAACP DESIGNATES NOV. 3
ELECTION EMPHASIS DAY

NEW YORK. - Sunday,
Nov. 3, has been designated
National Election Emphasis
Day by the National Assoc-
iation for the Advancement

of Colored People. To ob-
serve the day, the last Sun-
day before the election, the
NAACP is calling upon
clergymen throughout the

The South Bend and St.
Joseph County Urban Lea-
gue through its Education
Director, Mrs. Frances P.
Dixon, began last week an
eight month career educa-
tion program for sixth grade
students in eight of the el-
ementary schools of the
South Bend Community
School Corporation.

According to Mrs. Dix-
on, the purpose of the pro-
gram is: "to help create
an awareness among the sub-
teenagers .. the importance
of preparing for a job."

The program relies on re-
source persons who visit
the sixth grade classes of
the schools on a rotating
basis. These occupational
representatives are from the
professional, technical and
trade fields. Persons are
scheduled to give talks on
art, barbering, broadcast-
ing, cosmetology, heating
systems and service, law en-
forcement, librarianship,
secretarial work, public
transportation, and the med-
ical professions of podiatry,
dentistry, and nursing.

On Monday, October 14th,
Mr. Ernest Ross, Industrial
Artist in the Advertising
Division of Kawneer, Inc.
in Elkhart, Indiana spoke on
art to Mrs. Eskridge's sixth
grade homeroom at Perley
School.

In the afternoon of the
same day, Mr. Willie Lott
of the House of Newbill on
West Washington Street, and
Mrs. Gladys Earles of 1010
North Twyckenham lectured
on barbering and cos-
metology, respectively, to
Mr. Jordan C. Grams sixth
grade class at Kaley School.

The for mat of the meetings
is the following: An Urban
League staff member or a
school counselor introduces
the sixth grade class presi-
dent and secretary. The
class officers, in turn, make
a five minute introduction of
the career representative or
representatives. The rep-
resentative (s) speak (s) a
total of fifteen minutes de-
fining the career, giving its
history, outlining the re-
quirements and training, and
offering some personal ex-
periences. He or she points
out advantages and disadvan-
tages of the career, and rec-

NAACP

Meeting

Monday

THE SOUTH BEND
BRANCH, N.A.A.C.P. WILL
HAVE ITS REGULAR MON-
THLY MEETING, MONDAY
EVENING OCT. 21, 1968 AT
7:30 P.M. AT THE SOUTH
BEND PUBLIC LIBRARY.

I country to urge members of
their congregations to go
to the polls and cast their
ballots in what Bishop Step-
hen G. S potts wood, chairman
of the NAACP Board of Di-
rectors, calls "the most
crucial election in this cen-
tury."

(Continued on Page 2)