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From The Militant, Vol. 13 No. 8, 21 February 1949, p. 4.
Transcribed & marked up by Einde O’ Callaghan for the Encyclopaedia of Trotskyism On-Line (ETOL).
OAKLAND – Without any prior announcement, the Oakland City Council has taken the city FEPC ordinance off the ballot, where it had been placed for a decision by the voters in the coming municipal elections.
City Attorney John Collier offered the following legal pretext for this cowardly action: “There is much doubt as to the right of the council to submit to the electorate an ordinance under-these circumstances ... someone might bring this into court.”
The decision to place the FEPC issue on the ballot, made at the Council meeting of Jan. 6, was obviously a sop thrown to the tense, attentive crowd of more than 300 Negroes who jammed the Council chambers. The Council had voted five to four against the ordinance and to soften this blow they agreed, eight to one, to put the question up to the people of the city.
But the financial and political bosses of the city undoubtedly became alarmed at the prospect of a vigorous campaign over this explosive question, which would undoubtedly expose the whole scandal of Jim Grow in Oakland and put the finger on those responsible for it. That was why the City Council felt it had to prevent a direct vote on the issue by the people.
The FEPC fiasco is filled with important lessons for all opponents of discrimination in Oakland. First, the milk-and-water FEPC ordinance was limited to discrimination in city employment only, which considerably reduced the amount of support it would get.
Second, it was presented by Mayor Smith’s hand-picked “Civic Unity Committee.” When its spokesman was asked by a councilman if discrimination existed in city employment, he replied there was no discrimination – thus wiping out at one stroke the whole need for an anti-discrimination ordinance!
And finally, the four “progressive” councilmen voted unanimously with the reactionaries to take the FEPC ordinance off the ballot. This shows how little the liberals can be depended oil in the fight against discrimination.
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