"[NEA] did he same thing that Fisk is planning. You didn't hear much about them when they taking place. What did they accomplish? asks Walters. He suggests that instead of the head-on approach, the national discussion on race should focus on the issue fueling racial injustice -- the economy.
President Clinton in April announced that he plans to launch a race relations initiative during his second term. His efforts, however, may not yield the significant accomplishments other U.S. presidents made in the area of race relations during their administrations. White House officials said whatever form the Clinton initiative takes--a conference round-table discussions or a commission--it won't be designed to produce new government programs or policies. The purpose, says White House officials, is to spark a dialogue between the races.
"Lyndon Johnson had it right," says Walters of the president who, through federal programs and the passage of civil rights laws, "tried to enhance the material wealth of Blacks.... Johnson didn't talk much about race, but he was concerned with racial equity."
Whatever forum Clinton chooses, he must include "new and younger voices," says Winbush. For starters, he suggests people like rap artist Sistah Souliah, Congresswoman Maxine Waters and American Indian Movement founder Russell Means.
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