Box 15, Folder 1, Document 101

Box 15, Folder 1, Document 101

“Eraat

CITY HALL ATLANTA, GA. 30303
October ll, 1967 Tel, 522-4463 Area Code 404

IVAN ALLEN, JR., MAYOR

R, EARL LANDERS, Administrative Assistant
MRS. ANN M. MOSES, Executive Secretary
DAN E. SWEAT, JR., Director of Governmental Liaison

MEMORANDUM

To: Mayor Ivan Allen, Jr.
From: Dan Sweat

Subject: Organization of Local Urban Coalitions

A priority goal of the Steering Committee of the National
Urban Coalition is the establishment of strong local coalitions
in the 50 largest urban cities of the nation. This is, of
course, essential to the very life blood of any sustained
effort to develop a meaningful coalition which can speak

for urban America as a whole.

The direction taken by these local coalitions will depend upon
the individual city or urban area and the wishes of the local
leadership. We can safely predict they will take on a wide
variety of shapes and forms from city to city.

The more I analyze the alternatives to organization of a
coalition in Atlanta, the more I am convinced we already
have several single-purpose groups functioning in this
very capacity. I believe the identification of these groups
as our coalition might reduce or negate the requirement
for establishment of any other body, although I believe at
some point a leadership meeting should be held to explain
the Urban Coalition.
Mayor Allen
Page Two
October ll, 1967

Probably the best example of a local coalition organized to
_attack a particular problem area is the Board of Directors

of Economic Opportunity Atlanta, Inc. This group, originally
appointed by the governing authorities of the City of Atlanta

and Fulton County, and now operating under a non-profit
charter, clearly represents the six broad areas of Business,
Labor, Civil Rights, Education, Religion and Local Government,
which make up the national coalition. (A copy of the EOA Board
is attached. )

A second group organized around a single-purpose is the
Housing Resources Committee. (Copy of Committee Structure

attached. )

Other groups which would fall in this category would be the
Community Relations Commission, Atlanta Youth Council,
and the Citizens Advisory Committee on Urban Renewal.
(Copies of CRC, AYC and CACUR Board members attached. )

Each of these groups is organized to perform in an area of
primary concern to the national coalition; EOA - Poverty;
Housing Resources Committee - Low Income Housing;
Community Relations Commission - Civil Rights; CACUR -
Urban Redevelopment.

The final Model Cities Executive Board - Technical Advisory
Committee - Citizens Advisory Committee structure will provide
for another coalition of individuals and groups designed to
produce cooperative action in planning and implementing the
Model Cities Program. (Copies of proposed Board and
Committee Structure attached. )

It is readily apparent that no recognized local group is
established for the specific purpose of developing employ-
ment opportunities for the poor. While a large part of
EOA's program is designed to reduce unemployment and
Mayor Allen
Page Three
October ll, 1967

underemployment, no broadly-based organization currently
exists which can function in a capacity which will bear the
local responsibility for meeting the national Urban Coalition
goal of one million jobs for the poor. (This was the first
announced goal of the Urban Coalition. )

I believe, however, that a project in the works during the last
eighteen months by the City of Atlanta, EOA, the Community
Council, Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Sears-Roebuck
Foundation might have produced the mechanism for creation

of a coalition on employment opportunities.

This group has met informally at least once a month during
this time in an effort to produce a color slide presentation

on problems and opportunities for employment of the poor.
The Sears-Roebuck Foundation financed the employment of

a top advertising agency to assemble the materials and design
the presentation under the supervision of the informal group.

The presentation is now completed and Mr. Lucien Oliver of
Sears will, in the next three or four weeks, invite a select
group of key business executives to a luncheon to be exposed
to this production, He is expected to ask each of these
executives to sponsor luncheons for a wider group of business -
men in an effort to disseminate the information to as many
firms as possible.

The businessmen will also be encouraged to direct their
personnel management to become better informed on the
problems of unemployment and underemployment among the
poor and to investigate all possibilities for providing entry
level jobs for additional employees who lack skills and
training.
Mayor Allen
Page Four
October ll, 1967

This will fit perfectly into the scheme of the national coalition,
which is encouraging the top executives of the large national

firms to direct their plants throughout the country to do essentially
the same thing. (There has already been some definite response
to this program. I have had an indication from Sears and Ford
offices here that the word has already come from the top. ).

In view of the impending National Steering Committee Conference
on Employment here in November, I am encouraging the meeting
of the first group by Mr. Oliver be held in advance of the
Coalition. I believe this initial group should be considered

as the local coalition and worked into the National Conference.

I recommend that you ask Mr. Oliver to attend or send Dan
Garies or Bob Wood to the October 17 all-day meeting on
local coalitions in Chicago. I would also recommend that I
attend as your representative and that you ask Vernon Jordan
to represent us in the area of Civil Rights. Vernon is on loan
to the Urban Coalition staff and will be in attendance and is
more aware of what is going on than any other individual from

Atlanta.

I also would hope that at a very early date we can show you the
employment presentation and get your ideas on how we can
provide follow-up.

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