Black Progress Is Still Lagging, Foundation Finds
NEW YORK (UPDÛÓDisadvantaged American blacks face an uncertain future in their struggle against discrimination, poverty, unemployment, poor housing, skimpy education and bad health care, Alan Pifer, president of the Carnegie Corp. of New York, reported yesterday.</br></br>Blacks still hold most of the dirtiest and the low-level jobs, and on the average make only 59 percent the earnings of whites despite the gains of the 1960s and the civil rights revolution, Pifer also said in the introductory essay in the philanthropic foundationÛªs annual report to be published Friday.</br></br>Reasons for the ÛÏletup in pi'essureÛ about a better deal for disadvantaged blacks, Pifer suggested, include ÛÏtwo administrations that assigned black progress a low priority.Û</br></br>The Carter administration has yet to demonstrate its effectiveness in promoting the interests of blacks, Pifer wrote. ÛÏWe have arrived at a moment in our history when both protest and conscience are dormant,Û he said.</br></br>ÛÏThere seems to be no one today, black or white capable of evoking anew the nationÛªs latent sense of conscience and mobilizing it into action.Û Pifer said black leaders seeking gains for blacks in this social and moral climate should aim their social justice efforts at building "a broad coalition of all disadvantaged groups in society-whites included." ÛÏFurther progress toward racial equality will depend as much on the amount of political and organizational power that such a coalition can generate as on the stirrings of the nation's conscience,Û he said.