1

Player's Column

The New York Times reports that American Jewry sent over 9,000 telegram to the White House in one day, protesting the Carter Administration's position on the Middle East.

A spokesman is quoted as saying "We could have generated 50,000 telegrams if we really got wound up."

Its clear then that American Jews, boud to the ideal of a secure Israel by tradition, blood and religion, can easily outstrip any other group of ethnic American in a telegram sending contest.

Their abilities in this regard are to be admired, and serve as a good measuring stick by which to measure the power - or lack of it - of American Blacks.

The ability to influence government by telegram is not at issue here - what is at stake is the ability to mobilize large numbers of people, almost at a moment's notice, to put foward a particular point of view. Some groups in America - organized labor, the National Rifle Association and others - have this ability.

American Black people do not.

We don't because we've never developed any kind of national political mechanism responsible to - and responsible for - us.

There have been a variety of attempts made in years past by groups of Black politicians to put such a network together, but these have failed, largely because locally elected officials lack the national perspective such an organization requires. Instead, most of our office holders are concerned with parocial concerns, or more broadly, with taking from one section of the country resources to grant to another.

Increasingly, as Blacks join national professional and trade associations, like the several organizations of teachers and educators, and as they form strong Black caucuses in these organizations, sketchy networks have emerged.

This has been true of Black politicians as well, as primarily white groups like the National League of Cities and the National Conference of Mayors have given their Black members an excuse to meet each other.

In a similar vein, Black trade unionists and Black engineers and Black paratroopers have used white, national organization as handy umbrellas under which they can pull their scattered concerns together.

None of these organizations, however, fits the need, and none fits the description of a national, political pressure group.