A section of the Declaration of
American Women approved at last
weekend's National Women's
Conference reads, Man made
barriers, laws, social
customs and prejudices
continue to keep a majority of women
in an inferior position without
full control of their lives and
bodies.
If that is true, then it applies
doubly to minority women
discriminated against because of the
color of their skin as well as their
gender.
These women often have the most
difficulty finding and keeping a
job, obtaining education
and affording clean houses or
apartments.
And until recently, most have
resigned themselves to a life below
that of their potential.
Many lacked a political power or
knowledge required to make lawmakers
listen, and political groups often
did not address the problems of
minority women.
But delegates at the National
Women's Conference in Houston said
things are changing largely
because some women have risen above
the constraints, have talked about
them and have encouraged others
to follow.
The easy comfort of Eddie Bernice
Johnson's large office belies her
struggle to get there as
the principal regional director of
the Dallas Office of Health,
Education and Welfare.
She has now accepted and admired.
But when she moved to Dallas 20
years ago, she could not shop,
eat or use the restrooms in
most downtown stores and offices.
Johnson says she experienced so much
discrimination because of her skin
color that she did not even realize
she was also being discriminated
against because of her sex until
years later.
The problems minority women must
confront today are not as obvious as
to water fountains marked white and
colored.
But Johnson says they are just as
oppressive.
Well, for the most part.
For example, we are at the lowest
paying scale.
We have the highest percentage of
women in the workforce.
We have the highest percentage of
women that are single hellholes,
single heads of households.
We have the most children
who are not adopted.
Minority women are faced
with deportation.
This is more, much more common, I
think, with the Mexican
nationals where children
have been born in this country and
those children, American born
children, are faced with the
possibility of their mothers being
deported.
There is a language barrier among
minority women, basically
the Spanish speaking, but also
with the black women, because no one
has bothered to help
us preserve our culture.
They have insisted that we
join the so-called American
culture.
Therefore, we need also bilingual
education. We need a special
emphasis on English.
While we are having difficulty
passing test because of vocabulary,
nobody would pass our test
because the vocabulary
and we don't feel
that just
because our cultural vocabulary
might be different, that it's wrong.
It's just not understood.
So the middle class white American
who puts the test together is not
considered black.
And so we always make less
scores than anyone else.
We still are the last
hired and the first fired.
And that's a reality.
It's not just a cliche.
Does that exist even even despite
government regulations saying
that, you know, there must be equal
opportunity for all non
discrimination against race or
sectors that still exist?
Yes, it still exists.
Johnson says discrimination exists
despite federal equal opportunity
laws, laws that she helps enforce
from her federal office.
Groups must work together to change
attitudes before laws can accomplish
what they mandate, says Johnson.
So she has become active in women's
groups. And last weekend, she
traveled to Houston to join almost
400 other minority women as
delegates to the National Women's
Conference as minority
women mingle with women from
throughout America.
At the opening ceremonies, many
were apprehensive.
As one said, when the feminist
movement began, it involved only
white, middle class women who had
time to attend meetings and talk
about equality.
Others were too busy feeding
families or keeping jobs to worry
about equal pay, educational
opportunities and the Equal Rights
Amendment.
Minorities often thought they were
being exploited when invited to
feminist rallies used as token
representatives so the white leaders
could claim diversity
from. Some did venture to those
rallies. The women rarely talked
about the everyday practical
problems that concern minority
women.
Several blacks and Chicanos have
been reluctant to attend the
National Women's Conference, saying
it would be more of the same.
One black Texan said she spent hours
persuading friends to allow their
names to be considered for
nomination as delegates.
Those who did attend brought special
interest, as well as common concerns
to Houston with them.
Some were convinced this conference
would be different, that organizers
were making an honest attempt to
recognize the problems of all women.
Others were not sure,
but all were encouraged by the words
of Houston Congresswoman Barbara
Jordan at the first official
session.
Jordan set the tone for the meeting
as she acknowledged a unity the
women could achieve without denying
individuality.
The differences among those
at this conference cannot
and should not be ignored.
They are racial.
The differences economic,
cultural, social,
political, ideological
differences.
All Van.
The delegates to this conference.
Ah, apriori,
not of a single mind.
We should not be of a single
mind.
No one person,
no one person
and no sub-group at this
conference has
the right answer.
Wonder Woman is not a delegate here.
The bionic woman is not here,
the.
American representatives
are here to try
to work through the
problems of this conference.
Of course, we will debate.
Of course we will differ.
We will plead and placate.
We will make points of order and
overall points of order.
We will persuade and dissuade.
And when the debate becomes heated,
I hope you will remember
Lyndon Johnson's invocation
of Eisenhower's invocation.
Cumnor,
let us reason together.
Jordan and the other leaders urged
the women to discuss their problems,
most were not new.
What was new was the opportunity for
minority women to become a fully
participating part of the process.
Several Texas minority delegates
said for the first time they felt
their views were important or even
essential to the success of the
entire women's movement.
26 proposed resolutions included
recommendations for improved
legislation on welfare, health
and employment.
But the minority women were
encouraged to write their own
resolution about action necessary
to improve minority problems.
And they did.
The four page final resolution began
minority women's share with all
women the experience of sexism
as a barrier to their full rights of
citizenship.
But institutionalized bias based
on race, language, culture
and or ethnic origin have
led to the additional oppression and
exclusion of minority women
and to the conditions of poverty
from which they disproportionately
suffer.
Therefore, every level of government
action should recognize and remedy
this double discrimination and
ensure the right of each individual
to self-determination.
The resolution went on to suggest
specific remedies, including
citizenship provisions for mothers
with American born children, action
to reduce the unemployment crisis
and federal funds to help housing
problems.
Each woman had a special concern for
problems affecting her and
her stellar silliness.
The most joyous moment at the
conference was when the minority
women included a clause asking for
legislation to provide better
opportunities for migrant farm
workers.
Well, I feel that the Chugunov
female farm worker is at the bottom
of the socioeconomic scale
she has. I feel that she has the
worst conditions because she has to
work out in the fields where there
are no restrooms.
There are there are no really good
drinking facilities.
Many times they do not have water
out there. Many times when water is
provided, they all have to drink
from the same from the same cup.
And as we all know, that's very,
very unsanitary.
Many of our women have to work
out in the fields when they're
pregnant. We there's also
the problem that we have a lot of
youngsters working out in the fields
when they should be working.
I'm an educator by profession, and
many times when I visited in the
school rooms, a lot of the children
are absent and many times they are
absent because they're working out
in the fields or because they're
there. But the mother did not have
anyone to leave them with, so they
take their kids out into the field.
So Linda's recommendation to improve
opportunities for farm workers was
incorporated and the resolution
was presented to the almost 2000
delegates at the conference.
Perhaps the most emotional minutes
of the four day convention came when
delegates overwhelmingly approved
the resolution written by and for
minority women.
As women of all ages and races
embraced, tears came to the eyes
of many observers and voices
spontaneously joined in a victory
song.
I felt a great deal of emotion.
I saw lots of other tears and it was
a very, very
emotional experience for me at that
point.
I think it was the very first time
that black women felt a true part
of the whole women's movement and
felt at that moment
that their points
and their individual kinds of
problems had been recognized
and had been accepted as a
legitimate part of the whole
movement.
And because in the past, I think
for the most part, black women felt
that they were only used to
legitimize the women's movement
just to show that there was a black
face and it was broad diversity, but
no real acceptance
and no real attention given
to what we considered real
priorities in order for us to have
any interest into the
total movement.
And it was a good feeling.
So for one moment, on one day,
there was the spiritual sense of a
common struggle.
But as a delegate said, just because
something is in writing does not
mean a guarantee is attached.
Conference resolutions will not end
discrimination against minority
women, but as almost all
agreed, they are a beginning.