House Unit’s Queries Draw Racism Charge
The head of the Civil Rights Commission accused a House subcommittee chairman of racism today for asking why more women and minorities were not appointed to the commission’s new state advisory panels.
“I heard a lot of racism in there today,” Clarence M. Pendleton Jr. told reporters after appearing before the Judiciary subcommittee on civil and constitutional rights.
Rep. Don Edwards (D-San Jose), the subcommittee chairman, who is white, repeatedly questioned Pendleton, who is black, about what he called “a noticeable decrease in the number of minorities and women” on the newly appointed State Advisory Committees.
Before the advisory committees were rechartered last year, there were 31 male chairmen and 20 females, including 15 whites, 7 Latinos, 2 Asians, 21 blacks and 6 American Indians.
The heads of the new panels now include 46 men and 4 women--36 whites, 9 blacks, 3 Latinos and 2 American Indians.
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