Description

One of CIC's primary activities was to hold biweekly meetings called "community dialogues" to discuss broad issues such as racism, police sensitivity, education, and employment discrimination within the city of San Diego. The meetings were moderated by CIC Executive Director Carroll Waymon, and his voice is often the first one heard in the audio recordings of the meetings. In this session, group members focused on several area and service-based issues within San Diego's public transportation system. These issues were further complicated by reports that the distribution of newer equipment and routes was racially motivated to benefit the white majority, and by criticisms of racial bias in its hiring policy. It was agreed that the greatest obstacle in this situation was how to balance the concerns of minorities in terms of greater quality of service and availability of opportunity, and the likely costs, political maneuvering, and public persuasion which would be needed to overcome resistance and dissent. A major point of contention for many San Diegans lay in the fact that most bus drivers and commissioners were white, while most busboys and other jobs of menial skill and low pay were offered to members of minorities. African Americans in particular viewed the hiring qualifications with considerable criticism, likewise the disparity in the number of bus routes and newer equipment in minority neighborhoods than in areas populated by whites. Of the proposed solutions, one was a comprehensive investigation of hiring procedure at the public transport department. Another was to point out conscious or unconscious racially biased behavior where it was discovered, and to ensure a more thorough education on the issues by public figures, who were sere accused of broadcasting damaging misinformation to the public. The group agreed to continue discussing the topic of public transportation at the next meeting.