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 mayor, city manager and other key officials were absent from this meeting, which was off-schedule from the July 4th holiday. Some new folks from the newly formed Chula Vista Human Relations Commission attended. The dialogue concerning the schools was continued, with topics ranging from drop-out rates, lack of motivation, the urgent need for Mexican-American teachers, staff, and administrators, and the infusion of minority history and culture into the curriculum. The San Diego schools were berated for what most perceived as token, inadequate attempts to approach serious problems. The schools blamed underachievement on parental apathy and poor home environment. Both minority and majority spokespersons accused the school board of being defensive, failing to take responsibility and to do its job. The Parent-Teacher Association and the Title I Advisory Committee were described as essentially being in the schools' pocket, and parents did not feel either of these organizations was effective in representing their concerns. The Mexican-American community organized the Southeast Citizens Ad Hoc Committee on Education, but the school administration was reluctant to get involved or to acknowledge them. The schools were considered to be an urgent matter, and dialogue was slated to continue at the next meeting. 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. The tape constitutes the minutes, but a summary is handwritten on 12 sheets of stenographic-notebook paper, with tape-recorder-counter numbers on the left (18-530) beside speakers' names, and comments, resolutions, motions, etc. on the right or across a page. There is some Gregg shorthand as well.