Ten O'Clock News; Landsmark press conference

[background chatter before press conference begins] [background chatter before press conference begins] [background chatter before press conference begins] [background chatter before press conference begins] [background chatter before press conference begins] Is Pat Morris in the house? Yeah. [background chatter before press conference begins] I, I understand that- Is Pat Morris in the house? Pat Morris is on her way. She has an urgent phone call I understand that there- [inaudible] any problem with the press I'm gonna have to put you out, okay? [inaudible] any kind

any kind, be put out. [inaudible] Fine. [Theodore Landsmark:] I understand there may be some problem with the press and union people. I want the union people to understand that I've done some union organizing and I want the non-union people to understand that this is in my judgment, well I want everyone to understand, that this is in my judgment an issue which is a little bit too large for us to be fighting over union questions right here and right now. I would expect you guys to resolve that among yourselves. But I want everyone to have an opportunity for this press conference to film it, and you folks work it out in the editing room or the cutting room or wherever else you're going to do it. But not here. I'm glad that you could all could come. I'm not really used to this kind of

publicity, although I guess I'm getting an awful lot of national and international publicity this week. I'm sorry that my voice is as nasal as it is but I hope that you'll bear with me on that. I'd like to read a brief statement and open myself up briefly for some questions. For some obvious reasons, I will not be able to be here for a very long time. I lost a fair amount of blood and I've been trying to rest for the past couple of days but I didn't want things to drag on for too long without making some sort of statement to you folks. I appreciate your being- I am making myself available to the media today despite the extent of my injuries. I might need to rest because I am deeply concerned that the drama of my being beaten in front of City Hall, and the response that that incident has elicited

may overshadow and distort certain issues which are critical in my judgment to Boston's future, and to the well-being of blacks and whites who live and work in Boston. These are issues to which I have devoted my life, and my work, and I am now as much injured by their distortion as by my physical assault- as from the physical assault which I incurred this past Monday. First, I wish to make a few comments about the attack itself. For the most part the sequence of events has been recorded accurately. I was on my way to an Affirmative Action Liaison Committee meeting with the Boston Redevelopment Authority to discuss certain construction contracts which are about to be lent in the South End of Boston. I was taken by surprise and I was beaten and kicked by a

crowd of young people coming from an anti-busing rally at City Hall. It is not correct that Deputy Mayor Clarence "Jeep" Jones was on the scene with me and ran away. I greatly regret that Mr. Jones' actions have been misreported by certain of the wire services. I particularly regret any suggestion that he ran away because Jeep was the first person, and to my knowledge the only person, who left City Hall to come to my aid. Jeep escorted me to an ambulance. He spent the entire morning with me at the hospital, and only left when at my suggestion, I felt that his services were no longer needed. His leaving City Hall when he did was in my judgment an

extremely courageous act. Additionally, in face of the films which I reviewed this morning he appears to be about the only person who did leave City Hall to come out to my assistance as I staggered around City Hall Plaza. Secondly, I wish to make clear that I intend at this time to seek all legal courses of action to secure remedies that are available to me. I have consulted with attorneys and I intend to see that all those responsible for the violence of this nature are fully prosecuted. I intend to take such legal actions as are necessary. Pursuing both criminal and civil remedies against certain members of the Boston City Council and the

Boston School Committee to ensure that the Boston City Hall can no longer be used as a sanctuary for racism and a resource center for those who would incite and encourage racist violence and for those who would perpetuate the less dramatic but more effective day-to-day pattern of discrimination against people of color in Boston. Third, I want to express my appreciation for the many, many acts of kindness and courage which have been directed towards me as a result of my having been an object of this attack. It is encouraging to see a positive and constructive response coming from many persons in the black and white communities who have been silent for too long.

I would point out that such commitments, particularly from the white community, could have prevented much of the racial hostility in Boston had they been made meaningfully prior to the violence. I appreciate the strong and immediate response of the Black Caucus. I appreciate the strong support given to me by the board of directors of the Contractors Association of Boston, my employer, and by the Massachusetts Black Lawyers Association. I have been really very deeply touched by the kindness and what seems to be a very genuine concern of individuals who have called me, some as far away as San Francisco, from all over the country. I also want to express my thanks to the news photographers and TV cameramen on the scene who held their ground and kept

the camera steady in the face of a lot of confusion and danger. I should note as a sidelight that I've done some photojournalism myself and I know that what you folks did was very difficult. Of course, I wish that someone as a simple act of humanity had come to help me. But I do not know whether that was really possible. I do know that without the photographic record that those of you in the media established, it would be highly improbable that a remedy would be available to me and the incident would have ended up being recorded as just another scuffle on the streets of City Hall Plaza. I've worked for a number of years on economic and social development issues in communities of color and other economically depressed areas throughout the East Coast. Racism is the apparent direct cause of Monday's unprovoked attack on me.

But such racism has been fueled by in my judgement selfish political leaders who've been unable or unwilling to address themselves much more seriously to the hard core economic and social problems Boston faces. We continue to need jobs and housing and high-quality education and human decency for all the people of Boston. I will continue to work towards those ends. Retaliatory violence will not solve these problems. But continued work by those of us in communities of color to strengthen our communities will. We have now the economic and the political strength to come to solutions for these problems. And Monday's

attack, in my mind, only serves to underline the necessity of our using our economic and political strength to better social benefit for all of us. I think it unfortunate that the attack on me is already being used by some people for their own narrow ends and justifications. The issue goes far beyond safety in the streets. We cannot solve complex problems with simplistic solutions or with emotional overreactions. My first thoughts when I got to my feet in City Hall Plaza and I saw Jeep Jones were to get to the Mayor to discuss matters of affirmative action in city contracting which seriously need his attention. You will note as you review those films that I stood up and kept on my way in toward City Hall. Because it was clear to me is what my

purpose for being at City Hall was on Monday. While I do not agree with the statement that I understand Mr. [inaudible] of the Department of Justice has made that this is an isolated incident, I do feel that the issue of safety is only a small part of the problem. We must avoid being exploited and having this act of violence exploited, to distract attention from the complex and extremely urgent problem of the life of this city and the lives of black and white people and all colored peoples in this city. Safety is not the issue. Busing is not the issue. The issue involves the participation of citizens of color in all levels of business and government that affect the life of this city. And by that I mean participation on

an equal basis, and not just as human rights officers, and affirmative action officers, and not just as shields to cover white- the white power structure's indifference towards communities of color. The issue of racism must no longer be subordinated in this city. Federal, State and local officials must act now to enforce all of the law. By that I mean, not just the law with respect to safety, but all the body of civil rights and affirmative action law which effects programs in this city. Business, both of color and white, and government must start to work now purposefully to create a sound economic environment of the- within the communities in which citizens of color now live and work. That includes City Hall Plaza. The Liaison Committee that I was on my way to participate in at City Hall

is one example of contractors and community citizens and government officials, of color and white, working together effectively to increase minority participation in city construction projects and to resolve mutual problems and to provide ultimate benefits to all the people of Boston. My legal actions now are inevitably tied to the purpose of my presence in City Hall Plaza last Monday. While I have been hurt and wronged personally by the attack, it is people of color and humanity everywhere who will benefit from a satisfactory resolution of Boston's problems. Thank you. [Reporter] You say you're going to take all possible legal action available to you

particularly against city officials who you feel created this atmosphere in the city that led to your attack. Can you name names or exactly what kind of legal action? Federal court? [Landsmark] I'm reluctant to name names now because I am a potential plaintiff in several lawsuits. I don't think that anyone would want to prejudice those lawsuits at the- at this time. [Reporter] Obviously when you refer to City Hall being used as a sanctuary are you referring to City Council President Louise Day Hicks who invited these students into her chamber? [Landsmark] I won't comment on that other than the comment that I think was very aptly made this morning by the editorialist of the Boston Globe. The kids who beat me up as far as we could tell, and as far as the Globe suggested in its editorial this morning -- I don't know whether I should rely upon that as truth or not but -- The people who beat me up were people who were violating the truancy law. They were marching on City Hall Plaza without a parade permit.

They were invited in ostensibly to get out of the cold on what has been one of the warmest days in recent history in Boston after a very long winter. And they marched out of the Plaza into an area where there were a number of policeman, most of whom as far as we could tell didn't get to me until after the attack occurred. Now. I'm not going to make any judgments on any of that. I think the courts will make whatever judgments have to be made. And as I say I'm very reluctant to name any- [break in recording] I'm not a policeman, I do not know how they would generally deploy their police to control an unlicensed parade, and I think that the courts will make whatever judgements they may make should the police be brought into the matter. [Reporter] Mr. Landsmark, the Black Caucus yesterday called for the resignation of Mayor White. Do you support them on that? [Landsmark] I think that the Black Caucus is working to attempt

to get from Mayor White a level of leadership on problems of affirmative action, busing, employment, and other areas was- this statement is a step in that direction. [Reporter] Better leadership from the mayor is what you're talking about? [Landsmark] Better leadership from the mayor's office, yes. [Reporter] What's been the impact around the world of the photographs and the reports of this incident? [Landsmark] Well I'll tell you, I wish I could go around the world right now to check it out. [Laughter] But, in a more serious vein I've got calls from from Washington and Dayton, Ohio and Oakland and San Francisco, by and large people are appalled. I'm appalled. I gather leaders of the city of Boston are appalled. There doesn't seem to be much of a difference in people's reactions outside of Boston really. [Reporter] Do you think that- is there any formula any way that you feel that the people of this city can get together and work out

something that could prevent another incident? [Landsmark] Well I think I do think that there are a number of concrete programs that can be implemented at this moment but I don't think a press conference here and now is the place to discuss those programs. Those are among the things I plan to- to talk to the mayor about. It's also the case that I have a meeting with with Senator Brooke next Monday and I expect that he and I will talk about the same things. I don't plan to.