Since I was dedicated to African American News & Issues’ milestone policy, I didn’t want to be sidetracked from researching for our upcoming tribute to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. by the overkill news coverage of a 93-year-old ex-president. Especially since MLK’s untimely Jan. 15, 1929 birth, eventful life, and April 4, 1968 death preceded President Gerald Ford’s 29 month (August 1974-January 1977) presidency.
My first thought was that Ford wasn’t part of MLK’s story, but once I listened to the “I Have A Dream” speech for the umpteenth time, it suddenly occurred to me that Ford ideally shared that dream for America (See Bud’s Eyeview), and did quite a few things to make it come true during his brief term as the 38th president. In fact, I think an overview of Ford’s civil rights involvement would be an ideal tribute for the 24th MLK Day observance.
The overview, which can be found in President Ford’s ’76 fact book, starts with his memorable quote from his 1974 inaugural address: “The United States Government, under the Constitution and the law, is committed to the guarantee of the fundamental rights of every American. My Administration will preserve these rights and work toward the elimination of all forms of discrimination against individuals on the basis of their race, color, religion, national origin, or sex.”
Thus did President Ford tell of his commitment to the preservation of the fundamental rights of all Americans. President Ford has a 25-year record of achievement in ending racial discrimination, beginning with his earliest service in the House of Representatives to the present. The President’s efforts to end racial discrimination are well-known. “Truth is, Ford’s administration was about healing the nation and for that reason he pardoned Richard Nixon who was forced to resign after the “watergate” scandal.” Throughout his years in Congress, then-Congressman Ford was active in formulating, and voted for every major piece of legislation aimed at ending discrimination based on race, from the Civil Rights Bills of the 1950s; to the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965; and extensions and strengthening of these and other Acts through the 1970s. In August, 1974, President Ford signed legislation amending the Voting Rights Act of 1965, extending the temporary provisions of the Act for seven years and expanding coverage of the Act to language-minority citizens.
And President Ford has carried out his beliefs in the American system of equal opportunity for all in his actions as well as in his words.
“Notables such as Secretary of Transportation William T. Coleman; John Calhoun, Special Assistant to the President; Arthur Fletcher, Deputy Assistant to the President for Urban Affairs; and Constance Newman, Assistant Secretary for Consumer Affairs, in the Department of Housing and Urban Development, lead the list of Black Americans appointed to positions of leadership and responsibility in President Ford’s Administration. In another recent action to fight more subtle discrimination against Americans, President Ford: Supported legislation to amend the Equal Credit Opportunity Act, which presently covers sex and marital status to include prohibition against any creditor discriminating on the basis of race, color religion, or national origin against any credit applicant in any aspect of a credit transaction.”
Truth is, Ford’s administration was about healing the nation and for that reason he pardoned Richard Nixon who was forced to resign after the “Watergate” scandal. It cost him the presidency, but in hindsight political astute African American voters realize that Nixon’s Republicans were responsible for the strongest affirmative action policies that opened so many doors for us. No, I’m not thinking about becoming a Republican. I vote independently. However, if you want to know which president did more to make MLK’s dream come true, check out Affirmative Action and Beyond: Blacks in Government that can be found in most public libraries. Happy Birthday Dr. Martin Luther King.
