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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/71642/archive/files/a5ac9ee743f804169907a6e9f3b907ca.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=Y0G74VEqh6ic3ZGwiROaEzlBMQD03T0kZgZOwnZxNS3YcPg-TiU7TahD1CpoVu0FEAXw7hr1VMSPFxuL6h1u-MYj53AxQIENMogx0H1SCzt0SBROqIYM7%7EQqhB5pfJVnGQAtIzvzIQC5Be12hclW7AnDsK2DICQpky07d9WUY33BODEpVI3LQlSX-8tMOpWwIv%7E0Rq3C779m8hbaT%7EC5PDjftXQx%7EZO6faMzp%7EjiSIZfZWZxaTBH2VB9gDWgq6dEkbngJy5cpV2w5lj%7ELR52rmc3YfZYCpD5TZf%7Ec5nX6eBSqG4MTC5uHRd7B%7EKKzNxRSgBKzu51RTSiUlc%7Em5pgyA__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
e607bbf5d77bc9ac19471d2477705aef
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Autobiographical writing
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
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Lining Up Harry Van Arsdale
I recently wrote a piece about Walter Kirschenbaum. It ended with my description of how Walter said he would call FDR Jr, the Chairman of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, to help me get a job, and how, as a result of his call, I was contacted for an interview. But what happened before and after that?
Before: When it was clear that my job at AFSCME was ending, I saw it as an opportunity to make the switch to Federal employment, and the most logical Federal employer for me was the newly created Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. I had a friend who was a Commissioner, Aileen Hernandez. And I had another friend who was on the staff as liaison between the AFL-CIO and EEOC, Walter Davis. And I had six years experience doing just the kind of work EEOC was supposed to do. So I called Aileen, we had lunch, and she told me she could do nothing. So I called Walter and he told me to submit my application, but he didn’t think he could be much help. I submitted my application, and waited.
After: After my chance meeting with Walter Kirschenbaum, which resulted in his calling Chairman FDR Jr., it was Walter Davis who called me at the Chairman’s request. He asked me to come in for a meeting. It was clear that Walter Kirschenbaum’s phone call got the ball rolling. I’m in! However, when I met with Walter Davis, he didn’t ask me about my experience. He knew all about it. He didn’t ask me what kind of job I want at EEOC. Instead, he asked me how well I knew Harry Van Arsdale, the President of the New York City AFL-CIO.
I was surprised by the question, but I shouldn’t have been. I was aware that most jobs are gotten by “who you know” not “what you know.” That is why I had called Aileen. In fact, it was because I knew Jerry Wurf that I got the job at AFSCME. (And it was because I knew Walter Kirschenbaum and Walter knew FDR Jr., that I was having this meeting.) I told Walter that I knew Harry, and Harry knew me, but as the person who staffed the New York City AFL-CIO Civil Rights Committee, I was a thorn in his side, a pain in his butt. “Well,” Walter said, “if you want a job at EEOC, it would be helpful if you get a recommendation from Harry.”
Since I wanted a job at EEOC, I got to work immediately. I knew both the NYC AFL-CIO Secretary, Moe Iushevitz, and Treasurer, Bill Bowe. I also knew several members of the NYC AFL-CIO Executive Committee. I called them, I wrote to them, and even made a trip to New York and met with a few of them. I explained that I had applied for a position with EEOC, and was told I needed a recommendation from Harry. Would they please ask Harry to give me a recommendation? Of course. That is not so much to ask. Sounded to me that it was in the bag.
I waited a few weeks, and made some follow-up calls. Did they speak to Harry? Yes, they did. What did he say? He didn’t say anything. Will he give me a recommendation? They didn’t know. It sounded strange. I called Walter Davis and asked about my status. He said he didn’t know. I called Personnel at EEOC and asked about my application. They had no information. Strange.
Having learned not to put all my eggs in one basket, I had made application to several other Federal agencies, including the US Commission on Civil Rights. In a conversation with my friend Ruth Stack, I mentioned that there seems to be a hold-up at EEOC, and I had applied for a position with the Civil Rights Commission. “Oh,” she said. “I know Sam Simmons who heads their Field Operation. I’ll speak to Sam.” “Thank you.” I replied.
Within a week, I received a call from Sam Simmons. I met with him. He looked over my resume. We had a long talk about my work experience. He told me he had an opening, he was interested in me, and would talk to Staff Director Bill Taylor. I met with Bill Taylor. My application was processed, I was offered the job in September 1965, and I accepted.
Several months later, I heard a rumor that Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr. was planning to leave EEOC and run for Governor of New York State. When you run for the Democratic nomination for Governor, it helps if you have lots of endorsements. One of the most valuable is the endorsement of the President of the NYC AFL-CIO. Aha! Now I know why Harry would not give me a recommendation. FDR Jr. would use it as an argument to get Harry’s endorsement. I gave your boy a job. It’s payback time. I would have been a pawn in FDR Jr,’s ambitions. If that isn’t ridiculous! In May 1966, FDR Jr. left EEOC and announced his candidacy for the Democratic nomination.
In September 1966, the Democrats nominated NYC Council President Frank O’Connor to run against the incumbent, Nelson Rockefeller. I think I know who Harry endorsed. Poor FDR Jr. did not get the Democratic party’s nomination. He did get the Liberal Party’s nomination, and I am sure he had Walter Kirschenbaum’s wholehearted support. In November, Rockefeller was reelected with over 2,690,000 votes. O’Connor got 2,298,000 votes, and FDR Jr. ended up with 507,000 votes.
I ended up on the staff of the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, for which I did not need Harry Van Arsdale’s endorsement. If FDR Jr. had gotten Harry’s endorsement, and gotten the Democratic nomination, he would have won the election. And I might have ended up with the EEOC.
11-10-11
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
application/msword
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Lining Up Harry Van Arsdale
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jacob Schlitt
Description
An account of the resource
"I recently wrote a piece about Walter Kirschenbaum."
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2011-11-10
Format
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application/msword
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Language
A language of the resource
en
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1964/1966
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Lining_Up_Harry_Van_Arsdale
AFSCME
Career
Civil Rights
EEOC
Labor Movement
Politics
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https://d1y502jg6fpugt.cloudfront.net/71642/archive/files/aa5da826b8e1cd7faed1b3047e9d94c6.pdf?Expires=1712793600&Signature=jNkUid-8-Ua4eyrV8HaxPOGGfFaZg6ZJ1WzcYtIaW26MIOmG-RnbOoYEcr-8eegRDTi91pcS8RQEYaOOru6bTLJTamiwixy-FwvU3K%7EKn19xL795-A4dDbrhJFitUFMWVZ8WqzM2QMdyEhBKXbX3QkkeDrVFho3faKK9MvHcX4qLX8Sl8kFq9aUDEHW1qnxe8%7E-UBOuIjig7GUR%7EUo3xPG7M4hPi6nYtr0eW7el-GpEYGIIU-e7tmY15gymQgyQAEJVd8J5FcOOrWfkCUXV%7E0u0QBtTEhSfWMAvup-KBgcxEyu8xt0wHsaYVUr7oCvs919by0bMYIRxZGMrKmpFodw__&Key-Pair-Id=K6UGZS9ZTDSZM
78441980f125606f2173f23ea7387041
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Autobiographical writing
Text
A resource consisting primarily of words for reading. Examples include books, letters, dissertations, poems, newspapers, articles, archives of mailing lists. Note that facsimiles or images of texts are still of the genre Text.
Text
Any textual data included in the document
WHAT TO LOOK FOR
IN MAKING APPOINTMENTS
Reading the NY Times November 25th I came upon Clyde Haberman’s
"NYC" column. Its head: "Naming a Senator Who Can Follow Clinton’s Tough Act." And its subhead: "A black Catholic lesbian would do nicely, especially one from upstate." Haberman wanted Governor Paterson "… to find a gay, black, Roman Catholic woman with a Latino surname…" My God, he was describing Aileen Hernandez!
I was transported back to Washington DC in the summer of 1965 and my lunch meeting with Aileen at the Mayflower Hotel. At the time, I was the Assistant Director of Education and Research for the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees and had begun to look for another job. Being in Washington, the logical place to look was the Federal government. And for me, the most logical Federal agency was the newly created Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. And who had just been named a Commissioner by Franklin D. Roosevelt, Jr., who had been named Chairman by Lyndon B. Johnson? My old friend from the ILGWU Training Institute, Aileen Clarke Hernandez.
Aileen and I were members of the first Institute class that ran from May 1950 through April 1951. When we were given our assignments after "graduation," Aileen went to Los Angeles where she worked as an organizer, and then the Education and Public Relations Director. I stayed in New York and worked as an organizer for Local 38, Custom Tailors and Alteration Workers. Eventually, we both left the ILGWU. I went to work for the Jewish Labor Committee, and Aileen went on to be the Deputy Chief of the California Division of Fair Employment Practices. And where I had married Sylvia in December 1951, Aileen married a garment cutter named Alfonso Hernandez in 1952, and divorced in 1961.
Now 14 years after the Training Institute, we were both in Washington. As is true of most luncheon meetings in Washington, the invitee is asking the invitor for a favor. I had done the inviting, and unbeknownst to Aileen, I was about to ask her to help me get a job with the EEOC. But first, I asked her how she got the appointment (which is what this piece is all about.)
Bright, attractive, knowledgeable Aileen, dismissed her appointment as the work of a computer. Apparently someone did for Lyndon B. Johnson and Franklin D. Roosevelt Jr. what Haberman suggested that Paterson do: "find a gay, black, Roman Catholic woman with a Latino surname…" However, at the time, gays had no clout and I don’t think Aileen had come out yet. But this is what she told me and I remember it as if it was yesterday: "They wanted a black female with labor and EEO experience, and the fact that I had a Spanish name also helped. I was black, I was female, I worked for the ILGWU and the California FEP. So I popped out of the computer and got the appointment.” I never knew Aileen's religion. Her parents were from Jamaica. Her father made artists' brushes and her mother had worked as a seamstress.
Aileen and I are still in touch. She lives in San Francisco, and for the past 40 years has headed her own consulting firm, Aileen C. Hernandez, Associates. She has struggled, as most of us have, with conflicting values and conflicting identities. Labor vs. race, gender vs. race, sexual orientation vs. everything. I never knew why she left EEOC. Did she think she could do better as a consultant? Aileen had been the Western Vice President of the National Organization for Women from 1967 to 1970. NOW didn't have too many black members. In 1970, Aileen was elected President, succeeding Betty Freidan. She resigned in 1971. She may have felt that NOW was using her to attract black women, but was doing nothing to address the concerns of black women or lesbians.
Oh yes. We had a wonderful lunch (I picked up the check) and we enjoyed catching up. However, she said she really couldn't help me get a job with EEOC.
Haberman ends his article insisting that Paterson comb upstate New York for a gay black Roman Catholic woman with a Latino surname and a Jewish connection. Sorry. Aileen doesn't live in upstate New York, but she has almost every other "qualification." But Paterson can do a lot worse.
11-27-08
It is January 26, and on January 21, the "top contender" for the Senate seat, vacated by Hilary Clinton, Caroline Kennedy, withdrew her name from consideration Gov. Paterson did pick up on Haberman's suggestion with regard to a female and an upstate New Yorker. I guess there wasn't a black Catholic lesbian around, so he named an unknown Congresswoman from upstate New York, Kirsten E. Gillibrand, and she will be New York's next Senator. Mazel Tov, Kirsten.
Original Format
The type of object, such as painting, sculpture, paper, photo, and additional data
application/msword
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
What to Look For in Making Appointments
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Jacob Schlitt
Description
An account of the resource
"Reading the NY Times November 25th I came upon Clyde Haberman’s 'NYC' column. Its head: 'Naming a Senator Who Can Follow Clinton’s Tough Act.' And its subhead: 'A black Catholic lesbian would do nicely, especially one from upstate.'"
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2008-11-27/2009-01-26
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
application/pdf
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
text
Language
A language of the resource
en
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
1950/2009
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
Aileen_Hernandez_&_Haberman
Activism
Civil Rights
EEOC
Friends
ILGWU
Race