IDENTIFICATION OF BLACKS INTERESTED IN AGENCY PROFESSIONAL EMPLOYMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-05939A000200070021-8
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 15, 2005
• Sequence Number: 21
• Publication Date: March 8, 1973
• Content Type: MF

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CONFIDENTIAL'
8 March 1973
MEMORANDUM FOK: Assistant Deputy Director for Intelligence
Identification of Blacks Interested in Agency
Professional Employment
1. On 28 February 1973, I contacted Henry G. Parks, Jr.,
President of Parks Sausage Company, Baltimore, Maryland. He
is one of Baltimore's leading figures and has achieved national
recognition as a successful black businessman. Mr. Parks is
also a vice president of Tuesday Publications and a member of
the Board of the National Urban League, as well as a member of
a number of other black civic organizations.
2. I net Mr. Parks a couple of years ago at a Brookings
Institution course for Government executives and h impressed:
.p~wiahs...insight into the problems of minority groups and
especially with his thoughts on practical solutions to these
problems. At the outset of my visit with Mr. Parks, I made it
clear that I was there representing myself, not the Agency. 14r
purpose in contacting his at this time was to seek his advice
on how.to interest qualified blacks in Agency employment since
the major problem in fulfilling the objectives of the Agency
Equal Employment Opportunity Program lies in the extremely small
number of minority group members currently employed. Mr. Parks
faced and solved a similar problem within his own company. Even
though black-owned, his company-is part of US industry and, to
blacks, US industry, like the Federal Government, represents
the white Establishment. After an initial hesitation to my
question, Mr. Parks spent the next hour discussing the nature of
the basic problem and,how, in his opinion, the Agency can overcome
this problem.
3. According to Mr. Parks, currently there are two counter-
acting forces to successful Agency recruitment of blacks. Politics
aside, the Administration's policy regarding. poverty programs has
increased resentment towards the Federal Government. On the other
hand, many blacks who did accept employment in large industries
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SUBJECT: Identification of Blacks .Iaterin Agency,;
and have been working there for some time are, bumping into ceilings
and are now looking for employment elsewhere. By way of example,
Mr. Parks said that he recently hired two.blacks holding M.A. degrees
from the Harvard Business School. Both of these men previously
worked for a large chemical company. A year ago, he could not have
attracted personnel of this calibre to his company.
4. For successful Agency recruitment of blacks, Mr. Parks
feels that it will take a qualified-black to recruit black profes-
sionals. His experience has indicated that it takes a black to,
communicate with another black because no outsider to the black
community, i.e. no white man, can really understand the black
community. Mr. Parks himself, despite his wealth and stature, has
continued to live in the center of Baltimore's black ghetto in
order to maintain his understanding of his fellow blacks. Most
blacks will only believe other blacks with established credentials.
stated that thiss probably not unlike the. CIA where only.a
a.x,sue:.:: ten:>-gin _ ~?as :,- -
5. Mr. Parks recommended the utilization of national black
a. Vernon Jordon, Executive Director
National Urban League (NUL)
55 East 52nd Street
New York, N. Y. 10022
Area Code 212, 751-0300; and
b. `Rev. Leon H. Sullivan
Opportunities Industrialization Center (OIC)
Scott Plaza
Post Office Box 9009
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19,113
Area Code 215, 724-2000.
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PnPr-*?nr_t?T! 41
leadership as the chief means to overcomthg black anti-Establishment
attitudes and sensitivities in any Agency effort to recruit-black
professionals. He feels that the Agency should contact and enlist
the support of such national leaders as:
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8UB ECT Identification of Blacks Intsfested iu ~lgenc
Professional Employment
keyed program and that it might be started by providing one of the
.publications with an interesting, previously unpublished article
on the Agency.
B. In summary, Mr. Parks strongly favors a national approach
by the Agency as opposed to local community contacts. He believes
that a one-to-one personal contact by Agency personnel with a
friendly black academician or businessman might prove successful
W. Leonard Evans, Jr., President and Editor, Tuesday Publications,
Inc., on two occasions regarding another Agency interest and he
was cooperative.) Mr. Parks emphasized that this should be a low-
Chicago,-Illinois. DC3 has contacted
Tuesday magazines and, although he stated that he a never inter-
er n the publication policy of the latter, he inferred that
he would consider this on our behalf. Tuesday and Tuesday at Home
are published by Tuesday Publications, nc., 6 25 Michigan Avenue,
media, puolicatilons sucn as osl VauLI V . n aa.-.+u.v. ? ~ -??~ --- ---+
magazine, and newspaper supplements such as aes. ay at Home,
could carry articles projecting a favorable Agency image into
the black community. He specifically recommended Ebony and
explain why.`
7. Black news media should also be enlisted to assist in
".. _.....++ ?nnnw.iinu to Mr- Parks_ The trusted bllack_ news. ,
extremely influential and trusted within black circles and that'
they could be helpful in formulating and operating a program
to get the black community to respond to Agency personnel needs.
Although not its primary purpose, the NUL does work.in job
placement of blacks. His first recommendation would be Vernon
Jordon because the NUL has been in business longer and has a
larger, more active network throughout'the US. It is Mr. Parks'
opinion that if a ranking Agency official could convince
Mr. Jordon of the Agency's sincerity and then provide the neces-
sary job descriptions, the NUL could identify all. the prospects
the Agency needs. Mr. Parks commented further that only one
of the organizations should be enlisted to help out. He dia not
6. Mr. Parks contends that these national leaders are
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t! N n rIr 77 N 'I A.
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: ,Identification ipflaks, Inters
Professional Employment
on occasion, but that this type of approach would not be productive
in the long term. He believes that the Agency should involve
national black leadership and black news media, but that it will
require a good salesman to enlist their aid. He concluded Ly
stating that he himself would assist us in any way possible.
9. 'I believe DCS should be included in any action that may
be taken with regard to Mr. Parks' recommendations. Due to the
nature of DCS activities and also due to previous DCS contact with
black leaders, I believe that DCS could be of assistance. to the
Agency in this type of effort.
25PC1
25X1
1
JAMES
y/
Domestic `'C'ontact Service
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Attachment: ODpy of Tuesday at-Home
Dist.rjbution:
Orl.g & 1 - ADDI
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