Dr. Lehman L. Brightman On Civil Rights Complaint (KRON-TV)

KRON-TV news footage from January 5th 1972 at the American Indian Center on Valencia Street in San Francisco with reporter Bill Balleza featuring scenes from a press conference with Dr. Lehman L. Brightman (1930-2017), a Sioux and Creek American Indian who founded United Native Americans Inc. (UNA) in 1968. A coalition of American Indian organizations (UNA, the American Indian Center and All Tribes Halfway House) have just filed a formal civil rights complaint charging that the California Department of Human Resources Development (HRD) is not providing equal oppportunity employment rights to American Indians, despite being given $72 million in Federal funds in 1970-71 to train and hire minorities (currently only 36 of 12,169 state employees are American Indian). Dr. Brightman states: "When you accept Federal funds, you accept the qualifications that go with them. And the qualifications ... state that you will not discriminate against any minority group." This complaint is asking for a 5-fold increase in American Indian employees. Dr. Brightman also quotes a 1965 report which provides details on the relative education and employment opportunities for American Indians in California. Followed by an interview with a representative of HRD, who claims this issue is made more difficult by needing to find qualified applicants for these positions and emphasizes they are trying to improve things. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.