State Government Oral History Program

California State Archives State Government Oral History Program Volume 1 Oral History Interview with MERVYN M. DYMALLY United States Congressman, 1981-1992 Lieutenant Governor, 1975-1979 California State Senator, 1967-1975 California State Assemblyman, 1963-1967 December 21, 1996, January 4, February 8, March 3, April 5, 12, 26, June 7, 14, 21, 24, July 2, 7, 17, 23, August 8, 11, 1997 Los Angeles, California By Elston L. Carr Oral History Program University of California, Los Angeles RESTRICTIONS ON THIS INTERVIEW None. .LITERARY RIGHTS AND QUOTATION This manuscript is hereby made available for research purposes only. No part of the manuscript may be quoted for publication without the written permission of the California State Archivist or the Head, Department of Special Collections, Charles E. Young Research Library, UCLA. Requests for permission to quote for publication should be addressed to: California State Archives 1020 O Street, Room 130 Sacramento, CA 94814 or Department of Special Collections Charles E. Young Research Library P.O. Box 951575 UCLA Los Angeles, CA 90095-1575 The request should include identification of the specific passages and identification of the user. It is recommended that this oral history be cited as follows: Mervyn M. Dymally, Oral History Interview, Conducted 1996 and 1997 by Elston L. Carr, UCLA Oral History Program, for the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program. California State Archives Infonnation (916)653-7715 Bill Jones 1020 O Street Administrative Fax (916)653-7134 Secretary of State Sacramento, CA 95814 Reference (91^653-2246 PREFACE On September 25, 1985, Governor George Deukmejian signed into law A.B. 2104 (Chapter 965 of the Statutes of 1985). This legislation established, under the administration of the California State Archives, a State Government Oral History Program "to provide through the use of oral history a continuing documentation of state policy development as reflected in California's legislative and executive history." The following interview is one of a series of oral histories undertaken for inclusion in the state program. These interviews offer insights into the actual workings of both the legislative and executive processes and policy mechanisms. They also offer an increased understanding of the men and women who create legislation and implement state policy. Further, they provide an overview of issue development in California state government and of how both the legislative and executive branches of government deal with issues and problems facing the state. Interviewees are chosen primarily on the basis of their contributions to and influence on the policy process of the state of California. They include members of the legislative and executive branches of the state government as well as legislative staff, advocates, members of the media, and other people who played significarit roles in specific issue areas of major and continuing importance to California. By authorizing the California State Archives to work cooperatively with oral history units at California colleges and universities to conduct interviews, this program is structured to take advantage of the resources and expertise in oral history available through California's several institutionally based programs. Participating as cooperation institutions in the State Government Oral History Program are: Oral History Program History Department California State University, Fullerton Oral History Program Center for California Studies California State University, Sacramento Oral History Program Claremont Graduate School Regional Oral History Office The Bancroft Library University of California, Berkeley Oral History Program University of California, Los Angeles The establishment of the California State Archives State Government Oral History Program marks one of the most significant commitments made by any state toward the preservation and documentation of its governmental his tory. It supplements the often fragmentary historical written record by adding an organized primary source, enriching the historical information available on given topics and allowing for more thorough historical analysis As such, the program, through the preservation and publi cation of interviews such as the one which follows, will be of lasting value to current and future generations of scholars, citizens, and leaders. John F. Burns State Archivist July 27, 1988 This interview is printed on acid-free paper. TABLE OF CONTENTS VOLUME 1 INTERVIEW HISTORY i BIOGRAPHICAL SUMMARY iv SESSION 1, December 21, 1996 [Tape 1, Side A] 1 Family's religious background--Helps fund building of mosque in Bonasse, Trinidad—Family background—Childhood in Trinidad--Early education—Works for Oilfields Workers Trade Union newspaper, the Vanguard—Applies to Lincoln University in Missouri in 1946—Race and class issues in Trinidad--Reasons Dymally decided to immigrate to the United States—The impact of the oil workers union upon the political structure in Trinidad--Siblings—Teachers who influenced Dymally—More on class and race in Trinidad— Trinidadians' perception of blacks in the United States—More on applying to Lincoln University— Works at various jobs and attends chiropractic school—Moves to Illinois and works for Reynolds Aluminum Company—More on reasons Dymally decided to immigrate to the United States. [Tape 1, Side B] 31 Limited opportunities for work and social advancement in Trinidad--Reads a biography of Booker T. Washington—Working at Cannon Electric— Traveling from Trinidad to Lincoln, Missouri— Decision to move to California and attend Chapman College—Develops a philosophy regarding work and success--Attends California State University, Los Angeles--Joins the fraternity Kappa Alpha Psi— Thomas Bradley—Kappa Alpha Psi provides black students the opportunity to socialize—Decides to pursue a teaching career—Organizes a Young Democrats club—Becomes treasurer of the Young Democrats—Meets Jesse M. Unruh—Campaigns for John F. Kennedy—Works as a substitute teacher in addition to working at Cannon Electric—Joins the American Federation of Teachers. [Tape 2, Side A] 64 Decision to run for Augustus F. Hawkinses seat in the California State Assembly—Opponents back Hawkins's brother, Edward A. Hawkins--Campaigning for the Fifty-third Assembly District seat-- Marriage to first wife, Amentha Dymally--The developing West Indian community in southern California in the fifties. SESSION 2, January 4, 1997 [Tape 3, Side A] 74 Reasons for becoming politically active—More on working as a substitute teacher in addition to working at Cannon Electric—Lack of opportunities for blacks to become politically active—More on organizing a Young Democrats club—Congress of Racial Equality's political involvement— Divisions within the Young Democrats—More on becoming treasurer of the Young Democrats-- Blacks' unwillingness to support John F. Kennedy's presidential campaign—Willard Murray— Adam Clayton Powell Jr.—Circulating the restrictive covenant that Vice President Richard M. Nixon had signed—Augustus Hawkins—More on joining the American Federation of Teachers— Gaining black support for Kennedy—Meeting politicians while working for the California Disaster Office—More on Dymally's decision to run for Hawkins's seat in the assembly— Campaigning for office--Conflict between Dymally's support for Jesse Unruh and his support of the California Democratic Council (CDC)—The CDC's stand on civil rights issues. [Tape 3, Side B] 108 The Conunit:"tee for Fair Representation—Gaining support in the 1962 campaign for the Fifty-third Assembly District—Using the sample ballot as a campaign tool—Unruh provides financial support for Dymally's campaign—Strategies for gaining campaign supporters—George Putnam publicly announces that Dymally is a Black Muslim—The United Civil Rights Committee—Raising and distributing campaign funds for Democratic candidates during the sixties—More on Unruh's financial support of Dymally's campaign— Candidates for the Democratic nomination for the Fifty-third Assembly District—Wins 1962 election to the assembly—Roots of the black-Jewish coalition—Black Muslims--Dymally's enthusiasm for politics—Dymally is criticized for collecting per diem—Newspapers target black politicians for criticism—Dymally is criticized for being outspoken—Dymally's early political naivete—Allies during the time Dymally was in the assembly—Relationship with Unruh. SESSION 3, February 8, 1997 [Tape 4, Side A] 144 Dymally's zeal to overcome discrimination in the sixties—Contrast between Dymally and other black politicians in the early sixties—Frustration over not being asked to participate on the California Governor's Commission on the Los Angeles Riots (McCone Commission)—Dymally's service on committees during his early years in the assembly--Carries collective bargaining legislation--Introduces legislation to help disabled children and to teach black history in the public schools—Discrimination against black teachers during the sixties--Impact of the John F. Kennedy assassination upon the Democratic party and the black community--Struggle between the CDC and the California Democratic State Central Committee—Question of whether Jesse Unruh and Edmund G. "Pat" Brown Sr. agreed that Brown would not run for a third term—The Kennedys* response to Richard M. Nixon's 1962 campaign—The Democrats lose the assembly in California—Changes in reimbursement and staffing for assembly members in the early sixties--Role of the field office—Dymally's 1964 campaign--His goals upon

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