Wednesday, November 17, 1965: 'Stagflation'

A term coined in the late 1960s to describe the state of the economy at that time, that is, rising prices (inflation) accompanied by insufficient economic expansion (stagnation) and consequently increasing unemployment.

     -- From "Dictionary of Business and Economics" (Christine Ammer, Dean S. Ammer, 1986): @

The term was believed to have been coined by MP Iain Macleod during a debate on November 17, 1965 in Britain's House of Commons:

     We now have the biggest gap between productivity and earnings of any time in modern economic history. ... We now have the worst of both worlds -- not just inflation on the one side or stagnation on the other, but both of them together. We have a sort of "stagflation" situation and history in modern terms is indeed being made.

     -- From Hansard: @

* Entry from Investopedia: @

* "Theories of Stagflation" (Axel Leijonhufvud, UCLA, 1980): @
* "The Rise and Decline of Nations: Economic Growth, Stagflation, and Social Rigidities" (Mancur Olson, 1982): @
* "Monetary Policy and Stagflation in the UK" (Edward Nelson and Kalin Niklov, Bank of England, 2002): @ 

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Monday, June 28, 1965: 'It's What's Happening, Baby'

In this prime-time special on CBS, hosted by disc jockey Murray the K (Murray Kaufman), performers donate their time and talents to educate teenagers about the function of the U.S. Office of Economic Opportunity. ... In between segments, Murray the K and other entertainers comment on the various opportunities provided by the OEO and appeal to employers to help youths find work. (From The Paley Center for Media; link: @)

     -- TV listing from Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, June 28

     -- Image from Martha and the Vandellas' performance of "Nowhere to Run," filmed at Ford's Dearborn Assembly Plant (where the Mustang was built)

Note: As of this writing the entire show is available online. Start here with part 1; to the right are links to parts 2 and 3.

* "Experimental Show Aimed at Teenagers" (Associated Press, June 25): @

* "Hip Show Passes the Word" (United Press International, June 29): @

* "Antipoverty Film Called 'Shameful' " (Associated Press, June 30): @
* "Battle Against Poverty Has Been Beset By Controversy, Criticism, Complaint" (United Press International, July 15): @
* " 'It's What's Happening' did the job: 10,000 wrote" (Washington Afro-American, July 27): @

* Entry from The Murray the K Archives: @

* Entry from Ray Charles Video Museum: @

* Chapter by Norma Coates in "Music in Television: Channels of Listening" (Edited by James Deaville, 2011): @

* Excerpt from "The SAGE Handbook of Popular Music" (Edited by Andy Bennett and Steve Waksman, 2015): @ 

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Tuesday, May 18, 1965: Head Start

WASHINGTON -- President Johnson said Tuesday 530,000 of "poverty's children" will be given a head start in pre-school guidance centers so they won't already be doomed to fail because of family backgrounds when they start school. More than half the estimated one million disadvantaged children expected to start school next fall will take part in the first summer sessions of Project Head Start. ... The program calls for teaching the children things that most people take for granted. Some of the children have never seen a book, a flush toilet or electric lights. They also will receive medical and dental care.

     -- From Associated Press story: @

     -- 1965 photo, Buffalo, New York, by Milton Rogovin; from Library of Congress

* Johnson's remarks (American Presidency Project): @

* "U.S. Program for Children Set to Begin" (Associated Press, May 18): @
* Office of Head Start, Department of Health and Human Services: @

* National Head Start Association: @

* "Timeline: Head Start's Journey" (Education Week): @

* "Head Start: The War on Poverty goes to school" (EducationNext): @

* "Project Head Start to Help Needy Pre-School Children" (New York Times, March 9, 1965): @
* "Project 'Head Start' Helps Negro Tots" (Jet magazine, June 17, 1965): @
* "Let's Make 'Head Start' Regular Start" (Ebony magazine, September 1965): @
* "Operation Head Start" (1965 video by Goldsholl Associations for Chicago Public Schools; from Chicago Film Archives): @
* "Head Start" (1966 video, Office of Economic Opportunity; from www.criticalpast.com): @
* "Operation Head Start" (1967 video by Paul Burnford Productions for Office of Economic Opportunity): @
* "An Evaluation of Operation Head Start Bilingual Children, Summer, 1965" (Philip Montez, Foundation for Mexican-American Studies, August 1966): @ 
* "Head Start: The Inside Story of America's Most Successful Educational Experiment" (Edward Zigler and Susan Muenchow, 1992): @
* "Project Head Start: Models and Strategies for the Twenty-First Century" (Valora Washington and Ura Jean Oyemade Bailey, 1995): @

* "Critical Perspectives on Project Head Start" (edited by Jeanne Ellsworth and Lynda J. Ames, 1998): @

* "The Birth of Head Start: Preschool Education Policies in the Kennedy and Johnson Administrations" (Maris A. Vinovskis, 2005): @

* "Launching the War on Poverty: An Oral History" (Michael L. Gillette, 2010): @
* "The War on Poverty: A New Grassroots History" (edited by Annelise Orleck and Lisa Gayle Hazirjian, 2011): @

* "Head Start Origins and Impacts" (Chloe Gibbs, Jens Ludwig and Douglas L. Miller, from "Legacies of the War on Poverty," 2013): @ 

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March 1965: 'The Negro Family: The Case for National Action'

Few pieces of social science research have stirred as much controversy or had as great an impact as 1965's "The Negro Family: The Case for National Action." The U.S. Department of Labor report, more commonly referred to as the Moynihan report after its author, Daniel Patrick Moynihan, focused on the deep roots of black poverty in the United States. Moynihan argued that the decline of the black nuclear family would significantly impede blacks' progress toward economic and social equality. Over the ensuing decades, the report has been hailed by some as prophetic and derided by others as a classic example of blaming the victim.

     -- "The Moynihan Report Revisited" (Urban Institute, June 2013): @

* Full text of report (U.S. Department of Labor): @

* PDF (Stanford University): @

* "Moynihan Report: The Negro Family Revisited" (project website): @

* "Moynihan of the Moynihan Report" (Thomas Meehan, New York Times, July 1966): @
* "A Troubled National Turns to Pat Moynihan: Idea Broker in the Race Crisis" (Life magazine, November 3, 1967, page 72): @
* "Freedom Is Not Enough: The Moynihan Report and America's Struggle over Black Family Life, from LBJ to Obama" (James T. Patterson, 2010): @
* "What the Left and Right Both Get Wrong About the Moynihan Report" (Peter-Christian Angier, The Atlantic magazine, 2014): @ 
* "Revisiting the Moynihan Report On Its 50th Anniversary" (EducationNext; 2015): @
* Beyond Civil Rights: The Moynihan Report and Its Legacy" (Daniel Geary, 2015): @

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Monday, January 4, 1965: State of the Union speech

     

     President Johnson launched a long-heralded multibillion-dollar drive tonight to create the great society "where freedom from the wants of the body can help fulfill the needs of the spirit."

     At the same time, Johnson extended an invitation to Russia's leaders to come over and learn something about us.

     Laying down his blueprint for his great society in his State of the Union message to a joint session of Congress and to the nation, the President:

     * Called for an excise tax cut which may total $2 billion.

     * Proposed a new, additional $1.5 billion aid-to-education program carrying help from the primary grades to graduate schools.

     * Plugged again for medical care for aged under social security and for a stepped-up war on poverty.

     * Demanded federal action to eliminate all voting restrictions aimed at Negroes.

     * Recommended standby legislative procedures to allow instant income tax cuts in the event of a recession.

     * Pledged to support repeal of section 14B of the Taft-Hartley Act authorizing state right -to-work laws.

     The unusual evening time chosen for delivery of the message assured President Johnson of the widest possible television and radio audience, coming as it did during "prime time."

-- Story from New York Daily News: @

-- UPI photo from U.S. House of Representatives: @

* Text of speech (LBJ Library): @

* Video: (LBJ Library): @

* Summary (www.history.com): @

* Summary (www.realclearpolitics.com): @

* New York Times story: @

* "Johnson Asks Excise Tax Cut" (Associated Press): @

* "LBJ, Congress Head Down Road to 'Great Society' " (Associated Press): @

* "The Week That Was" (Associated Press, January 10 and January 17): @ and @

* "Will Congress Nail Down the Great Society? ... Maybe" (Life magazine, January 15): @

* Earlier post on first "Great Society" speeches (May 1964): @ 

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Thursday, December 31, 1964: Bracero program

The Mexican Farm Labor Program, also known as the Bracero Program, was the result of a series of agreements between Mexico and the United States in response to the demand for agricultural labor during World War II. ... The Mexican workers were called braceros because they worked with their arms and hands (bracero comes from the Spanish brazo, or arm). The bilateral agreement guaranteed prevailing wages, health care, adequate housing, and board. ... Nationally, the Bracero Program continued until December 31, 1964, with nearly 4.5 million Mexicans making the journey during the program's twenty-two year existence. Braceros entered the United States under six-month to twelve-month contracts and were assigned to regions throughout the country. ... Once the contract expired, each bracero was required to return to Mexico and sign another contract in order to return to the United States to work. 

-- Text from "Bracero Program" (The Oregon Encyclopedia): @
-- Image from "Bittersweet Harvest: The Bracero Program, 1942-1964" (Smithsonian Institution): @

* Bracero History Archive: @

* "Los Braceros" (www.farmworkers.org): @

* "Los Braceros: Strong Arms to Aid the U.S.A." (KVIE, Sacramento, Calif.): @

* "Bracero Program" (Texas State Historical Association): @

* "Bracero Program" (University of Texas): @

* "Bracero Program Establishes New Migration Patterns" (Oakland Museum of California): @

* "Braceros: History, Compenstion" (Rural Migration News, University of California Davis): @

* "The Bracero Program and Its Aftermath: An Historical Summary" (State of California, 1965): @

* "Opportunity or Exploitation: The Bracero Program" (National Museum of American History): @

* "Bracero program ends ... who'll harvest?" (Associated Press): @
* "Mexico Immigrant Labor History" (PBS): @ 

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Wednesday, January 8, 1964: State of the Union speech

President Johnson announced today a surprise budget cut to $97.9 billion, even below the current level. And he told Congress he will slash output of weapon-making uranium by 25 percent -- a move he challenged the Soviets to match.

and

President Johnson declared "unconditional war on poverty in America," and called on Congress today for enactment this month of a tax reduction designed to create new jobs and markets.

-- Associated Press; full stories: @

-- Photo from LBJ Library

* Text and audio (from American Rhetoric): @
* Video: @
* "Lyndon B. Johnson and the War on Poverty: Introduction to the Digital Edition" (Miller Center of Public Affairs, University of Virginia): @
* "Domestic Affairs" (from Miller Center): @
* LBJ for Kids! Poverty Module (from LBJ Library): @

* "Launching the War on Poverty: An Oral History" (Michael L. Gillette, 2010): @ 

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