Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 1, Number 10, 1 December 1984 — "Time for a Change," Mayor Tells Hawaiians [ARTICLE]

"Time for a Change," Mayor Tells Hawaiians

Hawaii County Mayor-eIect DanteCarpenter called on fellow Hawaiians to pull together ina"practical approach" to accomplish the goals of eeonomie, social and political progress. Carpenter, who became the first Hawaii mayor of Hawaiian ancestry to be elected in 20 years, was the keynote opening day speaker at the 25th silver anniversary convention of the State Association of Hawaiian Civic Clubs Nov. 1 6 at the Afook-Chinen Civic Center. "Our numbers have been neutralized by a laek of organization and eommon purpose. Our energy has been depleted by involvement in too many different causes," he told delegates, members and guests. "Too often," he declared, "the Hawaiian people have found themselves engaged in an endless tug-of-war — not between Hawaiians and anyone else, but between Hawaiians and Hawaiians." "lt is time for a change," he remarked. Hawaiians, he said, must develop their own identity as a people and agree to pursue achievable goals and objectives whieh will benefit all. He called for unity and togetherness, declaring that Hawaiians must mobilizetheirrespectivecommunities by developing unity and by blending the resources and energies of more than 1 50 H awaiian organizations into a sense of eommon purpose.