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NAACP newsletters, Fort Madison Branch, Fort Madison, Iowa, 1968
Page 004
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-4- still impregnated with the slavish fear which had its origin in oppression and the peculiar environments of the slave period. Those who are thus minded will advise a pacific policy in order as they believe to affect a settlement of this question, with which the statemanship of a century has grappled without any gratifying results. Agitation is a good thing, organization is a better thing. The million Negro voters of Georgia, and the undiscovered millions in other southern states - undiscovered so far as our knowledge of their number exists - could with proper organization and intelligent leadership meet the force with beneficial results. The issue upon us cannot be misunderstood by those who are watching current events...The man who will not fight for the protection of his wife and children is a coward and deserves to be ill treated. The man who takes his life in his hand and stands up for what he knows to be right will always command the respect of his enemy. ...there is no just reason why manly men of any race should allow themselves to be continually outraged and oppressed by their equals before the law... Under the present condition of affairs the only hope, the only salvation for the Negro is to be found in a resort to force under wise and discreet leaders. He must sooner or later come to this in order to set at rest for all time to come the charge that he is a moral coward... The Negro must not be rash and indescreet either in action or in words but he must be very determined and terribly in earnest,...Organized resistance to organized resistance is the best remedy for the solution of the vexed problem of the century which to me seems practicable and feasible..." In reading further in the Black Revolt, one sees that young men, today, are saying the same things that others before them have said. There is a difference, however, for they have reached a different plateau...and they dare to speak words which they know will be repelled by black and white alike. They call for black power, but not in the sense of violence which is so much a part of America..., that is the interpretation it is given...because that is the real power believed in. To further make the term unpalatable is the descriptive black...which has always stood for something bad, in this land of ours. Today the black youth of America have found out that there is real and lasting beauty in blackness...and they proudly stand proclaiming this to be so. The cry of black power...is here to stay, and if the proper interpretations are accepted, and all of us,...black and white, work for its attainment,...the proper direction will be taken. It is too late to sit back, afraid to use terms which might be offensive to the white man...(they are offensive to the Black man...only because of his acceptance of white being right)...for they have never been concerned about things affecting the Negro. Keeping quiet and trying to forget the term exists,...will not make it go away. Rather, it would be better to be glad that perhaps now, they do have an identity of which they are really proud...properly channeled,...it should work well for all of us and all of America. REGISTER TO VOTE! ! ! Remember, we do not elect our president, but we do have a voice in who goes to the Legislature to represent us. Listen to all of the candidates, and then vote according to the dictates of your conscience. These are critical times for all of America...and its destiny is ours...be we white or black. JOIN THE NAACP....THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IS NOT FREE...NOR IS IT WON...JOIN TODAY! ! ! University of Iowa Libraries. Iowa Women's Archives
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-4- still impregnated with the slavish fear which had its origin in oppression and the peculiar environments of the slave period. Those who are thus minded will advise a pacific policy in order as they believe to affect a settlement of this question, with which the statemanship of a century has grappled without any gratifying results. Agitation is a good thing, organization is a better thing. The million Negro voters of Georgia, and the undiscovered millions in other southern states - undiscovered so far as our knowledge of their number exists - could with proper organization and intelligent leadership meet the force with beneficial results. The issue upon us cannot be misunderstood by those who are watching current events...The man who will not fight for the protection of his wife and children is a coward and deserves to be ill treated. The man who takes his life in his hand and stands up for what he knows to be right will always command the respect of his enemy. ...there is no just reason why manly men of any race should allow themselves to be continually outraged and oppressed by their equals before the law... Under the present condition of affairs the only hope, the only salvation for the Negro is to be found in a resort to force under wise and discreet leaders. He must sooner or later come to this in order to set at rest for all time to come the charge that he is a moral coward... The Negro must not be rash and indescreet either in action or in words but he must be very determined and terribly in earnest,...Organized resistance to organized resistance is the best remedy for the solution of the vexed problem of the century which to me seems practicable and feasible..." In reading further in the Black Revolt, one sees that young men, today, are saying the same things that others before them have said. There is a difference, however, for they have reached a different plateau...and they dare to speak words which they know will be repelled by black and white alike. They call for black power, but not in the sense of violence which is so much a part of America..., that is the interpretation it is given...because that is the real power believed in. To further make the term unpalatable is the descriptive black...which has always stood for something bad, in this land of ours. Today the black youth of America have found out that there is real and lasting beauty in blackness...and they proudly stand proclaiming this to be so. The cry of black power...is here to stay, and if the proper interpretations are accepted, and all of us,...black and white, work for its attainment,...the proper direction will be taken. It is too late to sit back, afraid to use terms which might be offensive to the white man...(they are offensive to the Black man...only because of his acceptance of white being right)...for they have never been concerned about things affecting the Negro. Keeping quiet and trying to forget the term exists,...will not make it go away. Rather, it would be better to be glad that perhaps now, they do have an identity of which they are really proud...properly channeled,...it should work well for all of us and all of America. REGISTER TO VOTE! ! ! Remember, we do not elect our president, but we do have a voice in who goes to the Legislature to represent us. Listen to all of the candidates, and then vote according to the dictates of your conscience. These are critical times for all of America...and its destiny is ours...be we white or black. JOIN THE NAACP....THE FIGHT FOR FREEDOM IS NOT FREE...NOR IS IT WON...JOIN TODAY! ! ! University of Iowa Libraries. Iowa Women's Archives
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