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NAACP Letter to Supporters Regarding "Black Power,"

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NAACP Letter to Supporters Regarding ' ,. SPECIAl SU PP ORTI NG NAA CP'S PROG RAM S IN: VOTER EOUCATION, l EGAl ANO COMMUNITY CO NTRIBUTI ON ACTION, EOUCATION, EMPl OYMENT, HOUSING, FUND YOUTH WORK ANO PUBLIC INFORMATION TWENTY WEST FORTIETH STREET • NEW YORK, N. Y. 10018 • BR,ant 9·1400 October 17, 1966 Dear !i'rieod: A tew months ago tbe slogan •Black !'l)wer• was introduced into tbe civU rights struggle. Since then it has created alara and contusion amoog Americans or ell races and has made it plain that civU rights groups ditter not only in strategy and tactics but also in objectives. It is therefore apPropriate at this juncture in history to state--or, more accurately, to restate--the funcl.amentel principles which have guided the NAACP since 1909. Our obj ect­ ive now, as then, is the full participation of Negro Americans, without discrimination, in all phases of American life. During these six decades we have ecployed many methOds to achieve that objective. If these methOds have any single comon deno:oinator, it is that the;r have alwa19 been non-vio­ lent. 1'04ay non-violence 1a str14entl;r challenged on tbe premise that Negroes 1111st defend themselves when attacked. But tbe right of Negroes aM of all others to selt-detense is not trul;r an iSsue. The NAACP has alwa;rs defended tb1a right. What we oppose is the doctrine that Negroes should stand in armed readiness to retaliate encl. deal out punislunent on their own . The record of unpunished murders of Negroes ancl. civU rights workers makes this position emotionally understandable, but its fruit would be cl.is­ astrous. As private vigilante vengeance, it would inovitabl;r breed white counter-vigilant­ ism and would furnish a pretext to any law officer wishing to • crack down• on Negro protest. A more serious issue is posed by the slogan •Black Power . • llo matter how often it is defined, this slogan Cle<LilS anti-white power. In a racisll7 pluralistic societ;r, •Black Power• has to mean that ever;r other ethnic group is the antagonist. It has to llle&ll •going it alone. • It has to ~ separatism. We of the NAACP will have none of this. We have !ought unceasit'8l:r for genuine pride of race ancl. for the inherent nobilit;r of equal citizenship. lie deny that raciAl dignity r e­ quires the ranging of race against race. We are Americans as well as Negroes. While we will tight to defend this countr;r, we are also deten:d.ned to improve it. I urge you to help us in this historic struggle by contrib­ uting generousl;r to the NAACP Special Contribution Fun4. Your contribution is a vote against all fon>S of racism; it is an affi.rolation of the principles for which NAACP stands. Sincerel;r, 8 0Aft0 Of TRVSTt:£5: At'lllur 8 , S,.na•rn, Crt•lrmltt; Olthop Stol)httl 0. $9olltwood, Vfcf Chtlrmtn: AJfred Otk.fr ....w lt, TrtiiUttr; Rqy Willi'"'· S.crtttry; John A. MCH"s~l. Aultltnr S.c,.r.,y; Ro~>ert L. CtrUt. Ot l'ltrtl Couttut. MEMBERS: Or. ftt lph J. Ovi\Ctlt, Mrt. Ot1sy 8t1t\, Thtodort M, 8 t uy, Or. Leon•rd 1.. Ovmt, Or. w. Motltllt.lt Cob-b, H~o~bt lt T. I:HI1ny, tart 8. Oickt~. Or. Otors• 0. fltmmll'llt. Q.o, ButU Gtll•&htt, Rev Tti..OO,-t G!b.OI', Ceorat 1<.. H~o~ntOf\, K11M Ktp4t~ JvQct JO«PP't P, Ktfln~, Wtlt" R~ttltr, Aobt'rt ltoCMirtson, J~ Roblf'ltoft, JttM Tumer, Ot. Ulyt.ws S.. We&~oM. THl stiClAl CONTlii UTION FUHO IS lloil ONlY TA.X•DEOUCTIIU CHAW.HU 101 AIDING mE WOlK Of THr NAACP, A KATtON,.WIOf "'O~II ItSH" OIG.AH IIA.TtOH Wlll4 I.U.HCHU IN AU SO STATU .
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