How Nonviolent Warrior Feels on Firing Line in Rural Dixie

CHICAGO SUN-TIMES, Mon., May 20, 1963 STUDENTS7 ROLE IN RACIAL STRUGGLE How Nonviolent Warrior Feels On Firing Line In Rural Dixie Here is the second of two articles by strain of white hatred, threats, beatings, and the lawyer and the field hand and the Robert S. Bird of the New York Herald arrest, jail and even shootings? servant girls are all going to jail together. Tribune. His survey of Negroes' views Carver Neblett is 19 and a sophomore at Becomes Community Project on white America, described as "brilliant" Southern Illinois University, who has been "Then it is that we have become part of the by Walter Lippmann last week, has re on leave for more than a year. He was born community ourselves, and everybody is knit ceived widespread attention. into a sharecropper's family in rural Tennes together and the whole Negro group is ready see. The family moved north six years ago, to do anything—anything—to get their goal." By Robert S. Bird to Carbondale, 111., but he was not able to rid Carver was not able to express very well the Special from the New York Herald Tribune himself of the resentments he felt in growing quality of the peril which envelops such a up as a segregated Negro in the South. Snick-invaded rural Negro community like a I met Carver Neblett in about the same way When he was in his last year of high school chill miasma. But older and more mature you reach in and pull a number out of the hat. Negro workers who help to guide the mission I dropped into what is called "Snick" head in Pulaski, 111., in 1960 his brother Charles, ary students on the scene did provide moving quarters in Atlanta and buttonholed for an now 21, wrote him from Southern Illinois accounts. interview the first typical, Negro Snick kid I University that he was joining in a SNCC could find who was fresh off the firing line, desegregation "action" in Cairo, 111., and why One was Randolph T. Blackwell, the Negro so to speak. not come along? field director of the voter education project, a N.Y. Henld Trlbuno Photo law graduate and specialist in government and Carver went to Cairo, was arrested prompt CARVER NEBLETT Snick is the way they pronounce the initials economic studies, who was in a car with of the Students Non-Violence Co-ordinating ly, and went on a hunger strike in jail. This was the beginning of his conversion to the SNCC workers that was shot up outside of "Pretty soon the idea of freedom is in Committee—SNCC. Greenwood on Feb. 28. the air." These are the nonviolent, Negro and white nonviolence philosophy of "creative protest," "I don't know how these kids are able to student commandos who are risking their lives and to what he calls the "Snick way of life." the car began to pull up they could expect stand up to the strain and danger," he said. in the Negro voter registration drives in rural Deeply Moved By Philosophy bullets. "As for myself it seems like being in combat, Georgia and Mississippi with courage not easy He learned the nonviolent techniques in Very soon that time came. The other car where you move through the town expecting to understand. endless SNCC workshop sessions, and found moved forward. Travis, at the driver's window, anything to happen and looking ahead of you himself greatly moved by the power of the was in the most exposed position. Moses was And these drives to get for Negroes in the and behind you both at the same time. nonviolence philosophy and by the examples in the middle and Blackwell at the right Deep South the tool of voting power to im "But I have learned that it is helpful if you of SNCC leaders who had been through the window. The car pulled up beside theirs. The prove their lot is becoming this year the most have in mind an absolutely clear understand fire. gun appeared. One of the white men opened important breakthrough of any in the struggle ing of the nature of your opposition. One of for Negro rights. SNCC is one of several or Although he had become well embarked on the experts taught me that it's not too difficult fire. ganizations, including the Congress of Racial his studies at the university, he decided to to stay in a community if you start with the Driver Shot In Neck Equality (CORE), that are active in this tur quit school temporarily and go South to throw following assumptions: There were seven shots fired. Blackwell bulent and dangerous field. himself into the most perilous "actions" of "No 1, that there are a lot of white people shouted to Travis to pull over to the right 'Get Into More HeU, Too' all. in the community who will want to kill you and stop. But Travis cried that he had been "But we go into more hell than any of the Telling how the first student workers to and who will try. No 2, that the police are shot—in the neck, as it turned out. Moses others," Carver said. enter a new rural area go in with nothing hostile to you and not your friends. No. 3, grabbed the controls and pulled their car to Their headquarters is in a very small build but the clothes on their backs, placing them that the courts are not going to be fair with * safe stop while the other auto sped away. ing off Hunter Av. in the Negro section out selves deliberately on the charity of the you. No 4, that a sizable portion of the Negro The bullets had smashed both side windows beyond Morehouse College. When you enter frightened Negro community, Carver said: community will not understand what you're in front and the left side window in back. the door you find yourself in a cramped "Usually they don't know who we are, trying to do at first. They found succor at a nearby Negro voca little warren, of small, connecting offices, all except they think we're dangerous to them. "And No. 5, that it will require great per tional school and Travis was removed to a busy with the comings and goings of students Most of them never heard of SNCC, but sistence and continuation of effort before the hospital where the bullet was taken from his in all kinds of dress—boys and girls, white • they have all heard the term 'freedom riders," nation will wake up to the point where it will neck. He recovered. The others were not hit. and tend to think that's what we are. They and Negro. call on the administration to live up to its Carver Neblett assured me he is prepared have been told by the whites that if any At a desk near the door I saw a white girl national responsibilities." to take any risk whatever, fortified as be is freedom riders come into the town, stay wearing scuffy sneakers and owlish spectacles, Here is how the strain of peril falls on both by his nonviolence philosophy, though up to away from them, they're trouble makers, and and an air of supreme calm amid ail the hurly- Negro and white workers in such a danger now he has not been shot. it would be very dangerous to talk to them. burly. She absorbed the explanation of my area. It summarizes the account given by "No matter what happens to me, I am mission, faster than I could say it. "But in any of these rural areas you are Blackwell. going to participate in the movement for as "Follow me," she said cheerfully, and led going to find a few dynamic- Negro persons The Technique Of Terror long as possible, even when I go back to the way into the- labyrinth of offices to a who will take you in and understand the On Feb. 28 Blackwell drove in a rented car school," he said, simply. "I was not always corner where two Negro youths were chatting. situation. That's how we get the first toe to the SNCC office in Greenwood, arriving at nonviolent"—he laughed at the thought—"but She pointed to one of them and said: hold. These few members of the community 1 p.m. He noticed a car with no license plates we won't go into that. give us food and a place to stay, and they "He's Charles Neblett. He's been working parked in front of a Negro cafe near the Fear Of Jail Vanishes in Greenwood, Miss., but he's leaving today know that we're doing nothing wrong but are SNCC office which later was burned down. to go on tour with the freedom singers. The working for the betterment of the Negroes. Three white men were in it. Just sitting. They "I was brought up—all Negroes in the other one's his brother, Carver. He's working "So what do we have to lose? The ordinary' were still in the car, still sitting, at 2 p.m., at South are—with a fear of jail. But I don't on voter registration in Terrell County people at first think we are crazy in a funny <' p.m., at 4. at 5, at 6. care about jail now. Sometimes I get lonely (Georgia) and he's just in from the field. Miy- way, that we are absolutely fearless, sort of At 6 p.m.

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