Unmasked· SN CC
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John S. J(night The Atlanta Riot JOHN S. KNIGHT Unmasked·SN CC The recent rio ts in Atlanta has no more than 300 mem Confere nce, a Negro organiza- •• offer convincing evidence that bers. These have been the tion, denounced both SNICK · most, if . not all, of the racial agents of anarchy in Watts, and Carmichael, while calling New York, Chicago and other violence in our large cities bas for constructive measures de major cities . signed to alleviate problems been organized and led by a which directly concern the small minority bent upon the SNICK'S begin nin g were Negro. · destruction of our society. more auspicious. lts earl y stu My authority for this state dent leaders were motivated by D r. Martin Luther King, ment is Ralph McGill, pub high dedication to the civil president Roy Wilkins of the lisher of the Atlanta Constitu rights cause. Now the John NAACP and Whitney Young tion, long a moving and mili Lewises and other responsibles who heads the Urban League tant force for equal treatment are out. Control of SNICK is have all repudiated Stokely of the Negro citizen as pro held by the extreme radicals, Carmichael and his tactics. of whom Carmichael is the vided by law and the Con ATLANTA has long enjoyed dominating figu re. stitution of the United States. an enviable reputation for ra McGill places responsibility As McGill says, SNICK is cial amity. Ironically, it was for the Atlanta disturbances no longer a civil J ights organi Atlanta's splendid image that squarely upon the Student Non zation but an anarchistic group the destroyers sought to tar- • Violent Coordinating Commit which is openly and officially ni h. tee (SNCC, or SNICK) and its committed to the destruction of ex isting institutions. And yet, unwittingly, Stoke- • I e a de r, Stokely Carmichael. ly Carmichael and his followers · SNICK, according to McGill, Though small in member performed a useful service not • • ship, SNICK appeals to all bat only for Atlanta but for the • · L-----------.__ ers of the white man. Its slo entire nation. ga ns of defi ance intrigue the very young, as was shown in For here was stripped away Atlanta, where th e mob was the myth that Negroes are al largely composed of youngsters ways incited to riot over poor ~- · in the 12- to 18-age range. living conditions, Jack of em ployment and denial of civil THERE . APPEARS to be rights. no questio n bu t that SN)CK'S Carmichael has now re fund~ are supplied frQm vealed himself for what he is ' abroad. One of it~ lawyers is a - a cheming fomenter of di s reg i tercd Castro agent. Its order, a mad dog who attacks , ag ita tors' shout Havana slogans all whites indi criminately, a to the effect that we musl revolutionist who seeks to burn live th rough violence. "Black· and destroy, a terrorist who Power·· is but th e rall ying cry. defies law and spits upon our Fortunately for Atlanta, it fl ag. has a mayor who confronted the mob with rare courage. THE RIGHT peaceably to Though physically manhandled assemble is guaranteed by the . · and taunted with shouts of Bill of Rights, as is the free "white devil," Mayor Ivan dom to demonstrate and to Allen Jr., remained upon the seek redress of grievances. scene until the crowd bad been Together and in a spirit of dispersed. constructive co-operation, the Mayor Allen gave short Negro and white communities ' shrift to charges of police bru must find solutions and an- · tality. "I saw plenty of brutal swers to the problem wh ich ity," he said. "but it was all beset our cities. For they are directed against police offi. hoth numerous and difficult. cers." At his press conference, A major start has been Mayor Allen ~tated that "if made in many area . Where Stokely Carmichael is looking fa ilures have occurred, the Ne for a battleground, he has cre gro is usually as much at fault ated one, and he will be met in as his white brother. whatever situation he choose ." But the effort must 80 ahead Atlanta's egro community if we are to enJoy the fruits of leaders were quick to decry a compatible society in which the rioting and violence. The there is mutuality of purpose tlanta Summit I eader. hip and re pect for all. .