ev. Martin Luther King, Jr.; o longer here to .protect us rr • • • Free at last" By ROBERT A. FEER Associate Professor of History January 15, 1929 Must the historian wait until many years have passed and "all of the evidence is in"' April 4, 1968 attempting to analyze the significance of people and events? If so, history could be written since, however long we wait for evidence to accumulate, we can never c om p 1 e t e documentation. Moreover, whenever historians write, whether im­ ately after an event or centuries later, their conclusions are shaped by their values. the historian might as well attempt to formulate his tentative judgments-which all that his conclusions can ever be-while events are still fresh in the memories of con­ poraries or even while they are still pushing for space in the daily headlines. the years since the second small Black middle class, and philosophy of Mahatma Gandhi. In be active, positive resistance. And hoped, end th~ war in Vie tnam War., Black Americans have there were many types of discrim­ the days since his death, news­ so, for the last ten y~ars of his and end poverty in the United three methods to achieve ination which could not be touch­ papers and public orators have life, until he was murdered on States. It was his concern wit 1 the goals of racial equality-legal ed by legal action. Former Presi­ spok~n of King as ccthe apostle of April 4, 1968 while planning a mas­ oppressed of all races whic 1 led 11lrocee1dlngs, non-violent resistance, dent Eisenhower was fond of say­ non-violence." But this tells only sive demonstration on behalf of him to direct much of his e tergy Black Power. Each of these ing during his Presidency that laws half of the story. In his books the garbage collectors of Memphsi, in the last weeks of his li le to has had its strengths and court decisions could not Stride Toward Freedom and Why Tennessee, King organized direct winning support for the fort tcom­ its weaknesses, its advantages change a man's way of thinking, We Can't Wait, King emphasized confrontations between his fol­ ing Poor People's March on Vash­ its disadvantages, its achi~ve­ which Eisenhower intended as an that his doctrine was non-violent lowers and the forces of racial ington. ts and its limitations. And each argument to justify doing nothing. resistance. He stated quite explic­ bigotry wherever they existed, whe­ King, working individually and had historical precedents with­ Martin Luther King, Jr., on the ity that both words were essential ther in Montgomery, or Selma, or through th Southern Christian the American past. contrary, realized that legal action - in opposing the evil of racism Chicago. Leadership Conference, which he The National Association for was an important technique. As he or the evil of the Vietnam War, But non-violent resistance, to founded in 1957, achieved a great the Advancement of Colored put it, "An anti-lynching law might non-violence was not enough; with­ Martin Luther King, was more than deal - civil rights legislatio~ a People, which seemed quite ad­ not make a man love me, but it drawal in the pattern of Thoreau a philosophy and a technique to spirit of love within the hear s of venturesome when it was form· might keep him from killing me." was insufficient. There must also defeat racial bigotry. It could, he (Continued on Page 5) But King also realized that legal action could not by inself win the battle. Instead, it was necessary to develop a technique which would produce love, which would produce a spiritual regeneration within each human being, and which would focus attention upon social ills. Non-violent resistance was the ans­ ana_lysis wer. Violence, King insisted, was both socially and spiritually des- tructive. Non-violent resistance, on ed early in the twentieth century, the other hand, as he put it in his .NOKm co mmitted itself to court action speech when he was awarded the as its basic techniques to win Nobel Prize for Peace, is not "ster­ VOL. L - No. 19 BOSTON, MASS. APRIL 12, 1968 equality for Blacks. Americans ile passivity" but rather a positive might- as many Whites and force "which makes for sociall------=~...... ------~------~~------­ even some Blacks did - disap- transformation." Prove of the NAACP, but they Again, there were certain Ameri­ could not deny that its reliance can precedents, including Henry BOO attend service for Dr. King upon the courts was consistent David Thoreau. But, there is a sig­ with American tradition. Its vic· nificant difference between Thor­ By JOE SMIAROWSKI to ry in the school desegregation eau and King. The Transcendental­ A memorial service for Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., sponsored by the Black Student Union, cases decided by the U. S. Su· ist believed that it was virtue was held Monday at Alumni Auditorium. More than 800 students attended. preme Court in 1954 is only one enough for a man to refuse to sup­ President Asa Knowles, Professor Harvey Vetstein, and Dean Charles Havice were of the many court cases which port evil. If the nation was fight­ the NAACP has won during the ing an evil war, as Thoreau believ­ among the guest speakers. President Knowles said, "Rev­ ha lf century since its founding. ed we were against Mexico, it was It would be a betrayal of this mem­ Black Student Union at Northeast­ erend King was a world citizen, a But, by the late 1950's, it was sufficient for a righteous man to orial service if it was emotional." ern, spok next. "To the Black leader of all men who believed in becoming obvious to many Blacks refuse to pay the taxes which sup­ Dean Havice also said the Dr. man, it is a tragedy that he had equality. "There will never be an­ that the legalistic approach of the ported the war effort. Not so Mar­ King "had the magnanimity of to die because of a petty differ­ other leader who will carry the had sharp limitations - tin Luther King, who also drew spirit that transcends things that ence such as the color of his skin." ~AACP strength and inspiration of this Its Progress was painfully slow, its heavily upon such non-American divide lesser spirits." He continued, " Can you blame man,'' he continued. gains accrued primarily to the !doctrinE~ as Christianity and the Professor Vetstein compared Dr. the Blacks for distrusting white so­ Dr. Knowles explained that the Kings' life to those of Jesus and ciety when white apathy looks the University closed Friday because Moses. "King, like Moses, was lead­ other way and white hate shatter­ "it was a time for everyone to ing his people to the Promised ed King's dream with a bullet? think about race relations. ''This land," Professor Vetstein said. This blindness and hatred by the meeting is a reminder that North· Jttssie Richie, a member of the (Continued on Page 2) eastern is trying to bring equal opportunity to all races," sta.ted Pres. Knowles. Black students request The University is conducting pro­ grams to help solve the racial prob­ lems through Financial Aid, a read­ Dleeting adniinistration ing program, and a school for high school dropouts. Rick Johnson, representing the Afro-American Society, President Knowles said he was and Henry Cabarrus, of the Black Student Union have re­ "ashamed that King was ·assassin­ quested through The NEWS a meeting with administration ated by a white citizen, but, per­ officials "to find a way to turn Northeastern's resources to­ haps after his death, a stronger wards aiding the Black community." program could develop to help the Johnson suggested that the depriving other Black students who Negroes." United Front of Roxbury, a con are more needy from receiving "Except for the death of Presi· federation of Black action groups, aid. dent Kennedy, the nation has never should be included in any talks. "The students from the College gone into such mourning," he con­ "Last week The NEWS announ- of Education who teach in Roxbury cluded. ced that NU would administer are not adequately prepared to The next speaker, Dean Havice, 500,000 dollars for the develop· handle the problems they encoun· is a member of the Southern Chris­ ment of the Lowell school system," ter. They should be required to tian Leadership Conference and has said Johnson. ''The university has take courses in sociology in order participated in demonstrations led by Dr. King. its priorities mixed. It should be to understand the environment helping Roxbury first." they are entering/' Dean Havice said, "Emotionalism can get in the way of intelligence. Johnson points out that North- Until programs can be formulat- eastern's claims to assistance are ed, the United Black Front is call­ misleading. ing for money, food, and clothes to No NEWS "Three-forths of the Black stu- aid the Roxbury people. North­ dents who are receiving grants eastern students can send all as­ Next Week from the Ford Foundation would sistance to 215 Richards, care of -Bob Malorm ~ on athletic scholarship. This is Jerry Anderson. \

Northeastern NEWS, April 12, 1968 Page Five

ting themselves to doctrines and York, in Detroit, in Los Angeles, it es. We can contribute money not merce continue to plan a world's analysis techniques which had innumerable has been at least in part because only to such organizations as the fair for Boston without involving (Continued from Page 1) precedents in the American past. of the realization that refusal NAACP and Urban League but to Blacks extensively in the planning e Whites, and, most important Virtually every ethnic, religious, would mean further violenc • In· Dr. King's Southern Christian and without insisting that the con­ all, a sense of racial pride and and racial group within the United deed, Martin Luther King was tol­ Leadership Conference or the Con- struction unions which will bene­ Blacks. Thanks to States had organized itself for erated by some Whites only be­ gress of Racial Equality or the fit from a world's fair be truly in­ King, violence won political and economic .and social cause they realized that he was all Metropolitan Council for Educa- tegrated, we can warn them that among civil rights activity; indeed, American history that stood between them and chaos. tional Oportunity (METCO). We their path will not be an easy one. rkers. But, again, there were can probably be written more can refuse to patronize stores near If we live in lily-white common­ And now, that barrier is gone itations. There were barriers meaningfully in terms of ethnic the campus and throughout the ities, as most Northeastern Univer­ and we all busily, frantically go to ich could not be toppled and groups than in terms of the myth city which do not employ a signi- sity faculty members and admin­ memorial services on behalf of pie who would not be moved, of the "melting pot." Black power ficant number of Blacks. We can istrators do, we can fight to change Martin Luther King, Jr. Some do luding some of those who, now advocates who supported violence insist that Departmental Chairmen the social patterns which for all­ at he is safely dead, pay him could also find .ample precedent. so out of a deep admiration for and College Deans develop, sup- too-long have gone unquestioned. the man, the values which he held, ma •. Frederick Jackson Turner and port, and perpetuate courses in the In the short story "Simple Prays the goals which he hoped ach­ An so, by the summer of 1966, other American historians have to social sciences and the humanities a Prayer," Langston Hughes's hero ieve, and the techniques through ng's dominance in the struggle pointed out that lawlessness and which will illuminate the role of talks about what the world will be human equality was being chal­ violence permeate American so­ which he tried to reach them. But race in American life. If our par- like at the second coming. Simple, others pay homage to King as a oged. After June of 1966, many ciety and distinguished us from ents live in .a two-family house in with bitterness of which Martin means of buying more time in ack Americans enlisted behind Europe. John Hope Franklin has a White neighborhood, we can urge Luther King would never have ap­ which to do nothing, as a means banner of "Black Power." Black shown in The Militant South that them to make a concerted effort proved, says, "Well, when Christ of trying to convince the Black wer has meant many things. the facade of southern gentility to find Black tenants; merely say- comes back this time, I hope He community that Whites have done me of these meanings, such as hid a reality of White violence in ing that we do not practice dis- comes back mad His own self. I every thing which can reasonably use of organized economic and the years before the Civil War. crimination is not enough to pro- hope He drives the Jim Crowers be expected of them. For these litical power by Blacks for the And perhaps it comes with ill­ duce integrated neighborhoods. If out of their high places, every people, mouthing platitudes about oefit of Blacks, Martin Luther grace for a nation which tolerat­ we live in ari apartment house .and living last one of them from Wash­ the heroic qualities of Martin Luth­ · g could support, as he pointed ed with little or no protest the sub-let the apartment during the ington to Texas! I hope he smites er King is, .at best, an exercise in t in his most recent book, Where brutal lynching of almost 3,500 summer or while out-of-town on a white folks down!'' But, when he hypocrisy; at worst, an exercise in We Go From Here. But King Blacks between 1882 and 1950 sud­ temporary job, we can go out of is asked, "You don't mean all futility. t uncomfortable with the phrase denly to discover the evils of vio­ our way to rent the apartment to white folks, do you?'' he replies, lack Power," which he feared lence in the mid-1960's. There are many things which all a Black tenant - and then fight "No, I hope He lets Mrs. Roove­ uld breed hate rather than love. As an individual, I find violence of us, in our daily lives, can do in the case before the Massachusetts velt alone." Many of us would like anwhile, some - and increa~ abhorrent. But, as an historian, I the spirit of Martin Luther King, Commission Against Discrimination to be .added to the list of people gly the most vocal - Black must admit that violence under the even those of us - and I must when the eminently respectable to be spared. But, it is important wer advocates recommended vio­ banner of Black power has produc­ number myself .among this group owner of the apartment house tries to remember that Martin Luther ce rather than non-violent re­ ed some positive results. If Whites - who find participation in pub­ to evade the law by denying us the King, who would have abhorred ance as the means of achieving have been willing to meet some of lic demonstrations temperamental­ right to brlng in Black residents. even a single person being smitten uality. the demands of Blacks for racial ly uncongenial or who are too cow­ If the Boston Redevelopment Auth- down, is one longer here to protect Once again, Blacks were commit- iustice and human decency in New ardly to take part in public match- ority and the Chamber of Com- us. In the HUB of BOSTON

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