THE MILITANT Monday, September 9, 1963 Why Speech Speech That SNCC Leader the NATIONAL PICKET LINEL of John Lewis Had Planned for D.C
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
The Aug. 28 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom — It was the biggest civil-rights demonstration the Capital ever saw. THE In Wake of Capital March: MILITANT No Let-Up in Rights Battle Published in the Interests of the Working People By George Lavan On Aug. 30 a rioting mob of schoolrooms being installed in the Where does the Negro people’s hundreds in Folcroft, Pa., pelted black ghetto to avert the transfer Vol. 27 - No. 31 Monday, September 9, 1963 Price 10c fight for equality stand now that and cursed a Negro couple which of Negro children to adjacent, the March on Washington has had bought a home in that pre white, school districts where passed into history? viously lily-white neighborhood. there are empty classrooms. Mean The Aug. 28 march, the largest More Danville Negroes were while, neighborhood Negro lead demonstration Washington has jailed Aug. 30. In Williamston, ers announced plans for citywide Continued US Aid in Vietnam ever seen, commanded the atten N.C., teachers accused the police of protest actions against widespread tion of the whole country — in “gross brutality” against 400 Ne school segregation in the city. deed, of the whole world. Between gro school children who were pro On Sept. 2 Gov. Wallace of 200,000 and 250,000 people — testing the earlier arrest of eleven Alabama used state troopers to Refutes ‘Freedom Fight’ Lie about 90 per cent of them Negro demonstrators. In Americus, Ga., prevent carrying out of token — made a sacrifice of time and where three Negroes face death integration ordered by the courts. On Sept. 4 in Birmingham, Ala., By Steve Graham money to journey to the nation’s sentences for demonstrating in In the face of growing world “religiously tolerant” any military capital on a work day to register violation of a pre-Civil War the home of Negro civil-rights at protests against the brutality of group that replaces Diem. by their physical presence the de statute, 32 more freedom fighters torney Arthur L. Shores was the Ngo Dinh Diem regime in The Diem family, fighting back mand for freedom and jobs. This were arrested. bombed for the second time in South Vietnam, the Kennedy ad against this tactic, published was eloquent and dramatic testi On Aug. 31, police in St. Au two weeks. Police attacked Ne ministration is frantically maneu charges on Sept. 2 that the U.S. mony of their feelings and their gustine, Fla., used dogs and elec groes drawn to the scene by the blast, opened fire on them, wound vering to dissociate itself from the Central Intelligence Agency had potential power. tric cattle prods on Negroes seek ing several and killing one —• w orst excesses of that regime. B ut planned a coup against the Diem But despite this tremendous out ing service at drug-store lunch shot through the back of the these efforts reek of hypocrisy. government on Aug. 28 but post pouring, nothing concrete appears counters. neck. Three Birmingham schools Washington backed Diem for years poned it when the dictator got to have changed in the oppressed On Sept. 1 state troopers and which had registered several Ne without qualms. It even planned wind of it and prepared to fight. position of the Negro people in sheriff’s deputies, mounted on gro students the previous, day and set up his system of concen It claimed that the CIA had spent this country. Consider the news horseback and using cattle prods bowed to Gov. Wallace’s order tration camps, supplied him with $10 to $20 million in bribes and events since. and tear gas, routed and pursued and closed. U.S. manned and machine-gunning other expenditures organizing the The day after the march 25 1,000 Negro paraders in Pla- The list could be elaborated, helicopters, napalm bombs, pois coup. more Negro demonstrators were quemine, La. but there is enough to show that onous chemicals, — even police Washington officials denied the arrested by the brutal, racist cops In Chicago Negroes resumed the situation in this part of the dogs, those famous American con (Continued on Page 4) of Danville, Va. demonstrations against the trailer “free world” hasn’t tangibly tributions to “democracy.” changed from what it was before It was only when the courageous The Los Angeles Muslim Trial the March on Washington. and dramatic protest of the South But if state and city officials, Vietnamese Buddhists aroused the their cops, school boards, etc., are world and the savage reprisal behaving pretty much as they did raids on Buddhist temples shocked before — possibly even more it into anger, that Kennedy broke 6 Jurors Reveal How Verdict Was Biased brutally, it should not be over silence, denounced Diem and be looked that the Negroes are dem gan to seek means of refurbishing By Constance Weissman They said that because of “the On July 16, ten days later, w ith onstrating as militantly as before or replacing the regime there. A sensational revelation has conflicting testimony, provocative out mentioning the letter or the — possibly in larger numbers. For example, Washington makes just been made which should circumstances and the indiscretion visit to him of the jurors, Judge But if the great March hasn’t a great point of blaming Diem’s cause an immediate voiding of the of mostly all parties to the trial” Coleman handed down harsh sen altered the pattern of discrimina- it had been “difficult if not im tences. Instead of declaring a mis brother Nhu and Mme. Nhu for verdicts in the trial of the Black (Continued on Page 3) the Aug. 21 raids and imposition Muslims convicted last June in possible” for them to always trial, he imposed one-to-ten year of martial law. This is to give Los Angeles. So serious are these “maintain the highest degree of sentences on four of the defend Diem an out. Kick out your bro new facts that they call for an comprehension.” ants; five years probation with the ther and placate the Buddhists, investigation of the trial presided stipulation that the first year be says Kennedy, and we can go on over by Judge David Coleman and spent in jail on four; 90 days in In This Issue playing ball. of the Los Angeles police depart jail and five years probation on two; and one defendant, who was But so far Diem feels strong ment. shot by the cops and is paralyzed enough to buck Washington. He Six women members and al John Lewis' Speech from the waist down, was put on refuses to make his brother a ternates of the all-white jury probation for four years. Beyond scapegoat and fears that any con w hich sat on the case told Judge Censored at M O W P. 2 reach of the police frame-up and cessions to the Buddhists w ould Coleman that they “do not think harsh sentence was Ronald L. endanger his totalitarian rule. justice was done.” According to Stokes, the 29-year-old temple Report on Cuba Moreover, he knows Washington the Aug. 22 California Eagle, the secretary, who was killed by the will not crush him by the only six spoke of “pressure,” “confu cops during their savage shooting An Interview P. 3 certain means it has — that is, sion,” “wrong decisions” and spree. pulling out U.S. troops and fi “intolerance.” They said that on nancial aid. Such a step would two occasions, policemen ques Disclosure of the repentant jur Freedom Now Party mean losing the area to the peas tioned the honesty of Negroes in ors’ action was made by John ant guerrillas. the presence of the ju ry , once Hart, a news analyst on KNXT- Reply to N.Y. Times P. 4 Washington is following another while the jury was actually de TV in Los Angeles. He said that maneuver, fishing for Vietnamese liberating its verdict. three of the jurors had agreed to Sino-Soviet Dispute army officers who would over The trial ended on June 14, after come on his program, but then throw Diem and play better ball 18 days of deliberation by the backed out because they were A Statement P. 5 with the U.S. By officially absolv jury. On July 6, the six jurors ob afraid of “retaliation.” Hart quot ing the Vietnamese army of com tained a private meeting with ed one, Mrs. Josephine Byrne, as plicity in the Aug. 21 raids — Judge Coleman, who had then saying, “I do not think justice W.E.B. DuBois was done.” She reportedly stated whether it was so or not — Wash not yet pronounced sentences. A Tribute P. 6 ington is serving notice that it w ill They presented him with a letter that because of the pressure of whitewash as “democratic” and pleading for lenient sentences. M alcolm X (Continued on Page 6) Page Tw o THE MILITANT Monday, September 9, 1963 Why Speech Speech that SNCC Leader THE NATIONAL PICKET LINEL Of John Lewis Had Planned for D.C. March [The following is the text of the Was Censored speech SNCC Chairman John The best speech at the March Lewis was prevented from deliv on Washington was never deliv ering at the March on Wash The Railroad Labor bill passed an earlier “wildcat” strike. Among ered. That was the speech pre ington.] by Congress to head off a na these was Local 588 President pared by John Lewis, chairman tional strike on Aug. 28 is the Bernard Fox who took the unusual of the Student Nonviolent Co We march today for jobs and most flagrant move to hamstring (for modern-day union “leaders” ) ordinating Committee, which ap freedom, but we have nothing to organized labor since passage step of supporting the rank and pears in full in the adjoining be proud of.