20C Rent Strike Wins Contract The tenants of nine apartments owned by MAR. With Slumlord Mrs. Rose Frauenhoff on the 800 block of Lyon Street refused to pay their rent SAN FRANCISCO --A new, militant organi­ 1966 until repairs were made. Mrs. Melissa zation of tenants in the Haight-Ashbury Jackson, who lives at 808 Lyon with her OL.2 MOVEMENT district, the Neighborhood Freedom Organi­ Published by husband and nephew, described her apart­ zation, won a major victory here this month. NO.3 The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee of California ment to THE MOVEMENT: "The plaster over the stove fell down. The water leaks through the ceiling and \. .204..------:-- falls on the dining room table. 1 pay $75 for three rooms and a kitchen and it makes me mad just to think about it. Mrs. Frauen­ fOEO PROGRAMS ARE INEFFECTIVE' hoff, she doesn't care what time of the night she comes around for the rent. The last time she came around I paid her $60 and told her I was keeping the rest out to THE POOR MEET. FORM fix the roof. As soon as she got out of the apartment she started to holler --if you don't like that hole, move outl I got people standing in line for this apartmentI STATEWIDE FEDERATION We got roaches. The bathroom leaks OAKLAND - "We demand that the State .,Be it resolved that rents be frozen in terribly. It took her 6 months to fix the back Social Welfare Board be composed of a public housing for a period of three years door that was just hanging there:" majority of recipients drawn from a list and that there shall be immediate rent On February 27, twenty tenants drove out submitted by the Welfare Rights Organi­ decreases when there is a decrease in to Mrs. Frauenhoff's home in a neat San zation. income during rental periods." Francisco suburb, set up a picket line on "We demand Federal pressure for a the sidewalk and leafleted hel' neighbors. guaranteed annual income. These are a few of the positions' taken The leaflet said, "Mrs. Frauenhoff is our "We resolve that the National Advisory when poor people from the state of Cali­ landlord. She lives in your neighborhood. Council to the OEO include .at least a fornia met February 26 and 27 in Oakland. She charges some of us as high as $100 majority representation of the poor from 170 delegates attended the conference, re­ a month for five rooms in a house where the 7 regions of the OEO. presenting 50 welfare rights organizations, the toilets leak, the plaster falls, where tenants' councils and anti-poverty groups. there is a hole in one side of the building••• The participants established a California We won't pay rent for rats and roaches." Federation of the Poor. "Are you picketing her?" asked a neigh­ The delegates heard - Dolores Huerta, CATHERINE HINES, Richmond WRO. bor's child. "She's a mean old lady. Nobody Vice-President of the Nation a 1 F a I' m Photo: Howard Harawitz likes her. She'll call the cops on you:' Workers, speak, and they donated $39 to groups in Oakland, Richmond andSan Fran­ The NeighborhoQd Freedom Organization the striking Delano workers. One woman cisco. They received funds from the Uni­ also threatened to report Mrs. Frauenhoff contributed 4¢. versity of California Extension, the Oak­ to the Public Health Department. A few The conference divided into three work­ land Council of Social Planning and the days later she capitulated, and signed a shops: Welfare Rights, Tenant Councils and Sears Roebuck Foundation. contract with the NFO. The agreement the Poverty Program. The Poverty Program The groups which were represented atthe stipulated that within a certain number of workshop discussed an effort to get the conference, though willing to accept help days she would have the entire bUilding federal government to halt the poverty from these sponsors, made it clear that fumigated, the plaster and plumbing fixed, program until and unless it kept its pro­ they would maintain their independence. the roofing repaired, and there would be mise to the poor that they could parti­ The' did not want an individual or organi­ no raise in rent. cipate in policy program and staff de­ zation to direct them, but they did want to "It's a great victory," Danny Brown, cisions. join tegether to fight for their rights. SNCC field secretary working witE the The Tenant Council workshop discussed No definite program was developed during NFO, said. "Do you know what Mrs. Frauen­ the lack of protection that tenants had from the conference. This meeting was lookedon hoff said to me? She said 'When all those the Housing Authority. The workshop pointed as an opportunity to share experiences and people move out, I'm never going to rent out that organizing private ghetto housing iron out mutual problems. to colored again; they make too much is more difficult "than organizing a housing The next state-wide conference will be in trouble. lf I had whites ill there I could project. June. Before then, the steering committee, make them pay any rent I wanted: That MRS. WESTBROOK from Hunters Point The conference was called by a steering representing each of the groups, will meet shows the strength of a Freedom Organi­ Photo: Howard Harawitz com mittee of people from low-income to make specific proposals. zation:' Interview With Stokely Carmichael Continued From Last Month niT'S VERY SIMPLE: WE INTEND TO TAKE OVER LOWNDES COUNTY" LOWNDES COUNTY, ALABAMA- "I don't work for the Federal Government. When I start working for the Federal --How does your strategy apply to ~he -When you talk about moving outwardfrom Government, they'll pay me $25,000 a year. I work for SNCC at $10 a week, and my job cities, to the ghetto? Lowndes County, do you reject the notion is to organize people to overthrow the governments that are now oppressing them, not "It does apply. For example in New York of coalitions entirely? to organize them to beg for money from the Federal Government. lf they control these City, what Negroes have to do is organize. "No, I don't reject coalitions; what I say county government offices, they won't have to beg for money. They'll just take it. The political power in Harlem does not lie is that Negroes have to realize that when in Harlem, it lies outside. In Chicago it you form coalitions, you aim towards what can be seen very clearly; the political people call' '-national interest" , and national for the best. Maybe they'll win, lose, draw houses, you told me I'd get better schools, power in Chicago lies in the Daly machin­ interest i~ never the same as Negro interest. or tie, but once they start seeking coali­ you told me 'I'd be a first class citizen. ery, it doesn't lie inside the community. So they have to maintain their own interest tions, the power's not theirs anymore. Now I lost my house -- you get me a "So what we're doing is something even­ first, then certainly they can form other It belongs to the coalesced force:' house." You see, I can't just walk away, Malcolm X was talking about. Political coalitions. --I want to get back to my first ques­ and say "that's part of it," those people power has to lie within the community. "But I don't see any coalition forces in tion, about economic power. What if you need a house." And that's all: north, south, rural, the country that SNCC could hook up with had a black political structure in a county industrial. today, or that LCFO could hook up with. and a white economic structure? Do you "People in Alabama are doing most of Aside from the MFDP there is no force see a way of breaking out of that? the organizing now -- that's the way it today. We can hook up, for example, with "I have my own questions in my own should be. I will leave Alabama by the the Delano strikers, but I'm saying there mind; if I broach those questions people end of this year, and that work has to go is no established force we can hook up usually say I'm a leftist or a communist on. It's one of the things I like about SNCC-- with. We can hook up with new movements, or an anarchist, whatever those terms whether it lives or dies, the organizations insurgent forces. That's being done. SNCC mean. But it is clear to me that the that it org<>nized will continue." has workers in Delano, working on the Constitution of this country was written --What did Negroes lea~n from the Mis­ grape strike. That's to our interest to by property owners, and it was some time sissippi Freedom Democratic Party? see that those sort of groups spring up." before people who didn't own property could "We recognize that people aren't im­ -Do you think that a Negro party, or­ vote. And I think that the property owners pressed by demonstrations: they're im­ ganizing around economic interests, could who wrote the Constitution wrote it for their pressed by political power; that is what the tie up with poor whites around purely ec- own interest, not for the interest of the MFDP understood. And they understoodthat onomic issues? - people who didn't own property. you can't go out for coalitions, because "That's an academic question, because "Now what happens when you have 90%, coalitions are formed by people who have the poor white is not organized. Once he of the people in Lowndes County who are their interest at stake, not yours. And when is organized, then we could move." property-less, and they now control poli­ you go into coalitions with somebody who's --What makes you th'ink you can keep tically the 10%, of the people who own the already established, there isn't much you that 35% a solid block? county economically? I don't have any an­ can get from. them, but there's a lot they "Those we are organizing are all share­ swers. Maybe some good American poli­ TENT CITY in Lowndes County can get from you. That's what they learned croppers. The Negroes who all their lives tical scientist could answer the question at the Mississippi Challenge. have been sitting with the whites are cut for us. I don't see any Negroes anywhere --How do you handle that question? ..And they also learned that there's no off from the sharecroppers; they have no better off in the ghetto, and they vote up "We've been trying to squeeze them in such thing as justice in this country, in power in' that base. Those people have there; they're still propertyless. Lowndes with other families, and they've split up the courts, because the people who were enough strength to rRove on their own. County is going to be very interesting as their families. Negroes don't control the recognized by the national government as . "One of the things we learned from indicative of what could happen across the resources of this ·country. It means that being the official party were the racists, Mississippi, is that in Mississippi we did country when propertyless people begin Negroes are seriously going to have to were the criminals, were the murderers. seek out coalitions -- and that's what the asking those questions. confront the question of Vietnam. That "So the MFDP learned that you start at price of coalitions is. We didn't seek any . "In Lowndes County for example, Ne­ money is going to have to stop going there rock bottom, with no one but each other, in Alabama, we just told people that they groes who get evicted off their land and and start going into Alabama. It's going and that's where you go. You don't look ought to realize from the beginning that have to live in tents because they voted, to be in our interest to stop that war. Not for anybody who's established, you look for they are isolated, and that whatever they they see me every day and they say "You even on a moral issue, but a very practi­ people like yourself, who are starting out, do they have to do on their own and hope told me to vote. You told me I'd get better cal issue. people like the farm workers in Delano:' Editorial VIETNAM: Some San Francisco Residents ONE MAN, ONE VOTE! Talk About The War In Vietnam The War on Poverty, in its legisla­ selves will have to be the ones who decide One of the casualties of the Vietnamese War has been tive mandate, called for the "maximum how their country will be run. the free expression of public opinion. We have set down feasible participation of the poor" in the Most of our politicians are made un­ planning and implementation of program. comfortable by the concept of maXimum here as carefully as we can, just what four people said feasible participation; only a handful seem This legislation was the result of pres­ when we asked them, it What do you think about the war to recogniz~ our colonial role in Vietnam. sure from civil rights and community in Vietnam?" organizations among the poor of all races This is at the heart of the need for a new politics in this country. and ethnic groups; it also reflected the This is not a scientific survey, nor was it meant to be growing awareness that American mi­ We feel that any new politics must one. All four people oppose the war. All four are active norities and America's poor are demand­ be built upon the community organiza­ ing the right to determine and change tions developing across the nation. These in community organizations in the Haight-Ashbury neigh­ their own lives. groups speak directly to the needs and borhood of San Francisco. More and more liberal supporters of interests of the minorities and the poor. PHOTOS BY GERHARD GSCHIEDLE the movement are becoming aware thatfree­ The leadership of these organizations comes dom and dignity are never given to a people, from the communities they represent. AMOS SNELL: I really don't know what but are ?lon by them in their own struggles. Some of these groups will die; some they're fighting about. They say they're The phrase "welfare colonialism" has come will become corrupt, and their leaders draWing the line on commuI)ism. I don't to characterize all programs "for the good (like the executives of numerous cor­ know what communism is. What I do know of the community" that are imposed on the porations) will cheat their members; some is that in Alabama, when I worked for community by an alien force. will become encrusted by bureaucracy and the Southern Christian Leadership Con­ grow as conservative as those they over­ Congress reluctantly recognized this ference, I saw people killed. And I saw threw. when it called for participation of the that it took them 8 days to get troops into We do not think that anyone who be­ poor. The civil rights movement, the com­ Alabama to protect us, but it only took lieves in maximum feasible participation munity organizations, and their supporters them 2 days to get troops to Vietnam. have been insistent on this principle _ can allow these possibilities, to lessen From what I've seen of American Demo:" even when in specific cases they may disa­ their committment to democracy. To turn cracy, I don't believe in it. The way white away from self-determination is to guaran­ gree with the decisions that a community people have been beating in our heads, deciding for itself may make. tee a Watts-type revolt every summer. letting black children starve. Democracy in lf we believe in democratic participa­ The increasing fear this principle has America means White is Right. I don't what guarantee would I have that I'd be a caused among liberal politicians offers tion at home, if we believe that genu- think it's my place to go over to Vietnam. first class citizen7 a clue to their failure to understand a , ine ,leadership of the poor comes from My people can't even vote for the man who's Negroes won't benefit from the war at closely related fact -- that freedom and minority and poverty cummunities, how telling them to go over there. all. Most Negroes can't afford to go to can we also think that we can bring free­ college. Those that go are middleclasl' democracy cannot be brought to Vietnam They say we're for free elections. If by force. The Vietnamese people them- dom to a people at the end of a napalm the United States wins, the U.S. will be whites. From what I've seen and heard it's flame7 Negroes tha,t are fighting the war. The ratio running South Vietnam, so I still don't FIRE, PRAI'SE FOR SNCC think they'll have free elections. They don't is lopsided. That's the draft, 'and I don't here. ,If I were to go to Vietnam, and I believe in the draft, taking people against was one of the lucky ones to come back, their will. If people think there should be a STATEMENT ON VIETNAM war there, let them go fight it. ·SNCC is the only civilrights organization inconceivable. to have taken a position on the war in While the opinions of a majority, even VERNELL BOYD: I think it's wrong. I've heard that some white people have Vietnam. The SNCC statement' was pub­ an overwheL-ning majority of our members, We go there and fight for the white people's , said they wish there would be a war in lished in the February issue of THE MOVE­ would not deter us from stating a position war, then come back here and are treated America between the white and black, MENT. Since then it has drawn strong we believed to be right, I would be willing bad. If we are to fight American wars, we because there are too many Negroes. In my comment --both favorable and disfavorable. to hazard heavy stakes on the generalagree­ should be a part of it. We do all that mind that's like thisbirthcontrolprogram­ LF. Stone, highly respected Washington ment in our ranks with the position enun­ fighting and what do we get7 they're trying to keep the Negro and Mexi­ journalist, has said, •'We suspect SNCC ciated by Mr. Wilkins. I myself have serious I've heard so many speeches and they're can populations down. says what 99% of U.S. Negroes feel," questions regarding some features of our all different. They don't make it clear why You see, people in other countries should lf so, the NAACP seems to represent Vietnam activity, but I am entirely convinced we're in this war. Even when I read about be allowed to take care of themselves. the other 1%. The fo-llowing correspondence of the bona fides of this country's objectives it, I don't understand. between a Bay Area doctor and the there. And I am neither a "war hawk" nor Assistant Executive Director of the NAACP, an "Uncle Tom." illustrates the sort of response the SNCC It seems to me that the concluding para­ MRS. VIVIAN HOWARD: We shouldn't be statement has received. graphs of the late Adlai Stevenson's post­ over there, dying for nothing. I don't even Sam Hanzel, M,D" F ,A,C,S. humously published letter to Paul Goodman know what they're fighting for. They're San Rafael, California are singularly appropriate: fighting for nothing. I think those people Roy Wilkens, Executive Director "Now it is possible for honest men to should handle their own business. NAACP differ on every aspect of this interpreta­ They could have settled it themselves if Dear Mr. Wilkins: tion. You may believe that Communist Johnson hadn't got smart and sent men over As a Life Member, I was disturbed and powers are not expansive. Or you may there. What in hell are we doing over there7 concerned over the prompt disassociation believe that the changes they seek to sup­ We must be over there trying to take over of the NAACP with the SNCC statement port by violence are beneficient changes that country. regarding the Vietnam Pea.:e Movement. which can be achieved by no other route. They shouldn't go after and draft men with I can understand the laudable desire to Again, you may b~lieve that a return to families and wives. They're spending bil­ maintain as broad a base as possible, and some form of non-involvement in world lions of dollars over there, artillery and to avoid antagonizing the "War Hawks" affairs is the best posture for America. bombs. They could spend that money over who might be in our membership. Or you may genuinely believe that America here, build something that takes jobs. Do Still, it is evident the Civil Rights' is in Vietnam 'for sheer capitalist greed,' something about the people i the South that progress can and will be stalled by the These are all possible attitudes and I do have been thrown off their lana. war; and money for Civil Rights related not impugn the good faith of those who hold Johnson - he sits around Miami Beach different views. programs will be .less available because of and has a ball. He doesn't have to go over' "I would only ask them, in the name of there. this i m m 0 r a I war. Perhaps justice is the courtesies and decencies of a free indivisible. Perhaps the "non-involvement" society, that they should equally refrain of NAACP in the antiwar movement smacks from impugning mine." HANK jOtjES: I don't think we should be of "Uncle-Tomism." Thus far, at any rate, I have not heard in there. Frankly Idon't know why we're over We should not close our minds to the Mr. Stevenson cited as a "war hawk:' there. The United States•••it's that big fact that the most vicious racists in the Sincerely yours, brother act, the U.S. is the "peacemaker country are t~e most vigorous in demanding john A. MorselI of the world." We're trying to take demo­ escalation of the war: I believe the pvil Assistant Executive cracy over there and there's no such thing Rights' struggle and the Vietnam Peace Director NAACP struggle are "inextricably intertwined. The as domocracy in the United States. NAACP would perhsps have been better off We in SNCC would ask some questions of The United States' foreign policy is a saying nothing than to stab SNCC in the Mr. Morsell. Is it "goodfaith disagreement real strange phenomena. They will put all back1 Respectively, with SNCC" to say, as Roy Wilkins said in this money into a country where there's poverty, and none of the money ver gets Sam Hanzel, M,D. his nationally s y n die ate,d column, "The Dear Dr. Hanzel: NAACP action was the result not only of to the poverty-stricken. It all goes to Your letter of january 14 concerning the its support for our country •••7" the puppet governments. A select few get Association's position with regard to the Mr. Morsell, do those who disagree with rich and the rest stay as poor as they ever Vietnam war controversy has come to my the Administration not support our country7 were. Our intentions may be good, but it attention. It is one of several in similar Does Senator Morse not 7 Does Mrs. Hamer doesn't work out right. vein that we have received in recent days. not7 There's no honorable way out. Someone The s e letters are disturbing in two Is it just an honest difference to say, as committed us and we can't get out without respects. One, the assertion, in almost Mr. Wilkins did, that "follOWing the line of losing face. Maybe we can end it like identical language, that our statement of the left thinkers, the SNCC statementbrand­ Korea, divide it up. There's no winning. position constitutes a "stab in the back" ing the United States also expressed the I've heard that most of the guys in the to SNCC, seems to suggest that to express belief that our government has been 'de­ front lines are Negroes. I haven't any­ good faith disagreement with SNCC is some­ ceptive in its claim of concern for the free­ thing to back that up, but that's what I've how reprehensible. Such a double standard dom of the Vietnamese people,' just as it heard. Anyway, these guys are being made and at night they're fighting against them. in public debate cannot be justified. declared, 'the government has been decep­ to fight for something they don't have at The purpose has vanished. You go over as The second, and more disturbing, aspect tive in claiming concern for the freedom of home. I'll support my black brothers over an advisor and end up fighting the whole is the assumption common to these letters colored people'" 7 there, because it isn't their fault, but as thing yourself in the name of the South that the NAACP position reflects a desire Do you, Mr. Morsell and you, Mr. Wilkins for what they're fighting for, I can't agree Vietnamese you hardly ever see. to protect membership or contributions or think that SNCC needs a "left line" -­ In the beginning the UnitedStates soldiers It's mo're or less a revolution. lf the to avoid antagonizing powerful influences. what ever that is -- to know that the U,S, went in there as advisors. They went in to United States could get enough-Vietnamese In other words, the possibility that intel­ government has lied to the colored people stop the communists. Now they admit they to come out and say they wanted America ligent and honest men may honestly differ of this country and Vietnam, or that it has don't even know where those communists in there, that would be one thing, but they on Vietnam is discounted as if it were lied to all people 7 are. In the daytime they'refighting with them can't find these people. . 3 Welfare Department Breaks Welfare Laws Farm Workers' Investigation Rips Tulare County DELANO, CALIFORNIA - Many serious violations of the State Welfare and Insti- "w & IC 427 ' (signed) Ra~ona Agarano." 'who wanted to know why he wasn't stricter, tutions Code were discovered last month W & IC 429 "The laws violated by the Thlare County so the workers would "return to the fields by the National Farm Workers Associa- W & IC 449.6 Welfare Department in the Ramona Agarano where they belong and where work is needed I tion in cases handled by the Thlare County W & IC 1550.1" case are: to be done." Welfare Department. ••• W & IC 449.6 Mr. Feud's suggested solution to the The informal investigation was carried pressure he was getting from both sides out by Sal Gonzales, NFWA office Man- was a "compromise." He suggested that ager and Ida Cousino, a volunteer work- NFWA file an appeal and try to requalify ing on welfare' cases for the NFWA. the recipients. This way the growers would The reason for the investigation was benefit by the delay and the NFWA would to find "why many of the NFWA's mem- benefit bytheeventualre-qualificationofthe bers who had applied for or were on aid welfare recipients. This way, Mr. Feudex- were denied or discontinued ••• when plained, he would be looked upon as a they were qualified under state law." It "neutral." didn't take them long to find that the violations extended to non-FWA members Useless Training as well, in fact to everyone receiving In a January meeting"with Work Project Thlare County aid. • and Vocational Training Supervisor Maxe­ The violations, ranging from burying don, Gonzales and Cousino discovered urgent appeals for immediate aid to de­ something about the community work pro­ nying aid to persons who had no money to jects. travel to welfare-required jobs, were of There were 738 recipients availablefor 77 such a serious nature that Cesar Chavez, different community work projects, but only NFWA Director, sent telegrams to Gover­ 296 were actually taking part. Maxedon nor Brown and the Secretary of the Depart­ claimed that these projects were to aid in ment of Health, Education and Welfare in the vocational training of the persons in­ Washington demanding an immediate in­ volved. Further questioning revealed that vestigation of the County Welfare Depart­ , with the full cooperatjon of city, county, TULARE COUNTY SHERIFF tails 20-car NFWA roving picket line. George Ballis photo ment. state and federal agencies, less than 3% The NFWA investigation Report docu­ of the people so "trained" had been placed "I, Ray Marquez, applied for welfare on W & IC 1500.c ments 11 cases, specifies the violations or hired in regular jobs. December 22, and waited until January 6 W & IC 1500.4 incurred in, each case, spells out the "This percentage of success," the Re­ with- an appointment to be seen. I needed W & IC 1550.1" provisions of the welfare code, and makes port ironically says, "was of course very the money when I applied for aid and I still *** specific recommendations for reform in astounding to NFWA officials." do and I waited all morning to be able to ' 'When I needed immediate aid I was de- the Department. be seen and they denied my case. nied becaase for one reason I didn't have no Forced Labor THE CASES "They requested that I go to work which money. They said that program was only for "It was found that the people were in We quote from some of the sworn state­ I am willing to go where ever they send me. those who had money for gas, they saidthat effect forced' to take part in a community ments taken by the NFWA, andtheir findings. The only reason I can't go is because I don't maybe later on there will be a program for work project or a vocationaltraining project "I, Manual Uranday made an applica­ have any money at all." those who does not have money for gas. The because, according to Mr. Maxedon, these tion for AFDC-U •.• I reported to the Work , "The Welfare laws violated in the Ray reason that I go to the Welfare is because people were getting free money from the Project ••• I was discontinued for failure Marquez case are: I am in need of money. lf I had money for government for nothing, and since he had ,to cooperate on the C;ommupity Work W & IC 449.6 my family I wouldn't have to go to the Wel- always had to work for his money he saw Project •.. W& IC 1500.cfare. (signed) Frank Kates." no reason why these people shouldn't work "I had a note from my employer stating W & IC 1500.4.a "The laws violatedby the Welfare Depart- for theirs." that I was regularly employed on the dates W & IC 1550.1' ment in Frank Kates case are: "Thlare County can well be considered in question and reported for work but did W& IC C. 172.1.6" W& IC 449.6 a poverty-stricken 'area," the NFWA Re­ not work because the moisture content (in **• W & IC 1550.1 port concluded. "Thlare County has ap­ the cotton) was too high, late on those days , 'Our family was in need of help and my W & IC 1580.4 proximately 18,000 farm workers ..• in question. This note was seen by Miss husband went to the Welfare Department. W & IC 172.1.6 31% of the population. 27% of the popu-· Alice Thompson and a Mr. FranK Joseph, He was referred to a job quite a distance W & IC 427 lation is considered .•• poverty stricken an intake supervisor at the Thlare County from our home in Earlimart. He did not W & IC 429 .•. 27% of the population make less Welfare Department ••• This note is not to have any transportation, as he told the W& IC 1500.a" than $3,000 annually. be found in my files at the Thlare County Welfare. His car was not working, also he p f , 'The Tulare County Welfare Department Welfare Department." didnot have a driver's license. He was de- ressure rom G rowers is serving only 12% of the people con­ The Violations .=d. This is what we expected from the Sal Gonzales and Ida Cousino reportedon sidered poverty-stricken. "Here is a list of the Thlare County Wel­ Welfare Department. My husband will have several meetings between the NFWA and "Thlare County should be less concerned, nothing to do with the Thlare County Welfare the Welfare Department. In one meeting with the rising cost of welfare adminis­ fare Department laws vi 0 Iate d in the processing of the Manua} Uranday case," Department. He went the last time only be- with Mr. Feud, the director, Feud revealed tration and more concerned with the reduc­ the NFWA report tersely says :, cause we were so badly in need of help. that he was under pressure from growers tion of poverty." PIC.KETS CORNER BROWN AT CDC CONVENTION BAKERSFIELD, CALIFORNIA - lf you Fifty or sixty strikers and supporters the strikers. Brown was asked if he would talk to the just read the daily papers there's a lot were present during the convention, lobby­ Putting on his !;Jest politician's smile, he growers, and ask them to negotiate. "00 you probably don't know about the Feb­ ing for the Rural Poverty statement, col­ shook the hand of Dolores Huerta, NFWA you really think they would listen if 1 ruary convention of the California Demo­ lecting money, advising the Issue Committee Vice-President, and said,"Dolores and I spoke to them?" he asked. "yesl" yelled cratic Council, one of the country's largest on rural affairs, and talking to delegates. have won many a fight on Capitol Hill." the strikers. grass roots volunteer Democratic organiza­ When it was learned that Governor Brown "There's one fight we haven't talked , 'Will you come to Delano to see con­ tions. would attend the convention on Sunday, the about," replied Mrs. Huerta, "the De­ ditions first-hand?" asked Mrs. Huerta. You probably don't know that NFWA strikers decided' to set up a picket line lano strike." Cautiously, the Governor replied, "I will pickets surrounded Governor Brown and outside the hall. The signs questioned ~1~Jrtt come to Delano, the next time I'm in Kern his entourage 4 separate times, and ex­ Brown's silence on the strike and his un­ IDtJtf· County." Then he paused, a;:; if re-thinking tracted a pledge from him to come to De­ willingness to intervene, using the powers this and said, "Is there really any need lano to see the grape strike for himself. of his office. • for. me to come to Delano? It looks like You might not know that Assemblyman In a public statement, the strikers said, Delano has come to me." The crowd at Willie Brown of San Francisco took over "We are picketing in front of the CDC this time was about 100. the convention for more than an hour Friday convention to protest Governor Brown's "It's not the same, Governor," said night to raise more than $5000 in cash and ­ irresponsible silence on the Delano strike. Mrs. Huerta. pledges from the floor for the NFWA. "CDC has taken an excellent stand on the Brown was offered an AWOC-NFWA pin You probably don't know th~t President­ strike; Governor Brown has not said a word. and asked if he would wear it. He refused. elect, G era I d Hill, was wearing a "Brown is our Governor, but he has "Let me say this," he concluded. "I "HUELGA" button when he made his ac­ not even asked the .growers to negotiate will talk to the growers. Let me be a ceptance speech. with the striking unions. bridge between the two groups." You probably don't know the substance of "We ask Brown: "Why are you silent He and the reporters then returned to the the remarkable policy statement on Rural over the plight of thousands of farm work­ basement. The doors came dowr;' again. Poverty passed overwhelmingly by the con­ ers in California?" This scene was repeated, without the vention. presence of Mrs. Huerta, three more times If you only read the Bakersfield Cali­ Brown Arrives - when the Governor left the building for fornian all you know is that "The Governor Brown's limousine arrived at the hall lunch, when he returned, and when he left to also faced pickets, about 30 persons pro­ around noon. His car entered the basement return to Sacramento. testing that he hasn't intervened in a nearby garage while the pickets were running to The last time, he was surrounded as he grape strike." the ramp. As they got there the tall steel tried to leave the convention parking lot. doors were being closed. He was getting upset now at this outbreak This wasn't about to stop them from of direct democracy. "Are you trying to The National Farm Workers Association confronting their Governo~. They pounded argue with me?" he yelled at a striker. had a table in the lobby c:fthe convention on the door with the heavy wooden Huelga "No, Governor," was the reply, "I just hall. There bumper stickers, Huelga buttons signs. You could hear the door ring like a want an answer to my question." EI Maler i ado (the NFWA newspaper), gong for 50 yards. After about 30 seconds "Well," said Brown, "I have no position Luis Valdez, NFWA picket captain, re­ HUELGA (NFWA book on the Delano Strike) of this, the doors rolled up and Brown, now, but you can be sure I will take a ,ports that Brown at this point turned to an and The Movement were sold. surrounded by newsmen, came out to face stand." (CONTINUED PAGE 4, COLUMN 1) 4 15 Years Ago • POVERTY DIRICTOR OUSTED BY POOR SPEC IAL TO THE MOVEMENT BY Fred Hirsch minority in the country (12%), Santa Clara SCHENLEY AND DIGIORGIO STRIKES SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA-The power Negroes, (.095%), have until now had the structure of Santa Clara County, success­ strongest minority voice. The Roundtable fully barred from completely controlling the Organizations worked door to door in the local War on Poverty, is now clawing and communities. At times Poverty Commission scraping to regain control. meetings were attended by as many as A year ago the. Community Councils of 500 'people insisting on a voice. Mexican­ Central Santa Clara County, the Establish­ American Picket lines were formed for the ment's tool for administering United Fund first time, de man din g that the War on and other programs whose aim is a more Poverty reach the poor. bearable standard of poverty, initiated a Divisions inside the EOC staff erupted. War on Poverty program. The county wel­ The Community Action Program people comed the program, and a Board of 14 opposed the Director and called for his members most representing the community ouster. Contact with the poor in the com­ power structure, was set up to govern the munities made it impossible for even the program. paid staff member:s to go along with a In the beginning there was a lone voice, top-down, dictatorial administration. that of Wester Sweet, a local Negro attorney, By emasculating or ignoring programs calling for an enlarged Commission which put forward by organizations, and by trying would represent the poor of the County. to dictate community hiring policy, Potts Support for his position grew. Organized made himself a comml!J1ity wide target. The labor and some Mexican-American organi­ only segments supporting him were his zations joined the effort to enlarge the Com­ own staff of top administrators, the power mission and to put in a Director and Deputy N 1966, SCABS use mechanical pruner on Schenley Ranch structure of the city of San jose and the Director who would be sympathetic to the County, and the Community Councils which real needs of the poor. In the December issue of THE MOVE­ field, the Home Ranch. The workers then had started the EOC Program. They lost the battle over the Director MENT we published an edited copy of some On jan. 20 the battle closed. The poor ­ were mostly Okies, Mexican -Americans when Arthur Potts, the "safe" choice of remarks by H.L. Mitchell, organizer of the and braceros. We pulled out 1100 workers. and the Mexican-Americans g I' 0 ups had the power structure, was handed control 30uthern Tenant Farmers Union in the The strike lasted two years, and in the end gained enough representation on the County of the pt"ogram. 1930's. We got this transcript from FARM we lost. Commission to make their bid. With the aid of the regionalOffice of Eco­ LABOR magazine. It never occurred to us "They replaced the workers with local They moved in executive sessionto review nomic Opportunity, and the threat of direct that Mitchell might still be around -- the farmers and wetbacks. The Burns Com­ complaints against the Director. No satis­ action by Mexican-Americans, they won the 30's seem a long time ago for young people. mittee red-baited us from Sacramento. factory action was taken. fight to enlarge the Commission. Making H.L. Mitchell is very much.still around. On February 2, Potts appointed a Mexi­ this victory mean anything took many more He is now the International Representative AWOC can-American Deputy Director, Mark months. of the Fish, Seafood, Agricultural and Al­ "I'll tell you how AWOC got organized. Guerra, in an obvious move to divide lied Workers Union No. 300 in Metairie, We had organized a national committee of the Latin organizations. Guerra had already Louisiana. Mr. Mitchell read the December Mrs. Roosevelt, and Norman Thomas.We had The battle centered on whether a Deputy asked for the support of the organizations MOVEMENT and wrote to tell us he was a hearing in Washington, D.C., where we Director of Mexican descent would be and had beenturned down cold. TheMexican­ interested in the work NFWA and the SNCC called in congressmen and labor people. appointed. Potts delayed making any ap­ Americans would not give support to a are doing in Delano. The result was that the AFL-CIO were pointment until he got an outside adminis­ sellout, a "vendido". They paidno attention We asked him about the Southern Tenant put on the spot -- they had to come in trative "expert" to claim that the post was to the "deal", and continued the drive to Farmers Union -- what happened to it. and say they would organize farm labor. not really necessary. In arguements over oust the Director. "The STFU was a balanced, integrated "Then once they started, they wouldn't this issue the Director showed himself to After a week of daily picketing against lnion until World War n," says Mitchell. let me in it. A lot of the leadership in be intransigent and abusive, with little re­ Potts by Mexican-Americans, Negroes and •'When the War started, whites got jobs AWOC was trained by us. gard for Mexican-Americans. The words Anglos, there was a special meeting of and Negroes didn't. After 1940 the union _~che'nley which finally touched the fuse that blasted the EOC Commission. The County Counsel membership was 90Y0 Negro. That did Strike Potts from his position were: "Those and the Chairman claimed that any action more than any of the Negro-baiting to break "A few years after the Di Giorgio strike goddam Mexicans can't touch me. They of the Commission to deal with the director up the whites and Negroes in our union. we had a strike against the Schenley Ranch haven't got the political power to kill should be illegal. It took two and a half "We started out integrated. Usually there in Delano. This one lost too. We tried a a fly." . hours of wrangling and verbal daggers wasn't any place for whites to meet except national boycott against Schenley, but we before action was taken. The anti-Potts in Negro homes. There wasn't that racial couldn't pull it off. Organized labor wouldn't A "M~xican-American Roundtable" was group held a majority against all the antagonism in Arkansas at that time that support it. A Schenley Labor Relations man formed, including the American GJ. Forum, ' power and legal force of the County. exists in the South today. told me, "You can't get a boycott against . MAPA (Mexican American PoliticalAssoci­ Only one Mexican-American defected. us: if you did, we'd have to sign." ation), CSO (Community Service Organi­ Isaias Aguilera, President of Mapa, break­ "The STFU stayed independent after "We just couldn't get those guys in the zation) and about ten other groups ranging ing his word to his own membership and we broke from the CIO in 1939, until 1947; labor unions to support agricultural work­ from the conservative to radical and from the "Roundtable", bolted the voting then we got -an AFL charter. In California er organizing. At that time the Distillery social clubs to political factions. For the majority. By 10:30 in the evening a weary our operation was called the National Farm Workers were completely racket - ridden. first time Mexican-Americans in Santa audience of 500, mostly low income Mexi­ Labor Union (NFLU). "I'll tell you, I'm very impressed by Clara County came together to take united can-Americans, greeted the suspension of this guy Cesar Chavez. His program sounds social action. Although they are the largest Arthur Potts with loud applause. fwo Year Strike like the Southern Tenant Farmers Union-­ "In 1947 the NFLU called a strike before we became involved with organizt"r1 against the Di Giorgio Ranch near Bakers- labor." THE MOVEMENT Is published monthly by the staff of the' BROWN FACES PICKETS, CONTI NUED FROM FRONT PAGE Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee of California. aide and said nervously, "Get me out of against its own policy statement. Such is here." politics. FDlTORlAL OFFICE: 449 14th Street, Farm Labor Policy, Confusion San FranCisco, California There was considerable confusion about FDrrORlAL GROUF': The statement adopted by the Convention the picketing in front and inside the con­ Nas written in conjunction with NFWA rep­ vention hall. When the delegates who fav­ Terence Cannon ~esentatives. Among other things, it called ored ousted President Si Casady walked out Bernice Glenn ~r: - of the hall during Governor Brown's speech, George BaUls F k C" - k * Revision of the Soci,iI Security Act to the two issues - Casady and Delano _ Gerhart Gschiedle ran leClor a ';over farm workers. got mixed. NFWA pickets were inside the Jean Hume Bobbi Cieciorka * Passage of a state Labor Relations Act hall at the time, hoping to spark questions Brooks Penney ~stablishing an Administrative Board to from the floor on the strike. JaC:lde Penney E lIen Estrin leal exclusively with the collective bar­ ~aining rights of agriculture. When the walk-out took place, the NFWA LOS ANGELES COMMITTEE: * A state minimum wage of $2 an hour pickets got swept up in the crowd. many 478-9509 Bob Niemann 'or all agricultural employees. of the Casady demonstrators carried farm * The denial of support to any candidate Sue Douglas Martin Van Buren * Abolishment of the Farm Placement worker signs and some of the striker-"s were for public office who does not support these Beth Hoffman 5ervice. proposals. impressed into service in the Casady dem­ * Representatives from farm labor or­ onstration. This confusion was unfortunate, LOS ANGELES ADDRESS: ;anizations to sit on all government de­ Contradiction since many of the strongest supporters of P.O. Box 117 308 Westwood Plaza :ision-making boards affecting agriculture. Note that last policy statement. It was ac­ the grape strike were anti-Casady. Roy Los Angeles 24, Calif. * Strict enforcement of the 160-acrewater cepted by the convention body on Saturday. Greenaway from Fresno, for example, a limitation law. On Sunday, the same body endorsed Gov­ principle mover in the ouster, has done $2 per year, individual copies ernor Brown. Does Governor Brown support much work in favor of the strike. * Full support of the Delano strikers. $3 per hundrectper month, the Schenley boycott? No. CDC seems to The slate elected by the convention is * Support of the Schenley boycott. bulle subscriptions. have overlooked that little matter, and went heavily pro-strike. Subscribe to' THE MOVEMENT! Send One Please Send Me The Next 12 Issues of The Movement En-closed IS $2.00 to a Friend! Name~. Address .. _..,-.- ~_~ MAIL TO 449 14th STREET, City .. State ZIP SAN FRANCISCO 94103 PORTRAIT OF A SPECIAL TO 5 THE MOVEMENT LAVERY IN ALINAS CALIFORNIA FARMER By Fred Hirsch It was a victory, but it was not nearly took Romero no more than five minutes List month, after a week of bureaucratic good enough. The men figured out the coun­ to meet the demand. The permit, issued From the Los Angeles Times abuse by the Monterey County Board of ty's costs and found that they would be to the Salinas Farm Workers Association, Supervisors and the County Welfare De­ working for 25¢ an hour. Adam Romero was granted for the following day. "Kern County Land Co.'s executive jet partment, 50 unemployed, poverty stricken explained it this way: "We are sleeping out Friday, the morning of the parade, as if has been in the air 185 hours since the farm workers marched down the center of in the weeds and we don't even have razor by a miracle, three bus loads of farm company acqUired it last july. At 540 the main street. Their scrawled placards blades for a shave or soap to wash up. workers were picked up to go to work in the asparagus cutting. The fifty men who miles per hour cruising speed, that means shouted in bright reds and greens: "LET We need jobs at wages. You gotta be crazy it's traveled some 99,900 miles on com­ US INTO THE GREAT SOCIETY," "STOP to work for two bits an hour. It's not even were left carriedthe parade through the cen­ pany business in the four months KCL has SALINAS SLAVERY," "WE ARE WORK­ in cash. We thought they got rid of slavery ter of town and two miles beyond to the Welfare BUilding. There, they were in­ owned it. ERS, WE WANT WAGE AND WORK," and a hundred years ago. We won't take it." "In its flights around the country the •'WE WANT CASH, NOT CONCENTRA­ By Thursday only fourteen had been formed by Mr. Leech, Director of the Wel­ Lockheed twin-jet might have landed exe­ TION CAMPS. The silent tradition of Sali­ desperate enough to take the County's offer. fare Department, that he had been/ authori­ nas was broken. cutives at Tucson or Phoenix for a look The men decided to demonstrate their need zed by the Board of Supervisors (who had Salinas has had its difficulties with farm met unexpectedly in a "speciaJ meeting" at cattle ranches KCL owns, at Racine to with a march. Romero went to the City check on the tractor factory and on pro­ workers before. During a strike of lettuce Manager, Dunne, to ask for a parade per­ after the parade permitwas granted), to give packers in 1936 the San Francisco Chronicle duction of automotive accessories, or at mit. Dunne demanded that the permit be all the men room and board for three days ran the headline, "It did happen in Salinas." requested in writing. To his surprise it in exchange for only one days wbrk. any of a half-dozen other Midwest or South­ i ern cities to look at other production They referred to the fascist-like tactics , the growers used to squeeze out the union. plants or oil offices. Martial law was instituted. Militia, vigilan­ •'Swinging back toward home the plane tes, tear gas and stockades were the tools might have touched down in Los Angeles of "justice," for the farm workers. The so company officials could see how things 1966 reaction was quite different. The city are going with a housing development in San­ gave the farm workers a helmeted police ta Monica, or in Bakersfield, where thou­ escort; there was no violence. " sands of beef cattle are being fattened for The previous week, after several weeks market. of unemployment and no money coming in, "And that's only a portion of the pic­ 258 men from the fields gave Adam Romero, ture..." a Salinas farm worker, written authorization to be their spokesman. They had no or­ ganization, but they wanted anendto regular harassment and roughing up by the police, and they wanted food and shelter or jobs. According to Mr. Romero, •'We didn't DON'T BUY want to take it any more. This happens every year, but now we know the strike in Delano. We thought we could get a voice Cutty Sark if we all stood together to speak as one man." He was right. On February 8 adele­ gation of about 100 men, led by Romero, had I.W. Harp.er gone down to the Boardof Supervisors meet­ ing to make their demands. The Board re­ acted by offering the men room and board Ancient Age in a labor camp in exchange for a six hour work day doing assorted manual jobs for the county. SALINAS FARM WORKERS march on Welfare Office. George Ballis photo Schenley Foiled Again.. Guests Respect Picket LOS ANGELES -Every year, the Schenley City Councilmen Bradley and Mills, Post­ arately; we belong to the Grape Growers list of those who had not attended, including Corporation gives away two college scholar­ master Shaw and County Board of Educa­ As sociation." Goodlett, and attributed it to the flu. (Foot­ ships to Negro students. The ceremony is tion head Dr. Ralph Richardson. A brief argument flared up between note on Williams: SNCC was once asked tc called the' 'Old CharterScholarship Lunch­ Mills and Bradley refused to atten d. Powell and Goodlett. "If you pay $2.60, call off a picket line in front of Schenley's eon." This year it took place last-month at Brookins and Goodlett showed up - Good­ then sign a con t r act with your men for San Francisco office. The person making the the Statler-Hilton Hotel in Los Angeles. lett had been flown down from San Francisco $2.60," said Goodlett. "But if you can't request was a newspaper editor who kept This year, it did not go off smoothly. There at Schenley expense - and refused to cross pay a decent wage to your workers, then repeating, "But Schenley has a Negro were pickets from the National Farm Work­ the picket line. Postmaster Shaw did not at­ get the hell out of the state:' Vice-Presidentl" ) ers Association at all the hotel entrances, tend, and Richardson refused to cross the "I'm all for scholarship," said Rev­ Later that evening Schenley hosted a protesting Schenley's arrogant refusal to line. erend Brookins, "but a scholarship to Ne­ cocktail party at InternationalHotel near the negotiate with its farm workers. When he saw the effect the picket line groes at the expense of thousands of Mex­ airport. Twenty-five pickets were there Invited to the Luncheon by Schenley were was having, Schenley PR man, Robert Powell ican-Americans in the San joaquin Valley and reported that less than half those a number of politicians and public figures: came out and asked, "What's going on?" -I can't accept that:' invited showed up. Carlton Goodlett, candidate for Governor; "We pay $2.60 an hour to our men," he At the luncheon, Schenley Vice-Presi­ Rev. Brookins, L.A. Civil Rights leader; argued, "anyway we can't negotiate sep- dent, Charles T. Williams, read off a long DON'T BUY CUTTY SARK Scientist Warns Farmers SUPPORT IN CHICAGO CHICAGO - Kerry Napuk, Research Di­ The volunteers of the committeehave been To et Ahead Of Unions rector of the United Packinghouse Workers collecting money and are planfiing direct of America, reports that a broadly-based action around the Schenley boycott. Just in case" there's someone who still thinks that farm committee to support the Delano strike and The boycott committee this month got an workers and their supporters are "paranoid" when they the Schenley boycott has been formed here. agreement from the Steinway Drug chain Among the sponsors of the committee to remove all Schenley products from their say that in many cases agricultural science and mechani­ are Ralph Helstein of the UPWA, Mon­ 143 retail drugstore outlets. 10,000 leaf­ zation are consciously used against the workers, we re­ signor Quinn of the Bishop's Committee lets have been distributed in Chicago ex­ print the following article from CALIFORNIA FARMER, for the Spanish Speaking, Charles Chia­ plaining the boy cot t, and informational kulas of the Industrial Union Department, pickets have been set up at stores selling February 16; 1966. AFL-CIO, Robert johnson of the United Schenley products. It speaks for itself. Auto Workers, William Tullar, Textile A separate organization, the National Workers Union, Henry Anderson, Retail, Committee to Bring Farm Workers Under Wholesale and DepartmentStoreEmployees NLRA, has also been organized. Anyone California growers would do 10,000 and they haven't lost any Union, jack Speigel, United Shoe Workers, interested in their program to extend labor well" to take a lesson from the production." and Charles Cogen, American Federation of legislation to agricultural workers should Hawaiian sugar industry, says one Robinson suggested that farmers Teachers. write to the committee: 'Suite 1800, 608 University of California scientist. get together through their Farm South Dearborn, Chicago 60605. Dr. Frank E. Robinson, a water Bureau or other group and buy sCientist in EI Centro, told growers, every new piece of equipment avail­ "I think the Hawaiian sugar indus­ able. He said they should take them NFWA Report From Texas, Mexicc try has a message for you." into their fields, pass them around Dolores Huerta, NFWA Vice - PreSident, made with community ieaders in Ciudac He recalled the labor strike in the among each other, and help iron the reported 'to the Feb. 1 general member­ juar~z, Mexico, just across the border, islands which crippled the Hawai­ bugs out of the new devices. ship meeting on her organizing efforts in "I was invited to spend 4 days in NeVI ian sugar industry for six months. "In 40,000 acres of lettuce in the "These people wanted to own their El Paso. Mexico with the Mine, Mill and Smelter.... Imperial Valley," Robinson noted, "We had good reactions as soon as we Workers. The feeling was wonderful; it re­ own homes and buy new cars just "you dqn't have any of the new pre­ set up our pickets outside the labor re­ minded me of the NFWA. The members like most people and this is the way cision planters; thinners or harvest­ cruitment agencies. We had farm workers have the feeling ~hat the union belongs to they achieved their end." ing equipment." - come to us and tell us that they had been them. Mine, Mill is organizing boycott Robinson continued, "You're wit­ In trials he is now conducting-at recruited for the Delano area, but they committees in Phoenix, Denver, Tucson nessing the same type of thing here the Imperial Valley field station in California now. Your labor were going to jump the bus before it ar­ and other cities." '- comparing sprinkler versus furrow rived:' They just wanted to get to Cali­ 10,000 leaflets explaining the strike ana source is now beginning to union­ irrigating,. Robinson found that ize." fornia. "There aren't any civil rights in the boycott were distributed door - to ­ stand counts were improved from door and at gathering places in El Pase He added, "You, fortunately, have Texas," one told her. 6 to 38.6 per cent when sprinkler "After a while," said Dolores, "the and juarez. a few years to prepare for this, to irrigation was used in lettuce. get into mechanical cropping just Di Giorgio corporation s tarted putting Mike Sayer, SNCC field secretary, whc as the Hawaiian industry did. They Speaking of the growing threat guards on the recruitment buses." was working with Dolores in El Paso, started out with 30,000 people em­ of unions, Robinson said, "You An on-going committee of labor people has left for Atlanta, Georgia, to organiz ployed in the islands in the sugar have time to prepare for it. Don't and citizens was set up to keep an eye the boycott there. Dolores Huertc' ne industry. Now, they have less than waste it." on the recruitment agencies. Contacts were assignment is War:" on and Baltimor THE BACKGROUND OF THE GREENVILLE AIR BASE LIVE-IN . . ~ ~ W. H N G " GREENVILLE, MISSISSIPPI-At 6:30AM, in the following manner: 1. A distribution january 31, forty Negro Mississippians point for surplus foods. 2. For training pur­ e a V e 0 0 V e r nm e nt entered an abandoned barracks on the in­ poses. 3. As a housing project for people Following is an edited transcript of a press conference active Greenville Air Force Base. They hung being thrown off land. 4. Land for houses and farms. held in Greenville on February 1. Taking part are the a sign on the door that said, "This is our home -- please knock before entering:' •'We are too tired and hungry to fill out spokesmen for the Negroes who occupied the Air Force Though treatedin the press as just another the forms again. We can't get the white Base. They are MR. ISAAC FOSTER of Tribbett, a lead-e-r civil disobedience demonstration, the oc­ people to cooperate. We are asking the OEO to recognize our program and beginfunding in last Spring's strike ofplantation workers, MRS. UNITA cupying of the barracks in Greenville was much more significant. It expressed a pro- us now. Our program has the maximum BLACKWELL of Mayersville, a member of the Freedom found and growing disillusionment about the feasible participation of the poor:' Democratic Party executive committee, MRS. IDA MAE promises and intentions of the federal "We need to go there and set up one of those refugee camps," said one man. LAWRENCE of Rosedale, chairman of a Mississippi Free- go~~n~;t~:~ grew out of a four-day Poor "Cause that's what we are. And being right dom Labor Union local, and REV. A1i THUR THOMAS of Peoplles Conference, sponsoredby the Miss­ by that air strip the government can fly in surplus commodities right to our door Greenville, director of the Delta Ministry of the National/ issippi Freedom Democratic Party, the and we can give them out without the Council OF Churches. Mississippi Freedom Labor Union and the 'J Delta Ministry. More than 700 people from expensive middle man. They say the MR. FOSTER: The people are going to set up at the Tent City out at Tribbett and work the state discussed the state welfare de­ buildings don't have heat or lights or on getting poor peoples to come and build a new city. Because of the fact that we was partment, the poverty program, the lack of running water. Well, just as long as it refused by the federal government and evicted, it's important that we start planning our jobs and the mass evictions from planta- don't leak it'll still be a damn sight better own government. tions. than the shack I been living in:' MRS. BLACKWELL: I feel that the federal government have proven that it don't care Their discontent with the government The surpius commodities he was re- about poor people. Everything that we have askedfor through these years has been handed was very specific. "I'm tired of going to . ferring to were supposed to have been dis­ down on paper. It's never been a reality. Washington," one woman said. "I've been tributed in the state. Last Nove m b e r, We the poor people of Mississippi is tired. We're tired of it so we're going to build there three times and don't see nothing come Mississippi got $1.5 million in anti-poverty for ourselves, because we don't have a government that represents us. of it. They don't want to talk to poor folk; funds to give out $24 million of surplus MRS. LAWRENCE: See, you can only accept poor peor-Ies by being poor and really they just want to talk to peoplethey selecC" commodities. None of this food has been know what being poor is like. And all this stuff about poverty programs and federal "When they want to know about people distributed. Jobs were to have been created funds, that's out for poor peoples. in Mississippi they ask EastlandorStennis," through the program. County welfare of­ We were looked upon as just a civil rights demonstration. But really we were there another participant said. ficials in the state elaim they know nothing demanding and waiting and asking that these things be brought theJ;"e to fill some des- .''They don't represent us because they of the program. perate needs. And we was asking that the poor peoples be accepted as they stood. And and the other whites made sure we never At 1 PM the day the people moved in, instead of getting what we was asking, we got the whole air force troopers in on us. got a chanceto choose our representatives!' an administrative assistant from the Civil To me, that's our government. The conference drew up a list of demands: Rights Commission in Washington calledthe MR. FOSTER: Was. .a commodity and job training program run Delta Ministry demanding to know why the MRS. LAWRENCE: Yeah, was. Now, we're our own government - government by poor by poor people, federal lands for housing, air base had been occupied. "There is no people. Where do we go fromhere?Tobrighter days on our own. And we know we'll reach income for the poor, and the reopening:of excuse for breaking the law," he said. that goal. But in their world, that's something that doesn't exist. Headstart schools under the control of the The jurisdiction dispute over who was in REPORTER: About the poor people's government. Would this be an idea for a lot of poor. charge of evicting the people was settled people to come and live around Tribbett or somewhere in particular? Would this be just making demands was not enough. that evening, according to the Poor Peoples a larger tent city? "We've been taking our problems through all Fund and other witnesses on the scene, MR. FOSTER: I know and you know that the tents are not going to stand forever. But the channels of government for the last by Lyndon johnson, President of the United I wouldn't be surprised if it wouldn't start that way. three years and ain't got nothing, now it's States, who signed the order that the people REPORTER: Does this mean that you would not consider yourselves bound by the re- time to do something else," said one of be thrown off the base. straints, the actions of county, state or federal law enforcement officers? the participants. At 11:15 the next morning a Major MR. FOSTER: From nothing we must start building a new country, with our own laws, There was a feeling of desperation, General and 150Air Police congregatedout­ our own enforcement. No part of the system has any authority or control over us. Our Earlier, news had reached the convention side the barracks. The General read a goal is leading away from depending on the system for anything. And I would like to that two elderly Negroes had frozen to message asking the people to inform the say that every poor person that will come is welcome. death in their Delta shacks. On Sunday Departments of justice and Agriculture of MRS. BLACKWELL: Not only from Mississippi but from all over the United States. night, january 30, 40 conference members their grievances. They were given 20 min­ And elsewhere, if they want to join'. We will be sending telegrams to other nations, in- decided to leave their shacks and start utes to leave the barracks. eluding African nations, for support. living in the empty housing facilities at The people inside, who hadbeeninforming REPORTER: Does this mean that you won't sit down and talk to the Attorney General the Air Force Base. They were later joined Washington of the grievances for years, or other government representatives about your grievances? by others, bringing the newpopulationatthe decided not to leave. At 11:30theAir Police MR. FOSTER: lf they would like to talk, we'll be willing to talk. But they didn't want base to 70, broke the windows of the building and to talk. They sent some Mississippian -- chief or sergeant or something. He said - "We are here as t esti m 0 n y that the gragged the people out. give me the names of people who need relocation and I'll see what can be done about it. Poverty Program is not helping us," a The homeless among the occupants are How can we leave the base when peoples don't have a house to stay in? statement issued by the group read. "We noW staying at Strike City. They have sent MRS. LAWRENCE: The base is more thought of than the poor peoples was. The are asking that the abandoned base be used word to all poor people to join them there. buildings weren't doing anything but just sitting there. The building was more respect­ able than poor hundry peoples with nothing and nowhere to go. lf the peoples was satis­ fied and willing to sit there to find ways for themselves, the government should have let them stay there. The building was more important than poor folks. MR. FOSTER: The only reason that Colonel jones could give for eviction was that the building that we was in didn't have running water and didn't have any type of fire pro­ tection. And see, I know that the federal government can't tell me that was the reason we was put out, because all over Mississippi houses don't have running water or fire protection. REV. THOMAS: It was cruel and inhuman of Orville Freeman and Nicholas Katzenbach to send the kind of message to us at the air base they sent today. They said nothing to us that hasn't been·said for months and years. We were tired of waiting around for these people to li ve up to their words. REPORTER: Mr. Thomas, could you go a little more into Operation HELP? REV. THOMAS: Over a year ago the Delta Ministry, in cooperation with the National Students Association, pointed out the need for a commodity program for Mississippi poor people. And we gave as an example of what local people could do, what was happening in Forrest County, where the people had set up their own distribution system for contri- ':4 buted food and clothing. It works very welL . FARM WORKERS' HOUSES in West Point, Mississippi. Photo: Gerhard Gschiedle We offered to make Forrest County a trial case for food distribution if the Depart­ tell you you can't get a job with the poverty program, because that's political and you ment would release the commodities to us. know, you can't have that. And that's what's happening with the poverty program: it's We then made the same offer in regard to Madison County. Again Washington called political - that's the reason it's not doing anything for the poor. the state welfare people, who notified the county Board of Supervisors. They came up REPORTER: Mr. Thomas..why do you think the feder:al government is afraid to let with a Food Stamp program. Of couse poor people can't afford to be in a food stamp poor Negroes go ahead and run the program? program. In the face of this possibility the state Welfare Department came up with the REV. THOMAS: I could try to avoid that question and say that it is their problem. proposal called Operation HELP - and keep in mind this was in August. All oveF the state These people have the problem of not being fed. I will not avoid it and say nobody is people had gone without food through the winter while the welfare department and the unaware of the power of Congressman Whitten in the House Subcommittee on Agriculture. Agriculture Department played politics with each other. Nobody is unaware of the critical power of john Stennis in the Senate and its Finance L-'nder this plan, the Welfare Department will get 24 million dollars worth of surplus Appropriations Committee. And those-are the kinds of people who are supposed to represent commodities from the Department of Agriculture and 1.6 'million dollars from the the poor people in Congress. Office of Economic Opportunity to distribute the food to 500,000 people for six months. REPORTER: Are you saying that the people who run the poverty programs are kow- In view of the criticisms of the program - which is based on the untenable assumption towing to the white power structure from here? that welfare agencies and county boards of supervisors will act in a nondiscriminatory REV. THOMAS: That's what I'm saying. The poverty program and the Department manner - OEO put certain conditions on the grant: one, that a binicial committee of Agriculture. supervise the program and, two, that hiring and distribution be done on a nondiscrimina- I'd like to add one footnote. OEO says it's introducing an experimental program for ---+ory basis. food distribution. Well, I don't think these people ought to be experimented on. They're Our information has it that no such committee has been set up, although the proposal hungry now. They need food now. And there's no reason why food could not have been was submitted in August and granted in November. Dr. Aai:on Henry, head of the state airlifted in to those people. NAACP, was asked to nominate the Negroes for the committee. Why weren't poor Also, poor people in this state last year organized themselves into a Headstart program people asked to nominate people? through the Child Development Group of Mississippi. Shriver and others said it was one In regard to the second condition, the food was supposed to be ready for distribution of the best Headstarts anywhere in the country. In September they were told they would 'by January 23. When that day came we could not find one poor person employed in the be funded in October: in October the money was coming in November: in November program and no food being given out. And now it's February. the money was coming in December and so on and so on each month. Over 1100 local MRS LI\WRENCE: I'd like to add to that. To live, we got to go out and chop cotton for Mississippi poor people who have been promised money have been cheated by OEO. $3 a day, maybe two or three days a week. At the end of cotton picking, we gets the same MRS. LAWRENCE: You know, we ain't dumb, even if we are poor. We need jobs. We for picking the scrap the machines leave. Then in November when they start qualifying need food. We need nouses. But even with the poverty program we ain't got nothin but you for the commodities, they say you got to find out how many people you worked for needs. That's why we was pulled off that building that wasn't being used for anything. and get them to sign for you as being poor. If they don't feel like signing, like maybe they We is ignored by the government. The thing about property upset them, but the thing don't like you for civil rights activities, you don't get commodities. But you still poor, about poor people don't. So there's no way out but to begin your own beginning, whatever whether the white boss says so or not. way you can. So far as I'm concerned, that's all I got to say about the past. We're. i\IRS. BLACKWELL: See, if you belong to any civil rights group or participate, they beginning a new future. WHAT HAPPENED TO THE MISSISSIPPI CHILD DEVELOPMENT GROUP? Part 1: Working With "the Children Tougaloo College -both white-and several From the point of view of ,the Missis­ We begin in this issue a three part article by Dr. Negro professional people and community sippi power structure, CDGM was by defini­ leaders, mostly people with roots in or tion a, civil rights organization: it was "Gerald Rosenfield of Berkeley, California, on a "noble sympathetic to the civil rights movement. integrated. White hostility to the program experiment," the attempt by the Negro poor of Mississippi Most of the people who played a leading was fired and legitimized by a series of to control an OEO poverty program. Dr. Rosenfield's role in the organization of local centers . attacks by senator Stennis. Long before were acknowledged leaders of the civil the program began, Stennis charged that analysis of why it failed to me,et the expectations of many rights movements in their communities or CDGM was being imposed on Mississippi of those. involved should be of interest to all who see the were people who had the confidence of the without regard for the legitimate govern­ indigenous civil rights leadership, people mental authority, and that CDGM was a It War on Poverty" as part of the politics ofAmerica. like Joe and Hattie Saffold in Durant, Robert device for using federal funds to support The entire article will be published together with a re­ Miles in Batesville, and Frank Smith in civil rights organizations and demonstra­ port by Tom Levin, Ph.D, director of the CDGM.' in Rosedale. tions. Twice during the summer Stennis In some cases, people were entrusted sent a team of investigators from the the KE Y LIST MAILING, a publication, of San Franczsco with the responsibility oforganiZing centers Senate Appropriations· Committee to Mt. SNCC. more or less on faith. The local com- Beulah to look for evidence of the mis­ PHOTOS BY GERHARD GSCHlEDLE mittees were supposed to be elected de- handling of federal money. m~cr

MR. WICKER: I wasn't suggesting that you were. I was wondering if you felt somehow that across the world, non-white men had a sort of link, a common struggle ,against white The Complete Transcript oppression in some places, white majorities elsewhere, and if these links were be­ ginning to be forced more closely. MR. SCHERER: This is Ray Scherer inviting you to MEET THE PRESS. Our guest MR, BOND: I don't want to characterize the oppression as white. It unfortunately is Julian Bond, recently elected by a landslide vote to the Georgia House of Representa­ is in a great many cases, but I don't think it is that case, I think it is the case that colored tives but barred from taking his seat--and who came through Washington's biggest snow people have had in a great' many instances, a common struggle against some sort of storm in years to get here today. Mr. Bond was one of the founders of the Student oppression. Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known as SNCC, and is its communications director. MR. WICKER: To be specific, would you see any striking similarity between the civil We will have the first question [Jowfrom Robert Novak of the New York Herald Tri- rights struggle in the United States in which you have been such an active participant bune Syndicate. - and a revolutionary movement like that of the Viet Cong? MR. NOVAK: Mr. Bond, there have been a great number of explanations of just why MR. BOND: No, I don't see that sort of a similarity, I see a similarity between the Georgia House of Representatives refused to seat you. people--in one case Negroes in the United States, in other cases people who live in Viet In your own words, what is your explanation for this? Nam--who are struggling. That is one parallel. The other parallel is that Negroes in MR. BOND: 1 think the people involved in the fight to deny me my seat had different the United States are struggling against a system of segregation and discrimination reasons for acting. They charged me with misconduct and questioned my credulity and and oppression, and the same sort of parallel has been suggested, not by me, as going on said that if I took the oath of office, which requires that you swear allegience to the United in Viet Nam, today. States Constitution and the Constitution of the State of Georgia, I would not be credible. MR. SCHERER: How many of your constituents feel the same way you do about Viet I could not be believed, and therefore, should not be allowed to take the oath. Nam, do you know? MR. NOVAK: You don't feel there were any racist overtones to this? MR. BOND: Since this became an issue, Itried to talk with as many as I could, and I've MR. BOND: Oh, certainly I do. 1 don't think that race was the sole factor involved, got--or I had, 25,000 constituents, men, women and children, about 6,000 registered but I think -- voters. In three days I must have talked to--not very many people, about 200 or 250 MR. NOVAK: You do think it was a factor? , I at the most, and their opinions generally were in agreement with this statement and in MR. BOND: Yes, I do. agreement with my right to express myself on any issue tRan saw. MR. NOVAK: Do you think a white man taking your position would have been seated? In fact, I might say that some of them--I don't like to use this word, but some of them MR. BOND: I don't know if a white man took my pOSition whether he would be seated, had opinions about the war in Viet Nam that were more extreme than this document. but I think my employment with what some people consider a militant civil rights group, MR. SCHERER: You think most of the 6,000 would support th~s statement? my race, the statement itself, were all factors involved in the eventual outcome. MR. BOND: I don't know if they would or not. I know that all of those that I talked to MR. NOVAK: Do you feel that your subscribing to the SNCC statement in any way did did. compromise your loyalty to .the United States? MR. NOVAK: Mr. Bond, I would like to get into some of the wording of this statement MR. BOND: No, not at alL because it is interesting that you mention there could be a position a little more extreme. MR. NOVAK: Would you fight for your country under any conditions? For example it says, "We maintain that our country's crusade to preserve freedom in MR. BOND: I consider myself a pacifist, if you mean, would I bear arms. the world is a hypocritical mask behind which it squashes liberation movements." What is a liberation movement? MR. BOND: I think that I HAVE TO AGREE WITH Senator Young, I think it was, who , 111' said that the struggle in Viet Nam was a civil war. I .:...... - .....-- MR. NOVAK: Is the Viet Cong a liberation movement, Mr. Bond? MR. BOND: I don't know what the Viet Cong are. I have the impression that they are not what I would call a liberation movement. MR. NOVAK: What liberation movements are we squashing according to the SNCC statement? MR. BOND: According to this statement and according to my beliefs, the liberation movement that is being squashed in that particular instance is the struggle of people • who live in North and South Viet Nam and who want self-determination, who want to rule themselves. MR. NOVAK~ Do you mean this is not the Viet Cong that we are fighting in Viet Nam? Are we fighting someone else beside the Viet Cong? MR. BOND: There are a lot of differences of opinion about who is fighting and whether it is infiltrators from the North or whether it is citizens of the South--whether it is a civil war. MR. NOVAK: You don't think it is a Communist-led operation, the Viet Cong? JULIAN BOND talks to reporters in Atlanta Photo: Rufus Hinton MR. BOND: I don't know if it is. MR. NOVAK: You have made several statements about Viet Nam, Mr. Bond. Have you MR. NOVAK: Would you have borne arms in World War n, for example? made any study of the subject? MR. BOND: That is sort of a hypothetical question. I don't believe I would. MR. BOND: I have tried to' learn as much about it as I can. MR. NOVAK: Then you are not a selective pacifist? There are no conditions under MR. NOVAK: And you don't know whether the Viet Cong is a Communist movement or which you would bear arms for your country? not? MR. BOND: No MR. BOND: No, all the information that I get is that it is. What I am trying to say, if MR. NOVAK: Would you fight to save your family, your household? you will give me a second, is that by a liberation movement I mean--and I take this MR. BOND: That again is another hypothetical situation. You know, the usual question statement to mean--the legitimate aspirations of the people who live in North and South put to pacifists is "What would you do if someone began beating your wife?" But no one Viet Nam, who, it seems to me, want only to determine their own destiny. is beating my wife right now. I think of myself as a pacifist. I believe in non-violence. MR. NOVAK: In the Communist parlance, isn't the liberation movement part of the MR. NOVAK: Let me ask you a non-hypothetical question: Do you approve of the Deacons' terminology of wars of liberation which have been proclaimed by Peking? for Defense and Justice, which is a Negro group which does bear arms and has had close MR. BOND: That may be their analysis of that term. It is not mine. ties with civil rights groups in the South? MR. NOVAK: I just want to ask you another thing in this statement: "We believe MR. BOND: No,Idon'tapproveofanyoneanywhere under any circumstances engaging in the U.S. Government has been deceptive in its claim of concern for the freedom of the violence. Vietnamese people just as the government has been deceptive in claiming concern for MR. NOVAK: When did you become a pacifist, Mr. Bond? the freedom of colored people:' MR. BOND: I began thinking about pacifism and about non-violence in 1957, when I was Do you think the United States government has been deceptive in claiming freedom for a student at a Quaker school in Pennsylvania, and since then, since my involvement in colored people in the United States? Claiming concern for freedom? the civil rights movement has become deeper and deeper, the feeling has just increased. MR. BOND: Concern? MR. NOVAK: When you first applied for the draft, did you list yourself as a pacifist? MR. NOVAK: I am quoting from the SNCC statement: "The government has been MR. BOND: No, I didn't. The Army told me that they weren't interested in my serving deceptive in claiming concern for the freedom of colored people." with them. MR. BOND: Right. 1 do. I don't think, as I said a few minutes ago, that the government MR. NOVAK: You did not in any way indicate you were a pacifist at that time? of this country has done as much as it might, has gone as far as it might. MR. BOND: After I took my physical examination and after I had taken the mental MR. NOVAK: But that is deceptive? examination, I was given a status of l-Y, which I understand means not to be called MR. BOND: In my opinion, it is.. except in case of national emergency, and I never believed that my service in'the mili­ MR. NOVAK: They have sought to deceive the people on their concern for the colored tary would be in issue. people, then, you feel? MR. ROBINSON: Mr. Bond, you ind~cated your position on war in general just a moment MR. BOND: Yes, I do. ago--that you are a pacifist and you believe in non-violence. At the same 'Ume when we MR. ROBINSON: Mr. Bond, you indicated that you had not counseled the burning took it down to the percsonal level, you indicated you would make a decision on that of draft cards, and you also said you wouldn't burn yours. Do I take it from this state­ when and if it happened. ment you're saying that you did not counsel individuals in this country to avoid the draft? Are you in a sense, then, saying you would support those wars which happened to come MR. BOND: No. What this statement says and what I have said is that young Americans, up if they go along with your ideas and reject those that you do not agree with? young American men who are unwilling to go into the Army, to enter into military service, MR. BOND: No, what I was trying to indicate is that I don't like to answer questio~s should seek legal alte~natives to the draft, to military service. And in addition we are about hypothetical situation~ because I don't think anyone really knows how he is going to suggesting in this statement that those alternatives be enlarged to include work in the react in a hypothetical situation. I am not a selective pacifist; I don't choose this war civil rights movement or work with human relations organizations. over that war. I oppose all wars and I oppose all violence. MR. ROBINSON: But you are asking that they go outside of this present area? MR. ROBINSON: At the same time you indicated when it came down to your family, MR. BOND: No, we are asking--this was a public statement thrown out to the public. you would have to wait until that situation took place, although you would oppose all wars And last weekend, I met with Congressmen, here, and asked them the same sort of in the future as in the past. thing. MR, BOND: No, that is not what I was saying. I was trying to indicate that, as far as We are asking that draft boards or the Congress or whoever is the determiner make I am concerned, 1 am a pacifist whether it concerns my family or war in Viet Nam or it possible for young men who are unwilling to go into the Army to have legal and valid a war wherever. alternatives to that service. MR. ROBINSON: You have been a pacifist for some time, but why didn't you make your MR. ROBINSON: In your statement, you said, "We are in sympathy---" or in SNCC's pOSition known, as a pacifist, when you were running for office in Georgia, and why didn't statement---' 'We are in sympathy with the support the men in this country who are you make your views on Viet Nam known during the'campaign? unwilling to respond to a military draft which would compel them to contribute their . MR. BOND: My views on non - violence were known during the campaign. The question lives to united States aggression in Viet Nam:' of Viet Nam is not a question that the Georgia House of Representatives, the office that At another point you urged all Americans to seek an alternative. In effect aren't you I was aspiring to, addresses itself to, I didn't think it was an issue. encouraging individuals throughout the country to avoid the draft? MR. WICKER: Mr. Bond, aside from your general pacifist views, as a thoughtful and MR. BOND: I think if you take the statement as a whole and not section by section that aspiring American Negro, do you feel more personal affinity with other aspiring non­ it says that we believe work in the civil rights movement and other human relations white men in Asia and Africa, perhaps, than with the great majority of white Americans? organizations is a valid alternative to the draft. We urge all Americans to seek this MR. BOND: I feel an emotional attachment toward Africa and toward colored people, alternative. but I don't think that colored people are any better or any worse than white people. I don't feel that because colored 'people are engaging in a struggle against white people that the colored people must be right. ,CONTINUED NEXT MONTH