,
Civi
Doe
SBLMA,AlA - The late Rev.
Martin Luther King Jr.
protested in Selma, Alabama in
1965.
King. an vocate of non-
violence, along with many other
African Americans were met by
mad white mobs full of rage and
anger - and violence.
However, civil disobedience
was the common African
American philo ophy at the
time.
It worked like a charm,
protester were peacefully
demonstr ting while whites,
specifically city officials such as
mayors and police displayed
animalistic characteristics.
The contrast was remarkable
showing whites claiming those
• f African descent were sub­
human and they themselves
edience
n the 90
North and South, st ent
approach prot st diff rently
I
By od
S.Ri
Staff Reporter
SELMA, Ala. - Of all things, a
party w give for Selma High
School teens by Atlant -Univer­
sity Center students who came
to support the community d­
mist racial unrest.
The college students s id
t hey firmly believed party
would help bring the com-
o munity back together, estab­
Ii Wng a forum to discuss the
city's educational situation. ·
A coup of weeks before the
Allanta students came to town,
Selma Highschoolers staged a
"sil-in· opposing the termina­
tien of the fir t African­
An erican superintendent and a
svstemmatic tracting s em or
j. belling" of tudents.
The tude ts charged, the
a demic "la ling" of school­
e children s parated most of
t e African-A erican students
f om . tes in 1 rooms.
As re ult, African
American 0 I rger seal
weren't given ption to take .
college prepar tory classes and
w re denied t right to equal
ucation.
The studen s clo ed down
operation f the chool for
d ys, bu the protest ended
. w en they we economically
threatened by chool and city
officials.
Selma stude ts were told if
th Y didn't end the "sit-in" they
wouldn't be a Ie to receive
financial aid t further their
post high choo educations.
Knowing thi combined with
pressure from ome of their
parents uden di ppeared
from the front Ii e.
After this st ents from At-
1anta came t support the
parents and munity mem­
bers who contin ed the protest
in the ab ence 0 the youth.
donP
13
?
•
But since' then "Blac
. Power: "One God, One Aim,
One Destiny," and ·Freedom
NoW- has come into play.
African American people
. realized they of the majority in
most cities and are angry about
• the oppression of their people.
Th picture is al ays same, a
white minority having full
po r socially, politically and
economically over n entire
African American community
which makes up the majority of
the population.
When, Joe Smitherman,
Selm mayor of 25 year tells
African American women, he
will move their "Black - with
bull dozers," what self-defense
it there to be taken?
Are the women suppose to
just sit there and ris getting run
over? Or should they try to
unman the bulldozer?
When Smitherman, after ap-
o pearing in court and testifying in
connection to the current Selma
protest, sho up a city hall at
night and yells, while gesturing
half of the peace sign with his
fmger , he's going to-come b c
and p t knots" on some heads.
Are strong African
America expected to it there
and let meone ault them­
and f rcibly take them to jail? '
Will th y be f ulted for ac­
ting in tinctively and protecting
them elve ?
The students from Atlanta,
Ga. were strong ctivis of civil
di 0 edience and non-violence.
These students are suppose
to repre nt the leadership for
the 90s.
Will these students indeed
lead their people down the road
of liberation or will they them­
selves take a path away from
their people through com­
prom' ?
Those studen who advo­
cate non-violence should also
te ch the community they are
not the min rity.
The word minority con­
notates inferiority.
The e p ople must learn the
truth of the trcngth in their
people, people who make up -
the majority of the w rid.
The questi n i vi lence or
non-violence. The real que tion
16 is strength or p w rlc ness,
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