The SPHINX | Fall 1968 | Volume 54 | Number 3 196805403

OCTOBER

Q

1968

DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL ISSUE ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY

1929-1968 OUR ESTEEMED BROTHER

ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, INC. NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS 4432 DR. MARTIN LUTHER KING DRIVE CHICAGO, ILLINOIS

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. Directory for 1967-1968 Jewel

Henry

A. Callis

2306

E Street,

N.E.,

Washington,

D.C.

Officers

Contributing Editors Malvin R. Goode, Martin L. Harvey, L. W. Jeffries, Eddie L. Madison, Frank L, Stanley, Sr., Art Sears, Jr., L. H. Stanton, Charles Wesley, Randolph White, O. Wilson Winters, Laurence T. Young.

Editorial Advisory Committee Frank Ellis, Malvin R. Goode, Marshall Harris, John H. Johnson, Moss H. Kendrix, Belford V. Lawson, Samuel A. Madden, J. E. Martin, Lionel H. Newsom, Gus T. Ridgel, Floyd Shepherd, L. H. Stanton, Felix Warren, Laurence T. Young.

Staff Photographer Henry Crawford

General President — Lionel H. Newsom General Treasurer — Leven C. Weiss General Counsel — Morris M. Hatchett Editor, "The Sphinx" 1. Herbert King Executive Secretary — Laurence T. Y o u n g . .

3826 W. Manor Lane S.W. Atlanta, Georgia 4676 West Outer Drive. Detroit, Michigan 1456 E. Adelaide, St. Louis, Missouri 4728 Drexel Boulevard, Chicago Illinois 4432 Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, Chicago, Illinois

30311 48235 63107 10615 60653

Vice Presidents Eastern — W. Decker Clarke Midwestern — Gus T. Ridgel Southern — Luke H. Chatman Southwestern — Lillard G. Ashley, Sr Western — C. Paul Johnson

66 Dry Hill Road, Norwalk, Conn.

312 Cold Harbor Drive, Frankfort, Kentucky P.O. Box No. 1311, Greenville, S. C. P.O. Box No. 247, Boley, Oklahoma 17823 88th, N.E., Bothell. Washington

Assistant Vice

06851 40601 29602 74829 98011

Presidents

Eastern — Craig C. Foster 3253 Yale Station, New Haven, Conn.

Midwestern — William Paris 6623-b S. Greenwood Avenue, Chicago, Illinois Southern — Mack B. Thompson, III Eliabeth City State College, Elizabeth City, N. C. Southwestern — Napoleon L. Forte 308 Fuller Hall, Prairie View A & M College Prairie View, Tex. Western — Cliftord S. Webb 2183 W. 27th Street. Los Angeles, California

06520 60637 27909 77445 90018

REGIONAL DIRECTORS Eastern Region Massachusetts — B r o . James Howard Rhode Island — Bro. Ralph Allen Connecticut — B r o . W. Decker Clark New York, Northern New Jersey — Bro. Albert Holland Pennsylvania, Delaware, Southern N. J . — Bro. Frank Devine Maryland-Washington — Bro. Thomas Hunt Virginia — B r o . Talmage Tabb

105 Greenwood St., Boston, Mass.

179 Doyle Ave., Providence, R. I. 66 Dry Hill Road, Norwalk, Conn.

31 Hickory Hill Rd., Tappan, N. Y. 6202 Washington Ave., Phila., Pa. 911 Spa Dd., Annapolis, Md. 324 Greenbriar Ave., Hampton, Va.

M i d w e s t e r n Region Indiana — Bro. Montague Oliver m E- 19th, Gary, Indiana Northeast Ohio — Bro. Charles Nunn 10926 Pasadena Ave., Cleveland, Ohio Central Ohio — B r o . Oliver Sumlin 2724 Hoover Ave., Dayton, Ohio Northwest Ohio — Bro. Robert Stubblefield 1340 W. Woodruff, Toledo, Ohio Southern Illinois — Bro. Harold Thomas 1731 Gaty Ave., East St. Louis, Illinois West Missouri and Kansas — Bro. Edwin Byrd 2533 W. Paseo Dr.. Kansas City, Mo. Wisconsin — Bro. Hoyt Harper 5344 N. 64th, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Southeast Ohio — Bro. Paul Turner 2835 Gardendale Dr., Columbus 19, Ohio Western Michigan — Bro. William Boards, Jr 680 W. Van Buren St.. Battle Creek, Mich.

Northern Illinois — Bro. J . Herbert King 4728 Drexel Blvd., Chicago, Illinois East Missouri — Bro. Clifton Bailey 3338A Aubert Ave., St. ouis 15, Mo. Iowa — Bro. Ernest Russell 3927 Amherst St., Des Moines, Iowa Southwest Ohio — Bro. Holloway Sells 699 N. Crescent Ave., Cincinnati, Ohio Kentucky — Bro. Herbert Olivera Kentucky State College. Frankfort, Kentucky West Central Missouri — Bro. Jimmy Buford 3548 Park Avenue, Kansas City, Mo. Central Missouri — Bro. Thomas D. Pawley, Jr 1010 Lafayette, Jefferson City, Mo. Regional Secretary — Bro. Cramon Myers 404 West 44th Street, Indianapolis, Indiana Southwestern Region Southwest District — Bro. Floyd Plymouth O k l a h o m a — B r o . Vernon L. Foshee Louisiana — Bro. Elliot J . Keyes Arkansas — B r o . T. E. Patterson Texas — Bro. Reby Cary Southern District — Bro. Payton Cook

o a n t i u i i.

President: Bro. Henry Lake Dickason.

Second class postage paid at Chicago, III. Postmaster: Send form 3579 and all correspondence, 4728 Drexel Blvd., Chicago, III. 60615.

1940 Leona, Las Vegas, Nevada 725 Terrace Blvd., Muskogee, Oklahoma 7462 Benjamin St., New Orleans, Louisiana 1624 W. 21st St., Little Rock, Arkansas 1804 Bunche Dr., Ft. Worth, Texas 5139 Palin St., San Diego, Calif.

Southern Region

Alabama — Bro. Kirkwood Balton Florida — B r o . Oral A. Allen Georgia — Bro. Henry Collier, M.D Mississippi — Bro. T. J . Ranee North C a r o l i n a — B r o . A. J . H. Clement, South Carolina — B r o . W. J . Davis Tennessee — Bro. Charles Tarpley

III

1303 Main St., Birmingham, Ala. 1471 N.W. 179th St.. Miami, Fla. 33169 1527 Mills B. Lane Ave., Savannah. Ga. 407 Washington Street, Brookhaven, Miss.

Raleigh, N. C. 4509 Williamsburg Drive, Columbia, S. C. Columbia, S. C.

Cover Portrait, Photographs and Materials in Reference to Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. Courtesy of Brother John H. Johnson, Johnson Publishing Company.

Official THERE GOES AN ALPHA MAN There goes a man of high impulse Of princely mien and grace There goes a man of humble faith A credit to his race There goes a man of conscience vast with will to reach his goal There goes a man of lordly rank Of heroes' stock and soul—

Volume 55

Organ

Number 3

October 1968

J. HERBERT KING Editor-in-Chief 4728 DREXEL BOULEVARD CHICAGO,

ILLINOIS

60615

CONTENTS Dedication Birth of a New Age Martin Luther King, Jr Pictorial Highlights Life of Martin Luther King, Jr

There goes a man of noble caste Whom hardship cannot break There goes a man in merit clad Whom duty won't forsake There goes a man in cultured verse Who holds a sportsman's creed There goes a man too vigilant To bow to lust or greed There goes a man whose life is spent in service not in scorn There goes a man whose majesty Shines like a May time

There goes a man who is a friend To love and duty truth There goes a man to help uplift The lives of wholesome youth There goes a man with industry and faith at his command.

There goes the best man in and out For he is an Alpha Man.

5

10

Nobel Peace Prize Acceptance Speech

20

King Family Portrait

21

Eulogy — President Lionel H. Newsom

24

Eulogy — Dr. Benjamin E. Mays

26

Life of Martin Luther King, Jr

28

Roll Call of Departed Brothers

29

Convention Highlights

42

Statement of Public Policy

42

Frat Fun With Winters

45

Alpha Workshop

45

Position Paper

47

FEATURE "Ghediplan"

48

This Issue . . . .

D E D I C A T E D TO T H E MEMORY OF THE L A T E BROTHER M A R T I N LUTHER KING JR. "His leadership during his life and the pangs of conscience white America feels in his death give all Americans the chance — and perhaps the last chance — to make the choice between the kind of society for which Dr. King lived and died, and the kind of society which denies equal opportunity and relies on force above justice and equity. If America cannot produce leadership toward the society that Dr. King saw in his dreams for America, then America is finished."

A MESSAGE FROM T H E

BROTHERS IN ALPHA PHI ALPHA: Greeting you in the Motor Capital of the world is a sincere pleasure and submitting the final report of my tenure of office as your General President is a memorable pleasure.

Yet, it is my hope that the Convention of 1968 will surpass all other general conventions—even the very fine one in my hometown of St. Louis. Since we met in Detroit in 1953, this city has suffered one of the most devastating riots which the country has ever known. And here I wish to indicate that the word riots has such emotive meaning that perhaps the printer made a Freudian slip when he misspelled "Detroit" as "Detriot" on the cover of my Report to the Convention.

So I hesitated to request him to reprint them.

But in spite of emotions, we have come to the City of Motors to be entertained by our Brothers and their lovely wives in unparalleled fashion. We are fortunate that two Detroiters will illuminate the Convention program. Brother Percival R. Piper, the former General Treasurer who for many years gave distinguished service to Alpha Phi Alpha, will give the Founders Address and Brother Ramon Scruggs will close the Convention with the Banquet Address. Those of you who were here in 1953 remember that Brother Scruggs was the able Chairman of that Convention.

We have asked Brother Sidney Jones, former Midwestern Vice President and temporary General Secretary, to deliver the Keynote Address not only because he has served Alpha Phi Alpha for more years than each of us would like to remember but because he is a shining symbol of our theme —"Excellence in Performance Requires and Follows Excellence in Preparation." For this reason, it is a signal honor to welcome a noble son of our great fraternity to set the stage for the 1968 General Convention and honor the memory of our revered Brother Martin Luther King, Junior, the Moses of the twentieth century.

The present period of social, political, economic, and academic unrest is not unusual to Alpha Phi Alpha, for we have been concerned since our early beginning with the pressing problems of the handicapped and the disadvantaged. About our beginning, Jewel Henry Callis said: Society offered us narrowly circumscribed opportunity 2

PRESIDENT

and no security. Out of our need, our fraternity brought social purpose and social action.

Brother Charles Wesley wrote in The History of the Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity that: The later history of the fraternity reveals how this social purpose conceived by a small group of college men in a single location developed into the program of the first of college fraternities in many locations for the fulfillment of this original purpose.

Brother Martin Luther King wrote: The tension which we are witnessing in race relations today can be explained, in part, by the revolutionary change in the Negro's evaluation of himself, and determination to struggle and sacrifice until the walls of segregation have finally been crushed by the battering rams of surging justice.

The New Negro has acquired a new self-respect and and a new sense of dignity. He lacks the fear which once characterized his behavior. He once used duplicity—a survival technique—but now he has developed an honesty.

He further pointed out that: Once plagued with a tragic sense of inferiority resulting from the crippling effects of slavery and segregation, the Negro has now been driven to reevaluate himself. He has come to feel that he is somebody.

His religion reveals to him that God loves all His children and that the important thing about man is not his specificity but his fundamentum; not the texture of his hair or the color of his skin but his eternal worth to God and the content of his mind.

Consequently, the revolution of the Negro is physically nonviolent but mentally violent. We must refuse to shoot a man because his color differs from ours, and we must refuse to hate him. If we do, we will create a society of anonymity —a society in which no man is safe from any other man who differs from him in color.

Hence; the technique of the struggle for full equality has changed many times but the goal has remained the same.

The vision of security in a world of insecurity has remained clear and vivid.. Alpha Phi Alpha men have continually fought against the pressure of segregation, discrimination, mistreatment, prejudice, caste and class, injustices, and the neglect of including both ancient and recent contributions of Negroes to world culture. Alpha Phi Alpha men have endeavored simultaneously to advance the status and improve the human condition for Americans—both black and white.

In spite of our nations noble pronouncements of equality and justice for all, Negro Americans still constitute—relatively speaking—the largest proportion of the despised, the rejected, the poor, the illiterate, the economically handicapped, the occupationally unemployed, and the politically disenfranchised. Yet, this seems erroneous for in theory we have the legal weapons and safeguards to win our place in the American sun. We have in theory the right to dream, but in reality our place in the American sun is still unoccupied and our dream is still a nightmare.

How can theory become reality? It seems difficult to offer a solution after the summer of 1967, which was filled with racial disorders in our urban centers bringing in their wake

MESSAGE . . . Continued violence, shock, fear and disenchantment, and after the dastardly deaths of our Brother Martin Luther King, Jr., and Senator Robert Kennedy. Therefore, we come to this Convention not only to plan for our survival as an integral part of the fabric of American life but for the full participation in the American dream. This is no longer a hope, a prayer, or even a petition to the power structure of this nation, but a demand made of this nation. We can no longer accept half measures and unpaid promissory notes. The bill is far overdue, the principal is increasing arithmetically and the interest is increasing geometrically. My Brothers, we must make the dream of Brothers everywhere a reality. The riots of old were evidence of aggression and violence by the white man against the person of the Negro. The evidence of the new riots is the Negro against the property of the white. When the riots changed their nature and became violence against both property and the person of the white, our nation began to cry for law and order. So now, I pose only one question—"Why did not our nation call for law and order in the riots of the 'twenties and early 'forties?"

Don't misunderstand us, we are not attempting to justify violence of, and death to any person—be he black or white —but we are saying that we need to remove the causes of violence and death. These causes are no different today than they were in the 'twenties and 'forties. Yes, changes have come but not enough in both quality of living and quantity of life chances. Our cry is also for law and order with compassion for many and justice to all.

Hear what the Commission wrote, for too many of us have not read the Report of the National Advisory Commission on Disorder: This is our basic conclusion: Our Nation is moving toward two societies, one black, one white—separate and unequal.

Reaction to last summer's disorders has quickened the movement and deepened the division.

Discrimination and segregation have long permeated much of American life; they now threaten the future of every American.

This deepening racial division is not inevitable. The movement can be reversed. Choice is still possible.

Our principal task is to define that choice and to press for a national resolution.

To pursue our present course will involve the continuing polarization of the American community and, ultimately, the destruction of basic democratic values.

The alternative is not blind repression or capitulation to lawlessness. It is the realization of common opportunities for all within a single society.

This alternative will require a commitment to national action—compassionate, massive, and sustained, backed by the resources of the most powerful and the richest nation on this earth. From every American it will require new attitudes, new understanding, and, above all, new will.

The vital needs of the Nation must be met; hard choices must be made, and, if necessary, new taxes enacted.

Violence and destruction must be ended—in the streets of the ghetto and in the lives of people.

Segregation and poverty have created in the racial ghetto a destructive environment totally unknown to

most white Americans.

What white Americans have never fully understood— but what the Negro can never forget—is that white society is deeply implicated in the ghetto. White institutions created it, white institutions maintain it, and white society condones it.

The following section of this report presents some of the Alpha Phi Alpha happenings of the year. I am pleased to report that we satisfied the wishes of those Brothers who wanted a Field Secretary. As we promised in Los Angeles, we have appointed Brother Charlie Williams, graduate of Tuskegee Institute, to that position. And according to all reports, he is doing extremely well. Brother Dr. I. J. Lamothe, a practicing physician in Marshall, Texas, accepted the arduous task of Comptroller at the end of Brother Gus Ridgel's tenure. I am grateful to Brother Ridgel who served honorably for three years. Brother Lamothe has done an excellent job, and the Fraternity is fortunate to have one so able, frugal but not stingy, careful but not inconsiderate. My vocabulary will not produce adequate words to precisely evaluate what Brother Kermit Hall has done to make our General Conventions successful and economical. As General Convention Chairman, he has been in constant contact with the Brothers in Houston, Texas, where we will convene in August of 1969.

With reference to our National Headquarters, we followed your mandates and refused to purchase the adjacent property until we had learned what the future plans for Urban Renewal were in that section of Chicago where our headquarters is located. You will hear later in this Convention a detailed report from Brother A. Maceo Smith, Chairman of the Headquarters Committee and Brother James L. Hunt, our architect, on plans for these offices. But I hasten to add that we purchased the adjacent property at a smaller price than we thought possible at the beginning of the negotiations.

ABOUT THE FRATERNITY'S BUSINESS You will note in the report of both the Treasurer and the Auditor that Alpha Phi Alpha is in better financial condition than it has ever been. Under the few years of my tenure, we can now show a surplus in our treasury of more than $115,000.00. This is the fulfillment of a promise made to you when I assumed the office of General President. You will also note in the report of the Housing Foundation that we broke ground in May of 1968 and have begun the construction of a low-rent housing project, Alpha Gardens, in St. Louis, at a cost of about 2!4 million dollars. We are fortunate that Alpha Phi Alpha can follow the lead of the very able Chairman of the Housing Foundation, Brother William H. Alexander. It is my earnest desire that Brothers in other cities will take up some of the responsibility for the poor by building similar projects in other towns and help to eliminate the ghettoes.

You know as I do that the great strides of history are most often made by the ordinary people who bring neither great gifts nor great wealth to the responsibilities of life. But rather by people who bring an earnest desire to do their best as God imbues them with wisdom to serve mankind.

I am pleased to report that at the present time we have more than 8,000 active Brothers, but this is still short of what it should and must be. We must raise this figure to 10,000 within the next two years. It is my sincere belief that no national reclamation committee can do this job since it requires a personal confrontation. It must be done on the local level by Brothers who already know the inactive 3

MESSAGE . . . Continued Brothers and come in contact with them every day.

I feel that I should mention the dominant and fashionable attitudes which are revealed about Black Power mainly because Black Power conveys different meanings to many people.

Alpha Phi Alpha is Black Power. Alpha Phi Alpha is organized for the purpose of moving Black people into every phase of American life. Alpha Phi Alpha is not opposed to Black Power as long as Black Power is militant and aggressive, but remains nonviolent. Alpha Phi Alpha has since its very beginning said that black is beautiful and that Negroes should seek to vote in large numbers and thereby determine the course of elections. We have been always concerned with full employment of Negroes and their upgrading in all professions. There is much evidence in terms of our contributions to all movements that have been for the benefit of black people. For instance, and we will mention only a few: we have contributed more than $50,000.00 to the NAACP, more than $20,000.00 to the SCLC, several hundred dollars to the American African Leadership Conference, and several thousand dollars to the National Urban League. In the cause of education, we have made substantial contributions to the United Negro College Fund. There is more evidence that we have been interested in Black Power because we have tried to develop the brains within the heads of black men and women in terms of our scholarships and fellowships from the early twenties to the present. , Under the capable leadership of Brother Thomas D. Pawley, Jr., the Education Foundation is off to a good start, and we can expect great things from him and the Foundation.

It is not only our hope but a must that we increase the funds in this Foundation to $50,000.00 within the next two or three years. We shall plan for some of the increase from the Housing Foundations success with the Alpha Gardens and additional investments. A Committee has been established to look carefully at plans for future investment of monies to increase our activities in the area of social action and betterment.

And now to my travels. Since we last met, I have attended four Regionals: the Southern at Greenville, South Carolina; the Southwestern at Lake Charles, Louisiana; the Midwestern at Louisville, Kentucky; and the Far Western at Sacramento, California. I am pleased to report that all of these Regionals were well attended by both graduate and undergraduate brothers and were conducted in Alpha style under the leadership of the respective Vice Presidents: Brother Luke Chatman, Brother Ernest Wallace, Brother Gus T. Ridgel, and Brother C. P. Johnson. I was unable to attend the Eastern Regional in Wilmington, Delaware because I was involved in the funeral arrangements for Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. in Atlanta.

You may recall that he was Killed on Thursday night, April 4, which was the date on which the Regional convened. During the year I was guest speaker or just held a meeting to fraternize with graduates and undergraduates in the following cities and on the following campuses: Gramblnig College; Southern University; Fisk University; Morris Brown College; Morehouse College; Clark College; Fayetteville State College; Elizabeth City State College; Florida A & M University; Cheyney State College; Arlington, Virginia; Washington, D.C.; Johnson C. Smith University; Barber-Scotia College; Langston University; Bishop College; Dillard University; New Orleans; Chicago; Detroit, Knoxville, Elizabeth City; and St. Paul's College.

4

Finally, I should like to express my personal thanks to all of the past and present officers, delegates, and Brothers throughout this country for the many kindnesses shown during my tenure of office. Special gratitude is extended to all appointed officers, chairmen and members of all committees, both standing and ad hoc. And I would like to express my appreciation to Brother Taliaferro J. Harris for his long and dedicated service as Chairman of the Awards Committee; to Brother John D. Buckner for his work on the Constitution Committee and numerous other national Committees;; Brother James McGee, former General Counsel; past General Presidents; and our beloved Founder, Brother Henry A. Callis.

I am grateful to Brother Marcus Neustadter who worked diligently as Director of Public Relations on almost no budget.

The poem below, which was written by a personal friend, contains words which can serve as mental cushions in these days of psychological strain and social stress. These words can remind us of our responsibility in helping to avoid disaster.

DATELINE 1968 Please do not make heroes of the weepers, For weepers do not ever build a world.

One voice in the village, A hundred in the town, A thousand in the city Crying — DOWN, DOWN, DOWN. Please do not make heroes of all marchers Or listen to the rhythm of their drums.

One man marches forward, One just stamps his feet, Another marches backward All to the same sharp beat.

Please do not make heroes of the mockers Or voice a sickly echo to their sneers.

One man twists the rainbow, One distorts the tune, Another laughs at laughter Nightfall comes at noon.

Weeping — Marching — Mocking — Crying — DOWN DOWN DOWN !

—James M. Godard May the Lord our God bless and keep you and Alpha Phi Alpha strong and pure.

Submitted by your Servant, Lionel H. Newsom General President

of ^swonor

1956 Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. In Recognition of "Christian Leadership . . . .

In the cause of first class citizenship for all mankind."

"The Birth of a New Age" Thank you so much for your kindness Brother Alexander.

Brother Stanley, Brothers of Alpha, Ladies and Gentlemen, I need not pause to say how happy I am to be here this evening and to be a part of this auspicious occasion. I can assure you that this is one of the happiest moments of my life. As I look over the audience I see so many familiar faces and so many dear friends that it is a real pleasure to be here. I only regret that certain responsibilities elsewhere made it impossible for me to be in on the other part of the sessions. My heart was here and I was here in spirit. I am very happy to share the platform with so many distinquished Alpha men and so many distinguished American citizens and I say once more that this is a high moment in my life.

I would like to take just a moment to express my personal appreciation to our General President, Brother Stanley in particular, and to all of the Alpha brothers over the country in general for the moral support and the financial contributions that you have given to those of us who walk the streets of Montgomery. I can assure that these things have given us rerenewed courage and vigor to carry on. The thing that we are doing in Montgomery we feel is bigger than Montgomery and bigger than 50,000 Negroes, and I assure you that we always appreciate your kind words

and your contributions. I can remember those days, very dark days, when many of us confronted a trial in court and I could look out in the courtroom and see our very eminent General President. That made me feel very good as an Alpha man and I want to thank you for what you have done all along. But I did not come here tonight to talk about Montgomery and I know it is getting late. I am sure you don't want to be bored with me too long and I am going to try to comply with your silent request.

I want to use as a subject, "The Birth of a New Age". Those of us who lived in the 20th Century are privileged to live in one of the most momentous periods of human history. It is an exciting age, filled with hope. It is an age in which a new world order is being born. We stand today between two worlds —the dying old and the emerging new. I am aware of the fact that there are those who would argue that we live in the most ghastly period of human history. They would contend that the deepest of deep rumblings of the discontent in Asia, and we have risings in Africa, the naturalistic longings of Egypt and the racial tensions of America, are all indicative of the deep and tragic midnight which encounters our civilization. They would argue that we are going backwards instead of forward, that we are retrogressing instead of progressing. But far from representing retrogression or tragic hopelessness, the present tension represents the necessary pains that accompany the birth of anything new. It is both historically and biologically 5

BIRTH OF A NEW AGE . . . Continued true that there can be no birth or growth without birth and growing pains. Wherever there is the emergence of the new and the fading of the old, that is historically true and so the tensions which we witness in the world today are indicative of the fact that a new world is being born and an old world is passing away.

We are all familiar with this old world that is dying, the old world that is passing away, we have lived with it, we have seen it, we look out and see it in its international proportion and we see it in the form of Colonialism and Imperialism. We realize that there are approximately 2,400,000,000 people on the face of the globe and the vast majority of these peoples in the world are colored. About 1,600,000,000 of these people of the world are colored and most of these people, if not all of the colored people of the world, have lived under the yoke of Colonialism and Imperialism, fifty years ago to twenty-five years ago. All of these people were dominated and controlled by some foreign power. We could look over to China and see the 600,000,000 men and women there under the yoke of the British and the Dutch and the French. We could look to Indonesia we could notice the 100,000,000 thre under the pressing yoke of the Dutch. We could turn our eyes to India and Pakistan and notice there are 400,000,000 brown men and women under the pressing yoke of the British. We could turn our eyes to Africa and notice the 200,000,000 black men and women there dominated by the British, the Dutch, the French and the Belgian. All of these people lived for years and centuries under the yoke of foreign power and they were dominated politically, exploited economically, segregated and humiliated. But there comes a time when people grow tired, when the throbbing desires of freedom begin to break forth. There comes a time when people get tired of being trampled over by the iron feet of the tramper. There comes a time when people get tired of being plunged across the abyss of exploitation, where they have experienced the bleakness and madness of despair. There comes a time when people get tired of being pushed out of the glittering sunlight of life's July and left standing in the pitying state of an Alpine November.

So with the coming of this time an uprising started and protest started and these peoples rose up against Colonialism and Imperialism and as a result, out of 1,600,000,000 colored people in the world today, 1,300,000,000 are free. They have their own government, their own economic system and their own educational system. They have broken aloose from the evils of the Colonialism and they are passing through the wilderness of adjustment, through the promised land of cultural integration, and if we look back we see the old order of Colonialism and Imperialism thrown upon the seashores of the world and we see the new world of freedom and justice emerging on the horizon of the universe. But not only have we seen the emergence of this new order on the international scale, not only have we seen the old order on the international scale in the form of segregation and discrimination—that is the old order that the national scale, we have seen the old order on the national scale. We see it on the national scale in the form of segregation and discrimination—that is the old order that we witness today passing away. We know the history of this old order in America.

You will remember that it was in the year 1619 that the first Negro slave was brought to the shores of this nation. They were brought here from the soils of Africa and unlike the 6

Pilgrim fathers who landed here at Plymouth a year later, they were brought here against their will. For more than 20 years Africa was raped and plundered, a native kingdom disorganized, the people and rulers demoralized and throughout slavery the Negro slaves were treated in a very human form. This is expressed very clearly in the Dred Scott Decision in 1857 when the Supreme Court of this nation said in substance that the Negro is not a citizen of the United States, he is merely property subject to the dictates of his owner.

Then came 1896 when the same court, the Supreme Court of the nation, in the famous Plessey vs. Ferguson Case, established the doctrine of "separate but equal" as the law of the land. Now segregation had moral and legal sanction by the highest court in the land and of course, they were always interested in the separate aspect but never the equal and this doctrine "separate but equal" made for tragic inequality. It made for injustice, it made for exploitation, it made for suppression, and it went a long time but then something happened to the Negro himself. He had traveled and he was getting more education and getting greater economic power and he came to feel that he was somebody. He came to the point that he was now re-evaluating his natural investments and he came to the point of seeing that the basic thing about an individual is this fundamental, not in the texture or the quality of his hair, but the texture and quality of his soul, so he could now cry out with eloquent force. Fleecy locks and black complexion cannot scoff at nature's claim, skin may differ but affection dwells in white and black the same. "Were I so tall as to reach the pole, or grasp the ocean with my span, it must be measured by my soul, the mind is the standard of man."

With this new sense of dignity, with this new self respect, the Negro decided to rise up against this old order of segregation and discrimination. Then came May 17, 1954 in the same Supreme Court of the nation, passed unanimously the decision stating that the old "Separate Doctrine" must go now, that separate facilities are inherently unequal and that this segregation, therefore, one the basis of his race is to deny him equal protection of the law. With this decision we have been able to see the gradual death of the old order of segregation and discrimination.

We now see the new order of integration emerging on the horizon. Let nobody fool you, all the loud noises we hear today in terms of nullification and interposition are nothing but the death groans of the dying system. The old order is passing away, the new order is coming into being. But whenever there is anything new there are new responsibilities. As we think of this coming new world—we must think of the challenge that we confront and the new responsibilities that stand before us.

We must prepare to live in a new world.

I would like to suggest some things that we must do to live in this new world, to prepare to live in it, the challenges that confornt us. The first thing is this, that we must rise above the narrow confines of our individualistic concerns, with a broader concern for all humanity. You see, this new world is a world of geographical togetherness. No individual can afford to live alone now. The nation cannot live alone for we have been brought together. This has been done certainly by modern man with great scientific insight. Man through his scientific genius has been able to draw distance and save time and space.

He has been able to carry highways through the stratosphere.

We read just the other day that a rocket plane went 1900 miles in one hour. Twice as fast as the speed of sound. This is the

BIRTH OF A NEW AGE . . . Continued new age. Bob Hope has described this new age, this jet age; it is an age in which planes will be moving so fast that we will have a non-stop flight from New York to Los Angeles, when you start out you might develop the hiccups and you will hie in New York and cup in Los Angeles. This is an age in which it will be possible to leave Tokyo on a Sunday morning and arrive in Seattle, Washington on the preceeding Saturday night.

When your friends meet you at the airport and ask what time did you leave Tokyo, you will have to say I left tomorrow.

That is this new age. We live in one world geographically. We face the great problem of making it one spiritually.

Through our scientific means we have made of the world a neighborhood and now the challenge confronts us through our moral and spiritual means to make of it a brotherhood.

We must live together, we are not independent we are interdependent. We are all involved in a single process. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly for we are tied together in a single progress. We are all linked in the great chain of humanity. As one man said, that no man is an Island entirely of himself. Every man is a piece of a continent and a part of a main. I am involved in mankind, therefore we will not send to know for whom the bells toll, they toll for thee.

We must discover that and live by it . . . if we are to live meaningfully in this one world that is emerging. But not only that, we must be able to achieve excellency in our various fields of endeavor. In this new world doors will be opening that were not open in the old world. Opportunities will come now that did not come in the past and the next callenge confronting us is to be prepared for these opportuinties as they come.

We must prepare ourselves in every field of human endeavor. We must extend our interest and we must accomplish a great deal now to be prepared for these doors to be open.

There are so many things, so many areas we need to be prepared in. We need more ingenuity. We have been relatively content with the relatively material possessions such as medicine, teaching, and law. All of these are noble and gracious but we must prepare ourselves. Doors will be opening in all of these areas and we need people, we need more kinds who can qualify to do more in the area of specialization now because the opportunities are coming and we must be prepared.

In this new world we can now compete with people, not Negro people. We must not go out to be a good Negro barber, a good Negro lawyer, a good Negro teacher, we will have to compete with people. We must go out to do the job. Ralph Waldo Emerson said in an Essay back in 1878 that, "if a man can write better books or preach a better sermon or make a better mouse trap than his neighbor even if he builds his house in the woods, the world will make a beaten path to his door." That will be increasingly true. We must be ready. We must confront the opportunities and we must be ready to go into these doors as they open.

No matter what area and all fields, we should be ready.

We need more skilled laborers. We need more people who are competent in all areas and always remember that the important thing is to do a good job. No matter what it is. Whatever you are doing consider it as something having cosmic significance, as it is a part of the uplifting of humanity. No matter what it is, no matter how small you think it is, do it right. As someone said, do it so well that the living, dead, or the unborn could do it no better. If your son grows up to be a street cleaner sweep streets like Michael Angelo painted pictures, sweep

streets like Beethoven composed music, sweep streets like Shakespeare wrote poetry, sweep streets so well that all the hosts of heaven and earth will have to pause and say, "here lived a great street sweeper who swept his job well". If you can't be a pine on the top of the hill be a shrub on the side, but be the best shrub on the side of the hill. Be a bush if you can't be a highway be a trail, if you can't be the sun be a star.

It isn't by size that you win or you fail. Be the best of whatever you are and that is the second challenge, that we confront the issues of today and prepare to live in this new age.

There is a third and basic challenge. We must prepare to go into this new age without bitterness. That is a temptation that is a danger to all of those of us who have lived for many years under the yoke of oppression and those of us who have been confronted with injustice, those of us who have lived under the evils of segregation and discrimination, will go into the new age with bitterness and indulging in hate campaigns.

We cannot do it that way. For if we do it that way, it will be just a perpetuation of the old way. We must conquer the hate of the old age and the love of the new age and go into the new age with the love that is understanding for all men, to have with it a forgiving attitude, it has with it something that will cause you to look deep down within every man and see within him something of Godliness. That something that will cause you to stand up before him and love him.

As we move in this transition from the old age into the new we will have to rise up in protest. We will have to boycott at times, but let us always remember that boycotts are not ends within themselves. A boycott is just a means to an end.

A boycott is merely a means to say, "I don't like it." It is merely a means to awaken a sense of shame within the oppressor but the end is reconciliation. The end is the creation of a beloved community.

The end is the creation of a society where men will live together as brothers. An end is not retaliation but redemption.

That is the end we are trying to reach. That we would bring these creative forces together we would be able to live in this new age which is destined to come. The old order is dying and the new order is being born. You know, all of this tells us something about the meaning of the universe. It tells something about something that stands in the center of the cosma, it says something to us about this, that justice eventually rules in this world. This reminds us that the forces of darkness cannot permanently conquer the forces of light and his is the thing that we must live by. This is the hope that all men of goodwill live by, the belief that justice will triumph in the universe and the fact that the old order is passing away and a new order is being born is an eternal reminder of that truth that stands at the cener of our faith.

It is something there that says this, that iniquity may occupy the throne of force but ultimately it must give way to the triumphant lesus on the throne of Egypt. It says to us that evil may prevail again and the Caesar will occupy the palace and Christ the cross, but one day that same Christ will rise up and split history into A.D. and B.C. so that even the life of Caesar must be dated by His name. There is something in this universe that justified Carlisle in saying, "No lie can live forever." There is something in the universe that justifies lames Russell Lowell in saying, "Truth forever on the scaffold, wrong forever on the throne, yet that scaffold weighs the future and behind the demon, Wrong, stands God within the shadow, keeping watch above his own." There is something in the 7

BIRTH OF A NEW AGE . . . Continued universe that justified William C. Bryant in saying, "Truth crushed down will rise again". That is the meaning of this new age that is emerging. This is the hope that we can live by.

Now I am about to close, but I cannot close without giving a warning signal. I have talked a great deal about this coming new age, about this age that is passing away and about this age thaat is now coming into being. There is a danger that after listening to that you will become the victims of an optimism covered with superficiality. An optimism which says in substance we can sit down now and do nothing because this new age is inevitable. We can sit down and wait for the rolling in of the wheels of inevitalibity, we don't need to do anything, it's coming anyway. We cannot be complacent.

We cannot sit idly by and wait for the coming of the inevitable.

I would urge you not to take that attitude for it might be true that this new age is inevitable but we can speed it up, the coming of the new age. It might be true that old man segregation is on his deathbed but history has proven that social systems have a great last minute breathing power. The vanguards and the guardians of the status quo are always on hand with their obstacles in an attempt to keep the old order alive. So that we are not to think that segregation will die without an effort and working against it. Segregation is still a reality in America. We still confront it in the South and it is blaring in conspicuous forms. We still confront it in the North in its hidden and subtle form. But if democracy is to live, segregation must die. Segregation is evil, segregation is against the will of the Almighty God, segregation is opposed to everything that democracy stands for, segregation is nothing but slavery covered up with the niceties of complexities. So we must continue to work against it.

We must continue to stand up, we must gain the ballot— that is important—we cannot overlook the importance of the ballot. By gaining the ballot we will gain political power and doing that we will be able to persuade the Executive and Legislative branches of the government to follow the examples so courageously set by the Judicial clan. We must continue to get the ballot. We must continue to work through legislation and that is an important avenue, we can never overlook that. It may be true that they cannot make them live more moral, that might be true, I don't know. But that never was the intention of the law anyway. The law doesn't seek so much to change a man's internal feelings but it seeks to control the external effect of those internal feelings. So that we must continue to support the N.A.A.C.P. which has done such a noble and courageous job in this area. They may try to outlaw this organization in Alabama and Louisiana but it still remains true that this is the greatest organization in the nation working for the Civil Rights of our people.

Then, in order to gain this freedom and to move away from the cycles of segregation we have got to go down in our pockets and give some money. I assure you that integration is not some lavish gift that the white man will pass out on a silver platter while the Negro merely furnishes the appetite. If we are to gain it we have got to work for it, we have got to sacrifice for it. We have got to pay for it. We cannot use the excuse any more that we don't have the money. The national income of the Negro now is more than 16 billion dollars, more than the national income of Canada. We have the money, we can do it.

We have it for everything else that we want. We have the biggest and the finest cars in the world and we can spend it for 8

all those frivolities, now let us use our money for something lasting, not merely for extravagancies. I am not the preacher that would condemn social life and recreational activities — those are important aspects of life—but I would urge you not to put any of these things before this pressing and urgent problem of Civil Rights. We must spend our money not merely for the adolescent and transitory things, but this eternal, lasting something that we call freedom.

Finally, in order to do this job we have got to have more dedicated, consecrated, intelligent and sincere leadership. This is a tense period through which we are passing, this period of transition and there is a need all over the nation for leaders to carry on. Leaders who can somehow sympathize with and calm us and at the same time have a positive quality. We have got to have leaders of this sort who will stand by courageously and yet not run off with emotion. We need leaders not in love with money but in love with justice. Not in love with publicity but in love with humanity. Leaders who can subject their particular egos to the pressing urgencies of the great cause of freedom. God give us leaders. A time like this demands great leaders. Leaders who have honor, leaders who will not lie.

Leaders who will stand before a pagan god and damn his treacherous flattery.

God grant from this noble assembly, this noble assembly of fraternity men some of the leaders of our nation will emerge. God has blessed you, he has blessed you with great intellectual resources and those of you who represent the intellectual powers of our race. God has blessed many of you with great wealth and never forget that those resources came from people in the back doing a little job in a big way. Never forget that you are where you are today because the masses have helped you get there and they stand now out in the wilderness, not being able to speak for themselves, they stand walking the streets in protest just not knowing exactly what to do and the techniques. They are waiting for somebody out in the midst of the wilderness of life to stand up and speak and take a stand for them.

God grant that the resources that you have will be used to do that, the great resources of education, the resources of wealth and that we will be able to move into this new world, a world in which men will live together as brothers; a world in which men will no longer take necessities from the masses to give luxuries to the classes. A world in which men will throw down the sword and live by the higher principle of love.

The time when we shall be able to emerge from the bleak and desolate midnight of man's inhumanity to man into the bright and glittering daylight of freedom and justice. That there will be the time we will be able to stand before the universe and say with joy—The kingdom of this world has become the kingdom of our Lord and our Christ! And he shall reign forever and ever Hallelujah!

The Alpha Award of Honor was made to Martin Luther King, Jr., by Tolly W. Harris, in recognition of "Christian leadership in the cause of first class citizenship for all mankind."

Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. joined Alpha Rho Chapter Pledge Club and later transferred his pledgeship to Sigma Chapter Pledge Club when he matriculated at the Crozier Theological Seminary in Boston, Massachusetts. He was initiated by Sigma Chapter June 22, 1962 and entered OMEGA chapter April 4, 1968.

THE BEGINNING

Civil Rights Movements Under The Leadership of

BRO. MARTIN LUTHER KING, .11 1955-56 Montgomery Bus Boycott

On Thursday, December 1, 1955, a weary Black seamstress named Rosa Park refused to give up her seat to a white man on a segregated bus in Montgomery, Alabama. Mrs. Parks was arrested and a new American revolution was born.

Two young Black ministers in Montgomery, Dr. Martin Luther King and Rev. Ralph D. Abernathy, decided that night that Blacks should stop paying for humiliation on the city's buses. Rev. Abernathy agreed to call a meeting for the next day, and Dr. King offered the use of his church, the Dexter Avennue Baptist Church, for the assembly. At the Friday meeting, it was decided that a mass boycott would be called against the bus line. On Saturday, the Black community was deluged with leaflets about the boycott, and on Sunday announcements came from pulpits of the Black churches; Negroes would stop riding the buses on Monday, December 5.

1957

Founding of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC)

1958

Beginning of massive South-wide voter registration

1959

Nonviolent education programs; school integration drives

1960

Founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee; and sit-in movement

1961

Freedom Rides; the Albany Movement—Albany, Georgia

1962

Establishment of SCLC Citizenship Education Program and SCLC Operation Breadbasket

1963

The Birmingham Movement; The March on Washington

1964

The Nobel Prize for Peace; the Civil Rights Act of 1964

1965

The Selma-to-Montgomery March; The Voting Rights Act of 1965

1966

The Chicago Movement; the March Against Fear in Mississippi

1967

The war in Vietnam and the call for peace; the Cleveland Movement

1968

The Poor People's Campaign; Memphis

At a meeting in Mount Zion AM.E. Zion Church on the afternoon of December 5, the boycott leaders formed the Montgomery Improvement Association, a name suggested by Rev. Abernathy. Dr. King was elected president and Rev. Abernathy was named director of the program. The organization became the direct forerunner of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.

United by the M.I.A., Negroes boycotted the Montgomery bus system for 381 days—December 5, 1955, to December 21, 1956—by walking, by using the M.I.A. car pool whose precision amazed the opposition, and by sharing personal means of transportation.

The boycott was a mass-action protest of unprecedented effectiveness and great historical significance. It set in motion the modern civil rights movement based on massive nonviolent protest. It signalled the collapse of the old order of the South and caught the conscience of the nation and the world.

Dr. Mays and Brother Morehouse College.

King view his many awards on display

9

PICTORIAL HIGHLIGHTS OF THE LIFE OF BROTHER MARTIN LOTHER KING, JR. 11 t r w i ' i i

NEWLYWEDS — Martin Luther King, Jr. and Coretta Scott

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10

College with his

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"I am surprised and pleased at the success of his teaching, for our children say calmly, 'Daddy is not dead.' He may be physically dead, but his spirit will never die."

— Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr.

I^recioud

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(The following is the spiritual Bro. Martin Luther King, Jr. requested be sung at a mass meeting in Memphis, Tenn., a few minutes before he was called Home.)

Precious Lord, Take my hand, Lead me on, Let me stand.

I am tired, I am weak, I am

worn.

Through' the storm, through the night, Lead me on to the light.

Take my hand, Precious

Lord,

And Lead me on.

Just a few hours before the tragic assassination Brother King had an unusual long distance telephone conversation with his mother, Mrs. Alberta Williams King. The conversation lasted approximately two hours.

HIS HOME — "a sanctuary while resting from the troubles of the world."

"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character . . ."

11

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VVlaior

for

I T H A C A Journal Speaks

J-^teace

'Holiday' Launched Here 62 Years Ago? Let black children have a black hero, proposes the first predominantly Negro fraternity in the U.S. founded 62 years ago at Cornell University.

The eastern regional convention of the Alpha Phi Alpha, which met in Wilming, Del., supports the proposal of one of its members to get Congress to declare a national holiday honoring the late Rev. Martin Luther King Jr. Dr. King was a member of Alpha, which celebrated its 50th anniversary in 1956 by giving a $25,000 scholarship for both black and white students to Cornell.

Dr. King spoke at that golden jubilee convention, which made a pilgrimage by train from Buffalo to Cornell, led by Dr. G. AIx. Galvin of 401 W. State St., for the scholarship presentation.

The constant companionship

of his wife, Coretta, gave him courage and

inspiration.

"He gave his life in search of a more excellent way; a more effective way; a creative rather than a destructive way. We intend to go on in search of that way, and I hope that you who loved and admired him would join us in fulfilling his dream."

Dr. King faced the possibility of death with no bitterness or hatred.

Dr. Galvin, a regional officer and honorary president of the Alphas in Ithaca, said he favors the establishment of such a holiday commemorating Dr. King.

Supreme Court Justice Thurgood Marshall and Massachusetts Sen. Edward Brooke, who has been designated to introduce the bill in the Senate, are also members. So is Vice President Hubert Humphrey.

The fraternity, founded in 1906 at a house at 411 E. State St. by seven Negro students with Mrs. Archie H. Singleton as its "mother" and with the aid of the late Prof. Walter F. Willcox, was formed because at that time so other fraternity admitted Negroes, Dr. Galvin said.

In 1956 there were 310 chapters, according to an Ithaca Journal account of the anniversary meeting.

About 15 years ago the fraternity was desegregatedâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;opened to white as well as Negro men. Dr. Galvin said.

Kentucky State College honored Brother King with an honorary degree at its 69th Commencement. Shown left to right â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Brothers Frank L. Stanley, Sr., King and Rufus B. Atwood, President of the College.

12

The scholarship fund was established as a non-discriminatory aid source, and has helped one or two men each year, he said. "It would be in keeping with our principles to support the recognition of our brother, and his contribution to brotherhood," Dr. Galvin said.

DRUM MAJOR FOR JUSTICE . . . . Continued

Struck by a rock as he led a march for fair housing through the southwest side of Chicago in 1966.

"It takes courage to practice non-violence and suffer the consequences."

"I pray that with the price Dr. King paid—his life—he will make room in people's hearts for love, not hate. And for the people Dr. King led, who have suffered so much, and who have so much still to hope for, I pray that his sacrifice will help to bring to them all they deserve. (I wept) for the senseless, senseless act of the hate which took away a man who preached love and hope."

— Mrs. John F. Kennedy, widow of the late President John F. Kennedy

In Albany, Ga., in 1962 — "It may get me crucified, I may even die. But I want it said even if I die in the struggle that "He died to make men free."

13

"// we are arrested every day, if we are exploited every day, if we are trampled over every day, don't ever let anyone pull you so low as to hate them.

^rn, ^Jribu-te to

BRO. DR. "I have a dream, I have a dream" To To To To

dream the impossible dream fight the unbeatable foe bear the unbearable sorrow run where the brave dare not go.

"Even a superficial look at history shows that social progress never rolls in on the wheels of inevitability. It comes through the tireless effort and the persistant effort of dedicated individuals. Without hard work, time itself becomes an ally of the primitive forces of irrational emotionalism and social stagnation. And so, we must get rid of the myth of time."

To To To To

Montgomery, Alabama police him with loitering in 1958.

roughly

manhandle

and

charged

right the unrightable wrong love, pure, chaste, from afar try when your arms are too weary reach the unreachable star.

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be axalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places shall be made plain, and the crooked places shall be made straight and the glory of the Lord will be revealed and all flesh shall see it together." "This is our hope. This is the faith"â&#x20AC;&#x201D; With this faith we will be able to hear out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood."

This is my quest, to follow that star No matter how hopeless, no matter how far To fight for the right without question or pause To be willing to march into hell for a heavenly cause!

"There comes a time when the cup of endurance runs over and men are no longer willing to be plunged into an abyss of injustice where they experience the bleakness of corroding despair."

And 1 know, if I'll only be true to this glorious quest That my heart will be peaceful and calm when I'm laid to my rest.

"But it really doesn't matter to me now, because I have been to the mountain top. I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life, longevity has it's grace. But I am not concerned with that now. I just want to do God's will. And he's allowed me to go up to the mountain and I've looked over.

And I have seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know, tonight, that we as a people will go to the promised land. So I am happy tonight. I am not worried about anything. I am not fearing any man. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the Lord."

And the world will be better for this That one man, scorned and covered with scars Still strove, with his last ounce of courage To reach the unreachable stars!

"Free at last, free at last; thank God Almighty, he is free at last!!

Escorted to DeKalb County Courthouse 1960.

14

for a traffic hearing

in

THETA RHO LAMBDA CHAPTER, ARLINGTON, VA.

Xet V*

Pray...

A PRAYER . . . .

Rev. Ronald English

Let us bow our heads in a moment of solemn utterance.

Eternal and everlasting God Our Father.

The heighth of our aspirations, the depth of our existence, Thou who are the giver and sustainer of life, from Whom all things have come and to Whom all things shall return, we beseech Thy comforting presence in this hour of deepest bereavement.

For our hearts are heavily laden with sorrow and remorse at the removal of one of history's truest representatives of Thy Will and purpose for mankind.

While we pray for comfort we pray for wisdom to guide our thoughts aright at this hour. For we, oh God, in our limited vision cannot begin to comprehend the full significance of this tragic occasion.

And so we raise the perennial question of: "Why?" as we weep for the moment.

Yet we are reminded by the best of the Christian tradition that the total economy of the universe good will ultimately triumph. Though sorrow tarries for the night, joy comes in the morning.

We know, oh God, that even in this little while of sorrow we need not weep for the deceased, for here was one man truly prepared to die.

No Fear of Death In his last hours he testified himself that he had been to the mountaintop, that his eyes had seen the glory of the coming of the Lord. We know he had no fear of death.

Help us to find consolation in the fact that his life was a gift given to us at this crucial juncture in our history out of the graciousness of Thy being.

And so we had no real claims upon him. In the fullness of time he came and in the fullness of time he has gone. He knew where he came from and he knew where he was going.

And so as we abide in this knowledge our gratitude will abate our sorrows.

We know, oh God, that life is but a moment in eternity and that he who lives for the moment will surely die, yet he who lives for eternity and dedicates his life to those ultimate principles of truth, justice and love as this man has done will never die.

Inspire us to accept the imperative that his life so fully exemplifies â&#x20AC;&#x201D; that we would not judge the worth of our lives by their physical longevity, but by the quality of their service to mankind.

He has shown us how to live, oh God. He has shown us how to love. Yet the manner of his teaching and the manner of his being was so strange and unfamiliar in our world, a world that abounds in war, hatred and racism, a world that exhausts the wicked and crucifies the righteous, a world where a word of condemnation is familiar while a word of kindness is strange.

So this man was a peculiar man. He taught a peculiar teaching. So he was not of this world. So in the course of human events the forces of time, faith and the hopes of the oppressed converged upon a single man.

Though once in a century the midwife of oppression snatches from the womb of history a child of destiny, the record of events testifies to fact that history cannot bear the truth.

Brother King stabbed with a letter opener in Harlem by mentally retarded woman, 1958.

Grant that in response to his sacrificial death we will work toward that day when the long and tragic tune of man's inhumanity to man will resolve into a chorus of peace and brotherhood. Then love will tread out the baleful sighs of anger and in its ashes plant a tree of peace.

Challenge Status Quo And so, like lesus. not only did Martin Luther King challenge the status quo, but he challenged our mode of existence, Therefore, like Jesus, he had to die as a martyr for a cause that challenged the world's assumed posture of security.

The light came into the darkness but the darkness knew it not.

Oh God, our leader is dead. And so now the question that he posed during his life finds us in all its glaring proportions: "Where do we go from here? Chaos or community."

We pray, oh Merciful Father, that the removal of this man will not nullify the revelation given through him.

Undergird our feeble efforts with Thy strength and renew our courage to devote the full weight of our being to the ideas that he has thus far so nobly advanced.

Deepen our commitment to nonviolence so that this country will not be run asunder by a frustrated segment of the black masses who would blaspheme the name of Martin Luther King by committing violence in that name.

Prayer for Peace Grant, oh lover of peace, that we will effectively negotiate for a peaceful settlement in Vietnam to end the brutal slaying and communal atrocities committed in the name of democracy.

Tune our hearts, oh God, to hear and respond to the echoes of this undying voice of the ages, a voice of love and reconciliation in the present, a voice of hope and confidence in the future.

15

7 Tried to Love and Serve Humanity "If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral. And if you get someone to deliver the eulogy, tell him not to talk too long.

Tell them not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize. That isn't important.

"Tell them not to mention that I have three or hour hundred awards. That's not important. Tell them not to mention where I went to school. I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Ir. tried to give his life serving others.

"I'd like for somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to love somebody. I want you to say that day that I tried to be right on the war question.

I want you to be able to say that day that I try to feed the hungry. And I want you to be able to say that day that I did try in my life to clothe those who were naked.

"I want you to say on that day that I did try, in my life, to visit those who were in prison. I want you to say that I tried to Wve and serve humanity.

"If you want to, say that I was a drum major for justice. Say that I was a drum major for peace. I was a drum major for righteousness.

"And all the other shallow things will not matter.

"If I can help somebody as I pass along the way, then my living will not be in vain." â&#x20AC;&#x201D;MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR.

Autograph for Mayor Willy Brandt of Berlin.

Fred Lights, floor manager of "Today" King for a television appearance.

Chats with Brother 16

William Dawson, (D. III.)

Congressman.

show prepares

Brother

Miss Mahalia Jackson discussed the ills and plight of Chicago's black population with Mayor Richard J. Daley and Brother King.

A swim and relaxation Jamaica.

in the water of

"It is my hope that as the Negro plunges deeper into the quest for freedom, he will plunge even deeper into the philosophy of nonviolence. As a race, Negroes must work passionately for first-class citizenship â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but they must never use second-class methods to gain it. They must never succumb to the temptation of using violence in the struggle."

"The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt.

A doctrine of black supremacy is as evil as a doctrine of white supremacy."

"Nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our time â&#x20AC;&#x201D; the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression."

MARTIN LUTHER KING S VISIT AT THE CLEVELAND JOB CORPS CENTER THRILLS CORPSWOMEN "I'd like somebody to say that day Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to love somebody.'

17

,7

'

Nobel Peace Prize winner — London, England

"The heart of America grieves today. A leader of /

his people—a teacher of all people—has fallen. Martin Luther King, Jr. has been struck down by violence against which he preached and worked. Yet the cause for which he struggled has not fallen. The voice that called for justice and brotherhood has been stilled—but the quest for freedom, to which he gave eloquent expreession,

continues."

—Lyndon Baines Johnson, President of the United States

$ tiaCe a foreant. .

The largest civil rights demonstration in the history of the United States . . . .

"The March on Washington" Brother King addresses 20,000 marchers in the park between Lincoln Memorial and Washington Monument.

I HAVE A DREAM

Nobel Prize for Peace

An infant instinctively

knows

....

19

THE

NOBEL PEACE

PRIZE

I accept the Nobel Prize for Peace at a moment when twenty-two million Negroes of the United States of America are engaged in a creative battle to end the long night of racial injustice. I accept this award in behalf of a civil rights movement which is moving with determination and a majestic scorn for risk and danger to establish a reign of freedom and a rule of justice. I am mindful that only yesterday in Birmingham, Alabama, our children, crying out for brotherhood, were answered with fire hoses, snarling dogs, and even death. I am mindful that only yesterday in Philadelphia, Mississippi, young people seeking to secure the right to vote were brutalized and murdered. And only yesterday more than forty houses of worship in the State of Mississippi alone were bombed or burned because they offered a sanctuary to those who would not accept segregation. I am mindful that debilitating and grinding poverty afflicts my people and chains them to the lowest rung of the economic ladder.

Therefore, I must ask why this prize is awarded to a movement which is beleagured and committed to unrelenting struggle; to a movement which has not won the very peace and brotherhood which is the essence of the Nobel Prize.

After contemplation, I conclude that this award which 1 receive on behalf of that movement is a profound recognition that nonviolence is the answer to the crucial political and moral question of our timeâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;the need for man to overcome oppression and violence without resorting to violence and oppression. Civilization and violence are antithetical concepts.

Negroes of the United States, following the people of India, have demonstrated that nonviolence is not sterile passivity, but a powerful moral force which makes for social transformation. Sooner or later, all the people of the world will have to discover a way to live together in peace, and thereby transform this pending cosmic elegy into a creative psalm of brotherhood. If this is to be achieved, man must evolve for all human conflict a method which rejects revenge, aggression and retaliation. The foundation of such a method is love.

I refuse to accept the cynical notion that nation after nation must spiral down a militaristic stairway into the hall of thermonuclear destruction. I believe that unarmed truth and unconditional love will have the final word in reality. This is why right temporarily defeated is stronger than evil triumphant.

I believe that even amid today's motor bursts and whining bullets, there is still hope for a brighter tomorrow. I believe that wounded justice, lying prostrate on the blood-flowing streets of our nations, can be lifted from this dust of shame to reign supreme among the children of men. I have the audacity to believe that peoples everywhere can have three meals a day for their bodies, education and culture for their minds, and dignity, equality and freedom for their spirits.

I believe that what self-centered men have torn down men other-centered can build up. I still believe that one day mankind will bow before the altars of God and be crowned triumphant over war and bloodshed, and nonviolent redemptive good will proclaim the rule of the land. "And the lion and the lamb shall lie down together and every man shall sit under his own vine and fig tree and none shall be afraid."

I still believe that We shall overcome.

This faith can give us courage to face the uncertainties of the future. It will give our tired feet new strength as we 20

continue our forward stride toward the city of freedom. When our days become dreary with low-hovering clouds and our nights become darker than a thousand midnights, we will know that we are living in the creative turmoil of a genuine civilization struggling to be born.

Acceptance statement by Martin Luther King, Jr. Nobel Peace Prize Ceremony Thursday, December 10, 1964 Aula of the University Oslo, Norway

Editors note: In Oslo, Norway, on December 10, 1964, Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace. He was the fourteenth American, the third Black and the youngest man (35 years old) to be so honored. Brother

REV MARTIN LUTHER KING JR . VSI ID ALMIGHTY I'M IRCf A! ! V I

King pledged the entire prize grant of $54,000 be donated to the civil rights movement and that the award was accepted on behalf of the movement and for all men who "loved peace and brotherhood."

FAMILY

PORTRAIT

Brother Martin Luther King, Jr., with his wife, Coretta and their four Martin Luther, III.

Children, Yolanda Denise, Bernice Albertine,

Dexter Scott, and

21

Jateuell. . .

Brother Whitney Young solemenly views the last remains of his fraternity brother

Rev. Ralph Abernathy and part of the staff of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference bid their leader good-bye.

When 9 hie "Every now and then I guess we all think realistically about that day when we will be victimized with what is life's final common denominator—that something we call death."

"We all think about it and every now and then I think about my own death and I think about my own funeral. And I don't think about it in a morbid sense. And every now and then I ask myself what it is that I would want said and I leave the world to you this morning.

"If any of you are around when I have to meet my day, I don't want a long funeral.

"And if you get somebody to deliver the eulogy tell him not to talk too long.

"And every now and then I wonder what I want him to say.

"Tell him not to mention that I have a Nobel Peace Prize—that isn't important.

"Tell him not to mention that I have 300 or 400 other awards—that's not important.

Tell him not to mention where I went to school.

HIS LAST SERMON 22

In

Silence.

"I'd like somebody to mention that day that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to give his life serving others.

"I'd like somebody to say that day that Martin Luther King, Jr. tried to love somebody."

Attributes of . . . .

BROTHER MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. Brother, Scholar, Philosopher, Humanitarian and Christian BROTHER FRANK L. STANLEY, SR. â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Past General President

Frank L. Stanley, Sr.

Like the vast majority of Americans I have been greatly depressed since the senseless assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.

I am one of the fortunate people who came to know, admire, and follow Dr. King in the very beginning of his nonviolence crusade. I had been invited in December, 1955 to make a speech at Alabama State College in Montgomery.

This is the state university formerly headed by a very old friend, the late Doctor Council Trenholm. Upon arriving I found several Kentuckians and I was invited by Miss Betty Johnson, a former Central High School librarian, to go hear her "very interesting, most eloquent and promising minister."

The minister was Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Following services I was privileged to meet him and since he and I belonged to the same college fraternity he promised to come and hear me speak that evening at the college. He came and following my address we were able to fraternize a bit together.

Shortly thereafter in early 1956 the Montgomery Bus Boycott began. Dr. King along with 100 other ministers was arrested. Subsequently he was made the test case and was charged with conspiracy. As the president of our fraternnity, I felt the need to come to his aid, because the only crime he was guilty of was that of seeking freedom, not only for himself but for all people. So I went to Montgomery and stayed through trial.

Each afternoon I would attend the mass meetings and after them I would go to Dr. King's home and visit with his father,

wife, and children. The successful bus boycott was the beginning of his national and international fame.

In August of 1956, Dr. King won the most coveted award that Alpha Phi Alpha can bestow and was the principal speaker at the 50th Anniversary celebration of that fraternity. I was not only able to bestow that honor upon him, but I was able to give leadership to the raising of a $ 10,000 fund in behalf of his movement.

I made a tape recording of his speech at this Centennial and upon returning to Kentucky I played it for a number of people. Among whom was Dr. Rufus T. Atwood, then President of Kentucky State College. Dr. Atwood was so tremendously impressed that he asked me to intercede in obtaining Dr. King as the next Kentucky State College Commencement speaker. On June 2, 1957, Dr. King addressed the largest crowd ever to attend a Kentucky State College Commencement. The crowd overflowed the largest auditorium available. It was my privilege to be asked by Dr. Atwood to introduce Dr. King on that occasion.

In all due modesty in this hour of mourning for our slain leader my mind goes back to that memorable occasion.

Here's what I said: ". . . Amidst the integration storms of recent months Dr. King's clear calm voice has sounded from the bridge, pointing out the shoals aheadâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;charting a new path of freedom. His philosophy has become the philosophy of downtrodden people everywhere. Perhaps, no Negro has ever been the subject of so many writers or commanded as much respect as he.

"This leader of leaders, is a man of reasoned judgment, fearless action and unwavering devotion to the cause of human dignity. He is a living symbol of non-violence, passive resistance, justice, love and mercy.

"It was he, in this day of great confusion, festered by ill-considered acts of hate and wanton disregarded for law and order, who met issues never before faced by any other leader. And the inspiring thing is that he did this with an olympian poise unawed by violence, intimidation

and reprisal and undaunted by the fear of change.

"This philosopher, scholar, and humanitarian is an upright Christian soldier on the battlefield of decency and right. Possessed with a priceless combination of sagacity, great social imagination, immunity to pressure and fidelity to truth, he is motivated by a lofty zeal to serve God and man.

"But, like all truly great men of accomplishment, he is, even at the tender age of 28 productive years, unaffected and unassuring. In him, humility and modesty are living virtues. Our world is deeply indebted to this man of impeccable character and cheerful temperament who has performed his chosen tasks with magnificant success under terrific odds.

He has given this broken world of ours a better understanding of the spiritual needs of its many diversified peoples.

"By an unmatched clarity of thinking, inflexible determination and a ministering spirit of service in action, he has made distinct contributions to Democracy which will never be forgotten.

"For truly when history evaluates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., his achievements will not be recorded necessarily as the service of a Negro, nor will they be written as the struggle of a man, but will be indelibly imprinted as the contributions of one of America's greatest humanitarians whose life was dedicated to the cause of human blessedness.

"By his noble example, freedom has taken on a new meaning. He has shown the world that full citizenship can only be derived from our actions, our beliefs and our individual willingness to accept the risks of freedom."

As I review this almost eleven year assessment of my friend, brother and leader, I am more convinced then ever that Dr. King's murder leaves a void which will hardily ever be filled again.

He fearlessly and selflessly lived out his beliefs and indeed he died for them.

His life and deeds will ever remain the guiding light for all men of good conscience and Christian beliefs. His tragic death challenges us to redouble our efforts to non-violently obliterate the very evils which made his tragic murder.

23

Eulogy to Brother Martin Luther King, Jr.

by Lionel H. Newsom General President Many years ago a great lawyer and later a greater Supreme Court Justice, Oliver Wendell Holmes, wrote a revealing statement entitled "Skylight Lives and Intellects." He wrote, "There ara one-story intellects, two-story intellects and threestory intellects with skylights."

"FREE AT LAST. FREE AT EAST. THANK GOD ALMIGHTY I I FREE AT EAST.

24

"All fact collectors, who have no aim beyond their facts, are one-story men. Two-story men compare, reason and generalize using the labors of the fact collectors as well as their own. Three-story men idealize, imagine, predict: Their best illumination comes from above, through skylight."

Today, I add a four-story man, one who was a skyscraper intellect. He is the one who can imagine, predict and idealize.

But over and beyond all these abilities or should we say intellects, he uses all of these attributes for the good of all mankind; for the good of both black men and white men, black girls and boys and white girls and boys, he does these things for both Christians and Jews, for sinners and as well as for believers, for the learned and the unlearned alike, for the college graduate and for the high school dropout, for the militant and the non-militant, for the violent and the nonviolent because in him we found a perfect symphony of love, a poem or courage and no greater love for the human race. For in our beloved brother, Martin Luther King, Jr., was a man with a four-story intellect with a skyscraper mind; he had a direct line to God. Martin Luther King, Jr. was not only a man for all seasons, but he was a man for all centuries, he was at his eloquent best with words, he allowed phrases of beauty to roll from his lips in rhyming couplets.

Our Brother always stood above the crowd, at his tallest as a spiritual leader, a giant as a minister, a master teacher and a noble disciple of nonviolence. He stood alone, without a peer. He is matchless. He is indispensable. He is irreplaceable. While he may prove to be greater in death than in life, I do not believe it. Although he is gone from us and no man can bring him back, I would if I could, we must go from this place as Alpha men and live out his precepts of nonviolence dedicating ourselves to help downtrodden humanity. If we desert him now and disobey his teachings, we become hypocrites of the highest order. We, therefore, must pledge ourselves and our lives to hold ever aloft his noble ideals and aims and prove to the world that his life shall not have been given in vain.

HIS DREAMS SHALL NEVER DIE...

ELOQUENT VOICE OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. "History lias thrust upon our generation an indescribably important destiny—to complete a process of democratization which our nation has too long developed too slowly. How we deal with this crucial situation will determine our moral health as individuals, our cultural health as a region, our political health as a nation, and our prestige as a leader of the free world."

— 1958 "Although 1 cannot pay the fine, I will willingly accept the alternative which you provide, and that I will do without malice."

—Statement to an Alabama judge, 1958 Martin Luther King III, Dexter King, Mrs. King and Mrs. Dora McDonald, Dr. King's secretary, pause tor a last view of our slain leader.

"It may get me crucified. I may even die, But I want it said even if I die in the struggle that 'He died to make men free'," —1962 "The question is not whether we will be extremist but what kind of extremists will we be. Will we be extremists for hate or will we be extremists for the preservation of injustice—or will we be extremists for the cause of justice?

—Letter from a Birmingham Jail April, 1963 Good-bye . . . .

"I have will one will not skin but

Ebernezer

a dream that my four children day live in a nation where they be judged by the color of their the content of their character."

—The March on Washington, August 28, 1963

"Some of you have knives, and I ask you to put them up. Some of you have arms, and I ask you to put them up.

Get the weapon of nonviolence, the breastplate of righteousness, the armor of truth and just keep marching."

— 1964 "Poor people's lives are disrupted and dislocated every day. We want to put a stop to this. Poverty, racism and discrimination cause families to become desperate, women to live in fear, and children to starve."

—On the Poor People's Campaign, 1968

"Black and white

together"

. pay their last

respects.

EULOGY DR. BENJAMIN E. MAYS, President Emeritus of Morehouse College Members of the bereaved family, distinguished citizens of the world, ladies and gentlemen.

To your great delight I'm cutting about five minutes off of this eulogy.

To be honored by being requested to give the eulogy at the funeral of Dr. Martin Luther King is like asking one to eulogize his deceased son, so close and so precious was he to me.

Our friendship goes back to his student days here at Morehouse. It is not an easy task. Nevertheless I accepted with a sad heart and with full knowledge of my inadequacy to do justice to this good man.

It was my desire that if I predeceased Dr. King he would pay tribute to me on my final day. It was his wish that if he predeceased me I would deliver the homily at his funeral.

Fate was decreed that I eulogize him. I wish it might have been other wise for after all I am three score years and 10 and Martin Luther is dead at 39.

How strange.

God called the grandson of a slave on his father's side and the grandson of a man born during the Civil War on his mother's side and said to him—Martin Luther—"Speak to America about war and peace. Speak to America about social justice and racial discrimination. Speak to America about its obligation to the poor and speak to America about nonviolence."

Let it be thoroughly underestood that our deceased brother did not embrace nonviolence out of fear or cowardice. Moral courage was one of his noblest virtues. As Mahatma Gandhi challenged the British empire without a sword and won, Martin Luther King, Ir., Challenged the interracial injustice of his country without a gun. He had faith to believe that he would win the battle for social justice.

Courage is Hailed I make bold to assert that it took more courage for Martin Luther to practice nonviolence than it took his assassin to fire the fatal shot. The assassin is a coward.

He committed his dastardly deed and fled. When Martin Luther disobeyed an unjust law, he suffered the consequences of his action. He never ran away and he never begged for mercy.

He returned to Birmingham jail to serve his time. Perhaps he was more courageous than soldiers who fight and die on the battlefield.

There k an element of compulsion in their dying. But when Martin Luther faced death again and again, and finally embraced it, there was no external pressure. He was acting on an inner urge that drove him on, more courageous than those who advocate violence as a way out, for they carry weapons of destruction for defense. But Martin Luther faced the dogs, the police, jails, heavy criticism, and finally death, and he never carried a gun, not even a pocket knife to defend himself.

He had only his faith in a just God to rely on and his belief that thrice is he armed who has his quarrels just— the faith that Browning writes about when he says: "One who never turned his back but marched to press forward never doubted that clouds would break, never dreamed that right, though worsted, wrong would triumph . . . " •*•» 26

Belongs to Posterity Coupled with moral courage was Martin Luther Jr.'s capacity to love people. Though deeply committed to a program of freedom for Negroes, he had a love and a deep concern lor all kinds of people. He drew no distinction between the high and the low, none between the rich and the poor. He believed especially that he was sent to champion the cause of the man farthest down. He would probably have said: "If death had to come I am sure there was no greater cause to die for than fighting to get a just wage for garbage collectors.

This man was suprarace, supranation, supradenomination, supraclass and supraculture. He belonged to the world and to mankind. Now he belongs to posterity.

But there is a dichotomy in all of this. This man was loved by some and hated by others. If any man knew the meaning of suffering, Martin Luther knew—house bombed, living day-by-day for 13 years under constant threat of death, maliciously accused of being insecure, insincere and seeking the limelight for his own glory, stabbed by a member of his own race, slugged in a hotel lobby, jailed 30 times, occasionally deeply hurt because his friends betrayed him.

And yet this man had no bitterness in his heart, no rancor in his soul, no revenge in his mind, and he went up and down the length and breadth of this world preaching nonviolence and the receptive power of love.

He believed with all of his heart, mind and soul that the way to peace and brotherhood is through nonviolence, love and suffering. He was severely criticized for his opposition to the war in Vietnam. It must be said, however, that one could hardly expect a prophet of King's commitment to advocate nonviolence at home and violence in Vietnam.

Nonviolence to King was total commitment not only in solving the problems of race in the United States but in solving the problems of the world.

Surely, surely this man was called of God to his work.

If Amos and Micah were prophets in the eighth century B. C , Martin Luther King, Jr. was a prophet in the twentieth century. If Isaiah was called of God to prophesy in his day, Martin Luther was called of God to prophesy in his day. If Hoseah was sent to preach love and forgiveness centuries ago, Martin Luther was sent to expound the doctrine of nonviolence and forgiveness in the third quarter of the twentieth century.

If Jesus was called to preach the Gospel to the poor, Martin Luther was called to bring dignity to the common man. If a prophet is one who interprets in clear and intelligible language the will of God, Martin Luther, Jr. fits that designation. If a prophet is one who does not seek popular causes to espouse but rather the causes which he thinks are right, Martin Luther qualifies on that score.

Not Ahead of Time No, he was not ahead of his time. No man is ahead of his time. Every man is within his time. Each man must respond to the call of God in his lifetime and not somebody else's time. « Jesus had to respond to the call of God in the first

EULOGY . . . . Continued century A.D. and not in the twentieth century. He had but one life to give. Jesus couldn't wait. How long do you think Jesus would have had to wait for the constituted authorities to accept himâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; 25 years, 100 years, 1,000 years, never? He died at 33. He couldn't wait.

Paul, Copernicus, Martin Luther, the Protestant reformer, Gandhi and Nehru couldn't wait for another time. They had to act in their lifetimes. No man is ahead of his time.

Abraham staying with his country in obedience to God's call. Moses leading a rebellious people to the Promised Land, Jesus dying on a cross, Galileo on his knees recanting at 07, Lincoln dying of an assassin's bullet, Woodrow Wilson crusading for a League of Nations, Martin Luther Kings Jr. fighting lor justice for garbage collectors, none of these men were ahead of their time. With them the time is always right to do that which is right and that which needs to be done.

Too bad, you say, Martin Luther Jr. died so young. I feel that way, too. But as I have said many times before, it isn't how long one lives but how well. Jesus died at 33, Joan of Arc at 19, Byron and Burns at 36, Keats and Marlowe at 29 and Shelley at 30, Dunbar before 35, John Fitzgerald Kennedy at 46, William Rainey Harper at 49 and Martin Luther King Jr. at 39.

It isn't how long but how well.

People Responsible We all pray that the assassin will be apprehended and brought to justice but make no mistake, the American people are in oart responsible for Martin Luther King's death. The assassin heard enough condemnation of King and Negroes to feel that he had public support. He, he knew that there were millions of people in the United States who wished that King was dead. He had support. The Memphis officials must bear some of the guilt for Martin Luther King's assassination.

The strike, the strike should have been settled several weeks ago. The lowest paid man in our society should not have to strike to get a decent wage a century after emancipation and after the enactment of the 13th, 14th and 15th Amendments. It should not have been necessary for Martin Luther King, Jr. to stage marches in Montgomery, Birmingham, Selma and go to jail 30 times trying to achieve for his people those rights which people of lighter hue get by virtue of the fact that they are born white.

We, too, are guilty of murder. It is a time for the American people to repent and make democracy equally applicable to all Americans.

What can we do? We and not the assassin, we and not the President, we and not the apostles of hate, we represent here today America at its best. We have the power to make democracy function so that Martin Luther King and his kind will not have to march.

Did Not Die in Vain What can we do? If we love Martin Luther King and respect him as this crowd surely testifies, let us see to it that he did not die in vain. Let us see to it that we do not dishonor his name by trying to solve our problems through rioting in the streets.

Violence was foreign to his nature. He warned that continued riots could produce a Fascist state. But let us see to it also that the conditions that cause riots are promptly

HONOR GUARDS - THETA XI LAMBDA CHAPTERS

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity National Headquarters mourning from April 4, 1968 - May 4, 1968.

draped

in

removed as the President of the United States is trying to get us to do. Let black and white alike search their hearts and if there be any prejudice in our hearts against interracial or ethnic groups let us exterminate it and let us pray, as Martin Luther would pray if he could: "Father forgive them, for they know not what they do."

If we do this, Martin Luther King Jr. will have died a redemptive death for which all mankind will benefit. Morehouse will never be the same because Martin Luther came by here and the nation and the world will be indebted to him for a century to come.

It is natural, therefore, that we here at Morehouse and Dr. Foster would want to memorialize him to serve as an inspiration to all students who study in this center.

I close by saying to you what Martin Luther King Jr. believed: "If physical death was the price he had to pay to rid America of prejudice and injustice nothing could be more redemptive." And to paraphrase words of the immortal John Fitzgerald Kennedy, permit me to say that Martin Luther King Jr.'s unfinished work on earth must truly be our own.

27

BROTHER

M A R T I N L U T H E R K I N G , JR. 1929 - 1968

Martin Luther King Jr. is like the great Yggdrasil tree, "whose roots," a poet said, "are deep in earth but in whose upper branches the stars of heaven are glowing and astir."

His roots deeply into the inferno of slavery, this black baby born January 15, 1929, to Alberta Williams King and Martin Luther King Sr. Now the roots have grown to those upper branches, and he is indeed among the stars of heaven, this beautiful man, husband, father, pastor, leader.

He is free and he is home, and the world has come to his home to honor him and hopefully, to repent the sins against him and all humanity.

Martin Luther King came of a deeply religious family tradition. His great grandfather was a slave exhorter. His maternal grandfather, the Rev. Adam Daniel Williams, was the second pastor of Ebenezer Baptist Church where for eight years, Dr. King and his father were co-pastors.

This lineage which permeated his life was an enormous influence on him and what he would ultimately become.

His father, born at the turn of the century in Stockbridge, Georgia, came to Atlanta in 1916. In 1925, Martin Luther King Sr. married Alberta Williams. They were blessed with a daughter and two sons. The youngest son is the Reverend Alfred Daniel Williams King of Louisville, Kentucky, who went to Memphis, Tennessee, one infamous day "to help my brother." The daughter is Christine King Farris of Atlanta, who went to a home that night to comfort her brother's wife.

The other son was Martin Luther King, Jr. Reared in a home of love, understanding, and compassion, young Martin was to find 501 Auburn Avenue a buffer against the rampant injustices of the "sick society" for which he would become the physician.

A serious student, Martin Luther King was an early admissions student at Morehouse College in Atlanta, from which he graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in 1948.

His great "wrestling inside with the problem of a vacation" must have been prophetic of the many agonizing hours which would eventually characterize his life.

Having felt the stings of "man's inhumanity to man," Martin Luther King believed law would be his sphere for combatting injustices. The ministry as he saw it was not socially relevant; however, at Morehouse, in the brilliant Dr. Benjamin E. Mays, he saw the ideal of what he wanted a minister to be. In his junior year, he gave himself to the ministry.

At Crozer Theological Seminary in Chester, Pennsylvania, Martin Luther King was further stimulated but still his quest for a method to end social evil continued. Through courses at the University of Pennsylvania, deep, serious reading, and provocative lectures, he began to find answers which would crystallize his thinking and give him the philosophy by which he would "redeem the soul of America." Because of the color of his skin, his life was threatened at this institution. but with the aplomb that would be typical of his response to later threats, he disarmed his attacker.

He was the first Negro to be elected president of Crozer's student body, and this began what would become a series of firsts for this son whose roots were in slavery.

28

With a partially satisfied, but still fermenting mind, he matriculated at Boston University, at the time the center of personalism, the philosophical posture which he had adopted. Studying under two of the greatest exponents of his philosophy, Martin King was to find this theory an enormously sustaining force in the future.

In Boston, he met Coretta Scott, an equally concerned and talented New England Conservatory student from the South.

On June 18, 1953, at her Marion, Alabama home she became Mrs. Martin Luther King, Jr. She was later to realize her highest dreams, not in concertizing, but in singing the songs of freedom and being her husband's disciple from "Montgomery to Montgomery."

This happy marriage brought into life four children; Yolanda Denis, born November 17, 1955; Martin Luther III, born October 23, 1957; Dexter Scott, born January 30, 1961; and Bernice Albertine, born March 28, 1963.

The Ph.D. degree was awarded Martin Luther King in 1955, and again there was a great "wrestling inside." Sensitive to the needs of his native South, he decided to return to the land from whence he had sprung, and preach a "socially relevent and intellectually responsible" gospel. He accepted the "call" to Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama, and began his pastorate September 1, 1954.

The cradle of the Confederacy was a seething cauldron of racial injustice, and this grandson of a founder of the Atlanta Branch NAACP was asked to assume the presidency of the Montgomery Branch NAACP. Again the wrestle.

Finally, he answered negatively, but on December 1, 1955, the refusal of Mrs. Rosa Parks to give up her seat to a white man on a Montgomery bus made the young, erudite minister answer affirmatively when asked to chair the newly formed Montgomery Improvement Association.

Mrs. Parks' arrest for violation of the system of racial segregation set off a new American Revolution. Daring to do what was right, Ralph and Juanita Abernathy stood up with Martin and Coretta King when there were nothing but "valleys of dispair," and their loyalty has never known the midnight.

Now, the myriad religious and philosophical forces which had shaped his life would be put to the test and this selfless, compassionate man would "forget himself into immortality."

"Christian love can bring brotherhood on earth. There is an element of God in every man," said he after his home was bombed in Montgomery. This new attack on America's social system gave every day application to the teachings of Jesus, and captured the conscience of the world.

On April 4, 1968, an assassin took the earthly life of Martin Luther King, Jr. Profound, but unpretentious; gentle, but valiant; Baptist, but ecumenical; loving justice, but hating injustice; the deep roots of this Great Spirit resolved the agonizing wrestling and gave all mankind new hope for a bright tomorrow.

It is, now, for us, the living to dedicate and rededicate our lives to the Cause which Martin Luther King so nobly advanced.

He had a Dream.

MEMORIAL SERVICES AT NATIONAL HEADQUARTERS THETA A N D

XI

LAMBDA

CHAPTERS

OMEGA CHAPTER ROLL CALL OF DEPARTED BROTHERS WE SHALL OVERCOME Alexander, Alex G. Anderson, William E. Bacoats, John A. Bass, William Breaux, Inman A. Brooks, Charles W., I I Brown, Herman N. Cage, Joel C. Campbelle, William E. Carter, LeRoy Chappelle, LeRoy P. Chavis, Melvin Collins, Goler L. Dalton, J. Rufus Daniel, Robert P. Dibble, Eugene H. Dottin, Harold B, Downing, Louis K. DuBose, William Edmonds, Dar.iel W. Evans, Arthur P., Sr. Evans, Benjamin B. Ewery, James C. Foster, Albon L., Sr. Francis, Henry E. Ellis, Clarence, Jr. Freeman, George A. Hackney, Richard C. Hagins, William Hall, Wiley A. Hardy, Spencer T. Hardy, Leon W. Harrison. Josef P. Harvey, John A., Jr. Hughley, John W. Hughes, Julius H. Johnson, Theodore H.

We Shall Overcome, We Shall Overcome, We Shall Overcome, Someday (Chorus) Oh, Oh, Deep in my heart, I do believe We Shall Ovecome, Someday.

We are not afraid, We are not afraid, We are not afraid today (Chorus) We'll walk hand in hand, We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand, today (Chorus) Black and white together, Black and white together Black and white together, today (Chorus) The Truth shall make us free, Truth shall make us free Truth shall make us free, someday.

Oh, Oh, Deep in my heart, I do believe We Shall Overcome, Someday.

MEMORIAL SERVICES: Eighty-two (82) brothers were inducted into OMEGA CHAPTER in an impressive ceremony conducted by Brother Martin Harvey, Convention Chaplain. Words of tribute: "A Third Day Faith" were enunciated by Bro. Harvey. A tribute, at this point, was paid Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. by Brother J. Herbert King, Editor-in-chief of "The Sphinx," who also made a presentation of a portrait of our slain leader, Brother King, to the Fraternity.

Jones, Selle Chester King, Martin Luther, Jr. Lane, Peter J. Lawlah, Clyde A. Lovell, J. Barlow Lowe, W. Norfleet Mclver, Kenneth L. McCovery, Willie James McKissack, Calvin L. McMahon, Rollie C. Miles, Monroe B., Sr. Mobley, Clifton Montgomery, Daniel L. Patterson, Edward L., Sr. Randolph, John R. Schumake, Lawrence P. Simmonds, Harold R. Simonds, Ernest P. Thomas, Alfred E. Thompson, T. Roger Toole, Rhodes Herndon Tompkins, Irving E. Towles, Delbert Eugene Townes, Myron B. Turfley, Richard T. Veal, Timothy Romeo Veasley, Raymond L. Veney, Frank R. Washington, Ray Weathers, Frank A. White, J. Arnett Wilson, Clarence H. Wilson, LeRoy Williams, Alonzo B. Williams, Robert L. Woodson, George A. Young, Thomas W.

29

CONVENTION

HIGHLIGHTS...

KEYNOTE

ADDRESS

Keynote Address of Brother Sidney A Jones, Jr., Judge, Circuit Court of Cook County, at Alpha Phi Alpha General Convention — Detroit, 1968.

IS T H E FRATERNITY PRESENT AGE?

BRO.

S I D N E Y A. J O N E S , JR.

IS THE FRATERNITY • APPROPRIATE • RELEVANT TO THE

PRESENT AGE?

30

APPROPRIATE

OR

RELEVANT

— TO

THE

Now—more than ever—we need men dedicated to freedom, equality, excellence.

The Fraternity, through its traditions, principles and professed goals and programs, can be most relevant today if it will but live up to its highest objectives and ideals. We have such noble and marvelous examples of Brothers who have pioneered and achieved great things and have left us a rich legacy.

I recall to mind our beloved jewels, now represented by our lone surviving founder, the beloved and eminent physician, Brother Henry A. Callis. I think of W. E. B. Du Bois, the founder of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and the Crisis Magazine; Eugene Kinkle Jones, a jewel, and one of the founders and long-time Executive Director of the National Urban League; Charles H. Houston, Dean of the Howard University Law School, and the original and leading architect of all civil rights litigation and legal victories; Robert P. Daniel, Educator; Claude A. Barnett, founder of The Associated Negro Press; and Martin Luther King, Jr. We have living among us many brothers who have achieved great things and who serve as shining lights for us to follow. I will only mention a few: Thurgood Marshall, Justice of the United States Supreme Court; Edward W. Brooke, United States Senator from Massachusetts; Congressman William L. Dawson of Chicago; Robert Carter and Bel ford V. Lawson, leading lawyers; Horace Ward of Georgia; John Hope Franklin, head of the Department of History, University of Chicago; Charles H. Wesley, distinguished Historian and Educator; Whitney Young, Executive United Negro College Fund; and John H. Johnson, Editor of Ebony, Jet, and other Johnson publications, and one of the outstanding young men in American business and journalism; and thirty-seven College presidents, including James A. Colston, president of a college not predominately Negro, the Bronx City College of New York; Federal Judge Damon Keith of Detroit, and many other judges of courts in various states; and last, but by no means least, our illustrious General President —an educator, administrator, and one of the finest presidents ever to serve this Fraternity — Lionel H. Newsom.

Any one of these can serve as an example to emulate and as an ideal to follow.

The way has been outlined for us if we will only look!

We are all still saddened and grieved over the assassination of Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. He was the greatest man of our day. He was superbly prepared for leadership. He was one of the truly great minds of his time. He was a superb orator dedicated to the cause of complete freedom and equality. He was most unselfish. He had a matchless ability to win friends and influence people, and at the age of 39 he had achieved what no other single Negro-American had accomplished in a lifetime. He changed the face of the South and the nation in the field of civil rights and human freedom. Things have been realized during the last ten years in the South far beyond any of our dreams.

Atlanta, Georgia, is now one of the best integrated cities in the nation, whereas only a few years ago it was the most segregated and most racist. Martin Luther King, Jr., of course, did not do all this alone, He had the zealous support of many young college students over the land. He had the support of Alpha Phi Alpha — nationally — and through many chapters and individual Brothers all over the land. Our General President in 1955, Frank L. Stanley, supported him personally and through the Chapters throughout the Montgomery bus boycott, which was the beginning of Brother King's great civil rights crusade.

But now that he is gone, we must not let his dream die. More than ever

KEYNOTE ADDRESS . . . . Continued we need dedicated, concerned and committed men to carry on his philosophy, plans and programs. We are all the poorer because of his death, but we are all much richer for his having lived among us. We have his memory — his books — his recordings — his speeches. We must, by all means, carry on and make sure that his dreams for a better world — a world at peace — and a better America — an integrated America — a country of brotherhood, freedom and equality — is made a reality.

I need not tell you that there is need for our leadership. The problems are not nearly solved, but the way has been pointed out. Enormous problems now exist and imagination, dedication and concentration is issential in the fields of education — housing — economics and business — welfare — poverty — juvenile delinquency — political action — school dropouts — illegitimacy. These are areas of need which are crying for our attention. There is a greater need today for our go-to-high school — go-to-college program than when it was started more than 40 years ago. 11% of all persons in the United States, ages 18-21, are Negro, but Negroes comprise only 5% of all undergraduates, and 3% of all graduate students; 3% of all yearly college graduates are Negro. More than 60% of our youth drop out of high school before graduation. We must eliminate the cause and develop a cure for this malady. The number of Negro high school graduates who go to college is very small compared to the rest of the population. And when it comes to Negroes in medical — dental — law — engineering — theological — business administration — and other graduate schools, the small number percentage-wise is appalling. There are 170 Negro physicians in Chicago today — 30 years ago there were 240!

No newspaper stories or press notices will come from this Convention unless we do and say something important. The press and radio and TV are interested in news. If we merely come here and eat and drink and laugh and love and dance, and sing our songs, and slap one another on the back, and talk about how great we are — and how we are "first of all" . . . "the oldest Greek letter organization of our kind," etc., etc., etc., on ad infinitum, we will dismally fail to live up to the challenge and needs of today.

We will fail to keep faith with the noble army of Brothers who have gone on before us — and who have now taken their places in the silent halls of death.

We will not be true to the large number of our present day leaders above-mentioned, who are striving for a better world, if we make small plans and do trivial and petty things here.

Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, in order to be effective, potent, and meaningful in this day, must be concerned with, and take a definite, positive and aggressive position, backed by real action, on the great burning issues and problems of the times. We desire more action of a social, civic, and humanitarian program from our Chapters and Brothers. I submit the following message and resolution for possible action by this Convention: 1. We regret, we deplore the horrible, costly, cruel, and needless war in Viet Nam, and urge that every possible action be taken by our Government to bring it to a speedy conclusion. 25,000 U.S. boys have died in the war; over 100,000 have been wounded; hundreds of thousands of Viet Namese killed and wounded.

2. We deplore the expenditure of billions of dollars annually — 80% of our national budget, for war — past, present and future. We spend $75 billion per year on war — $2 billion on war on poverty — $5 billion on all welfare in all United States — State and Federal.

3. We believe that the existing large scale poverty in this country, in the midst of the greatest wealth and riches of the world, is cruel, unjust and unnecessary.

We commend the poverty march to Washington sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, and urge a continual exposure of the horrors of poverty and demand Congressoinal action to alleviate the suffering of millions of unfortunate citizens who are still ill-clad, ill-housed, ill-fed and ill-educated.

4. We must support every effort, including the work of all organizations dealing with job discrimination, and economic discrimination, to eliminate inequality in job opportunities based on race.

31

KEYNOTE ADDRESS . . Continued 5. We declare that Negro children drop out of school in much larger proportion to the rest of the population because of inferior education which begins at the first grade, or even in kindergarten, and continues through the elementary and high school. "Death at an early age" is the fate of most black children in ghetto schools—psychological, mental, and spiritual death.

6. We demand that our national officers and local chapters encourage political action and participation in elections by all. It is still true, "A voteless people is a hopeless people."

7. We oppose and condemn all housing and residential discrimination and segregation, and demand open occupancy in every city and state. "The Alpha Gardens" housing development in St. Louis, Mo. consisting of 145 units is the type of action we want.

8. We urge a careful study and survey of public welfare programs in every state to the end that needy people receive adequate food, clothing and shelter, and that every step be taken to eliminate the causes of poverty and need for welfare, and further, that every effort be made to prevent welfare from becoming a permanent way of life for present recipients.

9. Illegitimacy and unwed mothers must be considered as a serious problem of people in need of material, emotional, spiritual, and moral support. We must be concerned with the efforts to curb and prevent illegitimacy by counseling, birth control information and clinics, planned parenthood education, and other measures. Putting a "Scarlet Letter" on an unwed mother will not solve her problem and needs, nor those of her children.

10. Alpha Phi Alpha, Nationally, and each local chapter, must strive to understand the causes of juvenile delinquency, and seek ways to control, combat and eliminate it.

MORE SPEAKERS

BROTHER GRANVILLE SAWYER, President of Texas Southern University

11. Segregated, inferior, ghetto education must be fought by every Chapter and every Brother in every community throughout the United States.

We hardly need any more congressional acts or Supreme Court decisions in our civil rights struggle. The "Warren Court" of the past 15 years has eloquently proclaimed principles of freedom and equality and justice in cases involving individual human rights due process of law, education, housing, public accommodations, such as restaurants, parks, golf courses, hotels, bus and other transportation and even in the field of marriage relations. Congress, during the past ten years, has enacted many civil rights laws guaranteeing equality and non-discrimination in voting, registration, employment, education, housing and public accommodations. The pleas and demands of the poor people who marched to Washington and built Resurrection City must now be heeded by Congress. The problem is not that America does not have the wealth to eliminate poverty—America does not have the will to distribute the wealth more fairly. We could end poverty if we wanted to. There are 10 million hungry people in America.

What we need now is a positive program of enforcement and implementation of these landmark decisions of the Supreme Court and these remedial acts of Congress.

There is a great need for trained men in every area of activity—unlimited opportunities are open to those prepared to take advantage of them. There is a great and urgent and immediate need for doctors — ministers — dentists — business administrators — lawyers — teachers — writers — builders — scientists — mechanics — skilled craftsmen in the buildingtrades — and other fields. There are splendid opportunities in literature, drama and the theatre. We have failed to write the real histories and novels of our own people. We get angry because a white man writes a best seller-novel about Nat Turner and childishly cry that a white man has no right to steal our material. Where have all our writers been for the past one-hundred years? What about all our English teachers and Ph.D.'s, M.A.'s, and Majors in English? If we do not make use of the opportunities to write the great books and songs and histories and plays and novels and poems of and about our people from the material and lives and struggles and experiences of our people — others will.

We need committed, dedicated, trained, unselfish, sincere and courageous leaders like Martin Luther King, Jr. Brothers, we are keepers of the f l a m e . . . let us not be killers of the dream!

32

'The

Undergraduate"

BROTHER EDWIN C. PATTON

The Hospitality of the Motor City... Detroit TT'n

Mrs. I. J. Lamothe enjoying the style show with

Brothers Sidney A. Jones, Jr. and Ramon Scruggs their party. . . .

WELCOME TO DETROIT . . . .

Honorable Jerome P. Cavanagh, Mayor of Detroit â&#x20AC;&#x201D; "Alpha Phi Alpha traditionally has been a gathering of leaders. This quality of leadership was exemplified by the late Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr."

friends.

enjoyed

the lighter

moments

with

General President Lionel H. Newson and the first lady of Alpha Phi Alpha.

33

BANQUET SPEAKER

GENERAL PRESIDENT ELECT

RESOLUTIONS

:

-

â&#x20AC;&#x201D; .

. . M

.

General President Elect Ernest N. Morial delivered his acceptance address with a challenge to accelerate the fight for rights.

Brother

Ramon S. Scruggs

Brother Clifford

Brother John D. Buckner addresses the life members at The Third Annual Breakfast.

There are 527 life

Webb

members.

Candidates all (Left to right) Brother Elmer C. Collins, Cleveland, Ohio Brother Leroy Patrick,

Pittsburgh,

Brother Frank Ellis, Baltimore,

Pennsylvania

Maryland

Brother Ernest N. Morial, New Orleans, For General President . . .

34

Louisiana

•

•

•

Alpha Award of Merit

Alpha Award of Merit presented to Brother Wyatt T. Walker by Brother W. Decker Clarke, Eastern Vice President.

Brother William Alexander and Mrs. Anna C. Gross are the happy recipients shown above.

Outstanding Graduate Chapter Oklahoma City.

Award — BETA ETA LAMBDA,

Alpha Award of Honor, Brother Henry G. Parks, Jr. — Outstanding Undergraduate Award, Alpha Rho Chapter, Morehouse College Distinguished Service Award to Brother John D. Buckner.

Brothers Frankie Dee and Edward Jones are congratulated Miss Joyce Johnson of Flint, Michigan.

by

35

THE UNDERGRADUATE S E M I N A R

Brothers

Patton, Davidson

Brother Sylvester Shannon (Maj. Irving Butler and others listened.

USA)

and their undergraduate

talked

while

brothers were quite active throughout

Brother

the

convention.

Alpha Angels at the Bait a Date, Bob Davis, Carol Berkley, Lee Owens III, Teresa Careathers, Larry Poole and Joe Harrington.

1

•A \

-^^^B

•4. • M

•4. m

i£L

•

PV MHBT^% ill

Distinguished Service Award. Brother Dick Davidson of Northern Michigan congratulates Brother Atwater.

36

B

fl

IL rH

•1

NAACP Distinguished Appreciation Award presented George M. Daniels, former editor of The Sphinx.

^H to Brother

NEWLY ELECTED OFFICERS

Newly elected audience.

officers

received

their

Oath of Office from Brother Charles H. Wesley, under the attentive eyes of an

Brother Charles H. Wesley congratulates Morial, General President Elect.

Brother

Ernest

appreciative

N. After the Ball is over .

37

CONVENTION

HIGHLIGHTS...

The Alpha ladies enjoyed a most delicious

luncheon

Style Show

Ask Mrs. Joseph Miller. "Two is a couple.

Continental Breakfast every morning.

Hour

Three is just

Brother

Collins

fine."

enjoys

it

^BgmmiL

Brothers Frankie A. Dee, Harry Thompson, and William Alexander chat with Frankie A. Dee's sister, Mrs. Metoyer.

38

Charleston?

No! Boogaloo?

Maybe!

CONVENTION

HIGHLIGHTS...

. •• t

J**.-

• .«*.

&

S ^ *':'?

I Dance, Dance, Dance

Happiness for Alphas is a "thing" Mrs. Arthur Thompson.

called Happy Ladies

To sip or not to sip — and — they sipped! Mrs. Erman Fisher.

Brother C. F. Williams, former Assistant Executive Secretary congratulates Brother J. Herbert King, Editor In Chief of the Sphinx. Brothers Patrick and Collins are shown in the background.

39

MORE

HIGHLIGHTS BROTHERS ALL

EARLY IN THE MORNING

Mrs. Shirley Evans of National breakfast hour (extreme right).

Headquarters'

staff

hosted

a

The Chapman Brothers and the General President

L. to R. seated Mesdames Wayman Smith, E. C. Collins, Henry Crawford, Melvin Walker, V. M. Herron; Standing â&#x20AC;&#x201D; Wayman Smith, Al Collins, Chas. Nunn, Mrs. Chas. Nunn, Melvin Walker, Rev. V. M. Herron.

Miss Dorothy Braxton seems not too amused when her escort, Brother Lonnie Merritt planted a kiss on the cheek of Mrs. James A. Dunn, whose husband designed the Alpha shield.

40

There were doctors in the house . . . . Dr. and Mrs. William Ezell.

MORE

HIGHLIGHTS

Ladies, Ladies, Ladies — Did they have fun ! !

Card Party — too

Mrs. Wilbur Brewer and party were at the card party.

2* to 9 Mrs. Laurence T. Young and friends . . • enjoyed the evening.

What did she say? That's Mrs. Clarence

Pennington.

STYLE SHOW . . . . Take it off!

41

J

MORE

HIGHLIGHTS

THE STYLE SHOW

From Gary to Detroit . . . .

Fun!

WALK, WALK

Talk, Talk . . . .

WALK! 42

The Card Party

Girl talk . . . I The Style Show

STATEMENT

ON

Alpha Phi Alpha has been a black power through the years. Our ritual emphasized Black Africa; our leadership and membership were composed of descendents of Africa; and we represented a black leadership in our communities.

We still emphasize the priority of black leadership.

Black power is a proper and necessary objective in that it means acquiring economic power, influence and involvement in American communities by its residents; employment in all occupations at all levels; full participation in the political life of the community at every level, in every political subdivision, in all government agenciesâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;city councils, county boards, state legislatures, school boards and commissions.

For Alpha Phi Alpha Black Power does not mean revolution by violence, nor the destruction of property, or the creation of a separate racist society, or a separate black economy within the American industrial system. Rather, it means the exercise of legitimate means to obtain control over the destiny of the black community by black people must be our utmost concern. It will come only through our organized and concerted efforts. It requires the involvement of every Alpha brother, every chapter, and the national organization.

Alpha Phi Alpha applauds the work of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders in identifying the basic causes of social unrest, racial tensions and violence. We strongly urge the immediate implementation of the Commission's recommendations to reverse the trend toward a separatist society, and to assure the maintenance of a healthy, powerful and orderly society with the full participation of all people.

Alpha Phi Alpha rejects violence and destruction as a means of securing power and control. Even more strongly we condemn those who permit the conditions to persist that give rise to violence. For many violence appears to be the only means by which they can achieve control when their every effort to pursue valid objectives has been frustrated by an apparently uncaring power structure.

We support legislation which has as its purpose the maintenance of law and order, and the protection of all citizens. At the same time, we insist that all laws be applied justly and impartially, and without retribution. There is a strong feeling, apparently justified, that the present rash of legislation to maintain law and order is a reaction to the civil disorders, and a pretense so that the conditions which gave rise to civil disorder may remain undisturbed. We can no longer tolerate these conditions. While we support law and order it must be with the guarantee that Negroes will have protection from the law as well as protection of the law.

Social justice is a prerequisite to social order in a democratic society.

We deplore and deeply regret the costly and cruel war in Viet Nam, and we urge that our government take every possible action to bring it to a speedy conclusion. Already the war has cost us more than 25,000 dead, 100,000 wounded, and billions of dollars drained off from our economy. The war is particularly grievious when we view the higher priority persistently assigned to the conflict instead of to poverty, education, urban decay, and the useful development of human resources.

We believe that the existing large scale poverty in America,

PUBLIC

POLICY

the wealthiest nation in the world, is cruel, unjust, and unnecessary. We commend the Poor Peoples March on Washington, sponsored by the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, which dramatically exposed the horrors of poverty in our nation. It is esitmated that more than 35 million people in the United States are poor. Fourteen million of these are Negroes. We demand congressional action to alleviate the suffering of these millions of unfortunate citizens who are ill-clad, under-fed, poorly housed, and poorly educated. There can be no legitimate excuse for the persistence of these conditions in a society which can spend more than seventy per cent of the national budget for defense.

We urge a complete change in our welfare system. The system must be one which guarantees aid that is adequate to the needs of the people, and one in which the dignity of people can be maintained. We must establish a system where every man who is able will have the opportunity to earn a decent living so that welfare will not become a way of life from one generation to another, a system where people who are unable to work, for whatever reason, will be guaranteed an annual income. We urge that the federal government administer welfare programs in those states where local officials impose artificial criteria for qualification condemning innocent children to grow up in poverty and deprivation.

We urge the expansion of the program of on-the-job training and retraining so that those who are unemployed because of lack of skills or the possession of skills which are no longer useful, will have an opportunity to acquire new skills and continue to be economically self-supporting and economically productive. We urge the cooperation between government and industry to assure full employment. We urge the federal government to put into practice the program it has suggested private industry to adopt, namely, entry into employment with full civil service status on the basis of performance on the job rather than on the basis of examination scores. This is a compensatory measure designed to help the disadvantaged.

We strongly urge a critical look at our public educational system, especially in our large cities. Practically every school in the ghetto, where such a large proportion of our children attend, are over-crowded, operate on split shifts; the buildings are dilapidated, and the curricula are less than relevant to the demands which are being made on our children as they seek employment. Black history, taught to all children, should be an integral part of public school curricula. These conditions grow worse. Dropout rates increase; in some instances they are more than fifty per cent of the enrollment at the high school level. Although Negroes constitute the majority enrollment in many of our urban schools, a majority that reaches as much as ninety per cent, not a single large urban public school system has a Negro superintendent. In only one large school system was a Negro even considered for the position. The federal government, through the appropriate agencies should insist that the present racial imbalance in the schools, North and South, should be removed. The school situation has reached crisis proportions. It requires immediate intelligent action that will reduce dropouts and provide the highest quality of education, vocational and academic, for all children.

(Continued on page 44) 43

STATEMENT OF PUBLIC POLICY . . . Continued We support the efforts of public spirited citizens and institutions to increase black entrepreneurship in the black community. At the same time we do not suggest withdrawal from full participation in our economic mainstream. We still demand that black people be employed as executives, with the full power and authority of the office, in industrial and commercial corporations. However, we should be mindful of a new kind of exploitation. It is now fashionable, and good business, to be black, and for whites to invest, again, in the businesses of the black community. We should be on guard against this new type of exploitation which drains Negro intelligence and know-how to the greater advantage of the white invester. We must demand that Negro entrepreneurs be assisted by larger businesses and not swallowed up by them. The agreements must assure Negroes equality of status in the enterprise.

We urge that the open housing legislation enacted by the 90th Congress be strictly enforced to relieve congestion in the Negro community. We further urge the removal of every vestige of discrimination in employment and other areas of American life.

Alpha Phi Alpha is well aware, and quite concerned over, the "Black Revolution." We realize that the contemporary use of the words "Black People," and Afro-American" is the healthy outcome of a new awareness of our history, dignity, culture, and ability to define ourselves as we should.

We are determined to demand the benefit of our cultural background (history), consumer, political and economic power.

To all brothers who are actively participating in organizations, the design of which is to bring about constructive freedom of Black People, we commend you. Whether your struggle be to liberate the minds of young or old, black or white people, from the shackles that racism places on the minds of the oppressed as well as the oppressor, or if your struggle is to relieve the physical inadequacies of hunger, disease, unemployment, nakedness, or violence cast upon Black People. Let it always be known that Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. feels that your struggle is our struggle. The same commitment that binds you to the principles of Alpha Phi Alpha surely must bind you and every Brother of our Fraternity to the realization that freedom can only be obtained by our financial and physical participation in the struggle cf Black People.

Respectfully submitted, Clifton R. Jones, Chairman Ronald Bailey Elmer C. Collins Frank J. Ellis William H. Hale William J. Harvey, IV Charles M. Johnson Sidney A. Jones, Jr. Belford V. Lawson. Jr. Leroy Patrick Lloyd A. Sanders A. Maceo Smith Clifford S. Webb Charles H. Wesley 44

ALPHA

ON THE MOVE!

Bro. Martin O. Chapman has joined the staff of the personnel department of The Firestone Tire & Rubber Company as college relations manager, it was announced by J. S. Heuss, director of personnel.

A leader in civic and community affairs, Chapman has been a teacher in the Akron Public Schools the past 21 years and most recently served as principal of Crouse Elementary School.

In this newly created position at Firestone, Chapman will b^ responsible for coordinating all activities relating to the company's college recruiting program.

In addition, he will assist in the administration of the Firestone Scholarship Program, which each year awards college scholarships to sons and daughters of Firestone employees.

During the summers of 1964-66 Chapman was employed on production in Firestone tire plants in Akron and last summer served as staff assistant to Heuss in areas of personnel administration.

He is a member of the board of directors and Alumni Council of the University of Akron, the Northeast, Ohio Teachers Association, the Ohio Education Asociation, Phi Delta Kappa Fraternity, Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity and the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People.

He also is a member of the executive board of the Akron Area Council of the Boy Scouts of America, the Young Men's Christian Association, the Area Progress Board and the Akron Community Service Center and Urban League.

Frat Fun.. with winters DR. O. WILSON WINTERS, Editor

NEXT ISSUE • STUDENT CONFRONTATION HIGH SCHOOL COLLEGE • AFRICA

THIS WAS 20 YEARS AGO . . . . SPECIAL REQUEST! A SOLILOQUY OF CONVENTION ECHOES I have no illusions about any monopoly on humor. One smart brother said the evolution of the Alpha secretarial files was interesting. He said an official once charged a former secretary of keeping the files in his cellar, another official asserted that the recent secretary kept the files in his attic. But the smart brother said after the election of a new general secretary: "Well the Alpha files have traveled from cellar to attic but since the new secretary has a trailer, I guess the Alpha files will now be located in the trailer . . . cellar to attic to curb-stone."

It is not difficult to remember the convention even though several weeks have passed. One day during some unusually routine, hum drum proceedings, I was seated on the platform in my role as parliamentarian. No arguments ensued, no demands arose for constitutional or parliamentary interpretation, so I amused myself staging a Bald Head Contest.

In the audience were many unwitting contestants of varying percentages of hirsute sparsity. There was Jewel Kelly, Brothers Henry Crawford. Brodhead, Lovelace, McCaleb, Beatty, Peck, Custis, Jerrick, Tom Perkins, C. L. James, General Counsel Lane, Tom Young and Rev. Brother Stalnaker. My attention was called back to the proceedings but not before I had decided that Brother Lane had the highest polished pate.

Many highlighted moments of humor occurred I remember that one brother complained during the taking of the official photograph that his neighbor was standing in a position that would cause his face to be shaded in the finished picture. Puckish Brother Buckner said: "Don't worry about shading his face, nature has already beaten you to it."

'Twas at the recessed session when Supreme Basileus Soror Edna Over Gray was addressing us, and Brother Nat. Johnson, coatless, in khaki shirt sleeves, arose to ask a question. In righteous indignation, Brother Henry Dickason shouted at him in characteristic pedagogical fashion: "Young man, fasten, fasten, fasten your— er—shirt collar before you address this lady, our honored guest." And we all breathed easier as Johnson, apologetically, buttoned his shirt up to the neck.

Brother Thomas Young of the Norfolk Journal and Guide newspaper publication and President of the National Publishers Association gave us a fraternal address that would have graced even the Halls of Congress. He labelled it Bread and Butter Philosophy but kept us in a realm of speculative humor when in his introductory remarks he told us he strained his back just before leaving home.

I wonder how many of my column readers have attended an Alpha Convention.

I wonder how many have seen Rex Ingram play Genie in the picture "Sinbad The Sailor." Well, when decorum reached a record low, Brother Atwater had Brother J.M. Granberry appointed assistant Sergeant-at-Arms. You don't know Brother Granberry? Did you see the giant Genie in the movie? If so, you've seen Granberry or at least you saw how he must have appeared to the fractious delegates. Immediate order obtained. Once a general officer arose to speak belatedly on ^a subject. Brother prexy Lawson said: "The case is closed, you're out of order." Brother X said: "But I think—" Brother Granberry sternly glowered and said: "Sit down, didn't you hear him say, you're out of order?'" Brother X grinned and meekly s-a-t d-o-w-n. (Name supplied upon request.)

Mother of us all • THE GHETTO And Open Society • CHAPTER ACTIVITIES Gamma Lambda Youth Program Alpha Upsilon Project • ALPHA MEN On the move • ALPHA PHI ALPHA Housing Program

SEND COPIES OF MARTIN LUTHER KING, JR. MEMORIAL ISSUE of SPHINX TO STUDENTS AND FRIENDS Send $1.00 plus 25c Postage Editor-in-Chief Sphinx Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity 4728 DREXEL BLVD. Chicago, III. 60615

EDITOR'S NOTE: Bro. Winters on Candid Camera! Herb.

Send copy for December . . . Smile, you're 45

ALPHA WORKSHOP Laurence T. Young, General Secretary THE GENERAL CONVENTION: The 62nd Anniversary Convention adjourned August 8th in Detroit, Michigan proved to be the greatest, and what a glorious Convention it was. Hundreds of brothers and their families, assembled from all parts of the Country to attend, witness, share-in, and participate in the largest and most successful General Convention in the annals of the Fraternity.

This is the second General Convention completely directed by the General Organization, in this case with the assistance of the two local chapters, —Alpha Upsilon and Gamma Lambda. Congratulations are extended to that team, Brothers Hurse Weiss, of the local Committee, and to Brother Kermit J. Hall, General Convention Director for excellence in performance.

VITAL STATISTICS: Past General Presidents in attendance numbered five: Brothers William H. Hale, Belford V. Lawson, Jr., A. Maceo Smith, Frank L. Stanley, and Charles H. Wesley.

Delegate Strength: Graduate 265 Undergraduate 58 Chapters Represented: Graduate 92 Undergraduate 25 Registered Brothers 782 Alpha Wives 418 Alpha Children 250 Total Official Registration

1,450

CONVENTION SPEAKERS: Brother Granville Sawyer, President of Texas Southern University delivered the Fraternal Address; Brother Sidney A. Jones, Jr., Judge of the Circuit Court, Cook County, Illinois, delivered the Key Note Address; Brother Percival R. Piper delivered the Founders' Address and Brother Ramon S. Scruggs was the Banquet speaker. All did excellent jobs.

PUBLIC MEETING: The General Convention was geared as a memorial to our brother transferred to Omega Chapter in April, 1968 — Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. The Public meeting was held at St. John's Presbyterian Church on Sunday, August 4th, with Brother Wyatt Tee Walker the principal speaker.

AWARDS AND ACHIEVEMENTS: Brother Arnold W. Wright, Chairman of the Committee on Awards and Achievements, announced and presented the following at the Banquet: ALPHA AWARD OF HONOR Brother Henry G. Parks, Jr. ALPHA AWARD OF MERIT Brother Wyatt Tee Walker OUTSTANDING GRADUATE CHAPTER . . Beta Eta Lambda, Okla. City, Okla.

OUTSTANDING UNDERGRADUATE CHAPTER Alpha Rho — Morehouse College — Atlanta AWARDS for long service to the Fraternity with distinction: Brother William M. Alexander — Housing Brother Fred D. Atwater — Sergeant at arms Brother Frank A. Dee — Sergeant at arms Brother John D. Buckner — Internal Structure Committee Brother Kermit J. Hall — General Convention Chairman Brother Laurence T. Young — Executive Secretary CITATION TO: Mrs. Anna Gross,— for serving Gamma Lambda Chapter, Detroit, Mich, as House Mother ror thirty (30) years.

46

F U T U R E GENERAL CONVENTIONS: The 63rd ANNIVERSARY CONVENTION of ALPHA PHI ALPHA FRATERNITY, will be held in Houston, Texas, the first week in August of 1969. The site for the 1970 Convention is Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; site for the 1971 Convention is Milwaukee, Wisconsin; site for 1972 Convention will be in Denver, Colorado and the 1973 Convention will be held in New Orleans, Louisiana.

RESOLUTIONS: Many resolutions were adopted and expressions of appreciation extended to those responsible for many courtesies during the Convention with emphasis on an expression to Bro. Howard H. McNeill for hosting an informal reception at his home in Bloomfield Hills; the Alpha Wives—for their Card Party and Fashion Show at the Latin Quarters; the Continental Baking Company for the coffee hours; the Coca Cola Company for a reception; the Ford Motor Company for a plant tour, the Hiram Walker Company for a Canadian Tour; the Rums of Puerto Rico for the Derby Daiquiri Party; the Anheuser Busch Brewery for a social hour and other courtesies; the Pepsi Cola Bottling Company for refreshments continually during the Convention; the R. J. Reynolds Tobacco Company for favors and the Stroh Brewery Company for contributions and courtesies in relation to the Golf Tournament. One of the most significant resolutions adopted was one presented to the effect that a committee be appointed to consider the creation of a permanent memorial to Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. appropriate as to location and design and in keeping with his illustrious career.

AVAILABLE: The General Office has a supply of A P A Medallions for sale at $2.50 each. Also we have a supply of License tags with our symbol emblazoned thereon at $1.25 each; Automobile decals at three (3) for $1.00; the codified Constitution at 50^ per copy and a supply of the 50th Anniversary Sphinx Jubilee Record at $2.00. A new Sphinx Manual and Guide as adopted at this Convention will be published and ready for distribution in December, 1968 at the cost of $1.00 per copy.

GRAND TAX — 1969: Brothers, it is that time again. After August 31st, pass cards are issued for the in-coming year. We must have 10,000 actives in 1969. 1969 PASS CARD DEADLINE — NOVEMBER 15, 1968!

EASTERN

REGION

A POSITION PAPER

ALPHA IOTA LAMBDA HONORS MRS. E. L. JAMES, SR.

The Eastern Region in Convention at Wilmington, Delaware on 5-7 April 1968, its Officers and Members, keynoted and debated the many issues related to the present struggles of the Black People of America, and hereby enumerates the unanimous positions assumed by the Eastern Region and submits them for adoption by this General Convention as the position of Alpha Phi Alpha and to be mandated for implementation throughout the Fraternity: I. "BLACK POWER" — Its Meaning and Definition Alpha Phi Alpha concerned about the many and varied interpretations, meanings and implications placed on the term "Black Power," endorses that part of the concept: "Black People of America are absolutely DETERMINED to establish unequivocally the human dignity, respect, honor, prerequisites and rights of Black People of America as fully equal members of the American society,—by the use of any and all means—, —and do determine this as being the Age of Black Determination rather than the Age of Black Power."

II. "GREEN POWER"—Alpha Involvement 15,000,000 Negroes, 70% of the American black population, is trapped in the inner-city ghetto and possess a deeply entrenched position in our affluent American society, and since the ghetto itself is a major factor in the cause of human unrest, the challenge then is that Alpha Phi Alpha join hands with American Businessmen to bring these 15 million Negroes fully into the mainstream of the economic, educational, social and cultural life of our country; the Green Power of American businessmen can eradicate and rebuild the ghetto area; Alpha Phi Alpha will: — 1) Urge for passage of legislation providing for guaranteed minimum family income in compliance with recommendations contained in the report of the National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders.

2) Develop and promote Self-Help type programs on a National basis similar to Philadelphia's Black Coalition and The Green Power Foundation of Los Angeles.

3) Urge for enforcement of Executive Order #11246, by the Office of Federal Contract Compliance, which prohibits job discrimination by Federal contractors.

III. INTERSTATE TEACHER CERTIFICATION Alpha Phi Alpha recognizes the in-depth benefits realized as a result of the free-flow of education, and also that the professional development of teachers and other educational personnel should not be subjected to the limiting effect of state boundaries, urges for the passage of state legislation which would provide for Interstate Certification of these personnel. All chapters within a given state must urge the Governor to promote passage of appropriate state legislation.

Alpha Iota Lambda Chapter of Charleston - Institute, West Virginia together with Alpha Zeta of West Virginia State College held its annual Program at First Baptist Chuch, Charleston, where Brother Moses Newsome is the pastor.

On this occasion, a plaque was presented posthumously to the late Brother E. L. James, Sr. for his outstanding service to Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity. Brother James was killed in an automobile accident in 1967. The chapter had planned to honor Brother James before his untimely death and he had modestly, though reluctantly, agreed to accept it.

His beloved wife, Mrs. Stella James accepted the plaque from Brother Benjamin Garrett, president of Alpha Iota Lambda.

Mrs. E.L. James, Sr. was also honored as Mother of the Year on the same program and was presented a bouquet of roses by her son, Brother Charles H. James. Mrs. James is the mother of seven children. All three sons, Edward, Charles and Daniel are active members of Alpha Phi Alpha fraternity.

IV. NEGRO HISTORY —BLACK CULTURE Based on the fact that the inclusion of Negro History in the curriculum at all levels of education in America is vital to the achievement of an educational system capable of satisfying the Social and Cultural needs of the American society; and Given the proposition that appreciation of Black Culture

by Whites and Blacks alike will contribute to the improvement of the entire racial climate; It is recommended that Alpha Phi Alpha indorse those organizations established by Black People on college and University campuses, in High Schools and the community, which encourage participation of all students, whose objectives are the appreciation of Black Pride and the promotion of Racial Understanding.

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THE GHEDIPLAN: Guaranteed Markets and Capital IN THE GHETTO

By Dunbar S. McLaurin The problems of the ghettos are almost parallel to those of an underdeveloped nation, and the approach to them should be the same.

After twenty years of work as a black developmental economist working in the underdeveloped nations of the world, I view the problem as one not merely of developing black entrepreneurs or black businesses but of developing black economies.

The weakness in most ghetto economic development plans is that they do not view the ghetto as an entirety. They are basically piecemeal, sociological and cosmetic. None comes to grips with the immediate economic necessities: (1) transferring ownership from absentee owners to local minority owners in an orderly fashion; (2) diversifying, strengthening and expanding the economic base so that the community can compete in the wider economic mainstream; or (3) increasing the "Ghetto National Product" by increasing the number of ghettoowned industries that produce, as opposed to present business that merely distribute "foreign" goods and services.

Several false assumptions underly the inadequate plans that have been developed. One such assumption, that only research is needed to develop ghetto businesses, has resulted in a rash of "plans" which, when distilled, provide for nothing more than the collection of data about ghetto businesses. Research is needed, but a study or a diagnostic survey does not produce economic development.

48

Another false assumption, that high unemployment is the real economic problem of the ghetto, is based on the belief that if more people worked, there would be more consumers, and the ghetto businesses would flourish. This overlooks the fact that ghetto businesses are rarely owned by ghetto residents.

Nevertheless, we have seen another rash to "development plans" that are nothing more than programs to train, retrain and break down employment barriers.

part of a fluid and mobile economy in which he can move upward and outward in response to the interactions of the free-enterprise system and according to his own entrepreneurial ability.

He has a heritage of business tradition and of easy availability of capital and know-how unknown to the ghetto.

Growth is a natural consequence of this heritage; it is expected of the white businessman. And the rules of the game are designed for and by him.

A plan to develop the ghetto economically must look beyond mere full employment. The goal must be full selfemployment. The Negro had full employment on the plantation; it insured only the economic growth of the white owner. Today the Negro remains a straight man for the flow of money through him back to the white community. The minority business community must be helped to diversify and develop its capacity to own and control the economic mechanisms. It must find the way to retain the money once it is earned and to circulate the money within the ghetto community.

The ghetto businessman has no such advantages and no such opportunities.

He operates within the high-walled framework of a closed economy. His access of the outer and larger business and industrial world is as non-existent as if he were in a remote, underdeveloped country.

Two other false assumptions constitute perhaps the oldest and most traditional approach to ghetto development: First, provide the ghetto businessman with long-term, low-interest capital and, second, provide management training and guidance about bookkeeping, inventory control, purchasing, store layout, etc., and, together, you have a surefire solution to the problem.

If every minority businessman were thoroughly trained in bookkeeping, inventory control, layout, etc., and if each were given a small loan, the economy of the ghetto would hardly move upward an inch. The result would be a community of clean, neat, tidy â&#x20AC;&#x201D; but still marginal â&#x20AC;&#x201D; shopkeepers with a minimum economic output.

This approach to minority economic development has failed, largely because it itself is based on yet another false assumption: that the minority businessmen have the same problems as their white counterparts and that remedies and legislation designed for the white community can be applied intact to the ghetto small-business community.

The small businessman in the white community operates within a framework of mutually supporting larger businesses and industry. Unlike the ghetto businessman, he is an integral

Therein lies the challenge. As long as plans for the economic development of the ghettos are based on false assumptions, they will continue to fall far short of what is necessary.

When the ghetto is viewed as an underdeveloped nation, an entirely different perspective of the problem is gained. When the United States helps underdeveloped nations, it concentrates on extending the free-enterprise system. The U.S. wants these nations to have a favorable balance of trade and applies hard and soft money theories in lending money at fair interest rates.

The goal is to create businesses and industries that will use local resources most productively. A central banking system, insurance networks and other instruments of capital accumulation are established. Favorable tariff rates are set so they can trade with us, and production machinery as well as consumer items are sold.

The aim is to establish a balanced, diversified and self-supporting economy that will generate capital and support a stable, friendly society.

The parallel lesson for the distressed cities is that the ghettos are indeed impacted underdeveloped "nations." As long as their economies are unproductive, unstable and unable to support their inhabitants in dignity, they, too, will breed riots and upheavals. To eliminate our Watts, Newarks and Detroits, the cities' underdeveloped ghetto-nations must be given the economic tools with which to build stable, sound economies.

(Continued Next Issue)

LIFE M E M B E R S H I P . . . N A A C P

Brother W. Decker Clarke receives NAACP

LIFE

MEMBERSHIP

plaque.

DIVISION

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION FOR THE ADVANCEMENT OF COLORED PEOPLE 1790 BROADWAY . NEW YORK, N. Y. 10019 August 5, 1968 TO:

Dr. Lionel H. Nowsom, General President, Laurence T. Young, General Secretary, Officers, Members and Friends of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc., 62nd General Convention, Statler-Hilton Hotel, Detroit, Michigan, August 5-9, 1968

Dear Friends: Greetings from the entire nationwide family of the NAACF. We applaud you on your 62nd General Convention. We are pleased that we have merited your support in the past and it is our sincere hope that your support will not only continue but will actually increase in the critical days ahead.

The NAACP has been As the nation's oldest, have devoted-our entire equality of opportunity

on the front line in Civil Rights for more than 59 years. largest and most effective Civil Rights organization,-we nationwide resources to the creation of an America where is real and meaningful for all citizens.

Our goal has been through the years, integrationâ&#x20AC;&#x201D; integration in every area of our national life. We have pioneered in the fight to free Negroes from the disabilities and restrictions of racism â&#x20AC;&#x201D; a racism that still inflicts much of our local and national life.

The NAACP will continue to guard and guarantee the right to vote without fear; to work at your highest skill; to live in the home you can afford; to travel without the humiliation of Jim Crow; to have your children educated in the best schools, without segregation.

These are but a few of the wide range of activities carried out by more than 1,700 units of the NAACP in 50 states of the nation. Further, the NAACP is actively in many parts of ths south feeding the hungry; providing clothes and shelter to many in dire need.

Yet assuredly it must be recognized that the fight for freedom is far from won. Work has to continue in all fields of endeavors to combat the fundamental evil, described in the epoch making report of the National Advisory commission on Civil Disorders, as "White Racism."

With your help and support we will accelerate our efforts until every vestige of racial bigotry and segregation is eliminated from American life.

Sincerely yours,

Roy Wllkins Executive Director, NAACF

Sammy Davis, J r . , ChairmS National Life Membership Conmittee

A LETTER TO THE EDITOR Dear Brother King, Please forgive my delay in corresponding with you. Again I congratulate you on your election to the office of Editor of The SPHINX. Now I shall get down to business. In matters concerning civil rights, Black Power, civil disobedience, politics, etc., published in the Sphinx, Brothers who have been active in such undertakings should have their thoughts, views and actions incorporated into the articles. If possible ask prominent Brothers to write articles in their specific field. We should also praise the Brothers in their own specific communities who are working under the name of Alpha to better their areas such as Brother Nunn and the Graduate Chapter in Cleveland who are raising money to help those affected by the riots in their city.

When it comes to undergraduates, there is no better way to show off our Fraternity, than through a publication like this which can be made excellent very easily. It would show these young men what Alpha Men in Action are doing at both the Graduate and Undergraduate levels.

We are well aware of the fact that many of our college age Brothers are participating in varsity athletics. Let's find out who they are, get pictures of them, and put a sports section into the SPHINX; because material like this is impressive. Also many Brothers are active in university affairs, student government organizations, etc., Let's let them be seen also.

I would be very interested in writing articles myself not only concerning Undergraduates but on the Fraternity in its entirety. Say Hello to the good Brothers of XI LAMBDA for me.

Bro. Dick Davidson Box 119, Rt. 2 Marquette, Mich. 49855 Fraternally yours, Dick Davidson

Additional Copies of Brother Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Issue Available $1.00 Per Copy Plus Postage . . . Write . . . Editor-in-Chief . . . An appropriate Gift for Students and Friends.

The Sphinx 4432 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive Chicago, Illinois 60653

y-'-'?**

Second Class Postage Paid Chicago, Illinois

Return Requested

Chicago City Council upon the recommendation of Mayor Richard J. Daley, changed the name of South Parkway Boulevard to Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive. General President Lionel H. Newsom and General President Elect Ernest N. Morial examine the signs erected near the National Headquarters of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity, Inc. (Sky Photographâ&#x20AC;&#x201D;Courtesy of WSB, Atlanta Ga )