r r f r <*■ r r w i ~ •u' «r - r- r- Involving the common man Grassroot News, N . IF .— In P o rt­ lan d , R onnie H e rn d o n , co-chair o f the Black U nited F ro n t, (p eak* out against racism, exploitation and op­ pression in the same manner as D r. M a r tin L u th e r K in g , J r. In this u n iq u e in te rv ie w H e rn d o n gives a p o litic a l an a ly s is o f D r . K in g ’ s movement. Q : D r. M a r tin L u th e r K ing, J r., was a m o n g th e cen terp ieces o f m o v e m e n t th a t s p a n n e d tw o d e ­ cades. W h a t s h o u ld he be re m e m ­ bered fo r? H e r n d o n : I th in k i t ’ s im p o rtan t to remember the effect King had on th e c o m m o n p e o p le . I t was K in g who told everyday people that they had to act, to be persistent and con­ sistent. T hat was a valuable contri­ bution in the struggle for the libera­ tion o f Black people. Everybody can b em o an o u r p lig h t b u t i t ’ s m uch m ore when you say th a t you must c o n fro n t in ju s tic e s s tra te g ic a lly , tactfu lly and intelligently. King was the past master o f that. Q . : W hat k in d o f appeal d id King have with com m on everyday people that got them to move? H e rn d o n : A ll King did was to say to Black people that what was hap­ pening to us was u n ju s t. H e re are some things that we feel will w ork in combatting injustices. W hen you go back to the M o n tg o m e ry bus b o y ­ co tt (h e fa c t th a t B lack p eo p le w o u ld h ave to g ive th e ir seats up when the bus filled up was unjust. The th in g ab o u t o u r struggle is that things that are unjust about the way we are treated are easily under­ sto o d . B ut w h at frig h te n s B lack p eo p le is c o n fro n tin g in ju s tic e . T h ro u g h o u t o u r h is to ry w e’ ve a l­ ways responded to someone whom we th in k is sincere and who speaks to the basic needs o f the people. Q .: K in g 's message was tra n s ­ m itte d d u rin g th e ‘50s a n d '60s. W hat was im p o rta n t ab ou t th at era in history? H e rn d o n : One o f the things that m an y people d o n ’ t re a liz e is u n til the m o v e m e n t th a t B la c k p eo p le b ro ug h t to a feverish p itch in this c o u n try , th ere w a s n ’ t m uch going on in term s o f p ro gressive m o v e ­ ments. T h e m o vem ent occurred at th e end o f th e M c C a r th y e ra in which a lot o f people had been hurt, lost their jobs and been frightened. It was the B lack m o v e m e n t th a t brought the whole country out into the streets to d e m o n s tra te . T h e K orean W a r had ended and Black men were coming home saying that they were being killed and m aim ed to come hom e where they co u ld n ’ t even buy a h a m b u rg e r w here they wanted to. A t th is same p o in t in h is to ry many A frican nations were dem and­ ing their freedom . The same move­ m ent was fe lt in m an y C a rib b e a n nations. I t ’s im portant to make this international connection. King was just a part o f it. D.-. H o w d id K in g respond to the segregation o f the South vs. the dis­ crim ination in the N orth ? H a r n d o n : W h e n th e strug g le re a lly began to heat u p, as Blacks were d e m o n s tra tin g fo r basic h u ­ man rights, many newspapers, p oli­ tic ia n s and leaders in th e N o r th fo u n d it co nven ient to p o in t th e ir fin g ers at the S o u th . W h en K in g talked about moving the struggle up N o r th he fo u n d th a t m an y o f th e same people who praised him , now were criticizing him. The tactic* that were used in the South were no long­ er u sefu l in th e N o r th . K in g said himself that the violence he ran into in New York was more extreme than a n y th in g he en c o u n te re d in the South. Racism is something th a t’ s preva­ lent a ll o ver A m e ric a . W h e n K ing moved up the M ason-D ixon Line he became a source o f em barrassm ent fo r w h ite lib e ra ls . T h e y c o u ld no longer say that racism was an aber­ ra tio n o f th e S o u th . K in g asked w hat w ere they g oing to do ab o u t the racism in th eir own back yard. The answer he got from most people was, “ N o th in g .’ ’ Q .: In the homes o f m any B lack fa m ilie s is th e p ic tu r e o f R o b e rt Kennedy, M a r tin L u th e r K ing. J r., and John F. Kennedy. What was the true relationship between the K en­ nedys and King? H a r n d o n : M a n y p eo p le th in k that the Kennedys did a lot o f things to h elp B lack p eo p le. I f you ex­ am ine the record care fu lly you w ill find out that this is not true. John Kennedy was a clever enough politi­ cian that when King got arrested he called o ffic ia ls in the South along w ith K in g ’ s w ife . T h is was p u b li­ cized all over the country and Black people loved K en n ed y. T h e B lack vote which was so overwhelm ing in fa v o r o f K e n n e d y d e te rm in e d his victory over N ix o n . A fte r Kennedy was elected and m a k in g prom ises and not progress, K in g questioned him . Kennedy responded that they were m oving too fast and that this wasn t the right time. King was very d is a p p o in te d . A t the same tim e when Kennedy was m aking broken prom ises to B lack A m e ric a n s , he was trying to overthrow the govern­ ment in the Congo. Q .: Is n ’t It ironic that II was R ob­ e rt ''B o b b y ” K ennedy who a u th o r­ ized a wiretap o f D r. King? H a r n d o n : W hen John K ennedy was president, Robert Kennedy was A ttorney General. H e not only wire­ tapped K ing’s phone but where King w ent as w e ll. N o w , h ere was th e same m an w h o m th ey said was O .K . as long as he stayed in th e South, but now they were w ire ta p ­ ping K ing as i f he were a c rim in a l. W e need to do a lot m ore research and look at the Kennedys a lot more c a re fu lly , because we give the K en ­ nedys a lot more praise than they de­ serve. Q . : K ing's philosophy m atured as he began to speak o u t ag ain st the V ietnam W ar. H o w d id this a ffe c t the movement? H a rn d o n : King saw the war as an unjust w ar. It was an o th er case in which W h ite A m erica was destroy­ ing people o f co lo r. H e said it just like th at. H ere you have p o o r, yel­ lo w p eop le th a t w ere b eing o p ­ pressed and now the U n ite d States was s u p p o rtin g a d ic ta to r . T h is country hated King for speaking out ag ain st th e w a r. T h e N e w Y o rk Times came out attacking King, say­ ing he had no rig h t ta lk in g ab ou t matters concerning foreign a ffa irs . H ere you have a man who earned a P h .D . and was co nsidered one o f th e sharpest men in th e c o u n try . King recognized that whatever hap­ pens in th e w o rld e ffe c ts B lack p eop le here in A m e ric a . A n d we should be in fo rm e d . M a n y people say that K ing was assassinated be­ cause he had spoken out against the Vietnam W ar. Q .: W henever y o u say " K i n g , " the to p ic o f n o n vio len ce is n o t f a r behind. W h at do y o u th in k K in g ‘s nonviolent philosophy was? H e rn d o n : In the beginning most o f the confrontations they had were n o n v io le n t. This means th at when th e y had a d e m o n s tra tio n and w hites cam e up to th em to th ro w eggs, hit and beat th em , they were not going to strike back. For a long tim e many people tried to go along w ith it. B ut a fte r a w h ile m an y Blacks involved in the d em onstra tions said la te r fo r th a t. T his shift came about th ro u gh o rg an izatio n s like S N C C , different college organi­ zation' and young people. M a n y p eop le b e lie v e , and I in ­ cluded, that King took a tactic and made it a principle. Peaceful dem ­ onstrations are a tactic. W hen they w o rk you use th e m . N o t w hen yo u ’ re involved in a peaceful dem ­ onstration and you get attacked and do nothing to protect yourself. Near the end o f his life as he was organiz­ ing the M arch on W ashington, i f it w a s n ’ t e ffe c tiv e , he was g o in g to tu rn e v e ry th in g o v e r to th e m i li­ tants. I f the c o u n try was faced w ith M a r tin L u th e r K in g sayin g th a t, w hat younger leaders were te llin g you was c o rre c t: i f th e y becam e united in a p ro gram it w o u ld h u rt the pow er brokers in this c o u n try . Rather than facing th at, they killed him. Q .: Ronnie, in P o rtla n d yo u con­ fr o n t as much as K ing did. Does the possibility o f being assassinated f o r speaking out ever concern you? H a r n d o n : E v e ry o n e , at some p o in t in th e ir liv e s , th in k s a b o u t death . N o one w ants to check o u t any sooner than we think we should. F o r me I k n o w h o w th is c o u n try treats Black people w ho speak out against injustices. But it gets dow n to , are you going to a llo w yourself, your fa m ily and c o m m u n ity , to be treated like dogs? A re you going to sit by and let your children go to a no-good school? T o see businesses set up in y o ur c o m m u n ity and not even hire you? T o have your women w alk dow n th e streets and tre a te d lik e p rostitutes? W h e n you see a ll the injustices that we’re faced w ith, like drugs, bad housing, and police brutality, i f you have any concept o f yourself as a man or a wom an, then you have to speak out and do some­ thing against it. I f you are not, then act like a dog. I w o u ld m uch ra th e r have m y tim e spent on th e p la n e t fig h tin g against these in justices th a t beset o ur co m m u n ity and people. I can ’ t th in k o f a m ore im p o rta n t w ay o f spending your life. GET READY 20 MINUTES WITH ANYBODY. «NT 3.84. • SI HANY. ON OH U M .HA M . w % » --------- U ù L '- L UK f -------- M W IV M V f f l L 1 I 1 L. 9 U M I1 A .W A I V k l l 4M» <>K k t is H i ik f . Ok M A 1 1 I t . W A ShiKA M * W \ A V\ \ i 16 I f * 147 1 f * 1 46 .16« 16« Uh 1 Ih I f * 1 If, I f * 1 46 16k < Ifl leik 14? 16k 3 M» 16« J 6« .If»« .If»« 3 16 16« If»« If»« 16« 3 47 3 6« 1 47 16« If»« 1 It. 3 6« .1 47 16« If»« 1 26 16« lit» « 16« 16« 147 3.6« 147 I f * .16« 1 17 16« 147 I f * 16« 3 If, 16« It* 3 6« 16« 3 |7 Ifi«' If»« 3 6« 16« 13 47 11? .If»« 16« I 3 47 If»« ft? 1 17 3 47 H 147 r 147 3 47 3 17 T IT 3 17 147 3 fi« 1 17 I t * 3 If, I t * I 47 I f * 3 47 I t * 1 16 I f * 1 4? 1?* 3 47 3 47 i 1. 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