Box 18, Folder 29, Document 3

Box 18, Folder 29, Document 3

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John S. Knight

The Atlanta Riot
Unmasked SN CC |

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JOHN S. KNIGHT

The recent riots in Atlanta
offer convincing evidence that
most, if-not all, of the racial
violence in our large cities has
been organized and led by a
small minority bent upon the
destruction of our society.

My authority for this state-
ment is Ralph McGill, pub-
lisher of the Atlanta Constitu-
tion, long a moving and mili-
tant force for equal treatment
of the Negro citizen as pro-
vided by law and the Con-
stitution of the United States.

McGill places responsibility
for the Atlanta disturbances
squarely upon the Student Non-
Violent Coordinating Commit-
tee (SNCC, or SNICK) and its
leader, Stokely Carmichael.
SNICK, according to McGill,

has no more than 300 mem-
‘bers. These have been the
agents of anarchy in Watts,
New York, Chicago and other
major cities. :

SNICK’S beginnings were
more auspicious. Its early stu-
dent leaders were motivated by
high dedication to the civil
rights cause. Now the John
Lewises and other responsibles
are out. Control of SNICK is
held by the extreme radicals,
of whom Carmichael is the
dominating figure.

As McGill says, SNICK is
no longer a civil rights organi-
zation but an anarchistic group
which is openly and officially
committed to the destruction of
existing institutions.

Though small in member-
ship, SNICK appeals to all hat-
ers of the white man. Its slo-
gans of defiance intrigue the
very young, as was shown in
Atlanta, where the mob was
largely composed of youngsters
in the 12- to 18-age range.

THERE .APPEARS to be
no question but that SNICK’S
funds are supplied from
abroad. One of its lawyers is a
registered Castro agent. Its
agitators’ shout Havana slogans
to the effect that we must
live through violence. “Black
Power” is but the rallying cry.

Fortunately for Atlanta, it

| has a mayor who confronted

the mob with rare courage.
| Though physically manhandled

and taunted with shouts of
“white devil,” Mayor Ivan
Allen Jr., remained upon the
scene until the crowd had been
dispersed.

Mayor Allen gave short
shrift to charges of police bru-
tality. “I saw plenty of brutal-
ity,” he said, “but it was all
directed against police offi-
cers.” At his press conference,

| Mayor Allen stated that “if
_ Stokely Carmichael is looking

for a battleground, he has cre-

ated one, and he will he met in

» Atlanta

whatever situation he chaoses.”

Aflanta’s
leaders weré auc 1 to dey
the rioting a vi

Summit eatene

=

:

Conference, a Negro organiza-

tion, denounced both SNICK ~

and Carmichael, while calling
for constructive measures de-

signed to alleviate problems ~

Negro.
Dr.

NAACP and Whitney Young
who heads the Urban League
have all repudiated Stokely
Carmichael and his tactics.

ATLANTA has long enjoyed
an enviable reputation for ra-

' which directly concern the -

Martin Luther King, -
president Roy Wilkins of the

cial amity. Ironically, it was ~
Atlanta’s splendid image that -
the destroyers sought to tar- -

nish.

And yet, unwittingly, Stoke- ~
ly Carmichael and his followers

performed a useful service not
only for Atlanta but for the
entire nation.

For here was stripped away

+

‘tere eA ve

ane

the myth that Negroes are al- .
ways incited to riot over poor -
living conditions, lack of em-~

ployment and denial of civil
rights. ;
Carmichael has. now
vealed himself for what he is
—a scheming fomenter of dis-
order, a mad dog who attacks
all whites indiscriminately, a

» revolutionist who seeks to burn

Te-

and destroy, a terrorist who »
defies Jaw and spits upon our _—

flag.
THE RIGHT peaceably to

assemble is guaranteed by the . ‘

Bill of Rights, as is the free-

Together and in a spirit of

constructive co-operation, the

Negro and white communities

must find solutions and an-~
swers to the problems which —.
beset our cities. For they are

both numerous and difficult.

A major start has
made in many areas. Where
failures have occurred, the Ne-
gro is usually as much at fault
as his white brother.

been

But the effort must go ahead

if we are to enjoy the fruits
a compatible society in which ©

there is mutuality of purpose /
and respect for all.

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