Birmingham: Testament of Nonviolence; Part 5; Keep Birmingham Southern [2 of 2]

An addition to that you have a food stamp program. Free food free medical expenses all to help one hospital that is two dollars an eighty cents a day it costs you a negro to give birth to an illegitimate child. Free. Food Program. And as I said in addition to that they have worked in our homes. And as you know and I know unless you read to them totally privileges they won't work for you. So ladies and gentlemen. Don't let these equalitarian forces. Throughout the world and they're poised here tonight. To show the world that nobody can resist. These socialistic.

Trend in this country. Ignoring my. Other follow up. Don't let these forces go out in advance and impose a sense of guilt on you and tell you that unless you surrender you are a bigot you are prejudiced. You are an American. You are a super patriot you are a flag waving. Why what's wrong with that. A 38 year old insurance executive. People say up north well they're dealing with people down here that a ship was no good. That is not true. We are very proud of our American people down here and very proud of our American Southern Negro down here. But what has happened is this you rely on a man like Martin Luther King to come into Birmingham with in my opinion only the agitation.

Of the Communist Party and the backing of the Communist Party. And it has been proven certain jayega Hoovers book that people will read it that we are natural for this down here and now. We're ready for it and we're getting it. You take a thing like that. And give it to people who don't think they're getting a fair shake or even a halfway fair shake. And what happens. They get all up in the air by going back to the bombing last night. They parade down our streets under a 30 year ordinance parading without a permit. The orders were not instigated to protect the rights of the negroes they were instigated to protect the negroes and the Ku Klux Klan. Now most people don't know that. All right negro king comes in here. He marched down our streets. He violates every law in the book even violates a court injunction but you allow and if the bombing was done by all people all white people they should be punished and convicted. But you law. One little violation go against them and right away what happens our Congolese rebellion. Now I'm not saying that being detrimental. But Saturday night in

Birmingham I come out of town and I might say this Saturday tonight in the Birmingham country club. It's a good time for all. And when that happened they were ready. Now a lot of people think they were ready before what happened whether they were were not. I don't know. But I will say this that I believe. That when King and Shuttlesworth who is not a resident of Birmingham anymore. But in Cincinnati Ohio and King goes back to Atlanta where he resides now and people will talk. I think they can be worked out. Now most folks don't know about the Birmingham really count. Do you know about. Do you know who owns. The Broomhill really coming as many hundred million dollar operation. Consequently suddenly smiled as president. They hold the leases on the buildings for these merchants time down here. All right. If you go to the courthouse sir and check the ownership of Birmingham really you find the majority of the stock is owned by a bank in New York that the Whitney's and Rockefellers I don't. Know his chemical the first word is chemical and I can't think the name of it. What has happened the merchants

have coddled these people into going ahead and fronting for them and they have threatened the Birmingham Post Herald and The News and share it with advertising. Now let's get to the medium of advertising here in the Birmingham Post Herald this morning. It says here and I quote it says here man to be pitied. I'm going to just put out just one little sentence here that was said this newspaper supported Mr. Haines a run for mayor. But we discovered our mistake as did many to support it even before he was inaugurated. Their mistake whether they won they won or the man they were to sign and agreed to a biracial committee before he even sworn in office said he wouldn't do it. Now the Haymes is in my opinion and he is a very close friend of mine. I say Crose when our social friends were business friends. In my opinion he is a very good American. I think he's doing the job correctly. The only thing that I might say I might say that he might improve on might be he might lower his voice a little bit. But basically sir you won't find a better

America than author James now I'm asked about well I think at the same time as a good American or down the line I think he's kind of weak on this situation here. When I get back to the issue that we were we were discussing we've gone to the international level the UN's plan for the entire world. We've gone down the national level now. Every negro that is supposedly mistreated while they're throwing rocks at these policemen down here is another vote. Nat King is dedicated to get votes for President Kennedy that was the promise. I am sure in my heart. Bobby Kennedy is dedicated to three things. Our his brother and maybe the White House in 1968. I have very little regard for either one of them. I respect the office they hold only. And you may quote me to go a little bit further. You come down here. Or. There was a story circulated that the only way that Kim could make contact with his wife was to get the help of the Justice Department that wasn't true. He was talking back and forth through his wife every day. But it made the image of Bobby Kennedy look a little

better all the way down the line. Now will you please tell me your opinion. Well I shouldn't ask you that because you're interviewing me. That's very unfair. But that is an integration that these people want who are backing this thing or is that amalgamation breakdown of moral fiber breakdown of the entire structure of our country. In my opinion if it does happen we're going to be a pushover in fact we're almost pushovers now. You allowed this to happen in America to allow these people give them a complete and total freedom as they say that they want. However it looks to me I do a pretty good job of it. They can break more laws and I can break and not stay in jail. And I'm convinced that once that happens to keep the entire country and discord disrupted anarchy riots you name it and there it is. But I do disagree very much when this man King States and he states it all the time that we must be free and they must be free today and then get on his knees

in public and pray. For goodness sake we all know we don't pray to our creator in that manner. That is hypocritical to me. Again Reverend Jim Rison I think here again the tragedy is. With me and this job so much that I laugh in appropriately and say gee isn't that funny when it's enough to break your heart if you take it seriously. I was talking with one of the ministers and suggested that he might meet with local Negro leaders. Now I knew he would resent sitting down with Martin Luther King. Or I figured that he would. And he said I was done with these local Negro leaders until King and some of the people outside agitators get out of town. He said now we're not going to have any peace in this town until they get out. Well I knew they weren't going to have a peace in this town until they sat down and talked and then got some negotiations going. And he went on to say well you won't find any leading ministers there. Now this man described

himself to me as a great liberal. One of his parishioners and a couple of his parishioners have told me he really took a strong stand for law and order and those Monday riots. Well this indicates there weren't too many preachers in town even speaking up for law and order. Now historically the southern preacher has always been able to talk about peace. And anybody who rocks the boat and disturbs the peace is to be condemned is full of sin. And of course this always means anybody who says a negro has a right to equal treatment then he's rocking the boat he's disturbing the peace he's to be condemned. But in Birmingham has been even difficult to get people to come up for law and order. And so in some ways they're getting more scared than they were many many years ago. The spokesman for Birmingham City Commission mayor Arthur Haynes let's take a moment about Birmingham tonight.

Ladies and gentlemen. Has Come into Birmingham Alabama. And by CVG a judicial Fiat's. And read my injunction. Have told the city officials and the people of Birmingham Alabama. How to run their transit system. It doesn't move in a state. Strictly within the city. How to run their golf courses. In their parks. Or tell them how to run their school. What qualifications to place on. They put great pressures on the employees of this area to ha-Satan people regardless of whether they're qualified or not. Ladies and gentlemen you think about this. You have but one thing left one freedom of choice left. And that's to go to the church of your choice. And day and walk in all that. Was all laid

neatly on the wall and on hands and the lines. Had just died in and you say goodbye. When I ran for mayor of the city. I told the people of Birmingham. That I would stand firm on our city that I love a great warm hearted city with no organized crime we didn't have it. We don't have it now. And then I would be on it. And I would be frank. And that I would do all within my power. To resist forced integration and that I've done. Ladies and gentlemen I want to say well.

I was elected in a runoff on June the 1st. In August before I took office November. I was summoned to that place you know where across from City Hall and I said a while ago. There was a committee waiting there. And they had. A press release drawn up. Me a Narsingh a biracial committee and attest to that yes they had to commit me. Now the person sitting at that table was one who has been very prominent in these recent negotiations. They showed it to me and I said Gentlemen. Don't be ridiculous. If I want to integrate. Birmingham Alabama. This is the way I would go about. The way the Senate is doing. But I'm opposed to it. They're pinned in my office one day a committee another one of these committees.

I don't know who supports them or where they get to thought but here they appear like an apparition appeared my office with a rough draft of his head and their names. And they tried to block me. And they said unless you capitulate and give in and integrate these parks. We're going to run this. And of course my answer and Bowles answer on Jabo that's what run it every day for the next 365 days we could care less. I'm telling you. The background of this the man. They had with them. Are. Naive I suppose he's naive. Or dumb or he's worse than mad. Because he started all and he said man. I realize that if we had a vote tomorrow 95 percent of the white folks of Birmingham at least would vote for segregation.

But he said he said Those poor. Benign. Unknowing souls don't know any better. You're going to have to force it on. I'm looking for Moses to lead those poor people out of the wilderness. I said preacher. Hold on just a minute. You get you a black nose. But it rocked on. This bunch working. Last September. Both Jabil and I. Got asked to come to me all the way at that place the Chamber of Commerce Bill. At 3 o'clock. On Monday afternoon. September the 10th said your

senior citizens committee. All right. They had before them. The Dallas plan. And they wanted to discuss and rename me the Birmingham Birmingham to Prof roll. And what it was they wanted to start then. Get out and all the communities get to people to gather start to brainwash and. To go along and actually asked for the integration of our school system. Well now. I think that you folks. Might realize that Jebal and bull and I didn't take too kindly. So they want to talk about making deals and other great in Birmingham we wrangle. Nothing campus that we knew of and

invite us back on the 17th of September. Three o'clock. Chamber Thamar. We went back. More the same except by then. Most of the business leaders who were I began to see what it was was merely an integration promotion scheme they didn't want any part of. And they stayed away. We wrangled some more copies to get one to push and they did agree that they would write a letter. To employees saying if you in fact if you oppose integration we will take disciplinary action against you. That came out of that meeting and they posted it in several indices around Birmingham much to the dismay of the employees I tell you. But after the third meeting we attended on the 24th of September dreadlock at that place. Gabaon bell and I was there for the third time and it dwindle down to the hard core people who were gonna integrate Birmingham regardless of what was accomplished

but lo and behold we quit. No more meetings. We never heard any more from the same group that negotiated last week then went to the negroes shook hands and made commitments for the city commission of Birmingham. Well then when it came to us and told them what they had done without our knowledge without our consent. We objected. We said No sir we don't go for. We're not bound by it anymore. Of course we'll go along with it. They told us this group then was fine. They had made a deal with the niggers and lo and behold they couldn't deliver. And you remember Somavia last fall about that time the Bellingham news came out with a big story. Made some of those

people mad mad at the man blasted the Chamber of Commerce for making commitments they had no right to make. That's what I was talking about. Now. That Negras. Threatened them downtown with the boycott they wouldn't deliver. On these promises. Well that's probably desperate. What. Soul is might if these big advertisers. In the local papers. Got when the editors. Of course they weigh in on these meetings all the time anyway in a matter of fact and one I've been promoted just last but. They didn't own the papers. Unless you join in with us any move in a discredited city commission and change it up and get them out of there. And get somebody in here we can talk sense to and deal with these niggas. We're going to withhold advertising from you. The campaign began with the nigger black vote your city commission was voted out of

office and that's behind it all the way business leader John C. Henley third a member of the senior citizens committee the committee and said it really is and has been known that you can relate the committee to any of the political axes. He really couldn't sincerely develop. By. My man who felt something ought to be done to plan. That's all just a plan to do something rather than nothing. And that's that's all it pretended to me. That's all it is and that's what it is. The chairman of the senior citizens committee Sidney J. It's a matter of education really the senior citizens committee. Was formed and that was one of his problems. That's why we haven't given out these names and Rodden. We wasn't

hiding behind anything but to establish a educational program you've got to get various groups sold on your program. Our program is non-violent. And the respect for the law. Now. If just a group of senior citizens would come out and say let's all do that. Why the chances of. People that have these different feelings against different classes they wouldn't of accepted it. But now we could get the labor unions the ministers the PTA and the other groups the nigger community sold on the Ogram of non-violence. And obedience to law. And that takes time and that's the reason

that we have held off announcing. The names and announcing the program. You won't find an elevator in the whole city of Birmingham. It's got quiet in college you won't find. A restroom in any of the office buildings in Birmingham. This guy though that's generally been going on without any fanfare and wish we had been working with them to do so. Unfortunately this agreement if it had not been. Announced and if it had been carried out like most of it we wouldn't had so much of this division of our citizens in this in this committee. But in this community but if we conduct ourselves like we hope we will. The and I certainly expect that we will. I think it will. Throw a better.

Image on banning and that proving that we can work out our problems. All depending again on how much agitation comes from the outsiders. I think very definitely. The great majority of the people the great majority want peace and harmony in this community as I've stated time and time again. I think one of the. Greatest problems here is economics. If we can get a good agent get more businesses and auto industries in here and people get more jobs. Why. Many of these things will settle themselves. I would say that the press has reported. The news. More family. And this absence than it ever had before. I think that in the past. That we were that the press

was not favorable to Birmingham. I'm not talking about the local press I'm talking about the out of state press. Again Reverend Jimerson the one thing the white Southerner cannot find himself capable of doing is coming out for justice. Somebody described the preachers in Little Rock they could gather for and pray for peace. They couldn't mention justice. And this is something of what happened in Birmingham. Ministers could come out for open parks but I never heard what any of them saying anything to any of their members. I haven't heard of any minister saying to any one or as one of his members or a small group of people. That they ought to have open membership in their churches. Well describe one minister who told me that. Some years ago when he first came to Birmingham he was very upset about the way the negroes were

being treated. And working with his church he realized that they really do love the Negro. And just the tone of voice gives it away in a matter of fact I think this phrase gives them away. He said well I love the negro and I said you know I don't know that I've ever heard a white person who was interested in really doing something about promoting equality. Using this phrase we love the negro or we love these colored people. This is a phrase the old churnalism the old shortsightedness ambivalence. We love them but we want them out of here. But we don't want them to leave because I think we don't of them it reminds me almost of when I was a boy about 10 or 12 years old selling magazines. One man that I saw every week said to me one day you know Norman I

like you and my heart just thrilled. I was looking for a father figure. My dad died. And I this was the nicest thing I've said to me. And then he said I'd do anything for you as long as it didn't cost me any money or take any of my time. Well you can imagine but not in my mood. Well I think this is where the negro has been. The minister of white minister says We love you. And he hopes again even though he's been disappointed a thousand times he hopes again. And the minister says we do what we can some time. And as I told this man there comes a point and maybe it's coming to us day by day in which we've got to decide whether we'll take the trip to Jerusalem. When I read I'm referring to the time. In which Jesus told His disciples He was going to Jerusalem they told him No you're going to get hurt. You're going to get killed.

And he told them go deeply in their hearts minds and souls keep Birmingham Southern. Just what that means. The citizens of Birmingham Alabama now are having to decide. That. 8. 8. 8.

8. Birmingham testament of non-violence part. You have heard some reactions by Birmingham's white citizens to integration efforts during recent months and the nonviolent direct action campaign of the Birmingham movement. Among those heard on this program was Arthur J Haynes then mayor of Birmingham the Reverend Norman Jimerson executive director of the Alabama Council on human rights. E.J. Smarr chairman of the Birmingham senior citizens committee keep Birmingham Southern was produced by WRVO the FM station of the Riverside Church in the city of New York for the educational radio network and the National Association of educational broadcasters. Reporting from Birmingham Jack Summerfield and Walter Nixon. This is the in AEB radio

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