Raw Footage of a Lecture by Louis Lomax on "Race and Power in a Changing World" (Part 2)

And aeration when I think the beginning of the real big push. To translate this question of race. It's alliance with power. Into human terms which will preserve our civilization. I think we have three or four factors going for us. Which if used properly. And make of this generation. Marvelous one one that will live I think throughout history as having done a magnificent thing. Just I think it should be noted my young friends that I. Root for. As an instrument of power. Is just

about finished. Finished because men are tired of war. Finished because men are tired of dying. Finished because we've almost reached a standoff. Because everybody now is capable of destroying everybody else. Finished most of all I suspect however because. It suddenly dawned upon the minds of men. That you can't conquer the world by blowing it up. There will be no world to come. This means then. Something else other than for. Edging into the seat of power. And I would like to suggest to you that that's something else which is edging into the seat of power. So what I like to call Christian humanism. Were I Jewish I would call it

Jewish humanism. Were I a Moslem I would call it Islamic humanism. It simply means a spiritual concern. Man for man. His life. His dignity. Or his respect. It is this thing I submit to you. Which has kept the United Nations alive in its turbulent year. And black men are coming in in great numbers and now have the physical power. Political power. Non-white races of the world can gang up at the UN any day they want to now and vote in anything they wish. Because this is why you hear all of this talk on the radio about his THE UNION outlived its usefulness. All of a sudden it has occurred to some people that may be a good thing to do in the United Nations

would be. To recast the voting system. So rather than let each nation have one vote there you break it down in terms of how much you support the U.N. and how much money you have in all of this can anything you see to keep all these people who have suddenly come into prominence from having power. But I believe the great force now. Is the morrow for. By that I do not mean some abstract thing that's going to swing low on a sweet chariot. Rather I am talking about the collective will of man. Seeing in essence. I'm sick and tired of bleeding and dying and being kicked about and being denied this and denied that. Let's build a well it's decent and I'm going to demand of my leaders that you do it. It's this kind of moral force that is operative in the world today. It's the identical moral force which makes the Freedom Rides works. To meet Martin Luther

King. Gandhi. It's train a man like Jim Farmer. Into a magnificent leader. After all. That's. The scene of a negro doing slavery in our country. Tied to a pole and being whipped last. Mismatch that with an 18 year old negro student at Morehouse College going into a lunch counter. Putting his hands on the counter to read his textbook as he sat in. The man saying nigga did not tell you don't come back here. And the boy simply sits there and the man runs behind the counter and he gets his cleaver and he draws it up in the air and the boy never starts turning his pages. He does it six days in a row. Finally on the seventh day the man said The hell with it what do you want.

This is a kind of model of. Talk to this boy I said did you think the man might cut your arms off. He said I was certain he was going to do. It were you afraid he said. No. But you me weren't afraid to let me leave. Ted. They didn't think about. Me. Because if you cut my arm off you see. Would be another one behind. Me You can just go through the world cutting off people's arms. One day he's got to serve them a cup of coffee. Certainly you cannot be flip about this. But it's under school. Kind of morality. Coming. Right consciences from black protests. Sweeping Through the world a. Kind of morality yes. But I think saved us from a wall. The last few days with Cuba. Is the kind of morality.

To which I suggest that you and I are going to have to make. The ultimate commit. But it is our task. Resolve this question of power and racism. In Africa and in Asia. I. Think we're going to have to resolve it. By saying that peoples of our land. Must certainly. Have the power to ram their land their country. And their own destiny. It. Seems to me that there's no way you can sit here snow there's a ball going to rugged mountain oleo. As long. As millions of black men in South Africa. Not only denied the right to rule themselves. Many of them are chained to beds at night because they work in the gold mines you sit.

There in slavery. But most of all. My young friend. As we make this transfer. How. None of my life and. The people. Of that time. That. With conscious. Design when I say. It. That. American capital. Is sometimes the American dream. Is not the real stumbling block for. Economic power. There it is again. Those who are attempting to get their freedom. Political control of their own. Although he has made a fine love. I've met him personally. He's had me. One of those dinners.

The gubernatorial man. One thing about the governor and they're probably the first thing and I told you this so I don't mind sharing. You said to him the right. Way. Mind you there was a vine. Your. Family. That bank is so heavenly in the. Gold Mine. Every night. On. Life and. Work. The. Magnificent. Third. Of the night. But. Never you love love love the. Whole thing.

They die. For. Love. I use you know the. Nation is loaded with you. You lost your life. The war with. You. It was set in motion primarily because your. If. We. Don't consume for human rights and human dignity. American capitalism to go in and gouge on weight. Steal and build up a new lotto ruling class which crushed other people down. And then when the protest came. Common is inherited the world and you almost died for. I'm saying to you. That the kind of commitment that you've got to make is a commitment to resolve this

question of power and raise by letting peoples of the world. Run their own land. And by demanding that we of this nation. Not use our money to aid and abet him. When human is to others. It comes to online. Is transferred rather this resolution of the question of power are. Raised. As to occur in the context of what has been called integration. I'm not quite sure what it is. But it means. That we must create and do quickly. Kind of atmosphere and situation in our nation. But a man can become. Whatever his talents.

Allow him to become. He whatever his gifts will allow him to be and do. Whatever it is legal for him to do. Without concern for his color. Religion or his background. This means more than bringing two or three Negro students to a New England college and planning them and saying goody goody how nice we are. Rather you go. The question of power. Political power. Dr. Shah was kidding me about the raids I was involved I was involved not because I'm a politician because I live in a community that is 90 plus percent me. Negroes own nothing in it have none of the political. Will to fight. The.

Law. All of. The nine mile of the Negro men One Hundred and Twenty fifth street walk down the aisle and stop. Shops first shop shoes shops clothing shops supermarkets gas stations. There isn't a single negro owns store along the whole place. No. He would say an evil by nature of this business my business. But they have no power. Because you see in this country to go into business my young people. Have to borrow money from banks. And thereby hangs a tale. Those things began to happen to. Most banks. When you go to get your negro you go to get even more good money or money to go into business. Then we have went into his history to New York. This conspiracy.

Among something called the Hundred and Twenty fifth. Street business mens association with the business men in the real estate operators work. In conjunction. And if you're going to give up your lease they know it three months before anybody else and they've already quietly gotten another white tenant Therefore if a Negro even could get the money he can't rent the store. The delivery. Is why Negroes have no money. Is why Negroes have to steal. But. It would go wrong. In my life. Economic. Their own community. My song and your song. Came on Thirty fourth Street in the garment district. Gather today pushing the clock 20 years from today your son will be on the 3rd if you're for as a vice president and my son will be pushing a bigger and better. Until then integration is translated to economic power.

So my son can buy his home. Without having to gang up with five other families and therefore ruin the community. Translation of this into political power. The negro child will feel in involvement with his own community. A feeling he can aspire. And I can translate it better. By recalling again. My childhood in Georgia. When we used to go down the street from my home. We afternoon and sit on the banks of a railroad track. Watch the five o'clock freight train leaving Valdosta. Going into a laugh. It's a magnificent thing to see this long freight trains snaking its way. And it coming around the curve and going over very kind of you know fact.

To go right to the west and to us it was going into the setting sun looked to his eyes as if it was the end of the world or that. The engineer used to look for us every afternoon. He'd reach up and blow the whistle and wave out his lead wave back. One evening one of my playmates said to another. Boy. Don't you wish you were white so you could run. My friend answered back and said no. I run it like as I he is if they let me get in the end. Got to translate. This part. Into getting. Into the. Man and right. That a. Man can breach let him bring a. Man can teach. And he. A man can become a banker. This

is his bet let him become one. P. has the ways of an industrialist. Let him become one. Most of all. Remove this stigma of inconsequential illness from our breath. The power. Of race is. The power in the hands of those who can work for. Who can handle it. Donna stay. With the. University of Mississippi. Example evidence. That you can go to school. Not knowing. The function of the university it seems to me. This to do law then whole classes and give examinations. And

award degrees. Function of the university is making of men. Men who are involved with the problems of the year. Men who are willing to come to grips. With the problems. Of an era. The problem of your era. Is the twin brother. Of race. And power. It is because I believe. That your mine. And your house. Is. Ready to rest. That it has been so much of a pleasure. To be here this evening of thanks.