Urban Confrontation; 38; Black Liberation: The Struggle in America Betty Shabazz

From Northeastern University the National Information Network presents urban confrontative. One of the greatest blessings a man can have as a true brother a true friend. When we want for our brother the same thing we want for ourselves the well-being of our brother becomes our well-being his security becomes our security his happiness become our happiness but also his own and his sorrow becomes our pain and his problem becomes our problem. As brothers we live up to that and that system is as a. This week on urban confrontations. This is Betty Shabazz the widow of the late black nationalist leader Malcolm X.. Discussing black citizen in America. Liberation 1970.

During the past decade more than one great black leader has fallen to an assassin's bullet along with Dr. Martin Luther King and Medgar Evers Malcolm X was shot while in the most productive part of his life. Recently Malcolm's widow Mrs. Benny Chavez spoke at Northeastern University as part of the distinguished speaker series. And she told an audience of black and white students about her life and about her perspective on the black struggle in America. Malcolm X who before he died was a leader of the Black Nationalist Movement dedicated his life to the liberation of black men and women in this country and abroad. And Betty Chavez reminds us so many of Malcolm's contributions. I was asked to discuss. My husband. At state said he was one of the major pillar was. In the formation of black consciousness. And how do I feel he has. Made a contribution. To black consciousness.

Where's the silver right in the Human Rights Movement. Gone has it progressed. The role of women in general and black women and the tekkie of and the creation of a new American society. Malcolm felt that racism must be uncompromisingly condemned. Whether it's overt as in South Africa or whether it's subtle bias here in this country. What Americans contribution to black consciousness. This was sent to me. About a month after he was assassinated by the Afro-American community in Paris. And it opened with a quotation by a set of folk wanting to chroma. A life of dedication called human equality and dignity still that the Afro-American people of color everywhere. Might live as men. His work in the cause of freedom.

Shall not be in vain. Let us ask those. Who have the most to gain by Malcolm's death. Was the French authorities. Recent refusal to admit him to France an isolated incident. For 400 years the white man has systematically can Dishan the spirit of black man to be subservient and to accept. His negative image of himself. Brother Malcolm in his life in his leadership and vision represented in America a breakthrough of the vicious and cycling of the white man's diabolical logic. Brother Malcolm was therefore considered dangerous. Brother Malcolm formed a part of a long line of black nationalist. Like them he stood for the unity and dignity of black people everywhere. He recognized that black people in America would never be free until African people were free. And that the freedom of the African people depend on the freedom of the Afro-American.

He showed us but no black man can consider himself free as long as there exist. One slave black man in the United States and Goler South Africa Rhodesia Cuba Brazil and anywhere else in the world. He emphasized that Afro-Americans an African where one not only share in a common heritage but also a common destiny. Brother Malcolm's uncompromising demand up his fellow Afro Americans that they take the Afro American struggle out of a domestic civil rights issue and put it in its proper context as a human rights struggle. And so internationalize it and thereby seek redress before the nations of the world. At the United Nations. This uncompromising remain and is one of the most far reaching and crucial departures from the objective of the stabber civil right leaders. These leaders represent the concluding phase of an important era.

Malcolm the beginning of a new era. That is why recent Newsweek and Harris poll of the Herald Tribune a misleading and false Bernie have ignored the important aids breakdown. Operating now in the black ranks. For all to make Rose that generation set a goal. Of integration into marriage integrated cards. For the black youth of the new generation. Brother Malcolm was the symbol of youth and vitality of this era for us international politics. The emergence of an African nation to independence. The death struggle of colonialism and imperialism and the hardening of white reaction to the increasing strength. Of a nonwhite world. All these factors all new have radically changed the character of the struggle. Ballots brother Malcolm saw were important. But even when or if they were obtained there had to be.

First. A change a profound revolution in the world's outlook of the black man in America. He must not see himself as integrating into the white society. But he must. See himself as a member of a world society a black man. With a real discovery an assertion of his being in his consciousness since before the Civil War in this country the struggle of blacks to be free has met hard resistance from the white community. Many of the white men and women seem to feel threatened by the black movement and feel their own freedom and identity jeopardized. Mrs. Chavez illustrates that all men and women on earth need their freedom to live as human beings. A lot of white people today feel threatened. They feel threatened. Everyone on earth. Is fighting for their freedom. Everybody wants their freedom. It's a right it's innate. That they should

have freedom. But we found that one. Anthropological grouping we have used their freedom to. Keep other people from having their freedom. And as long as that is all question exploitation. There will be. What is going on today. Call it rebellion call it resistance just call it riots. But this is the nature of a human being. What happened. In the struggle in Russia in France in Europe even here in America. What happened and I'm Gola. What happened in Congo what happened in Nigeria. Black people in America I'm no different. They say that black people don't have any natural or instinctive desire.

That our desires our masters desires this is bunk. Black people are human beings. With the feelings that other human beings have. But blight people must continue to strive for freedom. Man must continue to recreate. No one is going to give us freedom. If they knew about it was going to give us freedom we would have had it long time ago. No one gave anyone else freedom. But what we must have is the potential. We must fight for the potential. Freedom. Which means that. Everyone is not going to be a doctor or lawyer but certainly. In the Universal Declaration of Human Rights it states that every human being has a right to an education.

Every human being has a right to a suitable job to a job suitable for the survival of himself and his family. And everyone have the right proper and suitable housing. Why is it that the worst food the worst neighborhoods the worst schools. Or worst jobs are relegated to black people. This is not fair treatment. Black people are within their rights. To resist oppression. And a lot of white people. The power structure. A lot of black people. Who are conditioned who are satisfied. Look up on black people who resist who rebel as troublemakers. But if they were in the same position they would do the same thing. Review history and see what has happened around the globe the civil

rights movement has changed drastically in the past 10 to 15 years. And some people in light of today's often violent demonstrations look at the years of civil rights marches and Syrians and regret their passing. Barry Chavez explains that the civil rights marches and the civil rights movement were largely controlled by what she calls white liberals. And in fact sometimes contain the growth of black liberation and not its expansion as many people thought what happened. In the civil rights march. As a concept. These are some of Malcolm's notes. The negro revolt is controlled by the white man and. The Negro revolution is controlled by the white government. The leaders of the Negro revolution. The civil rights leaders are all subsidized influence and controlled by white liberals. No reflection if there are any liberals in the audience.

But I think before any solution to any problem can come about we must post space backspace reality. And after all we are not involved in any problems we are pretending. So that we are going to look at this objectively as if this happened. Three thousand years ago. See if we can. Improve on it. What were the mistakes. And if there were no mistakes. Why wasn't anything changed. All of the demonstration that appeared taken place in this country to desegregate lunch counters the ADA's public toilets etc just on official files. That have been ignited and flamed by the white liberals and the desperate hope that they can use this artificial revolution to fight off the real black

revolution that has already swept. The white supremacy out of Africa out of Asia and is sweeping it out of Latin America. And is even now manifesting itself right here among the black masses in this country. This was in 1963. Can we prove the revolution is controlled by white liberal certainly. Right after the. I will leave the. State nameless demonstration when the entire world gets seen on television. The police dogs police clubs fire hoses brutality. Defenseless brutality against black women children and even babies church bombing. It was reported on page 26. In the May 15 issue of The New York Times. I will leave the man's name nameless.

Had a luncheon conference with several newspaper editors from the southern state. And had warned these editors that they must give at least some token game to moderate negro leadership. In order to enhance these. Leaders. In the outside of the black masses or else the black extremist would take over. They said that it was a desperate situation. And it must happen. Because at this point the black masses around the country have begun to take to the streets. There were riots there were bombings. And the government it made it that it was afraid. Their propaganda was that into focus. And they were encouraging black people to follow responsible leadership responsible. Meaning having those Negro leaders who had some responsibility to the government. So what happened. This grassroots fraction.

Decided. That they would march on Washington. It was going to tie up the Congress the Senate the White House and even the airports. They threatened to bring the government to a halt. They tried to stop it. And the more they tried to stop it it grew. So they decided to join it to join it and control it. And they called the civil rights leaders that was leading it the Big Six. And after they had gotten sufficient published the three. The big six. And their image was directly controlled and involved with the march. One of the first duties of the Big Six was to invite four liberals to join them. And these four liberals dictate the policy. According to

the August 4th edition of The New York Times. Eight hundred thousand dollars was split between the. Big Six. And on June 19 if everything went. According to plan. And if there were no incident. They were to get the additional $700000. This was for the March on Washington. There are many. Reason. Was to control and to direct the mood of the mob which. I'm not saying that the march was not glorious. That it was not impressive. I'm saying that it was changed from its original intent. And by changing the participants and the content they were able to change the. Nature of the march itself.

The marchers were told what time to arrive. How they were to arrive what songs to sing what banners to hold out. What time to leave. And everyone left was gone back to sundown. I remember on the television screen. Seeing the cleaners to sweep sweepers out cleaning the streets. Look at all of that money that was spent to contain and not really to get at the root of the problem. Because when it was only over there were still people without jobs. Still children without proper schools. Still people starving. Conditions had not changed. Could they spin this money to help root out the problem.

That caused the frustration. In the beginning. Some are even wondering. Is a solution really wanted. The confusion and the conflict that's going on in the world. Is it really wanted. Is the solution really want. Black people are used as a political football by every party and yet. Our problem after 500 years have not changed. Even though the lot of the vast majority of black citizens in this country is poor there are still a number of black Americans who have been able to make it in the white system very Chavez describes how these people are the only blacks who really hate themselves. Some years back I believe they said it was about 8 million potential negro voters in this country. Black voters in this country. And of those 11. Million potential voters only 3 million

voted. What happened to the other 8 million. The 3 million is supposed to be the booze. But we find that they are a minority. And they have not communicated. The desires and needs of the people. But they have communicated their own. Someone said that they didn't realize. That in the ghetto or among poor people. There was so much hate and confusion that people actually hated themselves. I think perhaps there is more love in the ghetto than there. Is anyplace else in America. Black people love themselves. Some black people a lot of times people.

Take complaining about our plight our miserable condition our lack of jobs our increased medical problems our increased disease. They take this as and when black people complain they take this as hating themselves. Black people hate the conditions. But few black people hate themselves unless it is. Part of that. Three million minority who the struggle for liberation is always changing. Most recently it is the women's liberation movement that has gathered new momentum in this country and abroad. Mrs. Chavez concludes her lecture with a description of the role of the woman and her contributions toward society. These are changing times and nothing remains static. Women would not appear to be moving in not moving everything else. There is a progression some sort of movement.

In a progressive sense and Why must women remain in the position that they were in. They say women confused things women started working and this was to undermine the authority of the Father. This was taken jobs away from him. But women have made. Great contributions and then one looks that the positiveness in the in the hours of energy women have spent. In doing something constructive. And everyone is still. Shifting the blame the blame is not to be on women. The blame has to be on the society as a whole. Men have made a lot of mistakes. Women have made a lot of mistakes. With the change of the monetary economy.

With the moving from rural to urban from the agricultural to the industrial. But to the big cities where you have a great utilization of space and where it is no longer necessary now a day. For the family to may remain together as an economic unit. There have to be changes. There was not a large family the mother of the father of the grandmother my grandfather the great grandmother and all of the uncles and aunts and the cousins all living together. Which formed an economic unit. Now in some cases it is necessary for the mother to go out to work. That's why it is necessary to have daycare centers nursery schools. And sometimes it is a benefit to the mother as well as the child that your child is in

the nursery school. So with this some women now. Feel they have lost their femininity because they are now out working. Some of them don't feel me that they don't feel useful. And there have been a sociological change. The man nor the woman have adjusted to this change. Women feel they are not needed. They sometimes feel they are not alone but obligation and responsibility and affection is needed in a marriage. But because of the. Economic situation it is not necessary to stay together because of money. Affection now seems to be the only thing that holds our marriage together or holds a man to a woman. And when the affection wears thin the man goes one way

and the woman goes another way. And there's the ties between responsibility and obligation which should be. They are not very strong. So it is not left up to the woman. But it is left up to the man and the woman to try to bring about some solution to this problem. And it is unfair for the men to put the. Blocks of the problem. On the Shoulders of poor little women. The role of a woman. Is whatever her qualifications. And whatever the demands. The condition and the situation and the needs of the people should. Define the role of a woman. Malcolm said that in a lot of the countries he visited.

One of the things that he began. To determine rather quickly became a game with him. He would go into a country and he said that he could always tell a country where the women were. Educated or progressive and he could always tell a country where the women were pushed in the background because the people weren't as developed. As their women. So that women can and will. Continue to make a contribution. To the society. Not just this society of the United States but to the world society. I have close with a quote. From Malcolm and he was saying one of the greatest blessings a man can have as a true brother. A true friend. When we want for our brother the same thing we want for ourselves. The well-being of our brother becomes our well-being his security becomes our

security his happiness become our happiness but also his pain and his sorrow becomes our pain our sorrow. His problem becomes our problem. As brothers if we live up to that and that sisters is involved. Perhaps the world wouldn't be in the predicament that it saying thank you. It's been a while since Malcolm X was in law. Working. For the liberation of my. Buddies with nobody job. Continues on the. Bring together the world community of black men and women for their total liberation. Northeastern University you know what you Mrs Betty shall the. Widow of the late black nationalist leader Malcolm X. Discussing. Like sedition in America

liberate. In 1970. The views and opinions expressed on the preceding program. Not necessarily those of Northeastern University or this state. This week's program was produced by Peter Lance. Directed by. Let me get. The technical supervision by John Barr. Executive producer for urban confrontation is Jeffrey M. Feldman. Urban confrontation is produced for the division of instructional communications at the nation's largest private university. Northeastern University requests for a tape recorded copy of any program in this series may be addressed to urban confrontation. Northeastern University Boston Massachusetts 0 to 1 1 5. That program was produced for the partner radio production. Joseph R.. Later director. The announcer. Days. Are Gone. This is the national educational radio network.