NER Washington forum; Rev. Ralph Abernathy

Why do we have come to Washington D.C. to tell and Jay and a Congress of the United States about our problems and we are saying to them if you don't do something about it we've got to get somebody who will you. The boys you just heard was that of the Reverend Ralph Abernathy successor to Dr. Martin Luther King and the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Reverend Abernathy is leading the poor people's campaign or march on Washington an idea formulated by Dr. Martin Luther King. There have been many questions by citizens and public officials all across the country on this campaign. What it means and what it is supposed to accomplish. Now on any Our Washington forum we present a speech by Reverend Abernathy which may answer some of these questions. I'm national educational radio public affairs director Vic Sussman. This was Reverend Abernathy first major speech since taking over the S. S. L. C. He spoke at a 14th Street Church in Washington D.C. in one of the areas ravaged

by rioting after the shooting of Dr. King. Now here is the Reverend Ralph Abernathy. Someone tried to give the impression that the poor people's campaign began late. And it started in confusion. But I want to set the record straight now. Correct. You know I have been known in the movement as the Record Man. And I can put it straight. You have and I want you to write it down and I see one reporter writing and I want you to write it to you right which. Are actually.

The poor people's campaign did not began late and neither did it begin. Confusion. Number one. We have been waiting all no white man for three hundred and fifty years. Are at. Odds. Are you good. Are you a good night Donna. And we just decided today that we will go on like here and wait on Uppsala. AA. He he has given no reason for

keeping a black man and a Mexican American. The Puerto Ricans and the white Appalachians he has given no reason for it now and then there are God given and constitutional rights. So I saw no reason for given any excuse for being too I would like to offer. My arsenal of rare is paid by the West Contra Street Baptist Church and Atlanta Georgia. That's where I get my livin from. Feeders not pay me one pin or a c o c has not paid me one penny. The right man in America does not pay me one cent and I don't have to repost in a bottle.

I want to know if you're getting that down I want you to get it there. Am I talking too fast for you Can you take shorthand. For a. I am the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and the leader of the Poor People's Campaign was elected by the board of directors of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and I'm only accountable to that board of directors and to the black people

of America. How to record straight tonight. We went to see the second Freeman when we got ready to go see Secretary. We work to see deer trying to general of the United States. When we got ready. To go see there trying to Gen.. We went to the wall. When we got ready to go. And when when when we went to see the secretary of labor Mr. Wertz when have we got ready to go. Because we have been a lady Gollies years and now we have come to Washington and we are not in any direction. And they can wait

on us. Ah. Ah. Not fake facts are not found that. If you got that in a record I can move on. Tell me that that is the debate going on all of our own capitals Neal. SEN. And some others are debating what art to let us come into Washington where there are hundred of comma 75 about 200 as a king might be and somebody asked me if I was disturbed about this and I said no not just if I was behind John could know Russia I would be just thrilled if I was uncommon Mystic River in China. I would be just you. But in this

democracy. I have constitutional rights. Are guaranteed us where we have our first saidon our men met privileges where we can peacefully there petition the government of the United States of America can talk about all he want to talk about but we are here today he 200 strong and two weeks from now will be here five pounds on top of. Ah. And the people who are here uses to write a big deal to keep us from coming to our nation's capital. The e-mails were a bollard up and put it in the trash then some. Ah because we

are on our way you know Washington and we go live earth nor by turn us around. Ah and not only has arc but we're coming here. And we're gonna build Sharon and. We're gonna build a city there are whole the type of Sharon is that this and young lady from Mississippi lives here. They're tired of chandeliers and shacks that my people live in an Alabama Mississippi Georgia and in the good ole US of Chicago and New York City and we're coming here not far and our long not far Debbie. Not for a week but we're going to come here and stay here until the Congress of the United States does something about poverty and this kind of

awe. Are I. Are you still writing. The poor people of America. Black and white brown and yellow. Made up in our mountains than the Congress of the United States of America will do no new business until it takes care of our will because No. I would. The gross national product of our nation is 800 billion dollars a year the richest nation in the world. Our nation makes up only

6 percent of the population of the world and yet we control 33 and 138 percent of the world's wealth. John Fitzgerald Kennedy was correct when he said that one fearful of our population live on our lawn. I am. So rounded by an ocean on a platter. Well I'll tell you what. We have decided that we're going to do something about that Ana. We're going to build some bridges that lead from that island to the mainland. And for so long we have been out here on our own list alone not on the property and we have been taking it easy. We're done

being cautious. We have been going on on knees sprain telling God about it. Well I'm a minister of the gospel. And I believe in prayer. But I don't want you to know or deceive men that God helps those who help themselves. I will. Thank you. And we have decided. That we are going to get up from our office I knew ye and stopped turned and gone. All know there are bot problems. But we have come to Washington D.C. to tell an old BJP and the Congress of the United States about our problems and we are

saying to them. If you don't do something about it we don't get somebody who will. I would. Not have made such a record straight again. We believe in nonviolence Yes. And this is a nonviolent campaign. We may have violent inflicted upon us. But we will never retaliate with violence. Because I know when I realize marriage for I am black that first balance is immoral. As a minister of the gospel I believe in that. I believe in the words and in the teachings of our Judeo-Christian

heritage. And here we're going to put two to Lupita must put down his soul for he didn't fight it by the sword will perish by the Sultan. I believe very firmly and nay that not by might not by power but by My Spirit saith the Lord of hosts. I believe in the teachings of Jesus of Jesus of Nazareth. When he says Love your enemy is bless the arm that kill hew. And pray for them that despitefully use you. I believe very firmly that love is the most powerful full force in the world today. Will.

All that for me volunteers in morrow and then secondly for me the violence is impractical. I do not believe that violence ever saying a. Criminal solves any problem. It only creates more law and greater problems and the negro or the black man. The poor people in this country do not have the gun the weapons and ammunition necessary to carry on a violent campaign. Our role they want us to do right here in Washington is the time of our lives. Because they know how to deal with violence. They control the National Guard. They control the state troopers they control the army. But

not know whos you know we got ourselves. And we didn't get it just yesterday. But down yonder in the cotton fields of Alabama. In the swamps of Louisiana. Only Clinton who knows of Georgia. I can hear on mine and sustenance is singing out of that song. Keep in touch and intention all along we will get there by and by. A great idea has come and that is John Mack and that is not a militia that is not all force and that is no policy that will stop us. We will spend tomorrow here in Washington. We will take up to mom our own and where we left off this evening. We

have got to see Secretary of State Rice. Now you don't have to write this down because we're glad to have a sale. We don't know who to tell em. I would like to tell em myself. We must tell him that instead of spin down billions of dollars to defeat in America and yet nobody has a lock tap American soil instead of a spin known good unit of dollars to kill little brown people in Vietnam instead of spending billions of dollars to send black me and I don't want to have a fight and die in Vietnam and help when they come back home they came to our house and live in certain number who look. The way. We want to tell her. That instead of spending billions of

dollars to get a man on New Moon we want to spend billions of dollars to moon how to live your own newest bomb here. We've got to do health education and welfare office. We got a message for the secretary over half a Russian ass because we don't take our time. Taken our time. And then we've got to Palos by Mr. Weaver's office. You see you're not going to buy. A black man in America. A few cookies and a little TV. You're not going to. Buy our food negro and a black man in America by a point in one of the high position.

When we go to the bottom we bought our new grill tomorrow just like you. Yeah. We were going out one message for the white man and then another message for the black man. We know this black cap Annet million dollar we are sick and don't live in one direction which is the only we demen some dues on the houses. Yeah. Yeah. Non. Did nation have a fire in Moses. Martin Luther King. He was my best buddy my

inseparable for me. I went to jail with him for a certain time. Never did he go in a crisis when he didn't go with me or I did not go with him. He said to me over and over again Ralph if anything should happen to me you must take the Mameluke leadership and leave these people alone to the promised land. The old. Way. Now was. Quite a miracle was not satisfied with Martin Luther King. They thought he was rough and they thought. He was tough. So they decided that they would assassinate him and take his life. But I got new news for me on the way. However

through yoga you see. On my Martin Luther King's leadership we were just going to shake up America. And look at it in the real it until it went forward and we were. Not on a raft happened not this leadership. We don't turn it upside down on the OS the OS. I hate. The way.

We're going to teach America. That you may hear a good dream but I don't know if you can kill the juryman. The way him. We're all sick and tired. We're sick and tired of our menus being picked off and killed one by one more harm. Than we are already in our minds and not an aha that we're going to carry home. The proof. Which Martin Luther King left us with. He left us so nuff dreams to keep us busy for the next 100 years. The A. Man you know in the wrong when his dreams out will keep us busy for the next 100 years. I've got a dream or two myself.

Yeah the the. The the. Of of the. Non-op they are going to do anything they can to stop us. But I know what madness happened tonight. Because I knew him better than anybody here. I knew in my lived with him I ate with him off the same plate. Did he die. I lived with him in a room 3 0 6 at the Lorraine Motel. I was only about eight or ten feet behind him when he failed. I always tried to stay close to him but I never wanted to be too close. You know sometimes you can get too close to the leader. And you would be in the way. And I'm never going to be in the way. I

just wanted to be close enough to stand by his side. I never thought I would leave him. I have to walk without it. I thought they would get us together that we would both go together. But somehow the mantle of leadership fell upon my shoulder the other day got Harlem on the top of Mt. Kisco. In Memphis Tennessee and committed Martin to look and see Cain on not far off. And he said I may not cross the john. And enter the Promised Land but you must go over into the Promised Land. And then the assassin took his life. The next day and all of the sudden I'm on and I hooked up boss of the channel. Speaking to me Josh away. Josh away. Josh away. Moses Mark Foley about his game with

children all across the josh. Was. Not you was I am really I don't know whether you are really the follower but I'm rapidly and. I was. You see it took God four years to get my house is ready. But we live in an age of automation now so it only took him 15 years to get me ready because a modern side for 15 years. So on Reddit. You see ah now I have had my home bomb I was really at my church has been dynamite it already at my character has been assassinated already and my body has been I was here and my family as state was taken

away and some of the public option was written mile automobile was taken away and sold at public option all right where I had been sued for three million dollars. I was not chosen by the white man as the leader but I was chosen not a black man. So he came comes out of the way. The book so I don't know what's waiting for Matt but the road I don't know what the future for me but I know tomorrow in the future the boy. I know now that the rain will get dark some time. Like my and I will have to cry from time. I'm already in my. Sometimes I'm going to have. The Thomases We're back in. The

book I know I read somewhere on my way. I may be shot down but I am ruined. I'm gluon. Because I have seen the light and fast. Food. From the world. I have helped send break ups Dashon sound a comedy show but I often turn to steal the fight home he promised never to leave me know you'll never to leave me alone. You may turn your back on us but no one will leave us alone. I said I'm going now I'm turning every music so that we can use in mountains. I made no look at the Main Street and the rock

pieces I made plain to me it was a lot of your video I'm going to. Black and White Mandela Catholic and Jewish Christian in Gentile believers and nonbelievers can stand you can say yes. You've been listening to a speech by the head of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference the Reverend Ralph Abernathy. This was Reverend Abernathy's first major address after succeeding Dr. Martin Luther King. He spoke in Washington on April 29. I'm national educational radio public affairs director Vic Sussman inviting you to be with us again next week for another edition of E.R. Washington for. Technical direction for Reverend Abernathy to address was by John Lennon. This program was produced by W am you FM American University Radio in Washington D.C. This

is the national educational radio network.