The need for action (Part 2 of 2); Racism in America : past, present, future symposium

Other questions. Yeah go ahead. I think the problems are here. I was out here I. Was saying get any votes in the black community. Now. And I think this is you. Know. Mars. I mean this is this presidential situation is such a mess you really don't know what to say I mean you know one hand you've got Humphrey Vietnam. Other hand you've got Nixon shouting for Law and Order and we're going to have an honorable and peaceful end of Vietnam he never said how. Might one of you go wrong us but I think our year is where you have to be organizing. When you have Proposition 14 in Chicago runs in black America devoted brother white America. I think that you have to organize and attack the issues are here you've got to move beyond. The church to do something about racism. The other ones that have to handle that political structure is in your hands. I think this is where the organizing has to take place.

And you're in dealings with white America every day I don't really know you know I you know I think suffers the most of this whole affair I think of. Middle class black Americans I think. You know people often talk about the sufferings of black people in poverty in this is terrific. But at least we live in a forest you know. Kind of a fortress. Black Americans have to live out there in white America. And listen to a lot of nonsense. A lot of racist garbage every day. If you go to sensitivity you know that you're going through this also. That you've got to deal with that white person who tells you the so-called nigger joke. Has the wrong attitudes towards society this is the individual that you have to confront. You know I am a very interesting. Meeting going one day you know on a black and white. That you know the mean a black student look at the white students and he said this he said I want to ask you a question he said you know he said I had a friend that Marquette University he was white.

And I thought we were on good terms and. The one day I came up to him and he was with some white friends of his. Because you know at that time I acted as though he did not know me. It's an I want to ask you something what do you do when you grow into right society. Do you remember me then. Am I your friend then and how do you react. To that racist society in which you live. I think this is something that you can do. It with one more question. Yes. Blonde blue eyed girl a long street here. With you. Did you hear the question she was concerned. I didn't she was concerned about.

That right Sapir that would not allow the sisters to go to Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral. And what would happen if she entered the convent. The tragedy she had to the convent. How many. Dollars jump in the sea committed suicide. If she entered the common and she blew that. Here's my we almost did you know we said look a. Door. That you added to we just can take sisters out of our community you know. You know she is a mess of me because I would have taken 200 black kids we would have camped on her front lawn you know. But you know we handle it that situation real well I think this I think that you have to make a judgment and conscience and I think that sisters and I think that priests know a train has been this old bean you're always right we're trained in an Eichmann style of obedience you know. And.

I think everyone goes through a transition in this but you have to be true to yourself you have to make judgments on your own conscience and you have to be mature enough and strong willed enough to follow that judgment of conscience whatever it might be. And if you blow your mind what. Good. Deserves to be blown. You know. What I just read your right to for correspondence. With. Whom. You can send your letter to eleven twenty two West Clark Street. I'm not good at answering letters I don't know the name. But. We could get some when. I go to market. No. I was educated. You really want to know. I was educated in the black community.

I mean no. I mean that very seriously. I think this you know that. You know that whites that come into the black community are going to see black people and teach black people learn in our educated I might say are Christianized. We've often had this added to the churches had this attitude to be bring in some kind of missionary activity into the black community into other communities. Other than a Christian community in the parish of St. Louis the missionary workers in white society. And by nature I'm no missionary and I go when out there. But this I think is the street I was educated at. St. Francis seminary saying Lorentz invariance in Francis. Bayview high school. Make a conception grade school. Yeah.

Yeah. In St. Lawrence seminary. Yeah. Here the question E.D. question was there were you know the. Fact that you were here shows goodwill but how do we transform a talk station into an action session. But to me these talk stations you know have another kind you tonight a must see. Getting conservative in my old age. But I. You know how do we transform to this is just a place where people come in so sad that I'm savin their consciences or is this a place where people come to learn something and go out to try to transform society. I think that what you have to do is organize yourselves I can tell you what you have to do I think that white Americans have to organize white Americans of goodwill have to organize themselves.

Look at the society in which we live look at the evils in which they live and then you got to go forth and do something. Now. There are various things that various people do when I dont think that you know different people commit themselves to different extents. For example one of the men in our parish is you know they burned a draft records and more rocky last week five priests Christian brothers five laypeople. Clearly a fantastic act of courage a few of the members that were involved there were members of my parish some of the white members. One of the young men you know. Used to be a seminary and you know activists had a $15000 your job as an insurance agent gave that up at $10000 a job you know with the duster commission gave that up gave all of his money to the poor he's married to three children. You know which the Catholic Worker Party gives everything to the poor. You know to me said Jimmy said I don't care if I spend the rest of my life in jail I'm so convinced that this draft system is immoral that our involvement in Vietnam is a Moabite spend the

rest of my years in jail. I'm going to do that. Well you get together with five priests none of whom were from Rocky in this Christian brother a Protestant minister and other lay people. And they went downtown and they did just that you know they got in a draft. Board there took out the draft records took them outside and burned them. Gasoline and went to jail. And there are facing 20 years. 25000 to 30000 dollar bond in each man. These are Christians who are committed and who are willing to give themselves to whatever extent possible. Church criticized them. I say that they're heroes in 20 25 years now the church is going to look back and use them as an excuse and say we were involved look we had by priest in jail we had these many Christians in jail. They're sitting back doing nothing. But I think you have to determine is I think you've got to get yourself a little organization to get

together with individuals here and talk to them. Look at the issues look at the problem and then commit yourselves I can tell you with individual actions to take place that you have to turn yourself. Yes ma'am. Thank you. Well. Give me a call be happy to come back and tell we should cover the middle of winter though. OK. Come back any time I can I see this is one of the beauties of the movement I'm walking at least of the youth council I've been with the youth council now for four years and they've developed to the point where they just completely take care of their own organization. They've got some excellent leadership there I feel in particular in their president. And they take care of the organization themselves determine their own actions and. And carry on their own fight. I. Take it with them a good deal with them. But they make their own decisions and all their own organization that's why I'm free to get out as much as I

am at this particular time although I'm trying to organize a parish a little more. A sense of real Christian commitment. And some of the individuals they're shown so much courage that they've. You know they've really put me to shame by taking the two people in the parish that. Are now facing 20 years in jail. They didn't ask me tactically Praed vice you know that I would have told them that they would have asked me tactically for advice. Well I think everything is good but I think you ought to try to get away. As for I would have told him. I don't. Know I don't know there's difference of viewpoint here. But. I'd be happy to come. I think.