CORE'S (Congress On Racial Equality) 24th National Convention, June 30, 1967 (Part 1 of 2)

On Friday June 30th there was a mass rally at the Oakland Arena celebrating the 24th anniversary of Kor and launching their national convention. Oakland City Councilman Josh Rose welcomed the convention to the city. Muhammad Ali was the featured guest and Dick Gregory the keynote speaker a chance remark by Muhammad Ali toward the end of degrees address led to a conversation between them and a plan which they announced to the audience for a boxing match to be held for the benefit of the starving people in the south. Here is Dick Gregory. Thank you very much. You know I would. I mean you know. You move break are you not good at the way. You got talking about black women. And I do.

Not eat meat as they want to say you know the Supreme Court decision it's OK for you know white ladies. So that's why he turned as white men to you know you don't want it no more. Our kids would just you know I feel I'm your wife. Now my brother sincere but if you kept it not that. I want I want to Why didn't my heart. Already met we were kids. You never see when used four years old did you ever see your mom and dad making passionate love. He never did. That's right. Colorful to see mom and dad doing. I went to the movie when I was four years old and evil God and Humphrey Bogart and.

Alan lead another white man in the bay. So by the time I get eight years old I walk in the house and tell my mom and dad is like she don't know how to make money so why shouldn't I know why folks in the media. So I got to say to this man if you didn't want me to have a white lady he should at least gave me somebody in the movies other than. God baby. I wouldn about how little we. Really know. Yeah well if you want to go to the movie to see if I get you know. That like to dedicate a verse to the chant to the army from the hallowed. Aleem. Maybe he will never get me.

And I'm the man told you that I got the button I'm running for president as a write in candidate. Now I know the first thing you think you can't win. He win but I bet I miss about his books. My little 8 year old daughter walked up to me the other day and called me all the time. I just wish all the white folks that think ambitious could hurt that. Set your Uncle Tom knew eight years ago. See how do I have to be to smoke some. Elite speed. As a baby and say we want to hear you me as a baby. The cigarettes I'm smoking say right and the pack is going to kill me I can give you no advice.

Right there. Caution. Cigarette smoking may be hazardous to your health. I don't appreciate being in the forces from the bad news. I mean it. And what about the cats can read. I want to get out of the the white ghetto. To heal Billings walked up to me and say Hey baby what's this you say only back a few minutes we can't read I see it's a baby. It's a you mean if we keep elite we'll get some as if you get enough of them you will get something. You say well I mean do we have to get to turn him in. Is it you just give not in turn you hear. I was I was talking to him and our lead date. He called me Dick Gregory I called him cash is clear as a baby don't you know I've changed my name.

Yes it was Jabal Jones. And his wife going to resent that. You see Willie Mays didn't make it all started. You see that I was so mad a part of the night and I said you prejudiced son of a. Oh you mean Willie Mays didn't make his house shut up nigga we gave you the watermelon concession. I want to be parents and have you know for them to live right around the corner. Be careful with your crackers and things. I mean that I said no sensitive I may be serious for a few minutes because I mean when I was a kid said Muzzo never lived that charitable. And didn't go off. Was my last one. And I went up to and say. You know I was a white boy for that. You know one thing I've got to say because if you are sure the hell do you call convention in

Glassboro New Jersey. I mean LBJ and go see a man scared the hell out of me. You make it to be the most powerful cats on the face of the earth. Decide if it's going to be world war 3 week ill be you don't understand Russia because you know it's a noose. And they going to decide our fate and destiny can usually. I don't know many. People happy because today they just pick the first Negro astronaut. A newspaper reporter caught me in a backstage Greg you know we just picked the first Negro astronaut. Today. He said Are you happy as a bell now. They probably figured from here on in England be not accidents maybe. If you had to pick some Indians to your. Kids all know they can be very fair understanding electors Negro be the first one to try out a new experience.

I just live Washington D.C.. Now I want to be able to use grandpa when I want to get me past not barbecue. And I know that I know I'm not coming to Texas in the holidays. I know I was made to take. But no I mean can you imagine. Patrick and Lucy you know coming back today. I mean if LBJ would pick up don't know why they don't try to pick that boy back. And when that baby was born did you see Pat No you picture on the front page of all the papers with that because I don't have to go to Vietnam small on his big.

Carrot. No matter where you want to me you read about him. You didn't want to. Know him b c is going to do a big special on that is really war. Next Sunday from 9 to 950. As time goes on I am free another day as it may be that much of the fight is if we get to hell we have long been watching all of you. I. Am really going to talk quit tonight because I got to get the hell out of here and I. Can still help out a friend of mine. Why can't you just.

Call it big it burn a watermelon. About a standard become the champion brother. Thanks. Thank you. The chapters now you.

Are. Coming to have a religious war going on. Yeah yeah yeah. Give me a white patch. You know. Oh he caught hell from my back you can't walk with me to visit.

I was surprised so many Jews was for the Israelis in the war against Egypt. Are you surprised I said well you know he gives his a. Oh man this poem is only out keep us honest but I'm here we know. Deep in the back if you cannot go to the movie and seek after Michael Humphrey Bogart and Sidney Greenstreet. Futile to lose the air I'm going with could I live every time I looked up and read the paper out of the manual is not the real thing. Oh yeah but. You know them from my room. The wailing wall no idea which they've got some of that all day and the wailing wall. But can't our camp early they thought we were going to. If the Supreme Court turned out on my case I got something like. 400

order to. Try to get some of the family and get any early to spaces civil rights affect you financially after you damn right. So what do you mean he realizes that two cops in Chicago suing me for kicking him and bite him while they were trying to throw me in front of the train. All of this one cop. Told me that he. Cursed myself personally but I just want you to know that it can really be. Oh that upset it. Happened to me after not this week. What if you wake up one day next week with a strange taste but don't biscuit. And watermelon.

You know you why people kept it used to sit next to you didn't they they stopped. Jumping. I mean you know you know thing that really I think is really think that it white folks will say you know what they think you know maybe 10 white folks in Saudi trainloads what amount to the neighborhood and trains come back and didn't know what to do. You know whatever but you know Mohammed I think he could really handle his application to fill out and when you get to that section of occupation right murderer. Can you believe in this country we got such dumb stupid laws we would never have to murder. You've got to be non-dog.

Then we'll draft you an army if that's not a waste of. Your wish I will be nice to get it. But he never replied. I mean I just passed the time of the races and all I had to do was get all penitentiaries in America take out all sex maniacs. Be a hell of a war. Beat all this nonsense you've been reading about pick up the paper headline two hundred be it count killed American casualties light which is bugging the hell out of poor. And infect me actually pick up the paper one day headlines will be 27 be it coming in 95 trees attacked. You know that when the want be.

Here when I know you please remember Star read about in true you have a march on the White House here but you have to give it up if. You believe we live in such a world today nobody gives a damn. Kill and some others don't. Well let's treat the world back up a few mixed up myself. I mean they're a newspaper reporter interviewing me because it's great that you can read about these on identified flying objects. I say yet because they would tell me something is what is How come no colored folks will see it. Oh man we will see in those things seventy five years ago and. Our You know we ever wake up one day this country is going to be whole as people now I mean it means that we just stuff that we never thought Miska how many of you in the house

tonight remember the days before television. Memory. Can you believe we used to be so dumb and stupid to listen to tap dances on the radio. Let me show you how you think in this audience is even one of you sitting in this audience this evening whatever you dinner in your toilet but your toothbrush stays in there all day. Can you believe we live in a country tonight that have spent billions of dollars for civil defense buildings and they closed on weekends. Like oh so you can go fight a five day war. That's one Friday Saturday and Sunday asked a sloppy drunk maybe. You Larry won't we ever get hit with a nuclear attack on we get drunk you mean get out and try to catch a commie. Ever call me a nuclear bomb. Black power.

Will be stressed. I take that bomb down among them real damage there from Governor Wallace out. Saying we don't overcook. The end. Governor Wallace take one look at that bum come out hug me join me on the second go and done a baby. Then I take that bomb in Washington D.C. and negotiate with the president and I don't have to tell you I'll be dirty right across the White House law. Stepping in and. Kicking him damn treat. And I'll get right on the LBJ. Is the Birdman can. Wipe all that damn barbecue sauce off your mop and come on down here I want to talk to you.

All right. LBJ take one look at that money hurry up. I just stood on the Great. Energy make me man I get is a bunch of black Muslims. And I give LBJ. And he made me president. And I be fair. I will put in my cabinet. This LBJ was good enough. To give us the first Negro cabinet member the. Commissioner of barbecue rears.

Shall I carry my. Name in the book is nigger and his books really come in handy to me when I was marching down Alabama last year. Look there is how you do need it alright it. Was. Indeed. One million four hundred thousand copies. If I did my ambition is to put a nuke in everybody's home. I thought I was 95 cents for a nickel. And if you know someone that came forward in the jungle labyrinth. I'm trying to get me a thing going with 50000 cats going live around a given day. Where the niggers go.

Come on television. We got to stop. So I'd like to welcome you here and to my brother for night. To night. I was just plain. Ole me. You know. My father gave my girls background. For

for 10 he start talking all crazy and you know I mean you know he's a champion. Look at him and say I really should not like that as a dog to spit on all white women but I was better just to him wouldn't you know by no malice toplevel don't get on my plane home directory. But it is a pleasure to be here at this convention. When I was in New York I was down at a con and I were to go on spontaneous unpremeditated magnetic sh. I. We've got to be serious for a few minutes like talk to you for a run

because humor is nice you know a lot of people tell me but you don't a good job to help solve the problem. We never left him out of existence. In the great research scientist would probably find a cure for cancer and I hope this won't be too human. Let me set the record straight with me. No problem. The one crisis that we have in this country today. We have tried to take this great social problem. With humor. Do we stand. It that America is the number one most racist country on the face of this

earth. We never sign up for it. Perhaps. Another time when I go and speak to say America is a racist country white folks get uptight well white men get uptight because I see America as a racist country if you don't include Americans. But when I say America is a racist country that includes any time a black man tell you not racist as a racist statement because what he's telling you he's been born and raised in a country that preached and practice racism before any part of that damn. Peru. And is now the first to be ashamed of how white folks who can't afford to live in this country. Heritage racism. The insanity part is of 1967.

As for the normal races. Hell if I had my wife to another man in the morning I had a choice of a blanket apology from people like you. One of the false pretenses that I don't want my college friends and everybody loves my wife to white blanket which is higher than the that's racism. There's great social problem exist in many of the come from the prisons or tonight we could somehow get this country because we could be on his way. And that's the great thing about this because. All the civil rights movement is behind because of because we have some black folks that decided to be honest and tell them what they needed to hear. PERINO When you tell a man what he needs to do what he wants to hear maybe you haven't lived up to your

moral commitment. That's all that's all no more no less. And that's why I'm here tonight with my brother and then say but believe droops. I'm here because my man is on his baby. I'm so damn sick and tired of my brothers going around and why folks. Always a little pain for some time to tell the truth I'm mad if I go to the brain surgeon monitor got a brain tumor I'm not going to have a party I might not even like in part but I'm a commonly head operation in this country infested with cancer and we keep lying about it we keep talking about my cancer the headache it sounds good is what you want to hear but you want to die. Talking about. Moving on to white folks.

Wrong. It's somewhere down the line and we want to be honest if we never solve the problem just be honest. And for white folk to get together I'm Thomas who writes books we talk about everything but that sixth image I got home I mean you know what nobody want to talk about and white folks might not know but we talk about. We never talk about image around the colored woman cause you know better you know. Oh and we have a we have a sex attraction but it's only known what is white man let me be a man as in beer cause that's my baby boy. Let me know. Look at all these militant just so busy being militant can't be honest. Maybe if you win a hand in Rome just to

get you a bigger broader than Mr. cracker. What we talk about. White folks. You know how you got that's actually a problem you know you got it. Never one man no better than another. Because a white man to his white brother he lied to his white brother to get a better dollar. Are you what you think we get on season cinematically watch me very. Well to be honest not gray and white who stood up to say $15 not practicing

for sale and I got 50 miles to go. At that point when we got our brothers. You realize there's no gray here to have sex with 40 women a day. And then practice gotta pay me $50 dollars that's what you get to take it. That's where you get to say you don't have nothing to do with it. You believe it and why does every. Country to be out. And then every night after he took that nigga we'll go back and check on his investment. Just lazy and shiftless. The whole nation went down crazy and became a blundering literate over

two words Black Power. And a newspaper reporter coming from New York City would stop the comment you know black person is great it is for black money to wake you up when he's with me. When I want to know what is black power he y focus pictures back from the moon he didn't call me ask me to write. Now you want to know what black power will get you to look at or look up the word black and write it down and we can look up the word power and write it down. And then get real time out of money to put both of them together and you know would like power. Well I've been telling people not for a year to go get a dictionary and look it up. So today on my way here for live home I look didn't want to have fun when you go home go get a dictionary look up the word black. It's opposite of white.

And when you look at the word power to scare you to death it's this might force ability to do X control comma authority comma influence comma right. And usually Why focus on the colored folks quit writing to people and asked them will you just go back to the book and look it up you might learn something. Everybody's scared everybody's scared of what's here. If you check the book you find out what is legal. How to take my word for. That written in the bill is that we hold these truths to be self-evident that all men are created equal and endowed with the power. And when these rights are destroyed over long periods of time it is your duty to destroy all powers that government not to mention right that. Way.

Any poll to let me say this to you. Nature is stronger than man. Or not because you want to make it a long time long enough you get a car to go and turn to return to this country got a callous around this. If you don't back this you have just gone way out. Twenty thirty years ago black folks in America had empty stomach today black folks got to be part of this country. A hungry mind will not tolerate this. Home with my son and I don't want this country doing something right. Five white boys going to the draft according to Congress of course. Even people in power you can't comment on.

On the one babies we read about what you do because all these young kids just don't want to post. Because I've been all over the world and that's what the world telling me they don't want. Now let me explain what I'm talking about real quick. If you see if this is funny people all over the world. Civil rights workers get gunned down in the street and I babysitter nobody any right minded person in this country to guard their freedom. And in closing let me just read something to you here that have really

horrified and depressed me. Thanks to television and the mass news media. We were able a couple weeks ago to hear the six doctors reports on the people who are starving to death and the stuff they were talking about white folks and colored folks. But you know when you talk about white folks income of folks doing something that's 90 percent worse. So I flew to Washington D.C. and I got all those government documents. And if you read them I'm talking about the doctors that the doctors put out. This one here the one that sails right across the not from release this is the one they really didn't tell you about. Just go into here to talk about what's going on with these kids down there. And as one doctor said he couldn't believe it was the kids were so hungry.

Their body was eating their own protein bodies towards me. In a nation in the 1968 budget a nation at the United States Information Bureau is going to spend 1 billion 900. And one million dollars for propaganda all over the world. A nation that we're going to be in for the Natural Resources cultivate natural resources in this country three and a half billion dollars. But we've got people starving to death in this country that's going to spend one hundred million dollars over the world. Our nation paid 47 farmers a hundred thousand dollars case money. The nation as a priority food stamp program as a black man you have to go to a white man.

But that's not a mark of good white folks. And in all of Congress. I take all my friends. And go to all of the countries be given Forney and beg for money. Peter. When all this I am here and I'm not a connoisseur. Yeah I get you don't get to you I would know the country but I damn sure don't like them like growth and I don't get it in the white boy. But in all this. I intend to go all over this world

including India all of the country that we give foreign aid money to in every common his contract get into and predict the specs not propaganda the truth. This is no more a fraud than the Holy Bible. So. I'm like well telling you. I am. Not.

Here and you have all the money. Am. What I was saying and I say this now before the press and the world and I cannot go back on my word. We'll get together. We

will challenge one of these boys that they have now fighting for the crown. We will challenge him for the heavyweight champ man. Right. We will challenge him for the heavyweight champ of the world black white and everybody come out. And we'll give every cause to the people and the money is there. A. Chance. Of. A. Shot. I get a.

Chance. A. Had so many things I was going to tell you better. I can say nothing because all you people here that you have history in the making from the positive because believe me when it comes to people I'll take a negative. And I go all over this world and I will present the facts. But presenting the facts here tonight. Might mean I don't have to

make a move. All I gotta say. Our problem. This contract with lots of people. To fix the problem and more of severe. Cool. Permission for Muhammad Ali to fight in the Oakland Coliseum was denied on July 12th by the California State Athletic Commission. The vote was unanimous 4 to nothing and no reason was given.

Donald warden who has been an active worker in the Bay Area on racial problems for a number of years is head of the Afro-American Association in Oakland qubit. I'm very glad to be here and I'm glad to see that people today are concerned about the future and the direction of the race. It's very difficult for me to describe the feelings that I have you see those who know me know that most of my life is influenced very heavily by feelings. For some years I suppose it came from the church. I became convinced that if the race were ever to move it would have to come in the area of song. We could discuss Hegel incumbant we could discuss the Pissed I'm ology in

philosophy but somehow until that had been internalized to become a part of our emotional framework we weren't going to move as a group. And it becomes quite clear to me today that among the elements that are moving to establish the direction of a black man that there is in our lives and in our soul not only that not only that we have garnered from school the knowledge we have gotten from the street but we have done something unique in America. We have taken the brother from the pool hall with respect. Instead of telling him we have listened we have listened to the domestic media with respect. We did not reject her because she did not have a Ph.D. We listened to the musician with respect. We said a roofer sing respect James Brown saying don't be a dropout.

Then we were also going to universities and schools. And we said what we need to establish and to support a mass movement is some knowledge of what it means to be blah. We're no longer afraid to be black. At one time when someone suggested being black to get a little nervous looked around said white people may be there. Let's not talk to Ma sœur. I can remember when you could remember that the colored person black or a young lady black you might get hit swiftly and with great force. But this fear of being replaced with another feeling came today we are telling a black woman not that we feel that we're better than anyone but we're

saying that black power is meaningful. We can analyze it and we can be good. First we tell everyone black power. I can dig it. They say why do you talk that way. So well I use the personal pronoun we like that. Can begin the verb phrases trance or tear. It means you have to have action and you have to have a direct object. It is a direct object it's a pro man used as a substitute for me which means it can refer to any thing they can refer to beauty. They prefer to refer to. Thank you. And when we say black power it's not to frighten anyone but it's to reassure the black race that the feeling that it must be an A-line What does it

mean. Black power is very easy Dictionnaire you heard Mr. Webster. He talked about that before we were blown. He said power is the ability to perform work. Power is the ability to move. It's a show. It's a push in for every action there's an opposite in equal reaction after they told me all right. So power is the ability to move. Power is be ability up black people to move. Which way we go is going to depend upon the program. Black Power doesn't tell you that there's a program Black Power tells you we want to move. It's a declaration of faith but the direction that we move the pins on us it means we decide Can you dig it. It means that just because a person has a beard from the University of California

and doesn't wash that doesn't qualify him to lead the race. It mean just because the government says you are a leader and we've given you a thousand dollars a year and the poverty expert that does not qualify you to lead my right. To own. Just because University have conferred upon you degrees of academic excellence that does not qualify you to lead the way. I may not be qualified to lead the race but I sure am going to ask where I am being lazy. To own. The purpose of the conference is to provide a program that's why we're talking

together. That's why we're bringing every element together so we can sit down and talk and say brother what do you really want. We want this conference. When to have the black woman with more strength than she's ever had in her life. We want also people to go into the streets. You know what they'll be. You say Mr. Would you suppose be educated why are you doing now. That's how. Everyone's not able. I'm going to have to stop I want to let you know that is an excellent feeling that is occurring today. This feeling is going into a lot of different directions. First to start with I.

Got to get together that you know what the Jews did to an Israeli crisis. As powerful. Jewish power no one talking about racism either. The Jews pooled money together in Atlanta then come to the camp and said please raise money for us because if you don't raise money we have no money. Then go to the Arabs and say well if anyone's blood be shed let it be ours but not our. The Jews met in synagogue to synagogue they raise money a kid said I'll willingly go to put down my light. They told family time for division. We gotta get together we don't care whether you're Jew or we don't care if you're in the garment industry we don't care if you're selling food. We got to get together

because we gotta move and we must win. That's. Part. Of Black Power means that's what we got to do. Not because it's not because the Chinese did it not because the Japanese did it but because we decide we want to do it. Some of you still free hours to controversy or people will ostracize me. Black Power means our ability to move. It means the ability of the black woman to walk down the street and have everyone respect and let me tell you this much. If we don't respect a black woman and no one else don't respect her can you dig that. You can talk all this talk about all black women are so beautiful and I just love you line you know. If you want to show the world the beauty of a black woman is not in conversation. Anyone can write a poem and say black woman you have my heart and I have yours.

A fair exchange one for the other given the joys of life at last are now complete. There never was a truer bargain driven for the black woman has my heart and I have heard her heart in me keep her and me in one my heart in her her thoughts and senses God I love her heart. For once it was my own. She loves my heart for her. You know by the black woman has my heart and I have her. That's easy to say. My last point is B.S. If you really want to put the black woman across it's how to do it. It's not in the conversation. It's not in the porch. It means that you must show the world what a precious jewel she means when you meet her in the street you help her cross the street and you treat it with all the respect that you can muster. You make everyone jump. Chinese and Japanese white women will go on saying you know I wish I were black and she's see. Thank you.

That's where it is. Let me finish soul sister and say so Sister I'm not trying to hit on you. I don't want to disrespect you but would you please give me 30 seconds to admire Black Beauty would you please. In this way she can go home and say mom you're wrong. The black man who used to be with the negro man used to be we he's not we can emo You should see the respect and the glory and power that is in his state and his in his trance and in his in his very being. Well this is one of the things that I would like to contribute to the formulation of the concept of black dignity and the concept of black unity the only other concept that I at this time would even talk about is the soul that means don't forget it's off. It will disappear unless we preserve some time to do the Watusi one year and a jerk

to next year. Why people do the square dance every year they have something it's. Something it's a change every year right. Maybe imma take notes but I'm going to change but there's some standard dances of don't Foxtrot so called class. Now what we want if you want unity something has to keep us together. Just because we look like that's not gonna keep us together looking like a 300 we. Got to be some cultural thing that we have that we do and suggest. Let's take a dance and make it our national day. I suggest a Boogaloo because of how it got started. In book loose a Louisiana demonstration. People started it you know and they said no we can't do that we don't want any trouble. Please don't hit us because we will have to defend ourselves in order to fulfill the Constitution. The law says it should be done. So the people start moving their hair. Yes yes.

Yes. And I have to wear you know a brother here. You can do something intellectually. But when the music starts you let go. You got the African flavor and then they started with. Wow. Ladies and gentlemen the important speakers have arrived I've just been taking time for you but you've been very kind. Thank you very much. Mr. Ron Karenga founder and chairman of an organization in Los Angeles called Capital capital last had this to say.