This was one of the first pieces that drew my eye in the pieces we were shown in the first archival research. This speech was given in 1963. This pamphlet was sold, as shown by the price tag printed next to the cover photo. The speech itself is extremely interesting, being a starting point for the Black Power Movement [as this was about 2 years prior to where most scholars would agree the Black Power and Black Arts Movements took place, although movements will always have this bleed over into earlier and later years.] it talks specifically about the unfair treatment of the students in custody.
The typeface had several bolded sections, which I assume would be for legibility. One of the main sections that stood out to me was the discussion of the Muslim students being seen as anti-Christian, for what seems to be simply due to them expressing their religious views. This transcript is a perfect look into this transition period, especially when it comes to many of the ideas expressed in the Black Arts Movement.
The quote that stood out to me most was “So the question is, who’s more brain-washed, white America or black America? I think the answer is rather obvious.”
In summary, this pamphlet offers a fascinating glimpse into not only important speeches of the time, but an example of college age students facing these same issues we’ve been studying.
This is an illuminating document, Fletcher. It shows how the distinctions often made between Civil Rights agitation and Black Power militancy don’t always hold. Though from 1963, the unapologetic tone of this pamphlet rings of nascent Black Power militancy. There is also a strong tie-in here to Black radicalism; that is, left-wing political organizing that provoked federal and state governments to target Civil Rights groups and groups associated with Black Power, such as the Black Panther Party.