Which Way USA? - Bayard Rustin

[Music] [Music] bayern rustin an early civil rights activist explains to other black leaders that the way to freedom is found in political and economic power i am all for sense of dignity amongst negroes but the black power movement was not the beginning of the movement for negro dignity what the black power elements really are are a frustration to a difficult and tiresome situation but they if we are not careful will not engage in politics but in self-indulgence as an excuse for politics if i were to ask you what stokely carmichael's position is on police in our cities you could not tell me if i were to ask you what his position is on housing schools and jobs you could not tell me if i were to ask you what the black power people's position is on political activity you could not tell me what they do is to engage in a great deal of frustration stupidity now let me say clearly one must always be in the position to protest and one must engage occasionally in protest for protest calls attention to the evil but the job can be solved only through the achievement of billions of dollars from congress now money is not enough but one can do nothing without money the negro people in america can win nothing as negros that everything that we must do now is to try to create an atmosphere as a viable dynamic negro force to force the american people to face the basic contradictions in american society and if that is to be done then the task is a political task it is not a protest task and cannot be what we need to do is to force the american society to re-evaluate its values to set up new priorities to create social planning that will not be done on the streets it will be done in the city halls in the state legislatures in the national congress and in the white house in fact the tragedy of the negro movement today is the tragedy that we are attempting to use old methods for a new situation you