og

 

ee

Seenypremmrecectse' shee

3
Wednesday, January. 16, 1963

THE COLLEGE. NEWS.

Page Five

 

- Militant Black Muslims Continue to Gain Strength;

~ Demand Supremacy « or Separate Nation for Negroes

by Rachel Brown, 63

“Mere crumbs from the ‘ohlen: of

an abundant society have made mil- .

lions of black men ‘angry. That’s

_ why there was a riot at the U.N.
- and why the black” nationalist: move-

ment. is growing and: becoming more:
militant.” ~

Such is the analysis of the in-~
creasingly prominent, profoundly ra-

cist movement which is most power-"—
fully embodied’ in the Black Muslim :

organization. By the end of 1960
there were 69 temples in 27 states, .
and by now there are more. A large
rally was held in Philadelphia this

~fall, and meetings are held almost.

is in no manner confined to the

daily “on 125th Street in Harlem
where the most articluate and dyna-

“nie “ministér, Malcolm X‘holds forthw *

Most of the niaterial for. this article
is taken from an excellent’ and com-.
prehensive book, The Black Muslims
in America by: Eric Lincoln.

Racial equality..in the.U.S, isfar
frome realization. Discrimination, in
schools, housing, employment, poli-
tigs, social welfare, and private_life

- South. sneer aA mY eet oe es

‘The Negro is taking an increas-

ingly large part in civil rights ef- <

forts, meeting’ added frustration,
while the rise of African nations is.
an inspiration that highlights the
irony of his ‘position.. He may well
feel that “at the rate things are go-
ing here, all- of Africa will be free
before we can get a lousy cup of
coffee.” ‘

Modern America

Modern America provides boun-
teous. food for this. movement..which
first developed from the discontent
of rural Negroes who had migrated
to Detroit during the Depression
seeking a new and better life.

The Muslims have adopted the ex-_

“ternal features of islam—the die-

tary laws, the prayers to Mecca,
certain Arabic_-phrases,—and allegi-
ance to Allah, the God of the Black
Man.

,. The théology of Islam is under-
‘stood by few, and is not central to
the Movement. Their ‘school sys-°
tem, called the University of. Islam,
has. been recognized as a legitimate
parochial. system. Although cértain
essentials are taught, the aim is to

instill bitter, uncompromising ‘ideals -

in young Negroes.

_ Training -Classés -

In ‘addition tothe universities,

«there are training classes in home
“economies for girls, and an unarmed

but well trained and disciplined mil-

itary corps, the Fruit of Islam. Its °

mystical title is symbolic of . the
whole movement, for as the fruit is

the.final. product...of.:the'trée” while’
‘yet containing the seeds of a new

tree;-so the Muslims are -the final
product__of slavery who bear. the
seeds of a new nation,

Similar to the White Citizen
Councils, the’ Muslims aim for com-
plete separation, socially, economi-
cally, -and politically. « Odious«: in

‘their eyes is any integrated activity, :

and they will threaten mixed cou-

Students Can Vie™

‘For Writing Award

The Katherine Fullerton 'Ger-
ould Memorial Prize for excel-
lence in writing, a prize open to

_ all undergraduates, is ‘offered: by ’
- the Alumnae Association in mem-
ory of a member of the English
Department. Undergraduates are

.. « urged to submit entries in any/-of ~
the following categories:

narra-..
informal essay, verse and
A contestant may submit |

tive,
drama.

a more than one ‘entry. The ‘prize

be made on May Day.

carries a. financial award of $50.
Entries may be left in tif Alum-
nae Office in the Deanery any
time up to 4:30.p.m., March 29.
Announcement of the award will ©

»

-had in changing life “patterns,
creasing family stability by revers- .
-ing the matriarchal . pattern com-
mon to the lower class Negro family
and-giving the man new importance, °

>» aration,

ples. “Buy Black” is their —
for their economic problems, as’ they
attribute much. of the white man’s
power to his economic domination.

Much of their suspicion results from

the ‘scurrilous activities. of: ~white

slum: -landlords, and merchants who

exploit the Negro’s posttion.

- Politically, their aim is to strength-
en the Negro’s immediate power po-
tential. by encouraging him ‘to vote, |

and a strong urban block. is ‘develop-
ing, willing to vote as Muhammad
directs, if he feels a need to do so.

_(Muhammad is one _Elijah Poole, _
leader and “prophet of the move-

ment.)

But the avowed end of-the move-
ment is to-securé a-free nation for
the Black Men in the: U. S. on the
territory now comprising five or six
states -to- he ceded -to- the, Muslims
by Congress. Their, petition has

"~been’ rejected by. the legislature.

Alternatively, they plan to organ-

ize Pp return to Africa, and settle .
there» with their historical and. spi--

ritual brothers.
Self Respect

This political isolation carries to
the extreme the theory that the
Negro will never “achieve equality
without a fundamental self respect
and confidence in himself, which he
can never attain in a society of white
men.

To complete the divorce from
American white society, the Mus-
lims replace their surnames with
the letter X, as the former name
had only been imposed by the .white
slavemaster, Preferring the term
“Afro-Americans” or “Black Men,”
the Muslims refer’to the “so-called”

‘Negro because the word Negro is

the white man’s, and implies inferi-
ority in its connotations.

~~ Elijah“ Muhammad’s following “has
attained the—proportions~ ofa mass

movement, and: as such it provides.
‘a structure and outlet for repressed
_ hostilities and frustrations.

designed to give the Negro pride in
himself, and has had remarkable o
fects.

Strict Morals

Members Tiust refrain from smok-

‘ing, drinking, overeating, gambling ”

They are subject to a strict code of
sexual morality, and are instructed
never to be the aggressor ina dis-

_ pute. The rates of juvenile delin-

quency in Muslim homes are strik-
ingly lower than the norm. The

- young Muslims are neatly dressed,

courtedus, but with hard eyes—one
young leader told me that since he

had joined the movement he- was
neither scared or ashamed, he~- was -
a new person, no longer a “so-call-:

ed” Negro, but a Black Muslim
with a totally new attitude toward
his life.

United in ritual-observances ‘and
in a vitriolic hatred of the white
man, those who find themselves at
the bottom of: society..can find an
identity, a purpose, ‘and security

“as part. of the. super..organization. _
The movement gains most converts

from the lowest class of urban Ne-
groes, but its leaders are intelligent,
shrewd, articulate, and motivated by
an uncompromising race hatred in,
their search for power.
\aThere ure ‘many aspects of the,
movement, however, which appeals «to
the sense of “Negritude” “which ° is
awakening in Negroes everwhere.
The effect that the Muslims have
in-

and in making the Negro conscious
that. he has a role to play_in. improy-
ing his. lot has. not been’ unnoticed.
The Negro middle ‘class tends to
admire the movement for these rea-
but to-deplore the ‘rabble-rous-

ing quality and the solution of sep--
The upper class, extreme-* .
ly conscious of its precarious status, é:

- a
.
w

interpreted =as- anti-Christiari-

is:

refuses to give the movement any
recognition or credit.

. The Muslims are'in a paradoxical
position, for they’ will never become

a, powerful . movement... .without--the.
—support- -ef-—the-- -middle--and- upper asked by “many.

classes, and these ‘classes will tend
to refuse support unless the Mus-
Yet
it is precisely this racism. .that.’.is
such a unifying factor in its eoncen-
trated hatred.

An appropriate question now is
whether the Black Muslims: are a
legitimate religious sect. American
Moslems do not recognize it as such,

lims tone down their racism.

but -Muhammad_ has. visited-~Meeca, ~|
and there are other sects within.

Islam which vary from the central
doctrine.

Anti-Christian_

The important function of Islam ~
is its .

for the Muslims, however,
structure as a religion that can. be
~The
Muslims emphasize the role of the
Christian’ Church in’ justifying “the
status: quo, teaching the Negro™to
accept. his condition’ humbly.

By identifying Christianity as the
white man’s religion, the Muslims
assume that Islam is that of the
Black Man, and it becomes~ another
vehicle for racial separation.

The Muslims ¢éan be seen, then,
as a mass movement and a_ sect
whose. religion. is. an external form
for its activist hatred. They face
the problem of legitimacy, ‘both as
a movement (Zionism might be a
model) and as a_religion, for.. ac-

ceptance.by the. Moslems would in- |

Mists?”

crease their respectabliity. - They
face problems of. leadership, -al-
though it is probable that Malcolm
X will succeed Elijah Muhammad.

What then ig the future of the

“and intolerance of the racial situa-
tion today is building up. Already

some outbreaks, few it is true, have

oceurred,. It-seems obvious that plans
for setting up a separate’ nation,
either hereor in Africa, are unlike-
ly to materialize. Therefore. some

other end will have to ere as

~ This: question“t js ‘being
Intense” hostilty”

ship.

an outlet for this feeling is inevi-
table.

The fact is that the Black Mus-
lims speak the truth, and they: will

always h have cause for growth unless .

the truth is” changed, Much hope

a putin. the NAACP, GOR®,.and

peaceful solutions, the woice of the
middle and upper classes, but if it
not seen soon that they’ are achiev-
ing, their end, there may .be but one
alternative. Tragedy will come when
only the Muslims are able to speak

the truth-and- provide the leader-

 

Monday, Februar) 4:

anytime after January 28.
Wednesday Febriary 6:
Room, Good hart.“

ae the OLD TESTAMENT.. -

Office by February 8
Monday, February 14:

_in the Ely Room.
Common Room.

NOTE: he TCs

Worship ¢ during exams.

»

 

Coniaie Events After Exams

8: 30, othente Stokowski will give a Friends
of Music lecture on“The: Making of an Orchestra.’ The event,
in Goodhart, will be open to all Friends 6f Music and to students
who, obtain free tickets from the Office of Public sosiainarcies

7:10, Mecting for

7:30, Interfaith. presents’ Di...
“Jewish Publication Society who worked on the new translation

Thursday, February 7: 4:30, Conservative Club wil sponser.a lecture
by James .B. Atkinson of Georgetown University.

Friday, February 8: 8:15, The Bharatiya Kala Kendra dancers and mus-
icians of North India will perform Kathak dancing at Swarthmore
Transportation. will be. provided, Anyone interested in a ride to
the performance should sign on the list posted outside the Dean’s

7: 30, Mr. Delesseps. Morrison, United States
Ambassador to the Organization of American States, will speak

8:30, AIESEC presents a fashion “show

will - be np Wednesday evening Meetings

Worship, Meditation

‘Sol omon..Graz

P=

with Mrs. ,Dudden.

for

sel. editor of —the-|-

 

 

 

Se OSrenn es OW On: campus...

 

 

AVON CALLING -

WITH FAMOUS AVON COSMETICS! —

- For the very first time here-at college, you can buy Ayon Cosmetics —the Saas
“largest selling in America!’ Exquisite make-up! Beauty-laden skin care!
Heavenly fragrances! Only your Ayon Campus Representative-brings ther

 

| ‘to you. She'll be happy to-show you the complete Avon selection which
includes handsome gifts for men... gifts for all the family for every occa-

sion. Do get in totch with her.

Sy

Your Avort Campus Representative at Bryn: Mawr is
-RONNI ISELIN, Merion. Hall

°