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Wann brennt New York? Rassenkrieg in Amerika What all life needs is the power to find its due fulfillment. Thus, Black Power speaks both to identity (or the recognition of ourselves as the persons we should be) and to the empowerment necessary to enter fully into the life which should be our own. People who are power-less find frustration as their daily lot. Such is the lot of the black masses in a place which might be called Everywhere, U.S.A. This surely reflects Violent Minuses for the nation up to this point...because power has not been equitable! What about "integration"? If "integration" means to you the right of all people to enjoy the right to work at a job they are qualified for, – without being segregated by race... If "integration" means to you the right to live in the neighborhood of your choice and the right to the full educational needs – without being segregated by race... Then, I, too, am with you. However, I prefer the term desegregation to describe this legitimate and undeniable right already guaranteed by the Constitution. I choose this term because the word "integration" often – and needlessly – conjures up in some people's mind the so-called "horrors" of their daughter possibly marrying a black man...or the feeling that one's total social life is now ordered by legislative fiat. Desegregation – or integration, in this sense if you prefer the term – must be an immediate goal of this nation. Work forces, schools, neighborhoods, our churches and other institutions must reflect what we proclaim to be an open or "integrated" society. No decent American would deny this. Social integration, however, must always be a matter of individual choice – it should never be a group objective. To pursue it as a goal, in itself, is demeaning for the pursuer and is unfair to the pursued. Yet, empowerment of black Americans with self respect, alone, will make integration of this type immediately attractive as a personal choice to many persons. This is the simple and poignant message of my twin brother's award-winning book entitled: "Black Power and Urban Unrest." It was described by one critic as presenting a present-day "Magna Carta" for human dignity. I recommend it to you. Black Power – or the empowerment of black people, who all are benighted by our culture – is important to every American because this may be the only way the latent gifts of black Americans can be brought to the fore for the good of all in America. Not only do these black Americans offer under-utilized and quite valuable skills and energies – but, also, thinking black people have a unique experience on which keen and creative insights might be drawn for the salvation of our nation – and possibly mankind. Further, in order to guarantee a healthy and abundant labor source in our companies various localities, we have to help lead them into new roles – new involvements in every community. No longer can we leave it up to government, alone, to plan housing and develop recreational outlets. Our unique experiences as black people with many government assisted programs, can help our people understand that so-called urban renewal often will turn out to be urban and/or sub-urban removal of a vital part of our labor (or human resource) supply. Also, non-corporate involvement with our ghettos often led to the conditions of urban unrest. For the good of our companies – and the best interests of our nation – black citizens must be dealt with equitably in every community. Black people like you and me must help lead the way. There are some people both black and white – who condemn the concept of Black Power as producing violence and separation. Nothing could be further from the truth because the empowerment of black people may be the only non-violent way to bring this now racially-divided nation into a unified and equitable whole.
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