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FREEDOMWAYS      
FOURTH QUARTER 1966

in that operation, but those I did acquire have proved to be terrific and wonderful.*
  
Later on when I traveled through Africa, I discovered that I belonged to the African family, with 150 million African relations, with an ancient and honorable historic and cultural background. With more travelling, experience, and study I learned that I also belong to the family of colored peoples, a family so numerous and widespread that four out of every five people in the world are my Colored relations.
  
Some years ago when I began to write professionally, I joined another kind of family, a working family, the Union family (The Family of Organized Labor), when I became a member of the Authors' League and the Playwrights' Guild.
  
When I began to feel that I must take some direct and active part in the political life of my country, I joined a Political family (The Progressive Party), and with my Progressive relations of all colors, religious, backgrounds, work for a truly democratic, healthy, honest, peaceful administration for our country. 
  
When threat of a Third World War loomed up on the horizon I joined still another kind of family, the family of Women (The American Women for Peace), and together with my Sisters work in every way I can for Peace-in-our-time. This family is of course related to Women and Peace Fighters everywhere. 
  
And now, as I look back and look forward, I find that I belong to the most important family of all—the Freedom family—which is made up of people of all ages, colors nationalities, and religions who yearn and fight and work for Freedom for themselves and for everyone all over the world. It is a wonderful thing to belong to this Freedom family. It is a family you join by choice, not by accident of birth. The only way you can join is by working and fighting actively for Freedom for yourself and for your fellow human beings. The only way you can remain in the Freedom family is by continuing to work and fight. When you feel the going is too tough, or you are too tired, or you are too busy with other matters, then you automatically retire yourself from this Freedom family. When you say or do anything against Freedom, you automatically divorce yourself from this family and throw yourself out. You, yourself, do this. Members join this Freedom family and remain in it because they want to,

*Now have a lovely granddaughter, as well!

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