Arkansas State press., 1953-12-25
Lock Step" Is Not The Solution
Gage Four



From time time, the ugly spectre of racebocunity
the lock step in racial affairs its head and holds up
an admonshng hand herd the creative dssdent Negro
into line and into step
Mass block unity unites the race on superficial
basis color of skin being the primary consideration. OF
course the outstanding organization of this kind the Ku
kux kan making appeal to 100 cent white persons
to band themselves together against all others The extent
OF the success of this type of organization may be seen
rought the fact that of the members of the oganza
ton have been jailed for their activities and the further fact
that branch of the organization realizing the futy of
appeal to white people a whiteness alone has in
ved into its ranks such Negroes will favor their
segregation and will the khan that basis.
The history Of the XXX rising at first in what seemed
effort sectional service and continuing lockstep
racehate organization to its gradual dissolution illustrates
the inevitable outcome of all block movements No block
CAN succeed in the creation of block except by
the total destruction of independence and initiative 1t never
has in the history of civilization and it Sooner
later the block is defeated by individuals vrle aad
creative be forced into ocksep Or it goes to its
suicide for the lack of those qualities which block al
ways destroys.
The who attempts block is thus working
against the philosophy of history He IS also pushing dan
gerous and devious device Block unity not only destroys the
great essentials of democracy, but Ike all forms of mass
action and locksep, it usually from without and al
from within That is, block is almost always
formed by the influence of powerful leader who by
able to exact unquesoniRg obedience from
his followers Fascism and Nazsm under ussoni and Hit
Ter respectively examples This means that it may be
stated without any intention dpaage those advocating
block unity that attempts to create such unity usually re-
suit from what may call vested interest that some
person group in position profit by block action
attempts set up such unity, There is resemblance
between the ocksep of block the intelligent coopera
ton of lkeminded people pursuing common objective The
the result of the absence initiative; the other the
result of the presence of it.
Block unity divers attention from the merits Of
controversy 1t derides and brushes the individual who
would voice opinion dontrary the block leader TIL diff
ference between block leader leader may be d
cerned by the fact that the leader pleads
and the block leader for unity regardless of the The
final stage of block movement always be dictator
ship of kind staggering depotsm in world nation
section, state, county, township, social group
The movements which has succeeded most have never
been achieved by blocks The aboonist party which drove
the country first to and finally to emancipation Il
ways minority and seldom carried Important
election It its decision through the peadngs of its
champions through the locksep followers
Some, like Lovejoy their lives all lived dangerously.
The party itself developed block but its issue finally
became the issue of the nation.
The Universal Negro Improvement Association the
hand and the National Association the Advancement
Coored people the other the writer illustrate
Negro past and contemporary history the relative import
ance respectively of the block and the The UNA
good ultimate objective but its essential method
have been the creation of block 1t gained several million
followers It's approach antagonized the greatest world
powers England and the United States the opposition
of Negroes who did not want to become members the
DOCK The NAACP which espouSed ISSUE and welcomed
into its fold black white seems have had
many 100000 followers any given time but it has
made impression the nation all proportion to its
size and its various publicity legal programs gained
followers everywhere and given edge weight to our demo-
cratic institutions
block invites attention to the superficial 1t repels
attention to the issue. 1t parayzes thought and criticism
Nothing could be for the Negro observation-disclosures
Our strength the strength of principles Our life pow
this republic depends extent to which we study
issues and take al intelligent position upon them.