Minneapolis spokesman. [volume] (Minneapolis, Minn.) 1934-2000, 1956-03-09

With those words setting tn
tone Of his address before an en-
thusiasuc crowd in Columbus
l,ooo-seat Union Grove Baptis
church Sunday afternoon, Rev
Robert s. Graetz. 27-year OLE
white minister Of Montgomery
all-Negro Trinity Lutheran
church. unfolded in calm. graph,
details the Montgomery Story
Of passive resistance against tn,
verbal and physical abuses which
have resulted in boycotting tina
city's buses and the arrest O.
more than 100 Negro leaders.
Acknowledging his listeners, whC
time after time were stirred I,
an almost unanimous chorus o.
"hallelujahs" and "amens" by tn,
youthful minister's address, e
bear in mind that. I'VE In Mont
gomery are not just fighting fol
$4,000 Negroes; we are fighting
for IS million people" Rev. Graet7
declared:
There IN no hate In our
hearts against those opposed 20
us: we love our enemies as God
would have us love them"
We have got 60 keep this
thing non-Siolent or everything
we are fighting for will collapse,
he stated.
Rev. Graetz. a June, 1855 grad.
uate OF the Lutheran seminary n,
Capital university In Columbus
urged his audience not 10 refer 70
the Montgomery as a boycott. but
a protest only our enemies
call II a boycott"
The accepted version OF the pro-
test has been that Montgomery
Negroes refusal to ride the city
buses began with the arrest and
fining last Dec. 8 of Mrs. Rosa
Parks, highly respected Negro
seamstreas who refused to yield
her seat in the Jim Crow area OF
the bus TO a white passenger.
Theoretically. Rev. Graetz
pointed out. that version is true,
but more important, he continued.
Is the fact that a series Of indIg-
mites" against Negroes In the
Alabama city exploded in the
Parks incident.
Among these. according to Rev.
Graetz. were:
. Herding Of Negroes 70 the
back Of the coaches no matter
how many empty seats wcre
available In the front, or white"
sectiona. n
leaving Negro passenger
standing In the street because
drives had To make up tim~."
a recent Incident during
which . bus driver kicked n wo-
man In the face.
can assault by n bus driver
on . Negro woman passenger
whose back was broken In the
melee.
Kroes by Montgomery cops b.
cause they refused 20 move %
tho bach Of buses.
Shooting down by police Of
man involved In = dispute with .
bus driver.
In the Rosa Parks affair, the
ooyiSh appearing minister main
aimed. Mrs Parks. upon entering
he bus went directly to the
'colored'' section. but after the
whites had filled up the front Of
he vehicle, the driver began ask
ng Negroes to get up and give
heir seats TO white passengers
Mrs Parks. who Informed Rev.
jraetz that Il was just too tired
% move refused TO give up her
rat Her arrest followed and she
vas fined Sit
Mrs. Parks was arrested on
week end. the Montgomery pastor
declared. and the city was almost
Immediately flooded with rlmors
hat the Negroes were going 10
'oyoott the buses the following
morning"
rhe Montgomery Advertiser.
he eootinped. Inadvertently got
IN. protest movement underway
WIN 70 city edltor picked mp
the rumor and In Its Sunday edi.
lion ran . banner headline.
''M"otgomery Negroes 70 Boy.
colt Bos~- Monday Morning.
That did ~" Rev. Graetz told
he overflow audience. We Sun
ont know who started the report