Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1963-06-03
Techniques Of Non Violence
aught by CORE in Jackson
BY JOHN HALL
Associated Press staff Writer

JACKSON. Miss, June g.
About rs Negro high school
and college students sat In a
semicircle In a corner Of a
large auditorium, intensely
watching a white lunch
counter" two small tables and
two chairs.
David Dennis, Of Jackson, o
22-year-old field worker for the
Congress Of Racial Equality,
conducted a class on nom
violence for the youths. who
would take the places of other
Negroes arrested at lunch
counters downtown.
James is sitting at a white
lunch counter. Mrs. Robinson
is a white waitress. This is a
white agitator," Mr.. Dennis
said.
Sixteen year old James
Wooten, Jackson Negro high
school student, asked for a cup
Of coffee. The waitress" Mrs.
Willie Robinson, 26, of Taylors-
vile, Miss, gruffly replied,
Sorry, but we don't serve Mig
gers in here"
"AgitatOr" Rushed
The white agitator"-2O-
year-old CORE worker George
Raymond of New Orleans
rushed young Wooten, slammed
him to the floor, beating him
on the shoulders and kicking at
his face.
mo, no. You got too many
places open," Mr.. Dennis inter-
rupted. you could get a Judo
chop on the back Of your neck.
Curl up, pull your knees up,
crouch up Let's try 1t again."
BY the third try young
Wooten rolled smoothly to the
ground, pulling himself into a
tight ball with his hands
clasped protectively behind his
neck. THAT was good, Mr.. Den
mis- said. ANY questions?"
The students shifted and
watched each other. They had
been amused and laughed at
the mock tussles, but thoughts
of the tactic sobered them.
Look man, what If this agi-
tator has a knife?" one asked.
swell, If he has a knife,
there's very little you can do.
You can try to rum" Mr.. Den
mis- said, taking the question as
the opening for a talk on the
non-violent technique.
Touches Sin
when you fight the indi-
vidual you're not touching his
sin. This is something that has
grown up in him since he was
d little boy. He's been told to
say niger. niger all his life.
you. there. what good can
violence do at this timer Why
is it so important to use non
violence?" the Negro teacher
demanded of an inattentive
youth.
well, we can't gain any
thing by violence" was the an
swer.
A hand in the back shot UP.
Mainly because we're trying
to play on his tthe white
mans conscience" q young
Negro said.
Right. It's a fight Of the
righteous against the sinner,
and you are trying to fight the
sin. not the individual" Mr..
Dennis said.
The teachers went back to
object lessons as three more
students entered the Negro
Masonic hall.
Practice Distracting
Earnestine Preaster, a 10
year-old Negro high school stu
dent. took a seat by Mr.. Ray
mond. This time the white
agitator' was white 22-year-old
Steve Rutledge. of Croton, N. Y,
student body president at pre-
dominately Negro Tougaloo
College of jackson.
Mr.. Dennis told his class Mr..
Raymond would try to distract
the attacker Of the female as
Mr.. Rutledge slammed Miss
Preaster from her seat.
"The white agitator viii try
to provoke the male into vio-
lence by attacking the girl. but
he's going to see how you sacri-
flee yourself for another in
dividual."
Mr.. Raymond leaped UP. his
hands behind him. MY white
brother, my white brother, ''he
told Mr.. Rutledge, diverting and
absorbing the mock attack on
Miss Preaster.
Lesson on Marches
The class moved TO lessons
on how to picket and particle
pate IN mass marches. Mr.. Dem
mis- told them non-violence did
not demand that they stop de-
tending themselves, only pas
sivity for "a demonstration
with specific goal"
Mr.. Dennis. working with Mr..
Raymond and a Tougaloo stu
dent. Betty Pole. said lO0-i50
youths we're trained last week.
The numbers we're hearten-
ing, he asid, "but II they don't
think they can be non-violent,
we don't let them take part in
demonstrations. They funk the
course"
D.. ~ -.