Jackson advocate., 1963-08-10
The Barq Bottling Company
Boycott

The Barq Bottlng Company here which has en-
poyed some twenty-five or thirty Negro workers in
fulltime jobs in its plant over the years; while at
the same time giving generous amount of summer
time work to Negro students out of school, is among
the local business establishments, listed for Negro
boycott by the local civil rights organizations for
several weeks.
The reason for this call for boycott, extremely
flimsy in the first place. the charge being that the
Barq Company had delivered free drinks for the
policemen guard at the compound in the fair
grounds where those arrested during recent demon
strations were being held has been denied in every
detail by the company
On one occasion. we are reliably informed, the
owner of the company went to the head of the civil
rights organization primarily responsible for the
boycott and presented conclusive proof that the
charge against the company was and is wrong and
completely without any foundation in fact only to
be given the cynical reply that during the Negro
struggle for civil rights, in such cases, there
times when the innocent must suffer along with
the guilty
1t has now come to lis that the management of
the company is now about fed-up with the situation
and is planning the early firing of all of the Negroes
employed by the company.
We are of the opinion that there is something
CnaC Cne vast majority OF negroes VINO are aOle TO
think for themselves, can do, and should do to try
and stop this wholesale loss of Negro jobs.
In the first place we would point out that what
those who have been drinking Barq drinks before
should begin again immediately and make it known
to those stores and cafes where they previously
bought Barq drinks that they expect to be able to
buy them there again from now on.
This call to start anew to buying and drinking
Barq drinks of Old is especially directed to those
Negroes who still working on good jobs for
White People, in the full knowledge of the fact that
while it may not now be true, their jobs may soon
be threatened by what is happening to the Barq
Bottling Company
We would also point out that not single one of
the civil rights organizations operating here, and
in the state, is able to employ even one Negro in
lasting and reliable Job with salary that will en-
able him to buy home, automobile, feed, edu-
cate, and otherwise provide for family; moreover,
that there is not single Negro-owned business
here, operated independent of the White COmmun-
ity, that employ five Negroes continually at
living salary; that every Negro among the masses,
with good job, is employed by White business
establishments. 1t should therefore be evident that
a threat to of these establishments is threat
to ALL and therefore threat to every working
Negro this being reason enough why every work
ing Negro should take no part in any kind of boy
colt.
AS matter of fact the civil rights organization
leaders and paid workers are making living and
being paid mainly out of contributions collected
from the job-holding Negro masses employed by
White business establishments.
What happens at the Barq Bottng Company, if
it does happen and we sincerely hope that it wont,
will be in essence a counter-boycott in an area
where the civil right organizations and the govern
ment cannot do anything to help those effected.
In recent speech, Whitney Young Director of
the National Urban League pointed out: There
forces at work such automation, urbanization
and host of others that on the surface, are in
different to race, which unless identified and
medal steps taken will find the masses of Negroes
five years from today with mouthful of rights
living in novels with empty stomachs.'
Finally, among the host of other forces, we would
identify the boycott, which at times, has brought
about the employment of four or five, and some
time one Negro to spectacular job, to be point
ed at sign of great success by the civil rights
rganization while failing to mention the fact the
many, many times more ordinary good jobs were
lost during the process because of the resentment
directed at the Negro masses.