Jackson advocate., 1963-01-12
The Jackson Negro Worker And
The Boycott

AuC DUy~Oll
During the Christmas-New Year Holiday sea-
son just ended the Jackson Student Non-Violent
Coordinating Committee adjunct of Rev. Martin
Luther Kings Southern Christian Non-Violent
Leadership Conference, and the local Branch of the
NAACP circulated by hand and by mail hand-bills
urging Negroes to boycott white merchants the
hand-bill containing the names of number of long
established and we'll known business firms of the
city.
Before expressing opinion in regard to the
matter here, for the benefit of readers take
this brief look at the history of the boycott and the
effects it has had since having been called into play
as an instrument of Negro Civil rights.
From Montgomery Alabama where it was first
brought into play some five six years ago by Rev.
Martin Luther King, Jr, to the latest try in AL
bany, Georgia, the efforts to the boycott as a
civil rights instrument has left trail of disu-
sion, disappointment Illustration loss of jobs loss
of many sincere white friends, and increased bit
terness and hatred towards Negroes; and has
brought about unhealthy political climate re-
garding Negroes in this state, in Alabama and in
certain other states and sections of states in the
South unequaled since the Reconstruction Era
In fine, there is nothing in it's history to date
to justify the claim that the boycott has had any
salutary effect in helping Negroes in gaining full
civil rights; to justify it's continued use on be-
half of Negro Civil rights. Indeed there is printed
elsewhere in this paper an article by Robert G.
Spivack which recently appeared in the New York
which means those who have been backing and help
ing Negroes in their struggle for civil rights are
becoming "disenchanted" with certain Negro lead
We suspect that this disenchantment points to
those Negro leaders, advocates of the boycott and
other public demonstrations.
It is also pointed out in another article by
George Schuyler, printed in this paper, that the
progress made by Negroes has been because Of
the help received from white people. We would not
therefore close this brief look at the history of the
boycott without reference to the Atlanta story.
In the Atlanta Story, printed some months ago
IN Fortune Magazine, it was pointed out that the
progress made toward full civil rights for Negroes
in Atlanta resulted from the most powerful and
influential white people of the city coming to their
aid; but not until the more responsible Negro lead
agreed to call for the abandonment of the boy
cott, and other demonstrations, and take ninety
day cooling-off period.
It ought to be clear from the Atlanta story
that the kind of white people that need to come
to aid in Jackson and in Mississippi not go
ing to move under the compulsion of the boycott.
Having disposed of our brief look at the history
of the boycott, we come to consideration of
the Christmas-New Year holiday effort here in
Jackson.
Among some of the chief supporters of the
boycott here are few of the Negro owners of
businesses whose customers are wholly Negroes.
We suspect that they hackers Of the boycott be-
cause they feel that it would mean more money in
their pockets, even though directly indirectly,
everything they buy to sell to other Negroes, is
bought from white people. If you are just an ordi-
nary Negro with good job working for some white
business you ought to have sense enough to ask
yourself if such Negroes so much interested in
your civil rights that they want Negroes to boycott
white folks. Why don't they be the first to close
their doors.
We would estimate offhand that the firms
listed on their handbill employ more than 800 Ne
groes on jobs where the pay enables them to buy
home an automobile educate their children and
enjoy some of the good things of life. Should such
provocaton continue and these firms decide to fire
a1Vy
government can't do one living thing about, the
suits would be tragic for these Negro families be-
cause there is one thing certain neither the Stu
dent Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, the Ma
ACP, nor Rev. Martin Luther King, has any jobs
to give Negroes here. but on the contrary are con-
stanty looking for hand-out from the working
Negro to keep their pockets well lined they live
the high life.
What the working Negro in jackson must start
to doing before it is too late is to let everybody
know that they are not supporting and that we
Negroes don't want Or need the boycott to help
US to the inevitable goal Of full citizenship rights
Tin our city.