MENTAL CHAL NS

THREE MONTHS AGO, IN A SMALL TOWN IN TENNESSEE, 200 N

——_,

ee os

HISTORY, WALKED TO THE POLLS AND CAST THEIR VOTE FOR THE PR
— —<—

ONE WEEK LATER EVERY ONE THAT VOTED WAS FIRED FROM HIS Job,

REFUSED EMPLOYMENT OR EVEN HOUSING BY EVERYONE IN THE VICLNETY.

—_———_—_

GROES, FOR THE FIRST TIME IN

_—_

BOIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES.

THROWN OFF HIS PROPERTY AND

TOVAY MONTHS LATER

THESE TWO HUNDRED FAMILIES ARE LIVING IN TENTS IN A VACANT FIELD BEING FED BY VARIOUS

=

CHURCH ORGANIZATIONS. THERE ARE NO MORE LaNoaINGs A507

ae

THE SPRRIT HAS NOT BEEN

QUENCHSD. IN THE SOUTHERN MIND THE NEGRO IS NO MORE AN EQUAL THAN HE WAS ONE HUNDRED

YEARS AGO.

cc

TODAY IS RACE RELATIONS SUNDAY, AND CQ[MCIDENTALLY THE

A MAN THAT BEGAN AN ISSUE THAT DURNS HOTTER TODAY THAN ON Tj

PROCLAIMATION.
_—

IN THE SHORT TIME WE HAVE THIS MORNING I CO

BIRTHDAY OF ABRAHAM LINCOLN,
He DAY OF HLS EMANCIPATION

UL) NOT BEGIN TO DEAL, IN

DEPTH, WITH ALL THE FACETS OF THE RACIAL PROBLEM: IT ISA MANY SIDED PROBLEM @2XXXERYX

MESTEEM DEEPLY ROOT’) IN WESTERN CULTURE AND IN THE HEANT O

———s

THAT BY REVIEWING THE ISSUES AND HINTING AT A CHRISTIAN'S R

YOU TO SPEND SOME TIME THINKING AOUT IT.

y¥

EVERY WESTERN MAN. I HOPE

ESPONSIBILITY I CAN PROMPT

PROBABLY THE MOST OUTLANDISH AND VICIOUS DEMONSTRATION OF RACIAL IMMQUALITY I5 IN

——aeFeF

THE UNION OF SOUTH AFRICA. A FEW CENTURIES AGO DUTCH EXPLORERS BEGAN TO SETTLE ON THE

20

SOUTHERN MOST TIP OF AFRICA AND WITH THEM THEY BROUGHT CHRILSTIANITY THE DUTCH R«FORMED

FAITH. LOOKING TO THE OLD TEST. THEY EXTRACTED TWO PASSAGES THAT SATISFIED THEIR NEEDS.

——t

THEY FOUND THAT NOAH, HAVING BEEN DISCOVERED LYING NAKED I

N A DRUNKEN STUP@R BY ONE

OF HIS SONS, HAD UTTERED A HARSH CURSE AGAINST HIM:/THEY ALSO_FOUND THAT JOSHHA HAD

DESIGNATED THE GIBEONITES, TO BE HEWERS OF WOOD AND CARRKE

ASSUMED MEANT THE NATIVES OF THELR NEV ROUND LAND AND THUS
ieee bea]

THEIR DISTORTEB LOGIC, THE DOCTRINE OF APARTHEID. GRADUAL!
Sa —_

RS OF WATER. THIS, THEY
UX THEY FORMULATED OUT OF

LY THIS DOCTRINB BECAME LAW
crepe cena, ———-

AND

AND TODAY A HANDFUL OF CAUCASIONS EXERCISE ABSOLUTE TYRANNW OVER 12,000,000 NEGROES.

a

TODAY, THIS HANDFUL STILL JUSTIFIES THEIR ARROGANT STAND FROM THE STANDPOINT OF

BIBLICAL CHRISTIANITY. I JUST STATE THIS IN “ASSING TO NO}
a - 4

DOES NOT, BY ANY MEANS, HAVE CLEAN HANDS IN THE AREA OF RA

——

fs THAT THE CHRISTIAN CHURCH

pi RELATIONS.

fo OUR PROBLEM AT HOME 1S GREAT ENOUGH, SO I SHALL RETURN TO OUR NATION AND OUR

/

PROBLHE( AS A PEOPLE AND AS INDIVIDUALS.

THE AMERICAN NEGRO 15 THE VICTIM OF A SLAVE MENTALITY

THAT HAS IMPLICATIONS NOT

ONLY FOR THE THINKING OF THE WHITES BUT THAT ase INFLUEFCES HIS OWN THINKING. THRE

c
IS NO NESD FOR ME TO DESCRIBE THE TECHNIQUES OF 18 and 19th CENTURY SLAVE rvrapgf Irs

UTTER INHUMANITY HAS BEEN SURPASSED ONLY A FiW TIMES IN TH

I AM SURE IT 1S EAMKIAX FAMILIAR To ALL OF YOU.

— HISTORY OF THE WORLD AND

FOR DECAJES THE NSGRO WAS NOT EVEN

Se

CONSIDERED HUMAN, I NEED NOT GO INT THE TSCHNIQUES OF SIA)

HQUENTLY FALL TO REMEMBER IS THAT SLAVERY WAS NOP A SHOR

WAS READILY STAMPED OUT--IT WAS AN INSTITUTION THiT FLOURI)
Fal —

HUNDRED YEARS. IT IS NO WONDER THEN THAT IT HAD A LASTING

ee

AND ON THE MOS, OF BOTH MASTER AND SIAVE. AT THE TIME OF

fSRY EITHER. BUT WHAT WE
P TRAINED SOCIAL SVIL THAT
SHED FOR. MORE THAN ONE

EFFECT ON SOUTHERN CULTURE,

THE EMANCIPATION PROCLAIMATION

THE NEGROES WERE LEGALLY FREED FROMTHELR CHAINS, BUT ONE PRESIDENTIAL PROBL ON COULD

— $$$
.

NOT ERASE THE DEEP SCARS OF 100 YEARS OF SERVITUDE.

pa ADS

SCARS ARE STLLL EVIDENT IN BOTH WHITE AND NEGRO THROUGHOUT

Nearly 2 ot

AS A MATTER OF FACT, 100-Ye6. LATER THES:

THE COUNTRY.

NO ONE WOULD QUESTION THE FACT THAT THE NEGRO IS DISCHIMINATED AGAINST IN EVIRY

AREA OF THE NATION, IN EVERY AREA OF LIFE. ONE NEEDS ONLY

METRO POLITAN ARSA TO SEE THE RESULTS.

THE N&GRO IS Fi: AND EQUAL LEGALLY BUT HE IS T

IN HIS OWN MIND HE IS BOUND BY THE VESTIGES OF THE SLAVE Ey
-_—— =
super ateypo

TO TRAVEL THROUGH ANY

TLL BOYND, BOUND BY MENTAL CHAINS,

A--AND WHITZS TOO ARS BOUND,

CHAINED MENTAL LY TO FLASE TRAUL TIONS AND STEREOTYPES TH.T ALSO EMINATE FROM THE SLAVE
pt ae

—_——

BRA.
BREAK THEM.
IN THE SIAV# ERA THE wooo ONE HUND RED a

HIS ONLY ASSOCIATION WITH WHITE HUMANITY WAS IN THE CONTEX)

THESE CHAINS WE MUST LOOK AT THIS MORNING AND SEE WHETHM WE HAVE THE STRENGTH TO

AS SOME SORT OF SUBHUMAN.

OF SERVITUDE. IN PERSONAL

he

LIVING, WHAT HE DID HAD NO SIGNIFICANCE: WHETHER HE KEPT HI!

WHETHER HIS HOUSE WAS N@AT, WHETHER HE MARRIED THE MOTHER O

——$— ——

WAS HUMAN SIMPLY DIDN'T MATTER. HIS TRADITLONAL HABITAT WAB

————

SIGHT OF HIS MASTERS MANSION, HIS LIFE WAS SIAVERY. THE PA

SEL! CLEAN DIDN'T MATTER,
F HIS CHILDREN, WHETHER HE
A SHANTY, WELL OUT OF

PTE! OF THINKING AND BY NG

i

THAT SLAVSRY CREATE) WAS NOT ABOLISHED OVER NIGHT. THE NEGRO WOMAN WHO PICKED COTTON

DAY IN AND DAY OUT FOR R14 HOURS WAS NOT SUDDENLY TRANS FORME

) INTO A N. «ATA AND CLEANLY

SOUTHERN BELLE.

acre Sue, whe [Serge a [ve

Vo A: fe reuse at ij ] Qeamese LF

(MEN Whtose braurtoteces , k Fobbes auc dh. lde—

= i AND
if often flerry y
HE a ci E FREE.

WHEN WE SHE A NEGRO SLi M, WITH FILTH AND SQUALOR EVE YWHERE WE DO WELL TO REMEMBER

and Se

THE MENTAL CHAINS THAT ARE NOT EASILY BROKEN.

———————

A CENTURY OF BSING THE MASTER WAS NOT FORGOTTEN BECAUSE ABE

a, —

MASTER, 100 YEARS IATER THESE MENTAL CHAINS STIL. BIND SOUT

—————————

—

GEXH OBVIOUSLY, NO MIRACULOUS GHA NGE OCCURRED IN THE THINKING OF THE WIITE MAN.

LINCOLN SAID HE WAS NO LONGER

HERN MENTALITY, TRADITLONS

ARE NOT EASILY — DO WELL TO REMEMBER THIS ALSO AS WE READ ABOUT SOUTHERN EFFORTS

| a
TO MAINTAIN SHGR°GATION,

WE, IN THE NORTH, HAVE NOT ESCAPED THESE MENTAL CHAINS

——

DOWN TO THE ARHA OUR PS:SONAL THINKING LET US LOOK AT SOME (

THE HUMAN MIND OPSRATES IN STRANGE WAYS AT TIMES, ONE @

STRIVING TO CATHGORIZE EVERYTHING: TO B LUMP GREAT NUMBERS

ee —————_-

EITHER. LOCALIZING THE ISSUE
1 THESE CHAINS.

F THISE WAYS IS ITS QONSTANT

4N ONE DEFINI TION—TO

be

STEREOTYPE EVERYTHING IT ENCOUNTERS.

—_—

—

AND HARMFUL OF OUR MENTAL CHAINS.

STEREOTYPING IS PERHAPS THE MOST PREVELANT

IN KERR REFERENCE TO NEGHOES, OR ANY MINORITY GROUP FOR

THAT MATTE’, THE TENDENCY IS TO ATTRIBUTE THE SAME CHARACTHRISTICS TO “VERY MEMBEL OF

THAT GROUP. YOU HAVE PROBABLY HEARD IT SAID THAT NEGROES ARE LAZY OR JUST NOT WUITE

—

AS SMART AS worn IS A VERY COM.ON AND VISCIOUS STERQ
ee —— -

UNTRUE.

—_—_

THE RSCENT RISE OF A FEW NEGROES IN THE FISLD OF ATHLS

——<—<——

PEOPLE TO BELIEVE THAT THE NEGROE IS MORE QONDINATED THAN
Nice xtbceth ot Bentkcacts

THIS VIEW POINT TO THE FACT THAT THAT FOR THE PAST FW YEA

TYPE: AND BY THE WAY QUITE

TICS HAS PROMPTED MANY
THE WiITE. PROPONENTS OF

5 FOUR OUT OF FIVE ALL MMERICAN

BASKETSALL PLAYERS WERE NEGROES, THAT AMBRLCA'S BEST SPRINTER, HURDELERS, HIGH JUMPERS AN

I HAVE EVEN HEARD SOME

+.

BROAD JUMPENS ARS N&GRO AND SOQ ON,

WALVE STUDENTS CLAIM THAT

NEGROES HAVS A SPECIAL MUSCLE IN THEIR LEGS THAT ALLOWS THM TO JUMP HIGHER AND RUN

FASTER. THIS SIMPLY IS NOT TURE, THE N&GROS PHYSIGOGICALL ¥

IS THE SAME, FROM TOP TO

BOTTOM AS YOU AND I. hoe PREVOMINANCE OF NEGRO NAMES AT THE TOP IN THE VARIOUS FIELDS OF

ATHLETICS CAN BE ATTRIBUTED ONLY TO DESIRE AND THE KNOWLEDGE THAT TO BE RECOGNIZED THEY

MUST BE GOOD. IT IS COMMON TO HEAR THAT NEGROES ARE BETTER

JAZZ MUSCIANS, BETTER

DANSERS, SOME CLAIM THAT NEGROZS ALL HAVE A PARTICULAR ORDQR ABOUT THEN--THESE ARE ALL

UNTRUTHS, HAVING NOPFACTUAL BASIS, THEY ARE THE RESULTS OF

STEREOTYPING. STERO,

DOES NOT S]P_WLTH THE AREAS I'VE SIGHTED, IT PERVADES ALy,

OF OUR THINKING, THE MOULE

INDUSTRY HAS HELPED CREAT? A POPULAR IMAGE OF THE NEGRO, VH
SS ae

RY HUMEROUS, HAPPY GO LUCKY

OUR LAWN ORNAMENTS OF NEGRO POST BOYS SHOW TO WHAT AN EXTEN? THIS HAS BEEN CARRISD.

THESE ARE MENTAL CHAINS, CHAINS THAI BIND US FROM TRULY ACC

EQUAL AND UNTIL WE HAVE BROKEN EVERYONE OF THEM WE WILL NOT

PONSIBILITY AS A CHRISTIAN. IN HIS VERY PERTINENT BOOK THE

EPTING A NEGRO AS AN
HAVE FULFILLED OUR RiS<-

RACIAL PROBLEM IN XTIAN PERSPECTIV

KYLE HASELDON SAYS "THE NEGR) IS NOT A COMMODITY, OR A POLI]
SUPPLY. HE IS NOT A CATEGORY OF CRIME, OR ILLITERACY OR I:

PROBLEM OR AN EDUCATIONAL PROBLEM, OR ANY OTHER KIND OF PRQ

MICAL BLOCK, OR A LABOR

MORALITY; HE IS NOP A HOUSING

THE NEGRO IS A MAN WITH

FAULTS AND FRALLITIES, THE LONGINGS AND FEARS, THE HOPES AND HUNGERS AND ASPIRATIONS OF

A MAN."

OUR OBLIGATION.

UNTIL WE BELIEVE THIS AND ACCEPT I UNCONSCLOUSLY WE HAVE NOT TRULY FULFILLED
—_—_—_

THIS BRINGS US TO A DANGER POINT THAT 1S ESPECIALLY PHRTINENT e865. AS NORTHERNEERS

———_.

WE OFTEN FEEL QUITE RIGHT SOUS, WE TELL OURSELVES HOW TERRIGLE THOSE SOUTHERNERS ARS

—

AND HOW WE WOULDN'T ACT LIK THAT. WE FEEL QUITE PROUD OF

.
SAY " "HY I EVEN SAT BESIDE ONS ON THE BUS THE OTHER DAY"

——

ONDESCENDING: IT IS COMFORTABLE TO DO CONTSMPLATE HOw GENS

THe WAY WE TREAT NSGRO'S We

G

“Tc.

WE FIND IT EASY TO BE

ROUS WE'VE BSEN. I CAN

—_—

REMEMBER ONE BLITER COLD MORNING WALKING TO HIGH SGHOOL ENG
eS

.

DUNTERING A LITTLE COLOR =D

6.

BOY. HIS COAT WAS OPEN A D HIS HANDS WERE TOO COLD

—____

TO BU]

TROUBLE WITH A BADLY RUNNING NOS. I STOPPED AND BUTTONED

HANDKERCHIEF AND HOW GOOD I FELT! HOW WONDERFUL OF ME TO

ON IT AND HE WAS HAVING

HIM UP AND GAVE HIM MY

——_

HSRE IS THE MOST DANGEROUS

OF CHRISTIANITY. WHEN WS BPTY, WHEN WE ACT CONDESCENDING

SELF RIGHTEOUS PRIDE BY DOING AHELPFUL OR G i

OO

AS AN EQUALL [| LEGALLY THE N#GRO IS OUR EQUAL, BUT WHEN WE |

—_——_——_——

BACK ON THE INFERIOR LEVEL.
a

ANOTHER THING INDEZD TO LOOK

BTOP AND HELP A COLGRED BOY.

TURN OUR RELATIONS WITH NEGRDES CAN a | IN THES CONTWAT

NEGRO AND THEN BOLSTER OUR
ARE NOT ACCEPTING HIM

LOOK DOWN IN PITY WE PUT HIM
SS iy:

IT IS EASY TO BE A GOOD PH. SOBA AND SMILE DowN/ IT Is

EQUAL.

gba ACROSS TO _AN

THE CHRISTIAN MESSAGE TO THIS PROBLEM IS CLEAR AND CONCISE.

——

WE BELIEVE THAT MAN

—_—_———s,

TS SOMETHING SPSCIAL BECAUSE HE HAS BSEN CREATED IN THE IMAGE OF GOD. THIS MEANS THAT
————— ee

MAN HAS A LITTLE OF THE DIVINE IN HIM, NOT JUST WHITE MAN,

EVERY NATION

REETYXNGXIGN HAS BEEN CREATED IN TH IMAGE OF GOD. ‘THERE J

THERE 15 NO ROOM FOR APARTHELD, FOR SHGREGATION OR ANYTHING
wr

AFFIRMATIONS IS IN THE UNITY, THS ONENESS OF ALL MANKIND,

———

I HAD THE PRIVILEGE, LAST YAR OF WORKING IN A LARGS I

I TAUGHT AND AUVISED A GROUP OF @LORED YOUNG PEOPLE.

—_

RELATIONSHIP WITH A NEGRO AND THE ENLIGHTENING THING ABOUT

THEY WERE JUST YOUNG PEOPLE.
Sasser

UN TL

re

ALL MANKIND, EVERYONE OF

S NO ROOM FOR ARBITRARINESS:

NTEGRATED CHURCH IN CHICAGO,

ONE OF OUR PRIMARY

ss ______

|. THAT TIME I HAD HAD NO CLOSE
es

HE WHOLE EXPERIENCE WAS THAT

THEY TALKED ABOUT CLOTHMS, FOPTBALL GAMES, DANCES AND

Te

TEACHERS. THEY WERE JUST BOYS AND GIRLS, JUST A PART OF THE
a —

DIFFERENT FROM YOU AND ME IN ANY WAY WHATSOEVER.

THE IFS, DEATH AND MESSAGE OF JESUS CHRIST GIVE US ALI

THE SON OF GOD APPEARED ON EARTH AS AN Al
eee

OF RACE RELA‘ ONS. %

oo

UNL TY OF MANKIND: NO
—

WE NEED IN OUR CONSIDERATION

ene

T OF RECONCILIATION:

REQONSILING GOD AND MAN: AND MAN WITH MAN. THE APPSARANCE OF THE CHRIST IS THE REAF-

f

FIRMA TL ON THAT WE ARS ONE UN
en

JER OUR CR ATOR. BUT THIS IS NO

A NEW COMMUNITY: ONE THAT Is
a

CHARACTERIZED BY FORGIVENESS,

———

CAN DO NO OTHEN THAN LOVEK COMP]

—_—_—_—<————n

MEMBERS IN THIS OOMMUNITY WE

—

ALL: JESUS CAME TO ESTABLISH

—

UNSELFLSHNESS AND LOVE. AS

LETELY, EVERY OTHER MEMBER.

THIS DO“S NOT EXCLUDE NEGROS, OR PEURTO RICANS OR ANYONE. AMD FINALLY THE MOST LSVELLING

EVENT OF ALL, IS THE CRUCIFIXION. THT GOD HLMSELF SUFFERED
naan I

THE PUNISHMENT THAT WE DESERVE PROMPTS SUCH HIMELITY THAT sx]

FOR ALL MEN, ‘HAT HE BORE

—

N DIDFFERENCES ARE NO

LONGE IMPORTANT. IF WE TRULY TAKE S°RLOUSLY OUR CLAIMS OF IE UNITY OF MANKIND, AND OF

JESUS CHRIST AS SAVIOR OF ALL MEN, THEY MUST BE THE BASIS FOH

————

OUR BEHAVIOR TOWARDS OTHER

MEN. CHRIS ITANITY HAS NO ROOM FOR SEGREGATION, NO ROOM FOR HAZLINGS OF SUPSMIORITY OR

INFERIORITY,

AS I STATED AT THE BEGINNING THE ARZA OF RACK RELAIT NS

wi

AND OF NECESSITY I HAVE LEFT MANY FACETS UNTOUCHED, THE

ad

ROOTS OF OUR CULTURS THAT A YEAR'S SERMONS WOULD NOT BEGIN TO

PR Ob]

FS A_LARGE AND COMPLEX ONE;
LEM GOSS SO DEBP INTO THE

FULLY INTERPRET IT, THERE

8.

IS THE SOCIOLOGICAL PROBLEM OF APPROX. 1,000 SOUTHERN NEGH

THE CONSEQUENT CONDITIONS OF OV"RCROWDING

ss

WEEK. » SLUMS, ¢

CATASTROPHIC,

———

THERE IS THE BARBARIAN ROLE PLAYED BY THE §

MAKING MONEY HAND OVER FIST BY EXPLOITING THIS UNWANTED MA

OBS MOVING INTO CHICAGO PER

UNVENILE DELINQUENCY ARE

mh etal

L sSTATS Seker: WHO IS

SS OF SESTHING HUMANITY,

THERE IS THE ROLE OF EDUCATLON, AND CIVIL RIGHTS LEGISLATY

SAY THAT I HOPE THE FEW PROBLEMS I HAVE CITED WILL CAUSE Y

ON AND SO ON. AGAIN LET ME

DU TO THINK ABOUT THE PROBLEM

IN DEPTH.

AS A NATION, THE PROBLEM OF RACE RELATIONS IS PRHAPS

THE MOST IMPORTANT AND AT
=a

(nd

PRESENT THE MOST OL SASTROUS ISSUHZ FACING US. WITH THE REC

we
NCE

AND THE INEVITASLE APP

IN arcaf ve WAVE OF INDEPENOE

WHITE WILL SOMEDAY BE THE DOMINA TING FACTOR ON TH WORLD SPEN

ye COWF

ENT UPSUAGH OF NATLONALISM

MARANCE OF THE FACT THAT NON

armen OUR OWN

PROBLEMS‘INTO THE FORE, WE CAN POUR BILLIONS OF DOLLARS INTO EMERGENCY AID, WE CAN

SEND EQUIPMENT, AHMS, MEDICINS AND PERSONEL TO AFRICA, OUR

—_

GOOD WILL TOURS| BUT ALL IT TAKES TO TURN A CONGOLESE TRIBY

WELL DOCUMSN TED PHOTOGRAPH OF A CROWD OF HATE FILLED WHITE}

STATESMAN CAN GO ON A HUNDRED

BMAN AGAT NST oaoomcy pate 15

Bb J SRING AND SHOUTL NG SCORN AT

e-
_————7~=

A N8GRO SCHOOL GIRL. | AMERICAN D@i:OCRACY WILL HAVE LITTLE M:ANING UNTIL THIS CONDITION

HH

IS REMOVED.

——

AS CHRIS TIANS AND AS AMERL CANS WE CAN HELP BY STRIVING TO BREAK THE MENTAL CHAINS THAT

—_—

9

r
BIND OUR THINKING. AS THE NEGRO TAKES EACH STEP TOVARDS EQUALITY, AS HE BRUAKS HIS
ee 7 seca? ee

CHAINS OF TRADITION WE MUST JOIN HIM, STEP BY STEP, HAND IN HAND, CUTTING LINK BY LINK:

WITH TH® FULL REALIZATION THAT WE SRE ONE UNDER GOD OUR CRIATOR,