from 'The Militant!
In a three-quarter page advertisment in the October 14th 'New York Times', seven leaders of the conservative wing of the negro movement attacked the concept of black power. The form of the ad was a “restatement of basic principles", Without mentioning CORE or SNCC or black power, these leaders declare: "There is nothing new about these principles. \/hat is new is the conditions which compel us to restate them- not the least of which is their abandonment by some individuals and groups whose positions are nevertheless frequently interpreted as representing the civil rights' movement." The Rev. Martin Luther King has switched back and forth on this question. (hen asked if he was considering a campaign in opposition to CORE and SNCC, he replied "Yes". King did not sign the advertisement. On October 15th at a press conference, he endorsed the statement. The 'MWew York Times' explained this as King's backing of "negro repudiation of black power concepts". But at the same press conference, he said, "It is a false assumption that the so-called white backlash is caused by the slogan ‘black power'. Actually the black power slogan has been exploited by the decisionmekers to justify resistance to change." Ming made a further "clarification" on October 16th, saying he endorsed the four major principles of the advertisment, but he was not signing it because he feared it might be interpreted as an attempt to "excommunicate" organisations like CORE and SNCC. He reiterated his opposition to the black power slogan. The advertisment stated four principles. The first is rejection of "separatism either moral or spatial". Neither CORE nor SNCC believes in a separate nation, while some black nationalist groups do. Another principle they affirmed was "welcoming " and "urging" the "full cooperation of white Americans in what must be a joint endeavour if it is to prosper. It should go without saying that in seeking full equality for n-groes, we cannot and will not deny it to others who join our fight." This misses the point about white support for the negro strugzle. It is not a question of denying whites "equality".