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John S. J(night The Atlanta Riot JOHN S. KNIGHT Unmasked·SNCC T he recent riots in Atlanta offer convincing e vidence that most, if . not all, of the racial violence in our large cities bas been organized and led by a smal l minority bent upo n the destruction of our society. My authority for this statement is Ralph McGill, publisher of the Atlanta Constitution, long a moving and militant force for equal treatment of the N egro citizen as provided by law and the Constitution of the United States. McGill places responsibility for the Atlanta disturbances squarely upon the Student NonViolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC, or SNICK) and its I e a de r, Stokely Carmichael. SNICK, according to McG ill, L-----------.__ has no more than 300 members. These have been the agents of anarchy in Watts, New York, Chicago and other major cities . Confere nce, a Negro organiza- •• tion, denounced both SNICK · and Carmichael, while calling for constructive measures designed to alleviate problems which directly concern the SNICK'S begin nin g were Negro. · more auspicious. lts earl y stuD r. Martin Luther K ing, dent leaders were motivated by high dedication to the civil president Roy Wilkins of the rights cause. Now the John NAACP and Whitney Young Lewises and other responsibles who heads the Urban League are out. Control of SNICK is have all repudiated Stokely held by the extreme radicals, Carmichael and his tactics. of whom Car michael is the ATLANTA has long enjoyed dominating figu re. an enviable reputation for raAs McGill says, SN ICK is cial amity. Ironically, it was no longer a civil J ights organi- Atlanta's splendid image that zation but an anarchistic group the destroyers sought to tar- • which is openly and officially ni h. committed to the destruction of And yet, unwittingly, Stoke- • ex isting institutions. ly Carmichael and his followers · Though small in member- performed a useful service not • • ship, SNICK appeals to all bat- only for Atlanta but for the • · ers of the white man. Its slo- entire nation. ga ns of defiance int rigue the For here was stripped away very young, as was shown in the myth that Negroes are alAtlanta, where the mob was largely composed of youngsters ways incited to riot over poor ~- · living conditions, Jack of emin the 12- to 18-age range. ployment and denial of civil THERE .APPEARS to be rights. no question bu t that SN)CK'S Carmichael has now refund~ are supplied frQm vealed himself for what he is ' abroad . O ne of it~ lawyers is a - a cheming fomenter of disreg i tercd Castro age nt. Its order, a mad dog who attacks , ag ita tors ' sho ut Hava na sloga ns all whites indi criminately, a to the effect that we musl revolutionist who seeks to burn live th ro ugh violence. " Black· and destroy, a terrorist who Power·· is but the ra ll ying cry. defies law and spits upon our Fortu nately for Atlanta, it flag. has a mayor who confronted THE RIGHT peaceably to the mob with rare courage. Though physically manhandled assemble is guaranteed by the . · and taun ted with shouts of Bill of Rights, as is the free"white devil," Mayor Ivan dom to demonstrate and to Allen J r., remained upon the seek redress of grievances. scene until the crowd bad been Together and in a spirit of dispersed. constructive co-operation, the Mayor Allen gave short Negro and white communities ' shrift to charges of police bru- must find solutions and an- · tality. "I saw plenty of brutal- swers to the problem wh ich ity," he said. "but it was all beset our cities. For they are directed against pol ice offi. hoth numerous and difficult. cers." At his press conference, A major start has been Mayor Allen ~tated that "i f made in many area . Where Stokely Carmichael is looking fa ilures have occurred, the Nefor a battleground, he has cre- gro is usually as much at fault ated one, and he will be met in as his white brother. whatever situation he choose ." But the effort must 80 ahead Atlanta's egro community if we are to enJoy the fruits of leaders were quick to decry a compatible society in which the rioting and violence. The there is mutuality of purpose tlanta Summit I eader. hip and re pect for all . ��