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EDIT O R/AL P -A GE . -8 SEPTEMBER 14, 1966 .The Uses · of Black Power I Dr. Martin Lu '. her King, . J r., the The bill's chances, never really strong, civil-r ights movement 's chief apostle are clearly diminished by Atlanta 's of nonviolence, was busy in Atlanta tragic news. this week seeking a way to calm a News of racial violence elsewhere is situation that has broken into riots doing other harm, too. Civil-rights several times in recent days. groups report a drop-off in contribuDr. King's consider able talents could be put to much better use elsewhere. tions t o finance their constructive Atlanta already has an enviable record work. Political candidates in several of progress with civil rights , not only areas-not just the South- have been among southern cities but in the na- reaching for the "white backlash," hoption as a whole. Yet it is now the ing to r ide it into office wi th an im scene of an ugly struggle for control, plied pledge to do less, not more, for pitting Dr . Ki ng and hi s moderate Negroes. And as William S. Whi te Southern Christian Leadership follow- r eported on this page the other day, ers against a more r adical civil-rights fears of gangster ties wi th some of the wing led by Stokely Carmichael a nd r igh ts groups is causing f ur ther disthe so-called Student Nonviolent Co- . enchantmen t. The setback bei ng ha nded t he civilordinating Committee. The Carmichael group, with its cry r igh ts movement is so obvious that oi "b1ack power," is giving that vague one wonders if the lu re of publ icity, t he term its worst possible meaning. F an- thrill of the limeligh t, a nd th e heat ning emotions to the poin t of des troy- .of the fray a ren't more important to ing property and injuri ng people is a this radical fri nge than Negro adfar cry from the ballot-box power a nd vancement. Dr. King and other vetthe marketplace power the American eran leaders, Negro and wh ite, have a Negro can use legitima tely to help good deal more to show for their less himseli. Yet destruction is the turn fiery efforts. The progress of many the " black power" movement took in Negroes, of course, increases the frusAtlan ta with Mr. Carmichael's en - tration of those who have been bycouragement. And the damage goes passed so far. But the r igh ts movefar beyond a few broken windows. ment will pick up momentum again A critical vote takes place in the when Negroes by and large repudiate U. S. Sena te today on ending a fili bus- the wild-eyed revolu tionaries and supter against a civil-rights bill that in- port -with sensible, reasoned "black cludes the fair-housing prov1s1on power,"- tho e leaders who can use sought fervently by Negro leaders. power effectively on their behalf. ���