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P-l#4 THE CRUSADER, SAVANNAH, GEORGIA OCTOBER >7, 1M3 The Judge CohlinuAilf rom l*a*re 1 of ’ ♦ you RTO yo are Non-Viol®nt Fretdom Now Move- merit wan up againit. I folt be the great abolitionist Negro Fred erick Douglas, I had learned, If there is no struggle, there is no progress. Those who profess to ork you <!<> and you have held job for many years, but, you ising your intelligence and ability the wrong way. You trying to force colored folks on white people.” Then the judge went on to teach me how 1 should he using •what he defined as intelligence and ability. The judge went on to explain that I should teach Ne- gxoes how te work. He claimed *'***• *“* whi “ I ‘ e °, ple t0 S'” convictions™ that arc them jobs, hut when white people build them a nice restaurant." Maybe the Judge doein't know about hii unclean and bad- behaving white sisters and broth ers but I know about mine. Many of my white brothers and sifters We Pail The Saprene Priee! Continued! roni Page 1 perse 2,700 people. al tactics. They preferred vin lence rather than arrest. Some They wer« ' he u cve the city Fathers were try- want freedom for all and yet de- fail to, not only look presentable, press or depreciate agitation, are but they don’t smell acceptable, men who want good crops with- The judge reminded me of lazy out working the fields. They Negroes. I guess he just doesn’t give them jobs, they wont work. The Judge told me, I should use ■ intelligence and ability to teach -roes how to keep themselves ..an. The Judge made a big ling out of BASTARDY among Negroes. He said Bastardy among your people is the most disgusting thing I know. T know about >t, he ..said, because I have to deal with this Bastardy among your people. This is where you (Ho- . should he using your Intel If- gt e and ability and it would be do x some good. Teach them not \*to tve all those illegitimate chil dren. j During the whole ordeal, T just stood there. I got the feeling this judge was trying to make me :n- £ry- Angry, so I would blow up and contempt the court. The Judge even told me how long he ’•a? been in Savannah. He re led me of the FTNE rac e rela- n that has existed in this won- * rfu! coastal town for so long, 'ie accused me of DESTROYING want education without learning. ! They want to go to Heaven with- ! out praying. I felt the Court had destroedy my individual liberty and my freedom of speech guar anteed by the l\ S. Constitution simply because my mind harbored contrary to this sick, segregated, unjust soci ety we live in that is destroying America. I could not understand how I was found in contempt when my ation did not distort nor alter the Court’s action. In only gave my personal modest opinion of the proceedings long after the court was closed. Many citizens have publicly disagreed with rulings of the U. S. Supreme Court and call ed them communists, traitors, etc., now you mean to tell me I can’t express my opinion concerning a verdict or action of a local court, vv'thout being sentenced to prison? What is America coming to, a Po lice State? After the Judge told me I would know many white folk. Being a PUBLICLY ELECTED Judge, l would think he knows some of these white folk being fired off their jobs- everyday for being down-right lazy. Seems like he would have met some of those white folk the Welfare Depart ment turned down daily because they found out my white brothers just won’t work. Well, anyway ; after I admitted to the good judge his statement about some Negroes was correct, I reminded him, what he said about Negroes was also true about white people. Remem-, bering what the judge said about me using my intelligence and | ability to help Negroes, I told him 1 1 was an American first, and I! felt whatever short coming any j black or white other American i possess is the responsibility of ev ery 7 other American to help him, out of his dilemma. Meaning the j more fortunate Negroes are just! as responsible for the less fortu- i nate whites as h c is for the less fortunate Negros, and the thing throwing them « 0 fast some of the i j nt , t 0 ^ve the good (False) name bombs did not explode. At this point, the Non-violent demonstra tors had enough. Some of the previous prayers grabbed up sev eral of the excess gas bombs and of Savannah, Georgia. BNNC worker, Bruce Gordon (The Black Tornado) ordered by Benjamin Clark, commanded all persons wanting to be arrested in flung them back in the direction of protlJgt q{ Hoseft L winianis . False their attackers. The Police could not take it. They began retreat ing but not for long. Violence also occurred in Sa vannah on the night of July 10, 1963, Th c demonstrators (about 1,000) many of whom had been arrested several times were trying to submit themselves to arrest in protest of the illegal jailing of their leader (Hosca). Again, the city Fathers used their convention- arrest, to step out in front of the Freedom Marchers. There were so many that stepped forward that the guiding hand of the local Po lice Department lost his sense of love. The law enforcers resort ed to Tear Gas, Riot Guns, Billy Sticks and Gastapo tactics. Again, Negroes refused to run. They proved their eligibility into thc American society by Non-violently submitting their bodies to death. he sentenced for contempt of court holds true for the more fortunate if I did not sign that statement whites, like Judges, which he had prepared and know- 1'also told the judge that I ing h 0 was the same Judge who have never and will never advo- had not only issued 12 Peace War- cato or condone violence. I had rants against me, hut ran my Bond from $2,500 to $30,000 in no time flat. Then i thought Savannah’s long-lived GOOD race al,out t,lf> Judge demanded a sep- velations. He said 1 had turned BLACK against W H I i E and WHITE against BLACK, i- think >. so accused me of using crazy Nef oes in tho demonstrations and mr ng criminals or delinquents or if all the young \'eg*ves who put -icipated in the Savannah Non- Violent Freedom Now Movement. T said “Think” because I have been up before unjust Judges so many times but I do know this ac cusation was made on one occa sion. Then, the Judge questioned me as to whether or not T agreed with the other Negroes signing thc statement. I meekly informed the Judge that it was my intelli gence and ability that caused these American citizens whom he had kept in jail illegally for 55 days to sign the statement. I also attempted to explain to the Court why I advised these patriot-c urate piece of property for each warrant. He had refused to ac cept the securities of a profession al Bondsman, Insurance securities or even cash. Can you imagine, the property had to be completely clear of debt, its tax access value must exceed the Bond. Now in Chatham County, your property is ! given and j accessed about 1-4 of its retail I value. This means, it takes about $120,000 worth of debt-free prop- ; erty to post a $30,000 Bond. After thinking about all of this, j him to know, I didn’t feel the demonstrators should he branded as law violators. They had no- breached the peace nor promoted violence, therefore, I could not sign and would not sign his state ment. One thing I am sure of the five days I spent in prison did not les sen my determination to be free. Thank God it did not teach me to hate those who denied us our God- Constitutional rights. But, the prison term did extend my patience and understanding of those Negroes who have failed to join and suffer with us, even for their own freedom. Yet, they T asked permission to consult wait like a Saint for the Resur- Council before giving the Judge ’ reCti ° n ’ to enj< ? y the opportunity , my answer. When th e Jiniee call-1 to t pursue 1,a PP i "< !SS - my answer, I requested ! beUer Pn^stand now how ed for my answer, I the privilege to make a statement first. T was afraid to make any kind of statement without the court's permission because I did not want to contempt the con tempt. Anyway, the privilege was' protest an< * suffer the balance of Negroes must suffer if we are to ever be free. I for one will nev er turn back. If it means more prison terms, loss of my job or even my life. I shall be free or granted. I began by admitting Americans to comit an act of trea-1 to the Judge that everything he pon. I must admit the statement •3 masterfully composed. Yet, Daily Morning Newspaper j ' vmed the signing of the state-' pient as a repudiation of demon strations. If the Daily Morning Newspa per can see through the statement v. you know. . . . The Judge ,poh ly informed me, that he had gro’ ds to fine me in contempt of Zr But, in trying to bend over backwards to be fair, he of fered me a chance to sign the statement. Now I know the Judge had his reasons for finding me in contempt, but I have never un derstood the grounds. At this point T began to fully understand what the Savannah said about Negroes was correct; but, this is also true about whito people. I know something of Bas tardy among my white brothers and sisters. There is a govern ment-maintained institution for (White Only) unmarried mother- out near Thunderbolt. They have every comfort, even an opportun ity to further their education. The County Board of Education pays full-time teachers who work in the unwedded mothers’ home full time. They even give the white children an advantage before birth. When the Judge was tongue-lashing me, he talked about how dirty Ne groes were. He even said, “When Negroes clean themselves up and learn how to act, someone will my natural life. I hope the Judge learned one thing and that is, Negroes have grown to treasure MANHOOD. Some said the Judge gave me a choice. But did they understand what kind of a choice. The choice was simply this YOUR MAN HOOD or FIVE DAYS IN JAIL. |g|p|| from __ (ThtBibH For freedom did Christ set us free. —(Gal. 5:1). Through Christ we are able to enjoy perfect freedom the freedom that allows us to use our mental and physical ca* .parities to lhi- fullent. Citv Taxes (’ountv Taxes Federal Taxes State Taxes YOUR PROBLEMS ARE OUR BUSINESS DO YOU HAVE TAX PROBLEMS? BRING THEM TO ME MRS. JUANITA T. WILLIAMS 458’a West Broad Street GUARANTY BUILDING PHONE AD 6.5727 Tax Notary Public Mimeographing Stenographing Remember Your Vote Means Greater Power Our Hearty Support To The Crusade For Voters SIDNEY A. JONES FUNERAL HOME Highest Class Service At Lowest Cost