African American Equality Quotes
This phrase was also to be used over 100 years later by Malcolm X. See {624101} and {38291}.
The New England and Middle Atlantic States had recruited and allowed Negroes to serve in their divisions with excellent results. These two Southern states were suffering badly as a result of the British Military dominance and atrocities. Almost all whites who were patriots were already under arms. Hence the recommendation. Despite their precarious position, the Southern States would not follow the recommendation. Many were convinced that the Blacks would never make good soldiers, and the those Southerners who disagreed were terrified that once armed, the Blacks would never submit to slavery and would support slave insurrections of the Black slaves who were not in the military.
The planning and management of the March on Washington of 1963 was dominated by well educated and/or very experienced leaders of Middle Class type institutions—churches, labor unions, governments, educational institutions, and even middle class entertainment. A few Black critics felt that the deep South Black Sharecroppers were not well represented, intellectually or culturally. To many this was the great genius of the March on Washington where there were a hundred million Americans prepared to find great fault with the march and what they saw was a reflection of themselves trying to protest a grievance.
Most people associate the phrase with the 1963 march in which Randolph was one of the organizers and leaders. However, he first used the term in 1941 threatening President Roosevelt with a protest march in the middle of WWII unless Roosevelt ordered the discrimination in defense industries and the military to cease. FDR and his administration did much to improve the situation but came far short of equality. Randolph organized the March on Washington Movement in 1941 and in negotiations throughout the war, this was his trump card. Progress was made but slowly. Randolph maneuvered a fine line as he wanted to do nothing to hurt the war effort. Some severely criticized Randolph’s tactics which were quite effective. Finally in 1963, 22 years after Randolph had first threatened such a march, it finally took place, leading to the Civil Rights Act of the following year. See {625657} for a Southern racist description of Ranolph’s techniques and his victories.
