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TO: SN:C SfAFF FRo-!: Michael Simmons and Larry Fox RE: National Anti -Draft Program
November 28, 1966
In August, at the Central Committee meeting, we offered a pro~osal ·
for a National Bla::k Anti-Draft Movement ( fin:l enclosed that original
· proposal ) • At that time, we asked for a car and some expense mon('y to ·
g~t such a pr6gram off of the ground. As you will find, in that pro
posal, we called for a conference of Black Anti-Draft groups am con-
cerned Blacks immediately.
Our pl~~ were del~ed t emporarily when we along with 10 other
people became the unwilling guest of the City of Atlanta for some 60
odd days. The arrest stemmed from Anti-Draft Activity at the Atlanta
Induction Center (see er~losed Atlanta Black Paper).
~hile in .jail, members of the Atlanta Project kept close contact
with Blacks across the country vi a the· mails and Wats Line. The Atlanta
Black Paper aloOd with a series of anti-draft leaflets and press · r e-
leases an1 reports were mal led to all Blacks on SN::c' s mailing 1i st.
The response vas overwhelming.
Upon bei q;J released from j ai 1, we contacted by }hone a.OO by mail
persons who had responded to the mailings. It was decided, in light o£
the communications system in this country as well as the potential dy
namite of the issue that it would be best to make personal contact
with as many of these groups am in:lividuals as possible .
This trip was delayed shortly to attend Bro. Schutz's trial in
Opelika, Alabama. Immediately after the decision was reooer ed against
Schutz, an in depth press release was written an:l given to radio stat
ions, the Press, am Blacks across the country. (see enclosed material
on Bro. Schutz) Also a Brochure ard f'ost.er on Schutz w-as prepared amd
mailed out.
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The Draft Program that we emision is not concerned with peace.
There can be no peace until our Brothers of. color are free from the
oppression of the WEsr, i.e. Vietnam, AnJola, Rhodesia, South Africa, . . .
etc. WE MUSI' DO 11US FCR StRVIVAL - the draft being one of the main . .
tools of this racist government for the solving of the race problem.
They krow as we know that we Blacks will be killed passively one by
onz, ten by te~ hurrlred by humred, thousand by thousa.rrl, in the
racist illegal white supremacist var in Vietnan as well as in the
cities and towns of this country - (as Rev. Cleague of Detroit said
in one of his Revolutionary Sermons - for a strong man's house to be
pluroered, he must be bourn first. The drafting of all our young Black
men will leave our Black Nation to be further plundered and murdered !
In the past month, we have traveled along the Eastern Seaboard
a.rrl to the Mid-West. The followifQ is a brief synopis of our itenary.
- Our first stop was Fhilly. Things were r elatively slow relative
to the Draft. We talked at length with Barr,y Dawson who is working with
High School Stu:lents in the North Fhiladeljilia Area. He has a group
of about 200. We tried to impress upon him the importance of begin-
ing to work on the Draft with these sttrlents.
- We sar..r Bob Wright, a former SNX worker, who is in law school at ~C-
the University of Pennsylvania~reed to do legal research on the draft
for us an:) others.
• - vle .then swung d~n to Baltimore where we held sessions with stud-
ents at both Coppin State arrl Morgan State Colleges. We laid the basis
·for a student group. Lois Wiley is a contact· for that group. A listing
of these students arrl their addresses foll~ this report.
- We went to Net.r York. We talked to Robert Allen chairman of
AFRO.. AMER.T.CANS Fffi StRV'IVAL. This group is made up of Bla;k cats lffio
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are AWOL or have refused to honor Induction !btices. Th eir program
looks very good.
- Gilbert Banks head of' BlACKS AGAINST NEGATIVE DYIID was next on
our list. His orgainization is built aroun:l Black r esistance to the
draft.
- BLACK WCMEN Em.AGED.. Vida Gaj"nor heads that group. This group
picketed all SUIIUller each day at the In:lt..oction Center. They have de-
veloped some very good anti-draft literature. We have i nitiated an
exchan~e progran with them. They are W'Orking W'i th Conrad Lynn on the
legal anJle .
- Conrad Lynn, a Black attorney gave us some very pertinent and
important information ( s ee enclosure ) •
-We then went to Boston. Our best contact ther e was Bob Eubanks
who is the head of a Black anti-draft group called AFRO-AMERICANS
AruUNST iliE Tt/AR IN vmmM. We talked to him about developi ng C0111110n
programs for Blacks across the country.
- We met with a group of Black Harvard students who said that they
were interested in work! q;J with us on an anti-draft movement. They are
to do r esearch ofor us an:l work with Bob Eubanks on his anti-draft program ..
-Detroit. Rev. Cleague -WOi. We spoke at his church. Talked with
him about his idea on ordination for SNCC ministers of social change.
- A group there which ·calls itself' the INNER CITY CRGANIZI1'G
C01MmEE has in::orporated in its program an anti-draft section. The
group has two attorneys, Mi lton Henry an:l Lee Moilett working on the
program with them. Every Wednesday night they open their office t o
youq;J Blacks who· are in opposition to the Draft • . These gcys fi 11 out a
prepared form telling their· specif'lc .reasons for not wanting to go. This
is passed to one of the lawyers, a retainers fee is paid and the Att•s
stay on their case to the ending.
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- Al Harrison who worlts with 1-5M is tryi~ to organize a CAP -
CoiTITluni ty Alert Patrol in Detro! t within which he hopes to incorporate ' . ... . '
anti-draft resistance. ' • .. . ' .
- Law Stu:3ent Ken Cochran (senior) agreed to do research for us.
James arrl Grace Boggs are head of the Imm CITY CRGANIZIID
CCil-1MITIEE. We had a lo~ talk with them.
- Cllicago. Talked to Mtharnmed Ali about his draft status.
- We had an interview with Mohammed Speaks that should be in the
current issue. We set up an arral)Jement with them where we can serrl
stories direct~ to them and thgy print them in full. We discussed the
possibility of sitting up a specia~ . section on·. the rzational Anti..;.[)raft
Struggle.
-James Ellis whose brother owns a bookstore talked about the poss
ibility of usi~ his brothers place as a deci~inaiti~ point for info
on the Draft.
One difficulty that. we erx::ountered on our trip w-as integrated
makeup of marw of our offices. In these instarees, we of course could
not work with them arrl had t.o work without them; in some instnac es
arourrl them.
We feel that while this trip w-as w-orthwhile, it was only a very
small beginni~ for the .intensive type work that has to be done.
PERSPECTt5
I. Regional Confere noes on the Draft
· · · · A. Ibrth East Possible Place New York City
B. · Mid..West . Possible Place Detroit
c. : South. Possible Place Atlanta
D. West ·. · · Possible Place Los 1t~eles
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-5 II. National Conference
Possible Place - Detroit
Proposed time - Around Easter
NOI'E: Out of these conferences will come programs of action.
In view of the. fact that any an::l all written material pertainin:;J
to SN:c gets into the man•s hands, we decided not to go into
in depth detail on the trip or elebaration of fUture plans ard
actions. We invite questions, suggestions; and criticisms.
NEEDS: 1. Continued use of 1965 Blue Plymouth
FROPOSED Bt.DGET:
$ 4 skids of paper -- -$2400. ($400. per skid • $200. for supplies per skid)
postage -------· ----:--- $ 1000.
travel cost for setting up Reg. Conf.-----· $1000.
Miscellanous ------·-----------·dt. 600. Total ------·-------- $5000.