Duke Vigil, Tape 2 / Silent Vigil (1968) and Allen Building Takeover (1969) Audio Recordings / Duke Digital Repository

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Okay another note should be made here.

0:03

Bunny, in the last bit of recording was talking about

0:06

the trouble in Durham which might have a strong effect

0:10

on what our reactions and what our actions

0:13

of the Vigil will do.

0:16

What she was referring to was there were several bombings

0:20

in Durham that Saturday night as a result of the unrest

0:22

following Dr. King's assassination.

0:27

Couches, furniture store I understand,

0:30

and also Morgan's cafe and several other places

0:32

were bombed and also a police car was bombed.

0:35

These were Molotov cocktail type bombs that were used.

0:39

Gasoline and old beer bottles stuffed with rags

0:43

and thrown after they had been lighted into the building

0:47

and this sets quite a blaze.

0:53

There's still a lot of confusion about why

0:55

these particular places were bombed and as to who

0:58

bombed them but the rumor is and the understanding is

1:00

I think probably pretty correct is that they were

1:05

black people who did the bombing and the reason

1:07

for these select places were that the people who owned

1:10

these places or who worked in them or whatever

1:15

had not treated black people in the community well.

1:18

One of the problems in Durham, as in all over the South,

1:21

is that there are city ordinances concerning buildings,

1:24

housing facilities, what have you in the city,

1:29

and it's a great trick of landlords who own houses

1:32

in Negro sections to be very blase about it

1:35

and not pay any attention to the ordinances

1:40

which have been set up to make sure that housing is safe.

1:43

Again and again ULCI, United Organization

1:46

for Community Improvement has made comments to this effect

1:50

of demanding that City Hall do something about landlords

1:53

who don't take care of their property and they haven't done

1:57

anything about it.

2:00

And some of these landlords are the very same people

2:02

who own or have a part of in some of these businesses

2:05

that were bombed, not all of them, of course.

2:09

Some of them were no doubt bombed indiscriminately.

2:11

I really don't know.

2:14

But this seems to be a good guess as to part of the reason

2:15

why some of those places were hit.

2:18

And of course the police car speaks for itself.

2:20

Poor people in general don't care for the police

2:24

and especially poor black people don't care for the police.

2:26

Students don't care for the police either

2:30

but I don't think any students did any of that bombing.

2:31

Okay, now for some more taping.

2:34

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Three people whose names I've taken out

2:40

of these Howard Fuller's and Peter Brandon's.

2:41

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Okay, this again is more of this discussion

2:46

that Saturday night.

2:48

And this is Birkhead speaking now.

2:50

He was, by the way, the other negotiator

2:52

whose name I couldn't remember a little earlier.

2:54

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Alright.

2:59

I will interpret Fuller and say ideally

3:02

we should hold the house.

3:07

I mean this place right here.

3:09

I mean this is my interpretation

3:12

of what Strange said he said.

3:14

We stand to lose a lot if Dr. Knight

3:16

turns out to be really sick and we're just sitting here

3:18

messing around with his house when maybe he should be here

3:21

in holding or he should be in a hospital.

3:23

The other question is Fuller says

3:27

that we don't necessarily...

3:29

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Now Birkhead is talking about Howard Fuller.

3:32

Who's a moderate black power leader in Durham

3:35

and probably the strongest and most influential

3:40

leader of the poor black people in Durham.

3:43

He's had a great deal to do with the ULCI

3:46

and a lot of other things all over the state.

3:49

And he had been in contact with some of our people

3:51

and talking about what affects there would be

3:55

of us moving out or staying in Dr. Knight's house.

3:58

This is what Birkhead's talking about here.

4:01

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Read me those things by going and lying down.

4:03

We don't necessarily complete the space

4:08

but I do think he says that we gain more respect

4:10

from the black community by staying here.

4:17

I think he did say that over the other thing

4:19

and that we have more chance of really

4:22

making a militant thing here.

4:25

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I think Brandon thinks we should stay here

4:28

and then I think both of them in the end

4:35

really say mostly we should stay here

4:38

but I'm not sure we should stay here.

4:40

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Okay.

4:41

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I screwed up, guys, I didn't mean to put it like that.

4:43

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I don't think it's right to have it lead

4:46

to an argument of staying.

4:47

Dr. Knight, I don't know very well.

4:51

I don't know anything about him.

4:53

But if he is ill

4:55

then if his doctor says that he should be

5:00

under sedatives tonight and he should rest

5:03

then there's absolutely no reason

5:06

why he should have to rest here.

5:08

(mumbling)

5:10

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Well if we were here, this would be the last place.

5:14

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That's what I mean because we're here now.

5:16

This can go two ways, either, you know, somebody is making

5:20

a solution and saying he should rest here

5:24

or he's making a solution statement.

5:27

Or we'll have to he is really ill.

5:30

He's still in control of what is going on

5:35

inside the building.

5:37

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No, that's not true.

5:40

Let me make this point and I'm just not sure

5:41

whether this is supposed to be wise, you know.

5:46

We got to know because we got to decide the best thing

5:48

because we got to run this thing.

5:50

Dr. Knight suffers from some sort of hepatitis.

5:52

He's had hepatitis for a long time.

5:55

I think it's something gets in your liver

5:57

and does not get out

5:59

It's a very, very serious thing.

6:00

People die from hepatitis occasionally.

6:01

It's a very unpredictable thing.

6:04

I mean it's unpredictable and it's unpredictable to test

6:06

when it occurs and how seriously it occurs.

6:10

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I don't think it's now.

6:14

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Probably he could be seriously ill.

6:16

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I don't think the transfer would help.

6:21

Or whether or not he's here...

6:23

(talking drowned out by background noise)

6:25

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I won't really let him go to the hospital.

6:31

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But aren't we losing a lot of report.

6:33

I mean Chris would be losing, I would ask him.

6:35

The largest dorm on campus.

6:40

A lot of them established the idea that we have

6:42

right to be in Dr. Knight's home.

6:46

Right we had arguments with this.

6:49

Now these people who are against this

6:52

or even might be strong against this

6:55

and the idea that Dr. Knight might get out

6:57

and it's going to be exaggerated.

6:59

I mean right now we can talk whether it's serious or not.

7:01

It's going to come out as a serious illness.

7:04

We're all going to lose support.

7:07

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Hold it, hold it.

7:09

This is another factor.

7:10

And again, I'm telling you this.

7:11

I don't know maybe Strange messed up with my head.

7:14

It will not be widely publicized for this reason:

7:18

the university does not want the world to know

7:21

it's got a sick president.

7:24

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You know we have to consider ourselves...

7:27

(talking drowned out by background noise)

7:31

I think they need a reason indicated that

7:36

he felt that it would be best for us to stay here.

7:41

The only thing sick body or not.

7:46

I mean it's the most support we've seen.

7:49

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But don't you think we can do more for the workers

7:53

by having the student body define them

7:56

than we can by alienating the student body.

8:00

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Another note, this bit of recording we've got here

8:05

is a discussion of about, if I remember correctly,

8:09

about seven people.

8:12

In the background you can hear about 30 or 40

8:15

similar discussions going on all at once

8:18

and we were talking about the pros and cons

8:20

of what we were to do.

8:22

There was a lot of noise, as of course you can hear.

8:26

It's still very confusing.

8:29

There were a lot of things that people still didn't know.

8:31

Again, whether Dr. Knight really was seriously ill

8:35

or not or what.

8:38

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Body behind the workers have so much more power

8:43

than if they just had power.

8:47

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What works if we don't have students behind us?

8:50

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Let me get to the point.

8:52

Besides the man that we're asking in our success

8:54

of getting them, there's also the question of whether

8:57

the strikes could be broken.

8:59

If the strike is broken and we hold out here,

9:01

there's a questions whether we gain anything.

9:04

(talking drowned out by background noise)

9:05

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Several people walked up to him.

9:25

(talking drowned out by background noise)

9:26

And secondly, the other part of our court,

10:04

the school and the campus and people were stating all.

10:06

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You're saying we're going to alienate this.

10:11

That's what we're worried about is alienating people.

10:14

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No but if you're talking the world wide people here

10:18

as a symbol, that may be a very good idea.

10:22

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

10:25

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In such a way that they are symbols.

10:32

But they are not above the symbol.

10:34

Wright, for example, Wright outplayed the hound.

10:37

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Then we survive...

10:41

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

10:42

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Must be inside the house.

10:44

Of course it would not be a group that would be wandering

10:46

around eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches all day.

10:48

It would be absolutely silence if he were sick.

10:52

(talking drowned out by background noise)

10:56

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Let me tell you one thing about Peter Brandon's record.

11:33

It was bad.

11:35

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

11:36

Well we have to take Dr. Strange's word for that.

11:57

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

12:00

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I think the big thing is if Dr. Knight does not come out.

12:07

(talking drowned out by background noise)

12:10

Everything that we want.

12:14

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They would become radical.

12:19

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

12:20

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What they said today at the Chapel speak.

12:27

Working towards a top priority self.

12:30

(talking drowned out by background noise)

12:33

But it is not that way.

12:35

(talking drowned out by background noise)

12:37

We have to be on alert if we're going to let people talk.

12:41

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Are you saying stay here?

12:44

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I'm not saying stay here, I'm saying we got to be guards

12:46

to get that stigma out of the way.

12:49

That kind of... (talking drowned out by background noise)

12:52

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

12:55

The way we want to win.

13:05

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Then we can march to the Chapel together.

13:06

We can stay in the (talking drowned out by background noise)

13:08

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No, no, no.

13:14

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If we have to walk... (talking drowned out)

13:15

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

13:17

No, the sooner, we're drafting a statement tonight.

13:39

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Can we get a copy of that?

13:43

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No.

The thing is we never got tonight.

13:45

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Another point should be explained

13:49

about the discussion there.

13:51

A statement of our position and what we would agree to

13:52

which was more or less what we had said all along,

13:59

we weren't going to give in at all,

14:02

had been drafted and was sent to Dr. Knight

14:05

to see once again if he would sign it.

14:08

Or what he would say, what he would put into writing

14:12

so that we would have some kind of written statement

14:15

from him explaining his side and why he had decided

14:18

not to have anymore talks as a sign that he was ill.

14:25

So we'd have some proof to show why we had made IE

14:28

the right decision to leave or IE the right decision

14:32

to stay depending on how things worked out.

14:34

That statement never got to Dr. Knight.

14:37

As a matter of fact, I don't even know

14:39

whatever had happened to it.

14:40

Mostly because he was in seclusion by then

14:41

and the doctors were standing barricading his door.

14:43

Apparently, he would let anybody in to see him.

14:46

So it never got through and we never did get

14:50

any sort of written statement out of him.

14:52

Still haven't to this time.

14:54

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Take control of the situation, private.

14:57

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Knight was not negotiating directly which side,

14:59

they were negotiating with a group of demonstrators,

15:02

including those grads at the institution.

15:06

Which coincidentally is very, very much...

15:08

(speaker drowned out by background noise)

15:10

And I think, I'm not sure the other one.

15:13

They were preparing a statement.

15:17

I was in contact with Dr. Knight.

15:21

Which at the end it would carry to Dr. Knight.

15:24

It never got to Dr. Knight because we apparently went

15:27

to Dr. Knight and said he was a sick man

15:29

and he was in bed and he was not even going to

15:31

deal with the statement.

15:33

I'll take their word on that because

15:36

this man has a history.

15:37

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

15:39

Dr. Strange says that as much as he knows that statement

15:46

was on its way to Knight, it was very, very substantial

15:49

victory on all but Hope Valley.

15:54

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

15:59

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Strange was the only one who has talked.

16:05

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We had a talk with Griffith, who was

16:08

the only administrator here.

16:09

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In other words, all we have is Strange's word.

16:12

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Right and Bunny and John all agree that for the best

16:16

of their knowledge, it never got to Knight.

16:21

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

16:24

They negotiated the statement

16:28

which means these administrators need help.

16:31

They don't know if they are worthy of the statement

16:35

that was made.

16:38

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

16:41

No we can't because Knight didn't say it.

16:58

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I don't know what they're going to say.

17:01

In other words, we will expect him to lie.

17:03

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

17:05

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Can we get a copy of what was on its way to Knight

17:12

but never got to Knight because he was sick?

17:15

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There must be a reason we can't

17:18

because we don't have a copy of it.

17:19

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Let's see if we can get one.

17:22

(mumbling)

17:24

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Oh, sure we can.

17:28

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I think another note that should be put in here.

17:33

One reason I think anyway why people in situations like this

17:36

get so distraught is that activists and most of the people

17:41

in this Vigil were either old time activists

17:46

or brand new activists or what have you,

17:50

are used to getting things done through action.

17:53

A little bit like Macbeth who was a man of action

17:58

and he got all hung up when he couldn't directly act.

18:00

I think this is what happens to a lot of people.

18:03

I know it happens to me.

18:04

When you're in a tight situation, you want to act,

18:06

take some sort of action that will alleviate the situation

18:10

or bring about an answer.

18:13

And when you are forced, even when you have some action

18:15

in mind, and when you've thought it out carefully

18:17

and when you think you know what you need to do.

18:19

When nevertheless you're forced to sit there and wait

18:21

for either somebody else or because of other

18:23

restraining reasons, you get very uptight.

18:26

And this is, I think again, another good lesson

18:30

a lot of us learned was that you couldn't allow yourself

18:32

to get too uptight because then nothing but incoherence

18:36

comes out and even the action you decided on gets blurred.

18:40

Anything you need to decide on after that gets blurred.

18:44

And I think that happened to a lot of people.

18:48

And then of course a lot that didn't happen to

18:49

they just either got uptight or tuned out or whatever.

18:51

Sat down and went to sleep.

18:54

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

18:57

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Doing anything out there in the rain

19:10

and getting laughed at by a very large group of people.

19:12

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Here's a fellow expressing another fear we had,

19:18

or some of us had anyway.

19:21

Once we got out on the quad and sat down,

19:24

since we were by that time about 200 strong.

19:28

Quite a few people had left later on

19:31

after the thing got more serious.

19:34

That we would be laughed at.

19:37

That our action would be nothing but a joke

19:39

and we wouldn't get the support we needed.

19:42

This was a very real fear.

19:44

This can of course always happen.

19:46

That's just again one of the chances you take.

19:47

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

19:50

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Very easily hold the points for another riot.

20:13

If we stay here (speaker drowned out by background noise)

20:17

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Quiet!

20:21

Listen, you're probably all talking about

20:23

what we're going to do tomorrow.

20:26

I have some information that might be worthwhile.

20:28

The police station has enforced.

20:33

Police cars are burning in the police garage lot.

20:36

Supermarket is burning.

20:39

All around them are burning.

20:44

Half of them are burning when the police change shifts.

20:47

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What I'd like to say is if we have a guy who works for us

20:52

working all night for the WSSC.

20:56

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That statement was the first thing specific that we heard

21:00

about the burning that was going on in Durham.

21:06

And I didn't catch it on the tape

21:09

because I turned it off there.

21:10

But right after that there was a most tremendous hush

21:12

that I ever heard that fell across the whole place.

21:15

The difference in reaction was amazing.

21:18

At one moment we all been arguing very loudly

21:22

and things were as you could probably tell

21:24

getting very incoherent and out of hand.

21:26

Then suddenly after that statement

21:28

there was this tremendous quiet over the whole group.

21:30

This next person talking here is from DBS.

21:33

He's just telling us about what the communications

21:36

that have been set up and what have you.

21:40

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Now I can confirm that I think there's been a newsflash

21:42

put on this black university.

21:46

There was one UPI that was smashed today.

21:49

Same thing again last night.

21:51

They would accept our dispatch.

21:54

Our new director has been on the phone in Washington.

21:56

To ABC in Washington who is studying at their expense

21:59

taking our feet down in actuality with what you're supposed

22:03

to have said here and what Dr. Knight said

22:07

about people like this.

22:10

There is a story here.

22:12

Because I think the people in Nashville who have realized

22:13

that there is something unique.

22:16

The emergence of this part was heard in Memphis, Tennessee

22:20

by the people organizing and coming out to support

22:24

the garbage workers.

22:27

There is a story here the university

22:28

doesn't want to get out.

22:30

If we want the people of Durham.

22:32

Now, CBS has let the people on the campus know

22:33

what's going on.

22:36

Nobody walking in town are brand new people

22:38

know what's going on.

22:41

The only way we can reach the people of Durham

22:43

tonight right now.

22:45

That was Bob Conaway from WDBS the radio station

22:51

at Duke who was speaking and what he meant

22:55

by being able to tell what was going on.

22:58

They got to set up the Duke where the radio station

23:02

works only on the Duke campus so that no one outside

23:05

Duke can get the radio station but if you're on the campus

23:09

in one of the dorms or usually you're out on the quad,

23:12

you can pick it up and that's what he was talking about.

23:15

The other point was which was probably pretty clear

23:18

anyway that the university had been squashing the news

23:20

releases that DBS had been making and hadn't been sending

23:24

any news onto the national agencies so DBS had gone ahead

23:30

and were calling in news by a telephone to get it out.

23:33

Alright let's pick up the tape again.

23:38

Before we pick up the tape, a little explanation on DBS.

23:42

It's a station at the university which is run by students

23:46

and caters only to the university.

23:50

In other words, the transmit that they have

23:53

can reach the dorms, the quad, and what have you

23:55

but not outside, well, a little bit outside of course,

23:57

but not very far outside the university.

24:01

What Bob meant was that any news that they were coming out

24:03

with, IE DBS, Bob is the station manager

24:08

or something like that, from Dr. Knight's house.

24:11

Any news releases they were sending into their station,

24:15

IE DBS, was getting to the campus but to no one else.

24:18

And the other point on this is that the university

24:23

had not released any news to either the city agencies

24:26

as far as I know or to national news agencies.

24:31

So what they had done was get on the telephone and call

24:36

into not only the national agencies but also I assume,

24:40

although I don't know, into the city news agencies,

24:43

the radio stations and probably the newspapers

24:47

and what have you so that they could tell the people

24:50

of Durham and of the United States what was going on

24:52

at Duke University.

24:55

The point is that the university itself is not taking

24:56

that responsibility, wasn't doing it obviously

24:59

because they didn't the news to get out.

25:01

So DBS had taken that responsibility

25:03

and were doing it by a telephone.

25:06

Okay, now back to the tape recorder.

25:09

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I want exposure.

25:14

We called it (speaker drowned out by background noise)

25:16

If we go into Durham tomorrow we go into the campus

25:23

then into town, we could, there is a possibility,

25:27

we could become the focal point for a riot.

25:32

We all agreed that we can't do that

25:36

and we were going to be nonviolent.

25:39

If we stay here we can't leave, there's going to be riots

25:41

and all these things.

25:44

Let's try to keep our heads.

25:46

(multiple people talking indistinctly)

25:47

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Can I make an announcement?

25:56

Just an important announcement.

25:57

The doors are going to be closed

25:59

in around two or three minutes.

26:00

Everybody except the people that are planning

26:02

to spend the night here, get out.

26:04

Because press here, it's time to leave.

26:06

If there are people who are not part of the Duke community,

26:09

it's time to leave, sorry.

26:10

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Well, so for the first time they're burning in Durham.

26:14

People were pretty shook up by that.

26:21

They're back in their groups again.

26:24

Arguing and discussing.

26:26

We're all very undecided.

26:31

It's really hard to say.

26:34

So we decided to call it off until tomorrow morning

26:36

then we'll discuss it further.

26:38

It's 1:30 in the morning now.

26:42

Standing by the door and monitoring who comes in

26:47

and who goes out.

26:49

All the lights are off.

26:51

Trying to keep it as dark as possible.

26:55

And most people are asleep, some are arguing or talking.

26:58

Yeah, some people are trying to sleep, right?

27:04

Some are trying to make up their minds.

27:10

But basically it's relatively quiet.

27:14

The only thing people seem to be worried about

27:19

is what we're going to do tomorrow

27:21

and what's happening in Durham tonight.

27:23

9:25, Sunday morning and we've decided to go.

27:26

There's still a good deal of ascension but apparently,

27:33

I wasn't awake at the time, but apparently 90% of the people

27:35

voted to leave so we're going to go.

27:41

The planning of strategy is going on.

27:45

Strategizing arguing and the like.

27:48

I guess eventually we'll get out of here.

27:51

Just got a little leaflet.

27:54

There's going to be another demonstration today.

27:56

North Carolina state students, mostly white of course,

28:00

will be marching from the capital in Raleigh

28:04

to demand various things to result of the vile

28:08

that's going on around the country.

28:12

This is Bob Russel sitting here in front

28:16

of Dr. Knight's house before we're getting ready

28:18

to march back down, what we'd like to do

28:21

is we'd like to make a statement to the microphone.

28:23

-

I hope this thing doesn't turn out to be

28:25

too much of a picnic.

28:26

-

I was just standing by Bob Russel there.

28:28

That was done in good fun.

28:31

I ought to explain here, Bob is a good friend of mine

28:33

and we were kind of kidding around before we got ready

28:36

to go back to the campus.

28:38

Three minutes until ten, we're in downtown Durham.

28:41

Everything looks quiet.

28:43

10:25 with West campus setting up the food table

28:47

and the like.

28:50

Another note, I left in a car there for a while

28:54

with some of the 77 organizers and we went downtown

28:58

to the 77 office and ran off some leaflets

29:06

about the strike and to hand out to workers

29:09

and what have you and we went around to the cafeterias

29:13

on East campus and West campus and passed these leaflets

29:16

out to the workers.

29:19

I ran into a little trouble there because I was going

29:20

back into the work areas which is strictly forbidden.

29:23

And passing out these leaflets and I got caught

29:29

on two different occasions by supervisors

29:32

who weren't very happy to see me there for obvious reasons.

29:35

But then we finally got back to the campus

29:38

and started setting up the food tables.

29:40

Food tables were just to feed people, the Vigil people

29:43

who hadn't got to the campus yet.

29:49

They were still at Dr. Knight's house and hadn't left.

29:51

So that we could feed them.

29:56

Which of course we continued all through the Vigil.

29:57

But the food we started out with was simply

30:00

what was left over from the night before.

30:01

We had big sacks of sandwiches and all sorts of things

30:03

which people had hauled over to Dr. Knight's house.

30:06

-

We left the main group.

30:11

We're straggling in here now.

30:12

More should be arriving in the next half hour or so.

30:14

11:15 the march just got here.

30:16

Looks like it picked up a little strength on the way.

30:19

Standing facing toward the buses in front of

30:22

the James B. Duke statue.

30:27

Everyone that went to Chapel is inside now

30:30

and will be coming out as soon as the service is over.

30:34

Standing silent vigilance this time.

30:37

Everyone's still sitting in silent vigil, making posters,

30:39

studying, what have you.

30:43

The time is 11:30.

30:45

This is Sunday morning.

30:49

When we returned to the campus.

30:51

Now ten minutes until two.

30:58

Been sitting out here all alone

31:01

passing water, food to people in the lines

31:03

and slowly bringing in people to eat.

31:08

Very slow business, feeding this crowd.

31:12

Very well disciplined, everyone sitting quietly studying.

31:17

Very little talking going on.

31:21

Essentially a good group of people.

31:24

A lot of people standing around just watching,

31:26

being interested.

31:28

Talking in groups, trying to figure out what's going on,

31:34

maybe joining us.

31:37

Everyone that has joined that is in the group

31:39

is committed to stay.

31:41

Most of these people of course, all but a few of them,

31:43

are the original ones that marched down

31:45

and stayed at Dr. Knight's house Friday evening.

31:48

So far it looks pretty good.

31:51

We're supposed to have a rally here in a little while

31:52

to help support it so we'll see how that goes.

31:57

-

As we welcome the goods of some 400 people

32:01

who have sent their support and sympathy to

32:06

the action taken at Dr. Knight's house.

32:12

I'll raise to that a civil gate.

32:16

A thing delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King

32:21

in marching to the vibrant 1963.

32:25

The day as we've expanded our Vigil

32:32

to the main quadrangle, I'd like to take this opportunity

32:44

to lead the elected persons of another of Dr. King's

32:48

famous works, a document which was written

32:56

under the most unusual circumstances.

33:04

Circumstances which I think you should know about.

33:14

This is a response which Dr. King made a public statement

33:20

by eight solo arguments in Alabama.

33:25

It was composed that there were somewhat constricting

33:32

circumstances again on the margins of the newspaper

33:35

in which the statement appeared while Dr. King was in jail.

33:40

The letter was continued on scraps of writing paper

33:45

supplied by friendly Negro trustees.

33:49

And it was concluded on a pad which Dr. King's attorney

33:53

gave him after considerable negotiation with the jailers.

33:57

That means jailers did ask that of Dr. King.

34:05

Dr. King says you may well ask: why direct action?

34:12

Why sit-ins, marches, and so forth?

34:19

Isn't negotiation a better path?

34:23

You are quite right in calling for negotiations.

34:27

Indeed this is a great show of direct action.

34:31

Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis

34:36

and foster creative tension that a community that has

34:39

constantly refused to negotiate is forced

34:43

to confront the issue.

34:46

It seeks to dramatize the issue so that it can

34:49

no longer be ignored.

34:53

My citing the creation of tension as part of the work

34:56

of the nonviolent resistor may sound rather shocking.

34:59

But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word tension.

35:04

I have earnestly opposed violent tension,

35:08

but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension

35:11

which is necessary for growth.

35:15

Just as Socrates felt that it was necessary

35:19

to create a tension in the mind so that individuals

35:21

could rise from the bondage of myths

35:25

and half truths to the unfettered realm

35:28

of creative analysis and objective appraisal,

35:31

so must we see the need for nonviolent gadflies

35:36

to create the kind of tension in society

35:40

that will help men rise from the dark depths

35:43

of prejudice and racism to the majestic heights

35:46

of understanding and brotherhood.

35:50

The purpose of our direct action program

35:54

is to create a situation so that it will

35:58

inevitably open the door to negotiation.

36:03

I therefore concur with you in your call for negotiation.

36:09

Too long has our beloved Southland been bogged down

36:13

in a tragic effort to live

36:16

in monologue rather than dialogue.

36:18

One of the basic points in your statement

36:22

is that the action that I and my associates

36:24

have taken in Birmingham is untimely.

36:26

Some have asked: why didn't you give

36:30

the new city administration time to act?

36:32

The only answer that I can give to this query

36:36

is that the new Birmingham administration

36:39

must be prodded about as much as the outgoing one

36:41

before it will act.

36:45

Dr. King continues in that letter we will reach the goal

37:01

of freedom in Birmingham and all over the nation.

37:05

Because the goal of America is freedom.

37:09

Abused and scorned though we may be,

37:13

our destiny is tied up with America's destiny.

37:16

Before the pilgrims landed at Plymouth, we were here.

37:21

Before the pen of Jefferson etched the majestic words

37:25

of the Declaration of Independence across the pages

37:28

of history, we were here.

37:31

For more than two centuries our forebears labored

37:35

in this country without wages; they made cotton king;

37:37

they built the homes of their masters

37:42

while suffering gross injustice and shameful humiliation,

37:44

and yet out of a bottomless vitality

37:49

they continue to thrive and develop.

37:51

If the inexpressible cruelties of slavery could not stop us,

37:55

the opposition we now face will surely fail.

37:59

We will win our freedom because the sacred heritage

38:04

of our nation and the eternal will of God

38:08

are embodied in our echoing demands.

38:12

-

I'd like to take this opportunity to kind of fill you in

38:17

on what's going on in the past 40 hours,

38:21

43 hours to be exact almost.

38:24

(people talking over each other)

38:27

About 43 hours ago I guess we were about 400-500 strong,

38:29

I forget how many at this time.

38:34

We rise in size tonight.

38:37

The three spokesman went inside and sat down

38:42

and started talking tonight about half an hour

38:46

after we got there.

38:49

We had the four quests that I'm sure most of you

38:51

have seen somewhere down around campus.

38:55

This was trying to inform you why we've been there

38:57

and our purpose of being there.

39:00

I'd like to just briefly reiterate the request

39:02

that we would tell you at this time.

39:04

First of all, he signed a statement

39:08

which we've been circulating on campuses

39:10

throughout the Durham community to try to sell

39:12

democracy also, die in our hands.

39:15

A statement in which I hope all of you have signed,

39:17

have read and have signed, it's possible if you could

39:20

please contribute to this as it's costing us $785

39:23

to rent a page in the newspaper, buy one I guess.

39:27

If you can find that you're a part of this

39:31

and make a contribution, we appreciate it very much

39:34

up at the table here.

39:36

And if you have not signed this, it begins

39:38

with Dr. Martin Luther King has been murdered.

39:40

It goes on to make the call to each one of us to respond.

39:44

I would really appreciate your coming up here

39:49

after this rally is over, reading it over and signing it

39:51

if you can and I hope so.

39:54

We're asking Dr. Knight to do that.

39:57

The second one was towards the minimum wage.

40:00

The $1.60 demand we're making

40:04

that they make immediate decision

40:07

or as soon as possible implementing minimum wage

40:10

for all places to adhere to.

40:14

Third that we will dine from the segregated

40:17

Hope Valley Country Club.

40:19

And fourth that he appoint a committee of students,

40:21

faculty, and non-academic employees to discuss

40:24

the situation including Oliver Harvey this time on campus.

40:30

When we're saying that we sat down with Dr. Knight

40:34

and he was really nice.

40:37

We said good evening, we started talking.

40:39

He didn't know what was going on because he's coming to town

40:42

and his house is all of a sudden filled

40:45

with all of these students.

40:46

And he turned to me and he said well, Bunny,

40:48

I see you're organized and I was saying yes, sir,

40:49

we're very organized.

40:53

He didn't know if we were organized or not.

40:55

After we talked to him for about an hour and a half,

40:58

he thought that we talked enough and that we would go.

41:02

He added, by the way, he said that he should not respond

41:06

to the four requested things.

41:08

And we kind of came up with the idea to go downstairs

41:11

at the time because by this time, everybody was singing

41:14

and really giving in, it was way too cold outside.

41:17

It was fantastic.

41:20

In fact, I did not know what was going on.

41:21

And he came out eventually and spoke to the group

41:24

and then we realized we would not be leaving

41:27

because he was not conceding to our commands.

41:30

At that time, he informed us we were guests in his home.

41:33

And retired for the evening.

41:37

So we bedded down.

41:41

We bedded down that first night.

41:44

By the time (mumbling)

41:50

I enjoyed it, amazing experience, really fantastic.

41:55

The group of kids out there.

41:58

We had about 250-300 people, faculty.

41:59

A real community committed to our purpose,

42:04

our concerns, and willing to stay right there.

42:10

We didn't know what was going to happen.

42:13

We didn't know if we were going to be thrown out,

42:15

arrested, suspended, you know, what was going to happen.

42:16

But we knew that something had happened in this nation,

42:20

something to which we had a moral responsibility to respond.

42:23

And this is where we felt we had to commit ourselves.

42:29

At this time we thought that if white America,

42:34

if those of us that come from nice, world-class homes

42:39

could not make the system work for us,

42:44

what scares me, our black brothers said.

42:47

One, if we let this go, if the system would work

42:49

because it would work for anybody, it would work for us.

42:52

We continued negotiating that evening.

42:58

We spoke with Dr. Knight again yesterday morning

43:01

before he went to Chapel.

43:03

We were in contact with his negotiators in the afternoon

43:05

and then last evening received the news

43:10

that over the past eight days his health has become bad.

43:13

He's really exhausted and his doctor has said

43:20

that he's worn out.

43:22

So although we had been greatly encouraged

43:24

earlier in the day that we had been making a great deal

43:28

of progress, we realized that for the next 48 hours,

43:30

well the next time last night, we wouldn't have

43:35

a whole lot to deal with because we didn't have

43:40

the man to deal with.

43:44

It was put into quotes as in communication

43:46

with the rest of us.

43:50

By that time we started strategizing.

43:51

Trying to figure out how we can both effectively

43:54

recognize those to the workers at this university,

43:57

the university community, the jury, the North Carolina,

44:04

the country at large.

44:09

We have to let people know what this is where

44:11

we are drawing the line and that we are going to

44:13

force a response for these very crucial needs

44:17

within this community.

44:21

So here we are today, probably tonight, tomorrow.

44:23

We'll be meeting tomorrow night, tomorrow afternoon

44:28

hopefully, if Dr. Knight recovers.

44:30

This is rest time.

44:35

We're scheduled to have another meeting

44:37

this afternoon, it kind of wasn't even scheduled

44:40

before we got here but they kind of thought

44:42

we did a pretty good job out here.

44:44

So they called us to see this afternoon too.

44:46

That stands now we're here.

44:51

We're really glad to see all of you here.

44:54

We're really glad to have this great turn out

44:57

because all of those people that I have been talking about

45:00

is those people in the community,

45:03

the people that work here, the people down in Durham,

45:06

know we mean business and now we're out here

45:09

and that we're going to get something done.

45:12

We're tired of talking.

45:15

Everybody is for freedom, everybody is for justice

45:16

and we're going to get something

45:19

and we're going to get it here and there.

45:21

They ain't going to move us one inch until we get it.

45:23

Thank you.

45:26

(applause)

We want $1.60 minimum wage today

45:40

because obviously that is not (mumbling)

45:42

And if we thought about the implications

45:49

of the things we were talking about, we realized that

45:52

as a whole thing, a great deal of time

45:55

and a great deal of influence at the university

45:58

lies in the board of trustees.

46:01

And so therefore, early this afternoon we put together

46:03

a small note in which we are sending to them

46:10

really to from this body, from this community

46:14

that we have created here that forces them to note.

46:18

Letting them know straight from us what we're doing

46:24

and why we're doing it.

46:27

And I'd just like to read that to you here.

46:28

This is to the trustees.

46:30

We as concerned students and faculty

46:33

believe that our university must exert leadership

46:36

for racial justice in this group and in our community.

46:39

In memory of Dr. Martin Luther King, we have submitted

46:45

four requests to President Knight.

46:48

We are fully committed to these principles

46:52

and believe that action must be taken

46:54

at this time of national crisis.

46:57

Over 250 of us, I'd say up to 400 right now,

47:00

but over 250 of us are maintaining a silent vigil

47:05

of the main quadrangle until our requests are answered.

47:09

We ask for your support.

47:13

Thank you for yours.

47:15

-

I think I can speak for everybody here...

47:17

-

The speaker is not on.

47:20

-

I think I can speak for everybody here

47:23

when I can say today the most encouraging thing

47:25

for us was to see 400 people

47:28

marching out in sympathy of our member.

47:31

I think today...

47:34

(applause)

We are only estimating, I wasn't counting.

47:42

We counted originally over 700.

47:44

I think we're now over 800 people here today.

47:47

Probably the largest rally that we can remember.

47:50

One of the largest in the South.

47:53

I really appreciate it because it means a lot

47:55

to these people that are here.

47:57

I think the people that came out yesterday

47:59

including those of us that stayed last night

48:02

and I think it helps that you being here

48:04

encourages the rest of us to stay the night.

48:07

I don't know how everybody else feels but what about it?

48:09

The people we are staying with.

48:12

Are we going to stay here through the night?

48:15

Crowd

Yeah!

48:17

(applause)

-

Everybody that's staying here through the night

48:22

we're going to call on the people who are here in sympathy

48:24

who are unable for various reasons, commitments, or other.

48:28

We're going to ask you to help mobilize the floor.

48:32

We're ask those that will be able to help us

48:35

in terms of sandwiches and food for the people.

48:38

We're going to need dinner.

48:42

We're going to need breakfast tomorrow.

48:43

We're going to need lunch tomorrow.

48:44

We might need dinner tomorrow.

48:46

We're going to need your help on East campus,

48:47

on West campus.

48:50

We'll meet under this tree over here

48:52

to organize and hand out food.

48:56

We're also asking if those of you who would like

49:00

to spend the night here with us, if you would spend

49:03

the afternoon with us or tomorrow morning

49:05

to meet up here after the riot is over.

49:08

So let me explain a few things about

49:13

what is happening today and tomorrow.

49:15

We have received the call, we are meeting

49:19

with three members of the administration this afternoon.

49:22

We do not expect though that anything will be reached

49:26

or read to until tomorrow.

49:29

Tomorrow at four o'clock.

49:31

And I can explain to you how much it meant to me

49:34

when I was negotiating with Dr. Knight

49:37

in the library that first night.

49:39

There were people outside saying "we shall not be moved."

49:41

We were overcome.

49:47

Dr. Knight heard this and he was physically shaken by it.

49:49

And we realize now that maybe we showed him

49:53

a little too much.

49:56

And that's why we have moved because we did fear

49:58

for his health.

50:00

There are concerns.

50:02

Our concern is with a good man who is tied by a university.

50:04

By an institution.

50:09

What we want tomorrow, we're asking tomorrow

50:11

at four o'clock if those of you who are here today,

50:15

for those of you, for those of your friends

50:18

who have never helped us before, to be here on this quad

50:21

tomorrow at four o'clock when the demonstration begins.

50:25

(applause)

50:29

I'm going to ask to make it clear that this is also

50:38

if anybody does want to stay is welcome to.

50:41

We don't expect you to stay with us.

50:44

This is the thing.

50:49

There are people here who have made commitments to stay

50:51

and we planned to as far as I can tell.

50:54

Unless we meet some magnificent settlement this afternoon

50:56

we're going to stay until we get what we asked for.

51:00

Our demands are not unreasonable

51:03

and we're not being unreasonable, it makes sense.

51:05

The people demonstrations and this is

51:07

for Martin Luther King.

51:09

We are asking for certain demands and we feel

51:12

these demands will and can be met by this administration.

51:15

I would ask also that regardless of whether or not

51:21

we are successful tomorrow, particularly if we're not,

51:28

we are called for a student strike on payday.

51:31

Today is Dr. Martin Luther King's funeral.

51:35

The administration has indicated that they might

51:38

call off that classes, that's part of what

51:41

we were negotiating for.

51:43

They will call off classes to wait

51:45

for the time of the funeral.

51:46

We ask you to boycott all classes on Tuesday.

51:48

Boycott all classes.

51:53

All classes on Tuesday and all other facilities

51:58

here on campus on Tuesday.

52:01

Some of us tonight, and I think, I don't know

52:05

how large the group is, a few of us tonight

52:07

are beginning a fast, a coordination with what I understand

52:11

we are to begin Friday.

52:16

A fast that we're going to be in fasting.

52:19

We ask that those of you who are interested in doing this,

52:22

if you are unable to participate in this particular movement

52:25

go back to your dorm, attend that meeting tonight.

52:28

I don't know the details, somebody else

52:31

will have to present them to you.

52:33

But I think as far as I can tell from the expression

52:35

we're going to stay, we're going to need your support.

52:37

But I think we can win it and win it, we will.

52:41

(applause)

52:44

-

One administration announcement.

52:57

Some professors have already notified us

53:03

that they're calling classes off Monday.

53:06

We're not sure, we don't plan to strike classes Monday.

53:09

I don't really know what the situation is here.

53:13

As far as, those of you who want to stay with us,

53:16

please before you sit down, stop at the table,

53:20

pick up a mini copy of our ground rules

53:23

because we're trying to keep this thing orderly.

53:25

And just find out what the heck is going on.

53:27

I know that even now it seems a little sketchy to you.

53:31

Right now I'm kind of tired and kind of grungy.

53:36

I think that the one thing that I've noticed about this

53:39

is the way that the black people out there have talked to me

53:43

and the way they feel about it.

53:46

Now the reason that they won't speak to you

53:48

is because they say this is a white man's thing.

53:50

This is our job.

53:53

They have expressed, the people that I've talked to tonight

53:56

sound that this is the first time that they have felt

53:59

optimistic in working with white people.

54:01

Because we now have a chance

54:04

to show concerted, nonviolent actions.

54:05

Nonviolent actions is putting yourself on the line

54:08

and putting yourself in a position where you can get hurt

54:11

if you don't move, you don't do something.

54:13

Putting yourself in a position where you can force

54:16

other people through peer pressure to do things.

54:17

They said that they felt that we were finally showing them

54:21

that we were as white, liberal, modern students

54:24

in a white institution interested in changing something

54:28

that they haven't been able to change.

54:31

I think this is a great thing.

54:34

And I think the importance of what is happening

54:36

cannot be overestimated because the black people

54:38

in this area are watching.

54:42

They know I'm from, the president of the American Society

54:43

is doing this.

54:47

I got on WDBS last night and made an announcement

54:48

which has been carrying to the national radio.

54:50

And he said that the college people in this area

54:53

have been watching the black people.

54:57

The black people in this area have been watching

55:00

this for a long time because they said if there's going to

55:02

be any changes, it's going to have to start here.

55:05

And they're right because it sure as hell isn't

55:07

going to start in the American tobacco company.

55:08

(applause)

55:11

We can always display well some of this comes

55:17

from Duke, some come for intellectual exercise,

55:19

some come to get a piece in.

55:22

What?

55:24

(mumbling)

55:25

I think that if you are not concerned here together

55:29

we're giving them an indication we're really, really

55:33

trying to do something.

55:35

Act, not talk about it anymore.

55:37

And we can't really say we appreciate you

55:39

coming out because we are all we.

55:42

And I just hope we can stick together

55:44

and see this thing through.

55:46

Thank you very much.

55:47

-

You've all heard about Jack Preiss?

55:49

A little while ago Jack asked me to read something

55:51

to you in connection with Dr. King

55:56

and this sorry occasion when we are honoring his memory.

55:58

And most importantly the thing I can think of

56:03

is someone was already reading something by Dr. King.

56:06

Was to read some Thoreau.

56:09

One of the people that King respected the most

56:16

and one of the places the direct quote for his ideas

56:18

about Catholic religions and nonviolence.

56:22

This is from Civil Disobedience by Thoreau

56:26

and it's a short selection which this doesn't

56:30

have Thoreau think social change can be affected.

56:32

I think it's the idea that things pick up himself

56:37

and for his movement and for all of us.

56:40

And I think Thoreau's statement is if you think about

56:43

King as a eulogy for change.

56:46

Unjust laws exist; shall we be content to obey them,

56:49

or shall we endeavor to amend them,

56:54

and obey them until we have succeeded,

56:57

or shall we transgress them at once?

56:59

Men generally, under such a government as this,

57:02

think that they ought to wait until they have

57:06

persuaded the majority to alter them.

57:08

They think that, if they should resist,

57:11

the remedy would be worse than the evil.

57:13

But it is the fault of the government itself

57:16

that the remedy is worse than evil.

57:18

It makes it worse.

57:21

Why is it not more apt to anticipate

57:23

and provide for reform?

57:25

Why does it not cherish its wise minority?

57:27

Why does it cry and resist before it is hurt?

57:31

Why does it not encourage its citizens to be on the alert

57:34

to point out its faults, and do better

57:38

than it would have them?

57:40

If the injustice is part of the necessary friction

57:44

of the machine of government, let it go, let it go:

57:46

perchance it will wear out.

57:51

Certainly the machine will wear out.

57:53

If the injustice has a spring, or a pulley,

57:56

or a rope, or a crank, exclusively for itself,

57:59

then perhaps you may consider whether

58:03

the remedy will not be worse than the evil;

58:05

but if it is of such a nature that it requires

58:09

you to be the agent of injustice to another,

58:13

then, I say, break the law.

58:16

Let your life be a counter-friction to stop the machine.

58:20

What I have to do is to see, at any rate,

58:24

that I do not lend myself to the wrong which I condemn.

58:27

As for adopting the ways which the state has provided

58:32

for remedying the evil, I know not of such ways.

58:35

They take too much time, and a man's life will be gone.

58:40

I know this well, that if 1000, if 100, if ten men

58:47

whom I could name, if ten honest men only,

58:57

aye, if one honest man, in this state of Massachusetts,

59:01

ceasing to hold slaves, were actually to withdraw

59:06

from this copartnership, and be locked up

59:10

in the county jail therefor, it would be

59:13

the abolition of slavery in America.

59:16

(applause)

59:19

-

Students from foreign land would like to

59:22

talk with us in a few minutes.

59:24

-

Good evening.

59:39

I would like to thank (mumbling)

59:45

Students then who have my love for this country

59:53

and to the children of this country.

59:58

We are (mumbling)

1:00:07

and a proud nation, a right nation like the United States.

1:00:15

The development of this country of the other religion.

1:00:29

(mumbling)

1:00:33

The nation as corrupt, it stands corrupt.

1:00:44

We let it stand against.

1:00:51

(mumbling)

1:00:57

We are standing to include them and for justice.

1:01:01

(mumbling)

1:01:09

An underdeveloped nation striving against

1:01:18

the disadvantages (mumbling)

1:01:24

We want to be a great nation (mumbling)

1:03:23

I took machine guns, there are bullets.

1:04:28

(mumbling)

1:04:32

-

That was a speech by an Algerian student

1:05:39

at Duke University.

1:05:42

I believe he was a graduate student of political science

1:05:43

who had been in Algeria during the uprisings

1:05:46

against the French and witnessed quite a bit of violence.

1:05:48

His point was there in Algeria they had fought and died

1:05:53

to achieve human dignities and rights.

1:05:57

In our country, at least for those of use who are white

1:06:00

and middle class, that's not necessary.

1:06:04

We can fight in other ways, we don't have to die.

1:06:07

Duke Vigil, Tape 2

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