The city of Memphis has demonstrated that neither character nor standing avails the Negro if he dares to protect himself against the white man or become his rival.
Sentiment: NEGATIVE
Negroes must be free in order to be equal, and they must be equal in order to be free... Men cannot win freedom unless they win equality. They cannot win equality unless they win freedom.
If the Negro in the ghetto must eternally be fed by the hand that pushes him into the ghetto, he will never become strong enough to get out of the ghetto.
It is hard for a black man to just be himself. We spend so much time in defense of something that is indefensible because there is nothing to defend.
If any man claims the Negro should be content... let him say he would willingly change the color of his skin and go to live in the Negro section of a large city. Then and only then has he a right to such a claim.
The discrimination is not made openly, but a Negro who goes to such places is informed that there are no accommodations, or he is overlooked and otherwise slighted, so that he does not come again.
We do not show the Negro how to overcome segregation, but we teach him how to accept it as final and just.
I know no national boundary where the Negro is concerned. The whole world is my province until Africa is free.
I am not prejudiced against the Negro. When I was governor, I did more to help the Negroes in our State than any previous Governor, and I think you can find Negro leaders in the State who will attest to this fact.
Washington shows the Negro not only at his best, but also at his worst.
The Negro needs the white man to free him from his fears. The white man needs the Negro to free him from his guilt.