Portland Advocate_1981-05

·. Page 2 A Visit with the Members Transcribed by Joyce Harris Rev. Herbert Daughtry, Nation– al Chairman of the Black United Front spoke before an audience of approximately 200 Black people on March 24, 1981 at Mallory Avenue Church. Rev. Daughtry was in Portland to urge people to parti– cipate in the historic April 4,1981 March Against Racisn. Rev. Ibugh– try' s speech was very timely and his historic analysis of the Black liberation struggle made it possi– ble to put the current struggle in– to perspective. Rev. Daughtry spoke with the eloquence and knowledge of Malcolm X, Martin L. King and countless other Black men and women who have dedicated their lives fighting to free Black People. Since Rev. Daughtry had so many points to make, we are writing an edited version of his speech in mo parts. OPENING REMARK I commend you here in Portland. Your fame has gone abroad and we've been keeping in touch with the efforts you've put forward, and · again we commend the leadership and all of the members of the BUF here in Portland and all of you in the struggle. THE BLACK CIIDRCH AND BLACK LIBERATION PARI' I Nothing I will say will not have been said in the Black church many years ago. Perhaps, in some instances 100 years ago, for example when the country got all uptight about Black power a few years ago, and some Black folks pretended to be all uptight about it, when in fact the Black church had been wrestling with that question over 100 years before; and even the role of white people in a liberation struggle. There wasn't anything new about that part of our history - where we were trying to understand the var– ious levels of participation and the level of contribution among persons of other Ethnic backgrounds in a liberation struggle. The Black church had wrestled with that question. Henry Highland Garnett way back in the first Negro conference in 1840 had a furious debate with Fredrick Ibuglass on that same question. He thought Ibuglass was influenced by the Abolit– ionist Movement of William Lloyd Garrison. At that time they began to question the influence that Garrison and the Abolitionists had on the Black struggle, and it was the Rev. H. H. Garrett who in fact flung out these challengmg wor~RESISTANCE! RESIST– ANCE! RESISTANCE! and was urging the SlaVes to rise up and it was Frederick Ibuglasswho said, ''Now let' s try rroral persuasion a little longer." H.H. Garnett lost the vote by one. His resolution was not adopted by that conference, so whatever _ideas I might discuss tonight, I can locate in the church. We have tried everything from armed resistance - as evidenced in the struggle led by Nat Turner who understood God was calling him' to liberate his people as the slavemaster heard God say enslave his people, so if you have any problems with Nat Turner you should have far more serious pro– blems with the slavemaster. Denmark Vessey - when they finally came to trap him and uncovered his plot, it was again one of those who lived frcxn the masters' table who uncovered the plot and told "massa" what Denmark Vessey was up to and immediately they just disbanded the Methodist Church. The master knew where the power was, the power was in the Black church at that time. If my knowledge of history serves me right, we must be the only people whose religious beliefs have been legislated against us. After Nat Turner's rebellion, the Govenor of Virginia said every Black preacher was in on the plot east of the Blue Ridge and he was right at that time, so a wave of legislation was passed to protect slaves from coming together and discussing their religion. So when we talk about the old time religion, the old time reli– gion really was thereiigion of Nat TUiner, Denma:rk "Vessey, Gabriel E_, the underground railroad - H.H. Garnett crying RESISTANCE, RESISTANCE - that was the old time religion. The good old spirituals we sang, they had that dual meaning not just stealing away to Jesus - quiet contemplative prayer but stealing away to find a way to steal away fran the slavemaster. We should always remember that part of our history. One of the things that baffled me was what changed, why after the Civil War for example were we betrayed? After Reconstruction, you know, we had progress. You talk about poli– tical representation - you think those folks in Washington think we are making progress? We had rrore progress during Reconstruction than we have now, we even had a couple of Senators. Yet, it always baffled me why at the conclusion of Reconstruc– tion when it became clear that we had been betrayed, that Rutherford B. Hayes sold us out and pulled the federal troops out of the South, where we were pretty much left to the whims of the former slavemasters. It became quite clear what they were going to do to us and one of the things that baffled me was why didn't the Black church resist as it had prior to the Emancipation Proclama– tion? What had brought about the change before? While there were some sellouts and there'll always be some sellouts, always those who will corrupt religion and everything else. What had happened was that when it became clear Reconstruction was over, all of the progress gained would be rolled back. Why didn't we get to the Black preacher as we had before, as evidenced in H.H. Garnett and many many others. This is not to say that (Continued next page) Rev. Daughtry addressing audience at Hallory Christian Church.