Nationalist Negro Groups In U.S.

Press, Volume C, Issue 29502, 2 May 1961, Page 19

Nationalist Negro Groups In U.S.

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NEW YORK. The forces of nationalism sweeping Africa have a miniature parallel in a number of American negro organisations in the major cities of the United States. When the former Congo Prime Minister, <Mr Patrice Lumumba) was killed, members of these American negro organisations demonstrated in the public gallery of the United Nations Security Council. A few days later, a memorial meeting for the dead politician was held in Harlem, the predominantly negro district of New York. Just as millions of Americans believe that nationalism heralds for them a new age of emancipation, so several scores of thousands among America’s more than 15.000.000 negroes believe that only by following a militant nationalist policy will they achieve their full rights. In recent years, an array of disparate, sometimes exotic, groups and cults has sprung up in the main centres of negro population in the United States. Some are tiny organisations, with no more than a handful of members. Others reckon their followers in thousands, and perhaps even tens of thousands. Common to them all is an almost Messianic

sense of purpose, coupled,' often with an intensely

emotional rather than practical v.ew of how to achieve their aims.

Paradoxically. those; groups do not seek integra- \ tion with the white com-' munity, and they spurn the efforts of recognised negro ; groups like the National 1 Association for the Advance-i merit of Coloured People to; achieve full equality for the’ negro through Congress and the courts. They brand such bodies as “Uncle Tom”: organisations, derisively: comparing . their leaders to servile slaves who go begging for favours, cap in! hand, to the white man. Instead, those nationalist: groups preach segregation I for the negro, in the form of a separate black state some-' where in America where: the black man will be his! own master in his own ' house. Exactly how this demand for a separate black state is to be realised is not' always clear. In a recent radio interview. however, a member fif one negro nationalist organisation argued that, since generations of negro slaves had toiled for virtually no reward until slavery was abolished in the United States rather less than 100 years ago, their descendants were entitled to territory of their own by way of recompense

To such groups, the very word “negro” is anathema, since they regard it as a relic of their slave ancestry. They call themselves simply “black men,” or “AfroAmericans.” The leaders of one sect have even gone so far as to drop their original surnames, which, they say, were giver, their slave forbears by their masters, and have instead adopted as a name the blank uncommittal letter “X.”

A number of these groups have also adopted some of the appurtenances of the Islamic religion. The biggest calls itself “Mohammed's Temple of Islam,” and its followers style themselves “Muslims.” Their leader, who is called “The Prophet Elijah Muhammad. Allah’s messenger to the lost-found nation of Islam in North America,” is the 63-year-old son of a baptist minister. His original name was Elijah Poole, and his movement dates back nearly 20 years. In that time, it has established branches in more than half a dozen of America's major cities, and its following is estimated at as much as 70.000.

A similar, smaller group calls itself “The Muslim Brotherhood,” and its leader, who changed his name from Al Barrymore, is known as “Imam Talib Ahmed Dawud.” The prophet Elijah Muhammad addresses his followers wearing an embroidered fez. bearing the Islamic star and crescent symbol. The leader of another self-styled Muslim group wears a flowing Arab Kefiyeh (head-dress). Their publications sometimes carry inscriptions in Arabic characters, and some of their leaders are said to have visited Mecca.

According to some obser-. vers, the reason why these• negro nationalist cults model! themselves on Islam is be-1 cause that faith has always been completely divorced: from any taint of racial or] colour prejudice. Another: possible reason is that it represents a form of protest against Christianity, which is considered “the white man's religion.” But while the true Islamic faith recognises no distinctions of race or colour, the self-styled Muslim groups, together with other negro nationalist organisations, are frequently rabidly antiwhite. One such group, the “United Sons and Daughters of Africa,” with headquarters in the New York suburb of Brooklyn, for instance, advocates “buy black” campaigns, and tries to persuade negro shopkeepers to display signs reading: "Patronise merchants of-your own race.” The recognised leaders of the American negro community regard such groups as “crank” organisations, born of hopelessness and despair. These leaders believe that' their race will achieve its; rights by slowly but surelywinning legal and legisla-; tive battles. They do not i believe that anti-white. racism is the answer to antiblack racism. Although negro nationalism has gained prominence in recent years, it is not a new phenomenon. One of its early advocates was Jamai-can-born Marcus Garvey, who, more than 40 years ago. founded the universal negro improvement association in the United States. He advocated, however, a “back to Africa” movement, rather than the establishment of a negro state in America.

He also sponsored a variety of negro business schemes, designed to raise the economic, as well as social, status of his people. These commercial ventures proved unsuccessful. But among a relatively small, militant section of the negro community. which seeks Messianic rather than down-to-earth solutions to its many remaining problems, the seeds of Garvey’s philosophy have been given new life by the rising tide of African nationalism.

Samples Registry. The Federation of Hong Kong Industries haa set up a samples and specifications registry because it "has been conscious for some time, of a number of complaints from overseas of discrepancies between goods specified and those delivered," The federation raid the registry would help to promote confidence abroad in Hong Kong manufacturers and. at the same time, safeguard local interests.—Reuters.