Mrs King Condemns Black Panthers

Press, Volume CIX, Issue 32219, 11 February 1970, Page 13

Mrs King Condemns Black Panthers

N Z.P A.-Reuter—Copyright) LONDON, February 10.

Mrs Coretta King, the widow of the late Dr Martin Luther King, has condemned the Black Panthers for using violence and attacked President Nixon for “failing to use his office to advance the cause of integration.”

4t a press conference in London given by her British publishers, Mrs King said: “1 think the Black Panthers have caused an increase in fear and a black backlash among white people. They are part of the sickness of our society.” Her husband’s philosophy of non-violence, she said, was still the best way to achieve isocial justice. ■ Mrs King, whose book, “My Life With Martin Luther iKing, Jr” was published in Britain yesterday, accused ! President Nixon of following a Southern strategy aimed at keeping the white-dominated Southern states behind him in the next election. “The President seems to be-

• lieve that the average Ameri- ; can is a Conservative,” she i said. “1 do not agree with this. I think the people want I positive leadership, the kind • he is not giving.” i Mrs King said that the I Johnson Administration had done more for Negroes than;

I; Mr Nixon’s, but she added: i “All administrations react to I pressure.” I Of the Black Panthers Mrs : King said that they represen-l ’ ted only a minority of Neg- 1 1 roes, and their methods t seemed to be boomeranging •lon them. i "You can't win by vio-{ fence,” she declared. >1 “When we talk of black :! power in America now, we mean sharing in the decision making. With more and more ’{blacks in elected positions, we; i'will begin to change the struc-i llture of our political parties. I !< “Non-violence is the way to! tiresoive conflict and bring; I about racial justice. It is, i either non-violence or non-1 existence.” . I