"Carmichael Praises Cassius Clay's Defiance: Hanoi in English to American Servicemen
in South Vietnam." September 20, 1967.
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 FULL TEXT
CARMICHAEL PRAISES CASSIUS CLAY'S DEFIANCE
Hanoi in English to American Servicemen in South Vietnam 1300 GMT 20 Sep 67 B
[Text] What do the home folks think of Vietnam? While you are fighting and dying here, 10,000
miles from the states, what do the colored people back home think of this war? We have time and
again told you that they are opposing Johnson's war in [words indistinct] numbers all over the States.
This time one of your fellow countrymen in his own voice will tell you about the feeling at home
about Vietnam. Here is Stokely Carmichael, a young man like you and a leader of the colored people
in America. He came to our country some time ago, not with a gun but with the friendship of the
oppressed colored people of America. here is what he told us:
"We are here today in your country, not in the uniform of the imperialists but in the uniform
of humanity, to tell you that we are building a strong movement in the United States—a movement
where black people, young black people like myself, are refusing to serve the imperialists' armed forces.
"The penalty for refusing to serve in the armed forces of the imperialists is five years in
jail. And thousands of young black men are saying to the imperialists: 'We would rather spend five
years in jail than wear your [word indistinct] uniform.'
"We know the United States propaganda agencies will not let this news outside their shores,
but the movement is (?growing) every day. Our slogan is very, very simple: Hell, no, we will not go.
"This movement includes not only black colored students, black working class youth, but also
includes a heavyweight champion of the world, Mr Mohammed Ali, who told them to go to jail rather
than wear the uniform of the imperialists [as heard]. The imperialists have responded to Mr Ali
by stopping him from fighting in the ring, [words indistinct] means of living [words indistinct]
not able to crush his spirit. He is a young black man, age 25; he is not political but is a human
being who loves mankind and hates injustice.
"Let me read to you the words of Ali when he refused to put on the uniform of the United States:
No, I am not going 10,000 miles from here to help murder and kill and burn another poor people,
simply to help continue the domination of white slave masters over the dark people the world over.
Mr. Mohammed Ali, whose foreign name was Cassius Clay, is a representative of the segment of our
struggle, the segment which we call the draft-resistance movement."
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