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TO: SN:C SfAFF FRo-!: Michael Simmons and Larry Fox RE: National Anti -Draft Program

November 28, 1966

In August, at the Central Committee meeting, we offered a pro~osal ·

for a National Bla::k Anti-Draft Movement ( fin:l enclosed that original

· proposal ) • At that time, we asked for a car and some expense mon('y to ·

g~t such a pr6gram off of the ground. As you will find, in that pro­

posal, we called for a conference of Black Anti-Draft groups am con-

cerned Blacks immediately.

Our pl~~ were del~ed t emporarily when we along with 10 other

people became the unwilling guest of the City of Atlanta for some 60

odd days. The arrest stemmed from Anti-Draft Activity at the Atlanta

Induction Center (see er~losed Atlanta Black Paper).

~hile in .jail, members of the Atlanta Project kept close contact

with Blacks across the country vi a the· mails and Wats Line. The Atlanta

Black Paper aloOd with a series of anti-draft leaflets and press · r e-

leases an1 reports were mal led to all Blacks on SN::c' s mailing 1i st.

The response vas overwhelming.

Upon bei q;J released from j ai 1, we contacted by }hone a.OO by mail

persons who had responded to the mailings. It was decided, in light o£

the communications system in this country as well as the potential dy­

namite of the issue that it would be best to make personal contact

with as many of these groups am in:lividuals as possible .

This trip was delayed shortly to attend Bro. Schutz's trial in

Opelika, Alabama. Immediately after the decision was reooer ed against

Schutz, an in depth press release was written an:l given to radio stat­

ions, the Press, am Blacks across the country. (see enclosed material

on Bro. Schutz) Also a Brochure ard f'ost.er on Schutz w-as prepared amd

mailed out.

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The Draft Program that we emision is not concerned with peace.

There can be no peace until our Brothers of. color are free from the

oppression of the WEsr, i.e. Vietnam, AnJola, Rhodesia, South Africa, . . .

etc. WE MUSI' DO 11US FCR StRVIVAL - the draft being one of the main . .

tools of this racist government for the solving of the race problem.

They krow as we know that we Blacks will be killed passively one by

onz, ten by te~ hurrlred by humred, thousand by thousa.rrl, in the

racist illegal white supremacist var in Vietnan as well as in the

cities and towns of this country - (as Rev. Cleague of Detroit said

in one of his Revolutionary Sermons - for a strong man's house to be

pluroered, he must be bourn first. The drafting of all our young Black

men will leave our Black Nation to be further plundered and murdered !

In the past month, we have traveled along the Eastern Seaboard

a.rrl to the Mid-West. The followifQ is a brief synopis of our itenary.

- Our first stop was Fhilly. Things were r elatively slow relative

to the Draft. We talked at length with Barr,y Dawson who is working with

High School Stu:lents in the North Fhiladeljilia Area. He has a group

of about 200. We tried to impress upon him the importance of begin-

ing to work on the Draft with these sttrlents.

- We sar..r Bob Wright, a former SNX worker, who is in law school at ~C-

the University of Pennsylvania~reed to do legal research on the draft

for us an:) others.

• - vle .then swung d~n to Baltimore where we held sessions with stud-

ents at both Coppin State arrl Morgan State Colleges. We laid the basis

·for a student group. Lois Wiley is a contact· for that group. A listing

of these students arrl their addresses foll~ this report.

- We went to Net.r York. We talked to Robert Allen chairman of

AFRO.. AMER.T.CANS Fffi StRV'IVAL. This group is made up of Bla;k cats lffio

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are AWOL or have refused to honor Induction !btices. Th eir program

looks very good.

- Gilbert Banks head of' BlACKS AGAINST NEGATIVE DYIID was next on

our list. His orgainization is built aroun:l Black r esistance to the

draft.

- BLACK WCMEN Em.AGED.. Vida Gaj"nor heads that group. This group

picketed all SUIIUller each day at the In:lt..oction Center. They have de-

veloped some very good anti-draft literature. We have i nitiated an

exchan~e progran with them. They are W'Orking W'i th Conrad Lynn on the

legal anJle .

- Conrad Lynn, a Black attorney gave us some very pertinent and

important information ( s ee enclosure ) •

-We then went to Boston. Our best contact ther e was Bob Eubanks

who is the head of a Black anti-draft group called AFRO-AMERICANS

AruUNST iliE Tt/AR IN vmmM. We talked to him about developi ng C0111110n

programs for Blacks across the country.

- We met with a group of Black Harvard students who said that they

were interested in work! q;J with us on an anti-draft movement. They are

to do r esearch ofor us an:l work with Bob Eubanks on his anti-draft program ..

-Detroit. Rev. Cleague -WOi. We spoke at his church. Talked with

him about his idea on ordination for SNCC ministers of social change.

- A group there which ·calls itself' the INNER CITY CRGANIZI1'G

C01MmEE has in::orporated in its program an anti-draft section. The

group has two attorneys, Mi lton Henry an:l Lee Moilett working on the

program with them. Every Wednesday night they open their office t o

youq;J Blacks who· are in opposition to the Draft • . These gcys fi 11 out a

prepared form telling their· specif'lc .reasons for not wanting to go. This

is passed to one of the lawyers, a retainers fee is paid and the Att•s

stay on their case to the ending.

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- Al Harrison who worlts with 1-5M is tryi~ to organize a CAP -

CoiTITluni ty Alert Patrol in Detro! t within which he hopes to incorporate ' . ... . '

anti-draft resistance. ' • .. . ' .

- Law Stu:3ent Ken Cochran (senior) agreed to do research for us.

James arrl Grace Boggs are head of the Imm CITY CRGANIZIID

CCil-1MITIEE. We had a lo~ talk with them.

- Cllicago. Talked to Mtharnmed Ali about his draft status.

- We had an interview with Mohammed Speaks that should be in the

current issue. We set up an arral)Jement with them where we can serrl

stories direct~ to them and thgy print them in full. We discussed the

possibility of sitting up a specia~ . section on·. the rzational Anti..;.[)raft

Struggle.

-James Ellis whose brother owns a bookstore talked about the poss­

ibility of usi~ his brothers place as a deci~inaiti~ point for info

on the Draft.

One difficulty that. we erx::ountered on our trip w-as integrated

makeup of marw of our offices. In these instarees, we of course could

not work with them arrl had t.o work without them; in some instnac es

arourrl them.

We feel that while this trip w-as w-orthwhile, it was only a very

small beginni~ for the .intensive type work that has to be done.

PERSPECTt5

I. Regional Confere noes on the Draft

· · · · A. Ibrth East Possible Place New York City

B. · Mid..West . Possible Place Detroit

c. : South. Possible Place Atlanta

D. West ·. · · Possible Place Los 1t~eles

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-5 II. National Conference

Possible Place - Detroit

Proposed time - Around Easter

NOI'E: Out of these conferences will come programs of action.

In view of the. fact that any an::l all written material pertainin:;J

to SN:c gets into the man•s hands, we decided not to go into

in depth detail on the trip or elebaration of fUture plans ard

actions. We invite questions, suggestions; and criticisms.

NEEDS: 1. Continued use of 1965 Blue Plymouth

FROPOSED Bt.DGET:

$ 4 skids of paper -- -$2400. ($400. per skid • $200. for supplies per skid)

postage -------· ----:--- $ 1000.

travel cost for setting up Reg. Conf.-----· $1000.

Miscellanous ------·-----------·dt. 600. Total ------·-------- $5000.