Black Power leader H. Rapp Brown, national chairman of the Student Non-Violent Coordinating Committee, sought today to compare the situation of Negroes with that of Jews in Nazi Germany and belittled the lack of resistance by the Jews.
Brown told a press conference at SNCC headquarters that “if you (whites) intend to play Nazis” in suppressing Negro violence, “black people ain’t going to play Jews.”
The SNCC leader is free on bond awaiting charges of inciting riots and arson. He will be tried by Maryland authorities for causing a riot and destruction in the town of Cambridge. Brown said “violence is necessary” and that “if America don’t come around, we’ll burn it down.”
Explaining why Negroes would behave differently than European Jews, Brown said “violence is part of America’s culture and is as American as apple pie.”
Help ensure Jewish news remains accessible to all. Your donation to the Jewish Telegraphic Agency powers the trusted journalism that has connected Jewish communities worldwide for more than 100 years. With your help, JTA can continue to deliver vital news and insights. Donate today.
The Archive of the Jewish Telegraphic Agency includes articles published from 1923 to 2008. Archive stories reflect the journalistic standards and practices of the time they were published.
