A history of Negro slave revolts

AMERICAN NEGRO SLAVE
REVOLTS, by Herbert Aptheker
Price $2 45 Available at People’s
Co op book Store

A of an oppressing or enslav-
Ing group to maintain its control
of the oppressed or enslaved is to
Seek to convince the woria that
the enslaved or oppressed group
does not want to be free, is in-
Capable of freedom, or is afraid
fo Seek its freedom.

In recent years the Jewish
People, who lost six million souls
i the German Nazis’ concentra-
lion camps and gas ovens, have
been victimized by such a tactic.

The enemies of humanity have
Sought to make it appear as
though the Nazis and _ their
abettors were innocent, because
the six million Jews, who were
Vilely slain, had not offered re-
Sistance, but had passively of-
fered themselves up to be killed.

A Vicious lie, of course, but one
Which has begun to spread as a
Justification for anti-Semitism,
and other forms of oppression.

basic tactic in the strategy

The classic use of this type of
Slander in cur time is its appli-
Cation against the Negro people
of our country. :

Many generations of Ametri-
fans, both Negro and_ white,
have been taught to believe that
the Negro slave was happy in
his Slavery and unwilling to be-
Come free.

And they were further taught
that the Negro, freed by the Civil
War, had no desire for or was
Not capable of using that free-
dom, and therefore had to re-
Main under the thumb of the
Whites for ever.

This wat the picture of the
Negro iff¥*the U.S. portrayed
from the earlft@st period by the
of the country. For

historians

slave ship. The incident is related

ever, this was ret e7eneh Tar
him, as a historian, the chron-
icling of the events of the past

was not or is not enough.

x Sorat of CINQUE, leader of a rebellion of Negroes aboard a

in ‘‘Slave Mutiny. ’ Portrait was

done by Nathanial Jocelyn, for whom CINQUE posed while in

prison.

them the truth was not import-
ant; preservation of the present
social structure was the domin-
ant influence in their writing, and
for that it was better not to go
below the surface of the nation’s
past.
* BS *

For Herbert Aptheker, how-

Like his comrades,
wants to change society in his
country to make it a happier,

freer land for all its people. But
for that, the truth is essential,
the truth about the nation’s past,

The relations of the forces that
made the nation’s history.
Because, as he

South Africa bans innocent film

a South African government
has banned the British film

Heavens Above,’’ preduced by

Oulting Brothers, because seven
Scenes show a Negro on equal
‘erms with white men, British
Lion films disclosed last week.

Unless the scenes are removed,
the film will not be allowed in
South Africa. The censor has said
there can be no appeal against
his decision.

In “Heavens Above’ Peter
Sellers plays an idealistic vicar
Who picks a Negro dustman,
matthew, played by

eters, as his churchwarden.
Ears has starred in a number
Ss Movies, notably in ‘“‘The L-
Ai Room”’ with Leslie Caron

id'In “To Kill a Mocking Bird’,
With Gregory, Peck.
aes offending scenes

Sted by the censor as:
2 Reverend and Matthew hav-

& tea together;

~ Reverend helping Matthew off
yet his coat;

_ Matthew at font at christen-
Ing;

Bre cubew sitting at table at
‘wistening party;

WORTH
_ READING

Two Universities. Price 25¢.
< : account of the life and work
ae Lumumba Friendship Un-
ae and Moscow State Uni-
a y- The Soviet government
- ‘ Operated with a number
nets in training stu-

Sin these universities and
a describe their life in the
let Union.
he Friendship University in
a provides young people
Asia, Africa and Latin
a with an opportunity to
a = an opportunity which
‘ Otherwise be denied them.

were

“Matthew at top of table at
same party;
“Matthew at church door says

to white woman: ‘That’s all
right, sweetheart’.”’
The Boulting Brothers have

refused to make any cuts.

“Tf the censor imagines that
we are a sort of detergent that
drives the black out of our films
and forces white in, he is very
much mistaken,”’ said Roy Boult-

ing.

Brock

A spokesman for South Africa
House in London, England would
not comment on the ban. He said
that the decision had been made
by the Department of the Inter-
ior through the Board of Censors
in Capetown.

“In normal circumstances
there is no reason for them to
explain _ their decisions,” he
added.

Peter Sellers as the vicar and Bro
in the film ‘‘Heavens Above,

ernment.

Commenting on the ban, British
Daily Worker film critic Nina

Hibbin stated:

“In theory, having a Negro
dustman, Matthew, as a

unsatisfactory film.

“But it. comes over on
screen in an embarrassingly pa-
tronizing way.

“The fact that the South Afri-
can government
even to this semi-‘Uncle Tom’
relationship doubly underlines
the horrifying viciousness of its
racialist policy.”

It is expected that the British
actors guild will lodge a protest
with the apartheid government
of South Africa. In the past,
British entertainers have been
highly critical of the regime and
its policies, repeatedly stating
that its members would not play
to segregated audiences.

ok Peters as his churchwarden

*’ banned by the South African gov-

without knowing the truth, it is
impossible to move society so
it will change.

For the discovery of truth in
history, the science of Marxism-
Leninism is indispensable.

true fulfilment.

And his book discloses the
tremendous influence these re-
volts had upon the course of the
nation’s history up until the Civil
War; how they became part of

* spective, lighting up the past and

Aptheker

understands,

lay
assistant to the Peter Sellers
character, who represents simple
Christian goodness, is one of the
better features in a thoroughly

the

should object ~~

Since Aptheker. is a first-rate
Marxist-Leninist, his book  en-
titled ‘‘American Negro Slave

the bond that sealed the unity of
white and Negro in the Aboli-
tionist movement, the ideological
Revolts’”” is a magnificent work forebearer of the destruction of
of historiography, combining im- chattel slavery in the U.S.
peccable scholarship with per- * * *

Many white Americans were
surprised in the recent period
at the militancy and courage of
the Negro people in the struggle
to gain what was theirs by right.

showing the way to the future.
And all of it written in a lucid,

clean-cut style, which leads the

reader on instead of blocking

his view of the facts.
% * *

This book, originally published
by Columbia University Press in
1943, demolishes for all time the
lie of the docility of the Negro
slave, upon which the mythology
of the Southern slavocracy was
built, whose distorted caricature
became the foundation for op-
pression of the Negro people
since the Civil War.

Peeling off the plastering of

But Aptheker’s book shows that
the present struggle flows logic-
ally out of the revolts and other
magnificent battles that are the
proud heritage of the Negro
people in the U.S. and of the
entire nation. »

It has been only natural- for
Aptheker to move forward from

lies, Aptheker has with pains- this great book, which discloses
taking patience uncovered, from the core of the nation’s past, to
the newspapers, manuscripts, the creation of the best and

letters and books of the past, the
glorious heritage of revolt of the
brave Negro people practically
from the beginning of their
enslavement in the American
colonies until they finally broke
those bonds in the war of 1861-
65.

He shows how these revolts
bared the taint that blemished
American democracy from its
beginnings and kept it from its

‘Evening With Youth’

Springfield, [llinois, the re-
actions of the common people
whom Lincoln loved so
dearly (both white and black)
—are presented in a musical
kaleidoscope.

The actual journey took
from 6 a.m., April21 to 9 a.m.,
May 3, 1865, when Lincoln
was buried in the Oakland
Cemetery, in Springfield, Il-
linois.

most truthful history of the U.S.
“American Negro Slave Re-
volts” is not only a great his-
torical work in itself, it has be-
come a maker, and shaker and

a mover of history.
—(U.S. Worker)

Soviet plants lead the world in
electric locomotive production,
rated widely as the most efficient
engines produced anywhere.

HE Association of United
T Ukrainian Canadians has
announced that it will be pre-
senting “An Evening With
Youth” at the Queen Eliza-
beth Playhouse (Pauline
Johnson Theatre) on Satur-
day, September 28 at 8:30
p.m.

The evening will feature
folk dancing (from the Ukra-
ine, as well as other nations),
folk songs and instrumental.

A special highlight will be
the performance of Earl

MUSIC

Although the cantata itself
is an original creative work,
traditional American themes
are constantly running
through the musical score.

With such an ambitious
program, the evening pro-
mises to be a highly enter-
taining one. Tickets, priced
at $1.50 for adults and $1.00
for children, are available at
the AUUC Hall, 805 E. Pen-
der St., Phone MU 4-9720.

Robinson’s widely acclaimed

cantata, ‘“Lonesome Train.”
The cantata, ‘written some
years ago by the composer
of “Joe Hill’, “The House I
Live In’, ‘“‘The Sand Hog,”
etc., tells of the procession of
Abraham Lincoln’s funeral
train. As the train, carrying
the remains of the Great
Emancipator, winds its way
from Washington to Balti-
more, Philadelphia, New
York, Chicago and on to

March of Latin America

A new revolutionary song, ° March of Latin America,” has been
written by Augustin Diaz Cartaya, Cuban Negro musician and com
poser of the “July 26th March.”

Cartaya’s latest work was written to commemmorate the 10th
anniversary of the attack on Moncada Barracks - on July 26, 1953.

Arise, Latin America,

Advance, advance, advance.

Let us march together towards socialism
Which is peace, progress and freedom.

Arise, Latin America,

In the great struggle, people of all countries

Will unite like brothers in an invincible army.

Cuba — Lighthouse of the whole of Latin America —
Stands proud and firm waiting for you

‘To take up arms of liberty and to issue a war cry.

Peasants, workers, Indians,

Fight to smash the yoke of oppressor.
Down with all imperialists,

America — revolution!

September 6, 1963—PACIFIC TRIBUNE—Page’5