Letter from Soma Ragir to MLK

Transcript

[Page 1] [Inserted in Margin: Feb[ruary] 17 [Inserted in Margin: Dear Dr. King,] I have just received your letter suggesting a March of the poor on Washington. The reasons for the march are fine, but what will it accomplish? The days of effective mass non-violent demonstrations are over, look at Watts, and Newark and the favor of activity to [Underlined: do] something there, look at your own [MS: illegible] , Louisville Ken and Cleveland. What we need is more of your effective political organization to elect black congressmen- against the war but more important [Underlined: for] the reform of our social system. The poor cannot afford to march, although I am sure they can be convinced to go. Unemployment can only worsen as the war ends, we must elect men who have thought about revising our economy for peace- massive federal and local gov't [government] projects to employ those who wish to work and the retraining of hundreds of thousands [Page 2] to perform services, teaching, arts, physicians, [Inserted Above Text: salutations, ] etc. [Crossed Out: who will never have to work/] Most of the people performing these services will have to be federally supported either through [MS: illegible] to local governments or directly. Sorry to babble on in something which will probably never be read. Enclosed is my check for political organizing, but [Crossed Out: of] it can be used for what ever [Crossed Out: is most] you choose. Sincerely, [Closing Signature: Soma Ragir]