Kelly Alexander, Sr. speech fragment, 51st NAACP National Convention

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over this country. The walls of segregation have fallen as to the right of Negroes to eat
.•esses in    ,  inn., and North Carolina. Thank God for these young people
who have appealed to conscience and have argued on the basis of moral right and supported
that argument with economic pressure,
1st Annual Convention of the NAACP will concern itself as to how the activities of
these youn, * broadened in all fields of community life and they deserve the
Its everywhere in this country. In these sit-in demonstrations, the students
are viral > who are not in the
majority, of course, and they do not represent the thinking of the old south. They are on
the side of freedom       rowing in number.
There is a sensitive American co science, a conscience whic'       where throughout the
country becoming increasingly aroused. This is a healthy development. In these facts of
American life, and in his own resolve, lies the future hope of the Negro, You nay be
tired of the fact that the Negroes in the south will co. t*      ash for equality, and
there will bo no compromise on tho issue of fundamental rights,
Ify  christian friends, the old social order i. , and a new Social Order is
being born, and it is our task to see that the new one is better than the old. Because
we have failed to safeguard our freeclo , ake Democracy secure for all, we have not
made it secure for are at anytime.
The ,  ike it genuine through practice.
Scientific progress has shortened the lines of co       n between peoples all over
the earth so that peoile who were once thought of as slrange and different residents of
r« now our neighbors in a "small world" community. Indeed, we are at
that point on the "stage of time" where no nation can e:d.st in isolation and no individual
Live in a corner,
, more than eve , Negroes and whites must oither join hands and hearts and save our
nation, while it is yet strong enough to lead the ..orld to liberty, Bake our nation a
genuine democracy, or we will lose it to same other form of a less effective govern
or lose it to an insipid decadent democracy.