That unwillingness of the slaves to leave their masters is due to their great love for the slave-masters. If America is unwilling to grant her 22 million ex-slaves freedom to go for self today, it is the same unwillingness of White America’s forefathers in dealing with our parents less than 100 years ago.

During the time of the Emancipation Proclamation we were scattered to the winds without any knowledge or ability to undertake the responsibilities of a half freedom. Our fathers, lacking the skills and the training needed to provide for themselves, were forced to remain with the masters in order to receive even the barest necessities of life.

Our former slave-masters, knowing of our dependence upon them, maliciously and hatefully adopted attitudes and social and educational systems that have deprived us of the opportunity to become free and independent right up to the present day.

But we, the Black slaves of this soil of bondage, were not deprived of the freedom to fight in America’s wars, but we are deprived of the right to fight for our own freedom.

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The opposition met by our fore parents who fought for their freedom is a chilled memory that history will not forget. The Black people are given the freedom to give their lives for the American cause of tyranny but are not free to fight for their own freedom and independence.

As long as my people are the blind lovers of their enemies, they will seek to forever return to the bosom of their masters in no better status or position than that of a slave.

Our fore parents desire was to see us free indeed, and not only are some of our people willing to betray those of our blood and kindred who died before us, but they are now willing to betray the fruition of freedom of our generations to come. Allah will help us to get this freedom, justice and equality and some of this earth that we can call our own.

I say to the American White citizens who are in a position to oppose us to hasten the separation of the two or suffer the consequences as did the Egyptians opposing Jehovah and His Servant Moses.

We must have some of this earth that we can call our own! We and our fathers have been robbed of all that we originally possessed. And now we are left without anything to use for self like wealth and modern instruments to start a civilization as you have, though we helped you to get what you have. We now must have justice and some of this earth and its wealth that we can call our own.

(Reprinted from “Message To The Blackman In America,” 1965.)