'Malcolm was an advocate of armed self-defense'

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Robert F. Williams was a prominent symbol of the 1960s civil-rights movement. He was one of the few Black leaders who advocated and practiced armed self-defense on the part of Black victims of racist violence.

In 1961, while leading a struggle for civil rights in his hometown of Monroe, N.C., Williams was framed-up on a kidnapping charge after a racial disturbance (Blacks arming themselves after being attacked by whites).

Declared a fugitive by North Carolina authorities, Williams lived in exile in Cuba for five years. He also lived for a period of time in the Peoples Republic of China during the height of the Cultural Revolution.

Now based in Detroit, Mich., Williams had to fight a battle to prevent his extradition to North Carolina on the trumped-up charges.

The following interview was conducted by ist Action staffwriter Kwame M.A. Somburu.

Socialist Action: You were very active in the late '50s and early '60s around racial and political issues. When did you first become aware of Malcolm X, and what influence, if any, did he have on your development and activities?

Robert F. Williams: Strangely enough, people who didn't know him then—who didn't understand him— would ask the question in a different way.

I advocated armed self-defense. We had a rifle club in the '50s, and at that time Malcolm was with Mr. Elijah Muhammad and they had a Muslim newspaper, Muhammad Speaks. They were very much interested in news, and as a result, when the Associated Press and the UPI carried information about our rifle club and some of our shootouts, Malcolm became interested.

I used to come to New York on speaking trips, because many people in New York and especially in Harlem used to raise money to buy guns for us in North MALCOLM X Fighter for Black liberstion 6 SOCIALIST ACTION MAY 1988 Carolina. And Malcolm invited me to his temple when he was a minister on 116th Street.

He used to invite me to speak after the religious service had ended. He'd always say, "We have a brother here from North Carolina, and I'm sure you want to hear what his message is." Malcolm advocated and supported armed self-defense, but we practiced it.

S.A.: Did Malcolm ever come down to North Carolina to speak or meet with anybody?

Williams: He never came down there for us, but he did eventually have some people organize down there. In fact, some of the members of our group became MusPamphlets for struggle The Legacy of Malcolm X Is the 'Rainbow' a Real Alternative?: A Response South Africa: The Black Unions Go Forward The Hidden History of Zionism by Ralph Schoenman ($3.00—include $1.00 for postage) How Can Labor Fight Back? A Strategy for Today by Nat Weinstein and Carl Finamore ($1.25)

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