This still rings true for today's comfortable, armchair-quarterback-moderates who are quick to judge everyone but themselves.
"National polling from the 1960s shows that even during that celebrated “golden age” of nonviolent protest, most Americans were against marches and demonstrations. A 1961 Gallup poll revealed that 57 percent of the public thought that lunch counter sit-ins and other demonstrations would hurt integration efforts. A 1963 poll showed that 60 percent had an unfavorable feeling toward the planned March on Washington, where Dr. King gave his “I Have a Dream” speech. A year later, 74 percent said that since black people had made some progress, they should stop their demonstrations; and by 1969, 74 percent said that marching, picketing and demonstrations were hurting the civil rights cause. As for Dr. King personally, the figure who current moderates most readily point to as a model, 50 percent of people polled in 1966 thought that he was hurting the civil rights movement; only 36 percent believed he was helping."
#moderates #statusquo #nothelping #civilrights #activism
https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/09/01/opinion/civil-rights-protest-resistance.html?mcubz=0&referer=https://t.co/vk6di4THzH?amp%3D1
