The Rise of the Negro Protest

Abstract

Social controls supporting the biracial system in the United States are primarily corporal and legal and are often in conflict with prevailing moral and religious precepts. The Negro protest is not simply against widespread deprivations per se, but rather against "relative deprivations," or barriers designed to prevent them from enjoying certain rights and privileges that are regarded as ethically, morally, and socially legitimate for other Americans. At no time have Negroes ac cepted their subordinate social status as morally, ethically, or legally just. Consequently, despite the present danger of re taliation from white supremacists and the constant threat of a white "backlash," they have always registered their protest. As a rule, the Negro protest has been directed against customs and laws designed to place unusual limits on their freedom, threaten their security as citizens, prevent them from receiving the recognition and status they might merit, and subject them to indignities and rejection. The Negro protest is, itself, a clear endorsement of the "American Creed" and a reaffirmation of the faith Negroes have in the democratic process.