revolutionary action movement (ram) - Michael Schwartz Library

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Within months mass demonstrations had occurred all over the south . The
movement seriously began to gel as the mood of black people in the North
became angry .
In Philadelphia,
the NAACP called a mass demonstration in front of
City Hall in which RAM participated, carrying signs calling for armed selfdefense
. NAACP president Cecil Moore decided to test mass direct action
in Philadelphia by protesting against union discrimination on a construction
site at 30th and Aduphin Streets in the heart of the black community
in North Philadelphia . He asked RAM to help in the mobilization . The construction
site was in RAM territory, three blocks from its office .
By the time Cecil made the decision to go into mass action, we sat
down with him and told him that Philadelphia would be another
Birmingham, Alabama . Cecil, seeing that we were young, not knowing
we were organizers, just didn't believe it . He said, 'Okay,
go ahead .' 10
Moore made NAACP's equipment available to RAM .
Ram
immediately took a survey of the community, asking residents if
they would support demonstrations in Philadelphia similar to
the ones being
held in the South .
We found our key contact people in doing the survey . Like we would
drop leaflets on who was with us . People would tell you, if you
are doing this, don't go somewhere because so and so works for so
and so . That is what the survey provided us with . Then, we would
just walk up and down North Philadelphia preparing the people . At
the time, demonstrations were occurring in Jackson and Greenwood,
Mississippi . We asked people, if we had this kind of demonstration
up here, would you come 11
The overwhelming response was "Yes" .
RAM members circulated throughout the
community with leaflets and bull horns, going door to door, talking to
street gangs .
10A Cadre Discussion on RAM, (Unpublished paper), p . 3 .
11 Ibid ., p . 4 .