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- place next, to good advantage in tightening up organizational effectiveness. The second stage, active antagonism, is the period when the tide often runs highest against the movement. It may be long or short, depending on a number of factors including how deoeniv comrnitted the opponents are to segrega- SE pe FRESE RARE BA ree Ree a > == tion. There is a tendency at this time for communication between Negro and white to cease. This stage is crucial, for it is here that a lot of learning takes place. In the heat of conflict people are hyper-sensitive tu the actions of the other side. Actions which confirm the prejudices the opponent has will be seized upon and magnified; those which counter the prejudices will have more impact than ordinarily, Disorderly, undisciplined direct action will confirm the belief that "those Negroes aren't ready for freedom," while courageously facing troopers without wavering will refute, among at least some, the belief that ''Negroes, like animals, will be scared away by a show of force." Some of your forces wili at this point question the usefulness of continuing the struggle --'"'we are worse off now than when we started." They are right in the sense that, if the campaign stopped now, Negro and white communities would be farther apart than before you began. However, if the struggle continues it will pass into stage three. Frequently a "cooling-off period" takes Some negotiating, usually not fruitful, often accompanies this stage. 14 The third stage, disunity of the opponent, is the fruit of what came earlier. Demonstra- tions have been resumed, Miore and more of the people in or near the power structure will have doubts about the rightness of the measures mae me deka ee oe Lt eee Jee 8 1H 2 —_—_ they are taking to beat yuu down. Reconsidera- tion of their position will take place. White moderates can play an important role here, setting up lines of communication between the civil fights forces and the opponents, and find- ing arguments (including economic) which make ; it seem unreasonable for the power structure to hold out much longer. The discussions among the opponents and the moderates often go on without the knowledge of the civil rights leaders: unless there is a dramatic breakthrough like a prominent minister's preaching on your behalf, you may not be aware that this stage is actually occurring until it is finished. The fourth stage, a second and more realistic round of negotiations, ig also an important one, for poor negotiation can bring a return to open conflict. The negotiator should try to do two things: (1) describe the results of change as less threatening than the opponents suppose, and ~ (2) describe the results of not changing the practices 3 as more threatening ‘than the. results of change. * One way to show that change would not be threatening is to bring with you illustrations of successes in other places. Sometimes opponents *This and the following on negotiation borrows heavily from John P. Dean and Alex Rosen, A Manual of Interg roup Relations. 15