◆ SpookStack

() This is a difficult role; on the one hand the white participant should not give in to reverse racism in order to be accepted--he should be accepted because of what he does, and not because of what | he is. On the other hand he must establish contact and communication, and maintain them in order to be effective. The white participant should not be afraid to take on an equal role, including in the decision-making process, but he should try to establish his credentials as one who has the right to participate because he, too, has put himself on the "firing line.'' The white partici- pant has many of the problems which face an anthropologist or a sociologist visiting a group with which he is unfamiliar. To be accepted without losing one's own individuality and stand- ards is not easy. Public Relations You should not assume that because our cause is just, anyone who is worthwhile will support it--or that anyone who does not support us isn't worth trying to get. Prejudices run deep and must be dealt with. Allies are essential, because (a) civil rights workers are a very small minority in this country and cannot carry enough weight to change society no matter how moral the cause; and (b) certain kinds of allies are important because they lead to the breakdown of significant points of resistance (e.g. ministers, scholars, dignified mothers of white governors). It is therefore important, while not compromising, to try to limit the amount of antagonism from potential allies. This ia the key to good "public relations." It involves primarily two things: + 28 cutting down on actions which can be misinter- preted to be hostile and negative; and improving interpretation of all activities. Remember that many people are only looking for an excuse not to support the movement. While we cannot avoid creating excuses for those who are really look - ing for them, we can avoid presenting them on a silver platter. What we are talking about when we say "public relations" is really “propaganda.” Pro- paganda, like bureaucracy, is not necessarily adirty word. It has become dirty because propaganda has come to be associated with lying and distortion of the truth. The distinction is often made between propaganda (which has a distinct message) and education (which leaves conciusions open.) But even education is pro- paganda, because leaving conclusions open is a kind of message, or value in the directian of democracy. Before any educational or propaganda campaign ie begun it is important to sit down and analyze your "target population," the people whom you want to move(or in some cases keep in their present state of mind in the face of campaigns by others to move them. Pro- paganda is sometimes defensive}. There is, first of all, the hard core of supporters (refer to the chapter on The Community). Then there are friends whom you want to bring in closer, Then there is the vast neutral public. Then there are those in opposition, to various degrees, to the cause. The final objective of all propaganda ig move everyone one step closer to you, or, in cases where there is an offensive on against you, not 29 ee |