◆ SpookStack

VI - The Cell A white civil rights demonstrator has just been arrested in a southern civil rights demonstration. Since the jail is segregated, he is lodged in a cell with three other white men, all of whom are ardent segregationists. The segregationists are sitting on the two bottom bunks, and one has his feet on the only chair in the place. Action begins when a police officer, with appropriate re- marks, pushes the demonstrator into the cell. “~ Questions: How do you communicate your ideas in a ~ hostile environment, and still survive? What kinds of techniques might be developed to help in this situation? Police officer, white demonstrator, three other white men. Cast: VII - Committee Meeting A meeting of a local civil rights organization's emergency executive committee is taking place to discuss what appears to have been the murder of a Negro citizen on the way to the police station in a police car. One member of the committee has been in touch with the local ACLU chapter and has an approx- imate idea of what happened, but the others have chiefly rumors. There is considerable community sentiment to take action, Another community civil rights group has already announced a march on city hall, and it is known that some of the marchers will be armed and that the march will be without any real discipline. One member of the committee is solidly in sympathy with this tactic already. The problem is to work out a tactic for the whole group. Question: What should the group do about the other civil rights group, if anything ? What should the group's attitude towards the potential for com- ga al —e~ ——-— + Oo munity violence be? What kinds of tactics — can the group effectively undertake? Cast: Five persons, integrated. One of these is informed on what actually happened. Another has already made up his mind on what tactic to follow. One person is chairman. VI0 - The Picket Line Any group up to about 25 may participate in this. The instructor picks an issue and a situation, gives instructions for the group to walk an elongated circle, a few feet apart. It is helpful to have signs. Picket cap- tains are assigned for each end of the line. An informa- tion officer is assigned, and a captain-in-charge is assigned. A variety of situations may be explored: 1, harassment by segregationists, including roughing up, taking signs away, name- calling 2. questions from passers-by 3. volunteer unknown to the group arrives to join the line drunk passes the group and makes remarks 5. persons from other integrationist groups not committed to nonviolence arrive with their signs 6. harassment from police officers, including ordering the group across the street in viola- tion of civil liberties 7. newspapermen attempt to question pickets 8. single picket becomes ill, or becomes violent. (Instructor may "plant" a person in the group.) Questions: How are decisions made on-the-spot? How are decisions communicated to the group? How are public relations maintained? 59