In an effort to evaluate his position, King and the SCLC held a retreat in Frogmore, South Carolina, on May 21, 1967, to determine the relationship of the SCLC to the peace movement. King and other top functionaries concluded that the SCLC would give no overt or covert support to anti-Vietnam war demonstrations.
The Birth of Washington Spring Project
On July 19, 1967, Levison was in conference with King concerning the Newark, New Jersey, riot. Levison indicated he was concerned about King’s failure to make any public statement concerning the racial disturbances. King informed Levison that he had been considering making a statement but did not merely want to condemn the riots but also to condemn the conditions which lead to riots.
Levison suggested that King advocate a program with dramatic qualities similar to the Works' Project Administration of the 1930s. This new program would be implemented by the Federal Government to employ the jobless youth. Levison continued that this program worked in a period when the United States was almost bankrupt and should work even better now that the country is almost sick with money. King agreed that Levison’s idea had merit and he would publicly call upon the Federal Government to do something along this line.
King waited until the Tenth Annual Convention of the SCLC before he made these plans public. On August 15, 1967, he delivered an address at the convention urging new massive civil disobedience which would include general strikes, school boycotts, and a camp-in at Washington, D.C. All this would be to force Congress to take action to improve the lot of the Negro.
SOUTHERN CHRISTIAN LEADERSHIP CONFERENCE FINANCES
The foremost problem in conducting such a campaign is making financial arrangements to handle the costs. As he
