But I must confess that I am not afraid of the word 'tension.' I have earnestly opposed violent tension, but there is a type of constructive, nonviolent tension which is necessary for growth. My citing the creation of tension as part of the work of the nonviolent resister may sound rather shocking. It seeks so to dramatize the issue that it can no longer be ignored. Nonviolent direct action seeks to create such a crisis and foster such a tension that a community which has constantly refused to negotiate is forced to confront the issue. Indeed, this is the very purpose of direct action. You may well ask: 'Why direct action? Why sit ins, marches and so forth? Isn't negotiation a better path?' You are quite right in calling for negotiation. Knowing that a strong economic-withdrawal program would be the by product of direct action, we felt that this would be the best time to bring pressure to bear on the merchants for the needed change. We began a series of workshops on nonviolence, and we repeatedly asked ourselves: 'Are you able to accept blows without retaliating?' 'Are you able to endure the ordeal of jail?' We decided to schedule our direct action program for the Easter season, realizing that except for Christmas, this is the main shopping period of the year. Mindful of the difficulties involved, we decided to undertake a process of self purification. We had no alternative except to prepare for direct action, whereby we would present our very bodies as a means of laying our case before the conscience of the local and the national community. As in so many past experiences, our hopes had been blasted, and the shadow of deep disappointment settled upon us. A few signs, briefly removed, returned the others remained. As the weeks and months went by, we realized that we were the victims of a broken promise. On the basis of these promises, the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth and the leaders of the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights agreed to a moratorium on all demonstrations. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants-for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs.

Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community.

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