THE GOAL BY DR. BENJAMIN E MAYS

                                                           THE GOAL BY BENJAMIN E MAYS




                                        WERE I WHITE, AND HELD A PROFESSOR'S CHAIR

                                  IN THE UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA; WERE YOU

                                   WHITE, AND REPRESENTED THE BEST WHITE SCHOOLS

             

                                   OF THIS COMMONWEALTH; MY TASK WOULD NOT BE

                                    SO DIFFICULT.  WE WOULD THEN BE CLOTHED IN THAT

                                    SKIN THAT GIVES PERPETUAL PROTECTION.  WE WOULD

                                     REPRESENT THAT GOUP THAT PRESUMES TO HOLD THE


                                     DESTINY OF THIS NATION IN ITS HAND, AND TO WHOM


                                     THE DOORS OF OPPORTUNITY ARE NEVER CLOTHED.


                                      WERE THIS TRUE, I WOULD DEFINE THE GOAL WITHOUT
  
                                      LIMITATIONS. I WOULD RECOMMEND THAT YOU ASPIRE


                                      TO BE GOVERNOR OF YOUR NATIVE STATE.  I WOULD POINT


                                     THE WAY TO THE PRESIDENT'S CHAIR.  AS IT IS, AMERICANS


                                     THOUGH WE BE, I MUST SPEAK TO YOU NOT AS AN AMERICAN


                                     TO AMERICANS BUT AS A NEGRO TO NEGROES.  IT IS THIS


                                      REGRETTABLE FACT THAT MAKES THE GOAL MOST DIFFICULT


                                      FOR ME TO DEFINE....YOUNG MEN, YOU MUST STRIVE BE AN


                                      AGRICULTURIST, NOT A NEGRO AGRICULTRIST-JUST AN


                                       AGRICULTURIST!  STRIVE BE A DOCTOR, NOT A NEGRO DOCTOR-


                                       JUST A DOCTOR! SEEK TO SERVE YOUR STATE, NOT AS A NEGRO


                                       BUT AS MAN.  ASPIRE TO BE GREAT-NOT AMONG NEGROES, BUT


                                       AMONG MEN! GOD KNOWS I WANT TO BE A GREAT TEACHER;


                                       NOT A NEGRO TEACHER-JUST A GREAT TEACHER. I WANT NO


                                        RACIAL ADJECTIVE MODIFYING IT.  I WANT TO PREACH THE


                                         GOSPEL OF PEACE, AND GOOD WILL, JUSTICE, AND BROTHER-


                                         HOOD- NOT NEGROES AND FOR NEGROES, BUT TO MEN AND


                                         FOR MEN. I WANT TO ACT SO THAT EACH TOMORROW WILL


                                         FIND US FARTHER THAN TODAY-NOT THE NEGRO RACE, THE


                                         HUMAN RACE. IT SEEMS TO ME THAT THIS IS OUR GOAL...