尼亞加拉運動之原則聲明
The Niagara Movement Declaration of Principles

    只是由於種族或膚色不同而加以歧視，這是野蠻行徑，無論習俗、權術和偏見如何使之神聖化，我們全然不管。

    W．E．B‧杜波伊斯發起並推動了尼亞加拉運動。尼亞加拉運動是非裔美國人著名領袖的組織。這些人於1905年夏天在尼亞加拉瀑布首次聚會，目的是要走一條與布克‧T‧華盛頓的遷就政策相對立的強硬路線。但由於等不到資金，因此無法配備長期的專職人員，無法設立總部，後來面臨以往試圖建立黑人抗議組織的同樣命運。

    但l 908年，在林肯故鄉，伊利諾斯州普林菲爾德的種族暴行促使一批白人起來籌建新組織，為黑人權利而弘揚廢奴主義者的精神。社會工作者瑪麗、懷特、歐文頓，新聞工作者威廉、英格利什、沃林，《紐約時報》出版商奧斯瓦爾德‧加裡森、維拉德召集了一次全國會議，呼籲恢復「爭取政治自由和公民自由的鬥爭」。白人領袖與尼亞加拉運動的黑人領袖攜手創建了全國有色人種協會。尼亞加拉運動的原則成為這一協會的原則。

    進展：尼亞加拉運動會議成員1905年7月11日、12日和13日於布法羅召集年會，慶賀美國黑人在已往十年中無可置疑的進展，特別是在提高文化、購置產業、控制犯罪、提高家庭生活水平、發展文藝方面的進展，以及在管理宗教、經濟和教育機構中所表現出來的建設性與行政能力的進展。

    選舉權：同時，我們認為美國公民中的這一階級應著重不斷地反對剝奪他們的政治權利。我們認為成年人應有選舉權；我們相信，沒有人會善良、聰明和富有到人們可以將其鄰居的福利全部委託給他。

    公民自由：我們還支援反對剝奪我們民權的鬥爭。所有美國公民均應根據其行為和品德，有權在公共娛樂場所享有平好待遇。

    謀生機會：我們對於經濟生活中被剝奪平等機會，尤其不滿；在南部鄉村，這種不平等發展為勞役償債和實際上的奴役制；在整個南部，它趨於擠垮勞方和小型企業；在各地，往往在不公正的法律支援下，美國人的偏見使美國黑人要想獲得像樣的生活水平更為困難。

    教育：應為所有美國兒童實施小學義務教育。應充分地向所有人提供中等學校教育；在我們這個全民國家的任何地區，任何階級或種族均無權壟斷高等教育。我們認為，為了保護我們自己的民族結構，尤其是在南部，美國應資助公立小學教育。我們特別主張應對此進行一致的宣傳。我們主張在南部增加公立高中教育的設施，在那裏美國黑人幾乎全部沒有此種條件。我們贊成有設備完善的職業和技術學校以培訓技藝人員。給予幾所高等院校充分而慷慨的捐贈，而且必須專款專用於具有誠摯、善良願望，為種族謀福利的人身上。

    法院：我們要求法院的法官必須正直，陪審團的遴選不應有膚色的歧視，對黑人和白人的犯法者，應實施一樣的懲罰和同樣的改造。我們要求為無人贍養的孩子設立孤兒院和農業學校，為少年犯設立少年教養所，廢除野蠻殘忍的租用罪犯勞役的制度。

    民意：我們嚴正指出，這個國家在人權問題、共和政府、人類的兄弟情誼等問題上，聽取充分的公眾輿論的傾向已明顯衰退。我們祈求上帝，不要讓這個國家墮落成為一夥吹牛者和壓迫者的為非作歹之地，而應恢復先輩們的信仰，即人人生來自由平等，並享有若幹不可剝奪的權利。

    衛生：我們要求衛生條件──要求有機會住於像樣的住房和地區，要求有機會在身心健康的環境中養育我們的孩子。

    僱主和工會：我們把人們這樣對待兩個對立階級的行徑公之於眾，使公眾對之深惡痛絕：雇方一方在緊急情況下招進無辜的美國黑人工人，然後既不給他們提供保護，也不讓他們長期就業；而工會一方則只因為他們是黑人，便排斥、抵制並欺壓這批成千上萬的勞苦工友。這種做法已經加強並且還將加強勞資雙方之間的敵對，而且使雙方臉上都不光彩。

    抗議運動：我們決不容許人們繼續保留這種印象，即美國黑人甘願低人一等，會在壓迫下退讓，在侮辱面前低三下四。雖然在孤立無援時，我們會忍受，但是只要美國還存在不平等，千百萬美國人的抗議呼聲決不會停止撞擊他們同胞的耳鼓。

    膚色界線：只是由於種族或膚色不同而加以歧視，這是野蠻行徑，無論習俗、權術和偏見如何使之神聖化，我們全然不管。由於愚昧、道德低下和疾病原因而加以區別對待，這是向惡勢力作鬥爭的合法手段，我們對此無可非議；但是，純粹由於生理上的特徵，出生地點不同，膚色差異而加以歧視，這是毫無理智的人類獸性的陳跡，全世界將會，也必然會因此而感到羞恥。

    「黑人專用」車輛：我們反對「黑人專用」車輛，因為其作用是而且必定是要我們為三等的設備付頭等的費用，叫我們在光天化日之下遭受侮辱，使我們惶惶不安，讓人隨心所欲地摧殘我們的男人、女人的尊嚴與自尊。

    士兵：我們遺憾的是，這個國家從不認為應該充分酬答黑人士兵；他們曾在五次戰爭中以鮮血保衛國家，國家卻從上到下都不按他們的才能予以提拔。我們認為，將黑人子弟排除在陸軍和海軍訓練學校門外，是不公正的。

    戰爭修正法案：我們要求議會通過適當的立法以保證充分實施有關自由的條款，包括美國憲法第十三，第十四，第十五修正案。

    壓迫：我們拒絕接受這樣荒謬的原則即壓迫者是被壓迫者一切權利的至高無上的支配者。美國黑人被偷、被槍、被鄙視，在重重困苦與壓迫中掙扎；他們需要同情，但得到的卻是非難；需要幫助，但得到的卻是阻撓；需要保護，但得到的卻是暴力；需要正義，但得到的卻是施捨；需要領導，但得到的卻是應該懦弱、卑躬的教導；需要麵包，但得到的卻是石塊的襲擊。此等串若不改變，上帝決不會認為這個國家是公道的。

    教會：當前基督教會的態度，尤其使我們驚詫不已──它們要求人們屈從於種族偏見的態度加強了，要求減少人類兄弟手足情的態度加強了，要求將黑人隔離於聖殿之外的態度加強了。對於二十世紀文明來說，這是錯誤的，非基督教的、不光彩的。

    鼓動工作：對於上述不平之事，我們毫不猶豫地進行控訴，不斷大聲地疾呼。無視、忽略或者原諒這些惡行，只能說明我們自己不配有自由。不斷進行果敢的鼓動工作才能走向自由之路，為了走向這一目標，「尼亞加拉運動」已開始尋求各種族一切人的合作。

    援助：同時，對於我們的同情者，從昔日的廢奴主義者直至今日仍主張機會均等的人，以及那些曾以錢財和貧困幫助過而且至今仍在幫助我們進步的人，我們謹致以衷心的感謝。

    責任：我們要求，我們應當要求而且將繼續要求獲得上面列舉的權利。同時上帝也決不容許我們竟敢忘記落在人民肩上的相應的義務：

    投票的義務。
    尊重他人權利的義務。
    工作的義務。
    遵紀守法的義務。
    講究衛生的義務。
    送孩子上學的義務。
    尊重他人的同時，自尊自重的義務。

    我們將此宣言、控訴和祈求呈交美國人民，呈交萬能的上帝!

附註：此宣言可能為杜波伊斯博士起草。

Progress: The members of the conference, known as the Niagara Movement, assembled in annual meeting at Buffalo, July 11th, 12th and 13th, 1905, congratulate the Negro-Americans on certain undoubted evidences of progress in the last decade, particularly the increase of intelligence, the buying of property, the checking of crime, the uplift in home life, the advance in literature and art, and the demonstration of constructive and executive ability in the conduct of great religious, economic and educational institutions.

      Suffrage: At the same time, we believe that this class of American citizens should protest emphatically and continually against the curtailment of their political rights. We believe in man-hood suffrage; we believe that no man is so good, intelligent or wealthy as to be entrusted wholly with the welfare of his neighbor.

      Civil Liberty: We believe also in protest against the curtailment of our civil rights. All .American citizens have the right to equal treatment in places of public entertainment according to their behavior and deserts.

      Economic Opportunity: We especially complain against the denial of equal opportunities to us in economic life; in the rural districts of the South this amounts to peonage and virtual slavery: all over the South it tends to crush labor and small business enterprises; and everywhere American prejudice, helped often by iniquitous laws, is making it more difficult for Negro-Americans to earn a decent living.

      Education: Common school education should be free to all American children and compulsory. High school training should be adequately provided for all, and college training should be the monopoly of no class or race in any section of our common country. We believe that, in defense of our own institutions, the United States should aid common school education, particularly in the South, and we especially recommend concerted agitation to this end. We urge an increase in public high school facilities in the South, where the Negro-Americans are almost wholly without such provisions. We favor well-equipped trade and technical schools for the training of artisans, and the need of adequate and liberal endowment for a few institutions of higher education must be patent to sincere well-wishers of the race.

      Courts: We demand upright judges in courts, juries selected without discrimination on account of color and the same measure of punishment and the same efforts at reformation for black as for white offenders. We need orphanages and farm schools for dependent children, juvenile reformatories for delinquents, and the abolition of the dehumanizing convict-lease system.

      Public Opinion: We note with alarm the evident retrogression in this land of sound public opinion on the subject of manhood rights, republican government and human brotherhood, and we pray God that this nation will not degenerate into a mob of boasters and oppressors, but rather will return to the faith of the fathers, that all men were created free and equal, with certain unalienable rights.

      Health: We plead for health－for an opportunity to live in decent houses and localities, for a chance to rear our children in physical and moral cleanliness.

      Employers and Labor Unions: We hold up for public execration the conduct of two opposite classes of men: The practice among employers of importing ignorant Negro-American laborers in emergencies, and then affording them neither protection nor permanent employment; and the practice of labor unions in proscribing and boycotting and oppressing thousands of their fellow-toilers, simply because they are black. These methods have accentuated and will accentuate the war of labor and capital, and they are disgraceful to both sides.

      Protest: We refuse to allow the impression to remain that the Negro-American assents to inferiority, is submissive under oppression and apologetic before insults. Through helplessness we may submit, but the voice of protest of ten million Americans must never cease to assail the ears of their fellows, so long as America is unjust.

      Color-Line: Any discrimination based simply on race or color is barbarous, we care not how hallowed it be by custom, expediency or prejudice. Differences made on account of ignorance, immorality, or disease are legitimate methods of fighting evil, and against them we have no word of protest; but discriminations based simply and solely on physical peculiarities, place of birth, color of skin, are relics of that unreasoning human savagery of which the world is and ought to be thoroughly ashamed.

      "Jim Crow" Cars: We protest against the "Jim Crow" car, since its effect is and must be to make us pay first-class fare for third-class accommodations, render us open to insults and discomfort and to crucify wantonly our manhood, womanhood and self-respect.

      Soldiers: We regret that this nation has never seen fit adequately to reward the black soldiers who, in its five wars, have defended their country with their blood, and yet have been systematically denied the promotions which their abilities deserve. And we regard as unjust, the exclusion of black boys from the military and naval training schools.

      War Amendments: We urge upon Congress the enactment of appropriate legislation for securing the proper enforcement of those articles of freedom, the thirteenth, fourteenth and fifteenth amendments of the Constitution of the United States.

      Oppression: We repudiate the monstrous doctrine that the oppressor should be the sole authority as to the rights of the oppressed. The Negro race in America stolen, ravished and degraded, struggling up through difficulties and oppression, needs sympathy and receives criticism; needs help and is given hindrance, needs protection and is given mob-violence, needs justice and is given charity, needs leadership and is given cowardice and apology, needs bread and is given a stone. This nation will never stand justified before God until these things are changed.

      The Church: Especially are we surprised and astonished at the recent attitude of the church of Christ－of an increase of a desire to bow to racial prejudice, to narrow the bounds of human brotherhood, and to segregate black men to some outer sanctuary. This is wrong, unchristian and disgraceful to the twentieth century civilization.

      Agitation: Of the above grievances we do not hesitate to complain, and to complain loudly and insistently. To ignore, overlook, or apologize for these wrongs is to prove ourselves unworthy of freedom. Persistent manly agitation is the way to liberty, and toward this goal the Niagara Movement has started and asks the cooperation of all men of all races.

      Help: At the same time we want to acknowledge with deep thankfulness the help of our fellowmen from the Abolitionist down to those who today still stand for equal opportunity and who have given and still give of their wealth and of their poverty for our advancement.

     Duties: And while we are demanding and ought to demand, and will continue to demand the rights enumerated above, God forbid that we should ever forget to urge corresponding duties upon our people:
The duty to vote.
The duty to respect the rights of others.
The duty to work.
The duty to obey the laws.
The duty to be clean and orderly.
The duty to send our children to school.
The duty to respect ourselves, even as we respect others.
This statement, complaint and prayer we submit to the American people, and Almighty God.