a young black man who had notified his draft board he could not in conscience cooperate with the draft because he was repelled by the violence of the Vietnam war. He received a five-year sentence. Gaylin writes: "Hank's was the first five-year sentence I had encountered. He was also the first black man." There were additional factors: "How was your hair then?" I asked. "Afro." "And what were you wearing?" "A dashiki." "Don't you think that might have affected your sentence?" "Of course." "Was it worth a year or two of your life?" I asked. "That's all of my life," he said, looking at me with a combination of dismay and confusion. "Man, don't you know! That's what it's all about! Am I free to have my style, am I free to have my hair, am I free to have my skin?" "Of course," I said. "You're right.
( Howard Zinn )
[ A People's History of the ]
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