The Story of Old Monroe

Gather 'round us you Americans,

If you believe in right and wrong.

The newspapers have ignored this;

I'll tell it in a song.

The papers and the TV

Never told the story straight,

So, listen now, I will to you

The honest facts relate.

Let me take you to a corner

Of this world that we call free.

It's Monroe, North Carolina,

Where the Klan rules by decree.

Maybe you thought the Klan was dead

And buried long ago.

Well, in August 1961

You should ha' been in old Monroe.

It's a town of about ten thousand,

And could be a pretty place.

But there's uncertainty and fear

To be seen on many a face.

A railroad slices through Monroe

It's not one town but two towns

On the right, Monroe is white

And on the left is Newtown.

Eighteen Freedom Riders came

In August '61.

At the call of young Rob Williams

To see what could be done.

Robert Williams was a leader,

A giant of a man.

He said, let's protect our families

From the violence of the Klan.

The Klansmen, they got busy;

They came from everywhere,

All armed with guns and pistols,

And Chief Mauney1 didn't care.

They staged a bloody riot

And the deck was surely stacked,

'Cause the only ones arrested

Were the ones who were attacked.

Hey, listen for the frame-up!

Did the Klan lay a plan?

To trap Williams and his friends

And make him flee the land?

A couple, by name of Stegall

Were driving in a car.

They drove right into Newtown;

That was a bit too far.

For Negroes live in Newtown,

And on that fatal day

They'd set their lines of self-defense

Against the K.K.K.

The Stegalls, they were frightened;

They stopped at Williams' door.

And Robert Williams told the crowd

To let the Stegalls go.

He said, come inside my house.

You'll get hurt if you stay here.

And Williams let the Stegalls

Inside his own house there.

And though this man had saved them,

Police got on his trail.

Nothing less than a kidnap charge:

Twenty years to life in jail.

And then the mighty F.B.I.

Joined in to help the Klan,

With vicious posters tacked up

In post offices through the land.

Saying Rob was armed and dangerous

And schizophrenic, too,

As though to shoot him down on sight

Would be the safest thing to do.

But Rob escaped to Canada,

And then to Mexico.

And now he stays in Cuba

Where the F.B.I. can't go.

And now a make believe trial

Comes in May of '62,

And we are wondering if in Monroe

That justice will come through.

Perhaps when it gets to the Supreme Court

They'll get a better shake.

But it's in the hearts of you and me,

The decision must be made.

For we all are just as guilty,

Till we make that day to come

When Robert Williams can return

To his Union County home.

So listen, Mr. President,

And listen Brother Bob:

If you'd defend the Free World,

Here is a little job.

If you don't believe the words I say,

Go see it for yourself.

Go down and visit old Monroe,

But be careful of your health.

There's lots of good people in Monroe,

But they are scared to say.

Go down to old Monroe, Bob.

Tell them: this is the U.S.A.

They say the German people

The crimes of Hitler never knew.

Well, let American people

See what fascists here can do.

For we've had enough of murder,

And we've had enough of lies,

And the Klu Klux Klan in old Monroe

Is due to be surprised.

For in Washington and 'round the world

We're being asked today,

Is Monroe, North Carolina,

In the good old U.S.A.?

Monroe! Monroe!

I hear those voices say:

Is Monroe, North Carolina,

In the good old U.S.A.?