Question

seen and dealt with. like a boil that can never be cured so long as it is covered up but must be opened with all its ugliness to the natural medicines of air and light, injustice must be exposed, with all the tension its exposure creates, to the light of human conscience and the air of national opinion before it can be cured.
27 you speak of our activity in birmingham as extreme. at first i was rather disappointed that fellow clergymen would see my nonviolent efforts as those of an extremist. i began thinking about the fact that i stand in the middle of two opposing forces in the negro community. one is a force of complacency, made up in part of negroes who, as a result of long years of oppression, are so drained of self - respect and a sense ofsomebodiness that they have adjusted to segregation; and in part of a few middle - class negroes who, because of a degree of academic and economic security and because in some ways they profit by segregation, have become insensitive to the problems of the masses. the other force is one of bitterness and hatred, and it comes perilously close to advocating violence. it is expressed in the various black nationalist groups that are springing up across the nation, the largest and best known being elijah muhammads muslim movement. nourished by the negros frustration over the continued existence of racial discrimination, this movement is made up of people who have lost faith in america, who have absolutely repudiated christianity, and who have concluded that the white man is an incorrigible devil.
28 i have tried to stand between these two forces, saying that we need emulate neither the do nothingism of the complacent nor the hatred and despair of the black nationalist. for there is the more excellent way of love and nonviolent protest. i am grateful to god that, through the influence of the negro church, the way of nonviolence became an integral part of our struggle.
29 if this philosophy had not emerged, by now many streets of the south would, i am convinced, be flowing with blood. and i am further convinced that if our white brothers dismiss as rabble rousers and outside agitators those of us who employ nonviolent direct action, and if they refuse to support our nonviolent efforts, millions of negroes will, out of frustration and despair, seek solace and security in black nationalist ideologies - a development that would inevitably lead to a frightening racial nightmare.

Explanation:

The text is from a work related to social issues. The two opposing forces in the Negro community are complacency (with some Negroes drained of self - respect and middle - class Negroes insensitive) and bitterness/hatred (black nationalist groups). Complacency poses the danger of inaction and acceptance of the status quo of oppression. Bitterness and hatred pose the danger of advocating violence. Dr. King believes that both prevent the achievement of true equality and justice through non - violent means.

Answer:

The two opposing forces are complacency (including some Negroes with low self - respect and insensitive middle - class Negroes) and bitterness/hatred (black nationalist groups). Complacency's danger is inaction/acceptance of oppression. Bitterness/hatred's danger is advocating violence. Both prevent non - violent pursuit of equality.