Explorations in Black Leadership

Co-Directed by Phyllis Leffler & Julian Bond

RTI and Compulsory Service

BOND: What about RTI?

WILLIAMS: Well, I can't speak for the leadership of RTI, but I would think that certainly given that our mission is to improve the human condition, we would certainly be interested in trying to support something that would be a contribution to American society as we always do.

BOND: What about reinstating the draft? I've always thought it was a big mistake for us to get rid of the draft. It separates Americans from our military. Most of us don't know anybody who's in the Army or the Navy or the Marine Corps. We used to always know somebody. We don't do that now. What about a compulsory draft?

WILLIAMS: Well, I'm not sure about a compulsory draft but I'm certainly -- I would feel very confident about compulsory service, so I would like, instead of a draft, I'd like to give young people the opportunity to choose which type of service they would prefer to take on.

BOND: They could choose one or the other.

WILLIAMS: They would, yes.