Bridging The Divide: The Movement Pt. 2

Inside the Civil Rights Movement and the events leading to social change.

WHERE IT WAS CLEAR...."SEPARATE....BUT EQUAL"....DID NOT REALLY MEAN....EQUAL.THE 19-50'S WOULD PROVE TOBE.....THE LAUNCHING POINT...FOR SOME OF THE MOMENTS...AND...PEOPLE...WHO REMAIN ICONIC.....TO THIS DAY.13 ACTION NEWS ISCOMMITTED.....TO CONTINUING THECONVERSATION....ABOUT RACE IN OUR COUNTRY.TONIGHT....REPORTER....ALICIA PATTILLO SHOWS YOU....SOME OF THE DEFININGEVENTS.....OF THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT!PT 2 "THIS TRAIN WILL BECARRYING NOTHING BUT FREEDOM.THERE WILL BE NO SEGREGATION SOWE ARE GOING TO TELL THEM ANDWE ARE GOING TO TELL THEM LOUDTHAT THE FREEDOM TRAIN ISCOMING AND IT'S CARRYINGNOTHING BUT FREEDOM (SINGS)(NAT SOUND / TYPE WRITER "THEMOVEMENT"): "WE GOT SOME DIFFICULT DAYSAHEAD BUT IT REALLY DON'TMATTER WITH ME NOW BC I'VE BEENTO THE MOUNTAINTOP AND I DON'TMIND." THE MOVEMENT IS NOT ASINGLE ACT...OR A SINGLE PERSON...BUT RATHER A SERIES OF EVENTSTHAT WOULD PROPEL BLACKACTIVISM INTO THE WORLD'SCONSCIOUSNESS."THE WAY I THINK ONE CANEXPLAIN ALL OF THIS IS THATNOTHING S NECESSARILY OCCURRINGIN ISOLATION MANY THINGS AREOCCURRING SIMULTANEOUSLY ANDSIMULTANEOUSLY THERE IS A YOUNGPREACHER NAMED DR.MARTIN LUTHER KING JR WHOIS GOING THROUGHOUT THE SOUTHAND ALSO ASSERTING ANDINDICTING THE UNITED STATESBROADLY FOR THE WAY AFRICANAMERICANS ARE BEING TREATED ATTHAT TIME."LIKE ANYBODY I WOULD LIKE TOLIVE A LONG LIFE, LONGEVITY HASITS PLACE BUT I'M NOT CONCERNEDABOUT THAT NOW I JUST WANT TODO GOD'S WILL" (NAT SOUND /TYPE WRITER DECEMBER 1, 1955)"TWO POLICE MEN CAME ON THE BUSAND ONE ASKED ME...THE DRIVERHAD TOLD ME TO STAND UP AND ISAID YES." ON DECEMBER 1, 1955FIVE MONTHS AFTERTHE BRUTAL DEATH OF 14-YEAR OLDEMMETT TILL...A BLACK WOMAN WAS ARRESTEDBECAUSE SHE REFUSED TO GIVE UPHER SEAT TO A WHITE MAN ON ABUS IN ALABAMA.HER NAME WAS ROSA PARKS ANDTHAT SINGLE ACT OF DEFIANCEWOULD SPARK THE MONTGOMERY BUSBOYCOTT.(NAT SOUND / TYPE WRITER "THENEW NEGRO")"THERE WAS A CONCEPT THAT EVENMARTIN LUTHER KING TALKED ABOUTCALLED THE NEW NEGRO AND THISIDEA WAS THIS NEW GENERATIONWOULD NO LONGER TOLERATE THESEGREGATION OR THE RACISTPOLICIES THAT THEIR ANCESTORSWERE BORN WITH AND HAD TO DEALWITH." THIS PERIOD WAS KNOWNAS THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT --A TIME WHEN MANY BLACK PEOPLEIN AMERICA DECIDED THEY WOULDNO LONGER SUFFER SILENTLY.: "THE NEW NEGRO IS A PERSONWITH A NEW SENSE OF DIGNITY ANDDESTINY.WITH A NEW SELF RESPECT."ALTHOUGH BROWN VS THE BOARD OFEDUCATION MADE IT ILLEGAL TOHAVE SEGREGATED SCHOOLS, MANYCITIES IGNORED THE SUPREMECOURT'S RULING AND MANY SCHOOLSACROSS THE U.S.REMAINED WHITE ONLY-- UNTILSOMETHING MONUMENTALHAPPENED IN ARKANSAS (NAT SOUND/ TYPE WRITER "LITTLE ROCKNINE")IN SEPTEMBER OF 1957, DESPITETHE SUPREME COURT RULING 3YEARS EARLIER--NINE BLACKSTUDENTS KNOWN AS THE LITTLEROCK NINE WERE BLOCKED FROMINTEGRATING INTO A HIGH SCHOOLIN LITTLE ROCK ARKANSAS.WHAT HAPPENED NEXT CHANGED THEHISTORY OF THE U-S -- AND THEHISTORY OF MY FAMILY -- AS ONEOF THOSE BRAVE STUDENTS IS MYCOUSIN." ON SEPTEMBER 4-TH1957--- THE STUDENTS SHOWED UPTO CLASS AND WERE HARASSED BYANGRY MOBS---IT TOOK THE POWEROF THE PRESIDENT TO GET THEMINTO THE CLASSROOM THAT DAY,PRESIDENT DWIGHT D.EISENHOWER HAD TO SEND INFEDERAL TROOPS TO ESCORT THESTUDENTS INSIDE."THE HISTORY OF AMERICA IS ONEIN WHICH BLACK TRAUMA IS WHATLEADS TO SOCIAL CHANGE THECALLS FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE ANDSOCIAL CHANGE ARE WHATUNFORTUNATELY MOTIVATE THEBROADER AMERICAN PUBLIC TO PAYATTENTION." (NAT SOUND / TYPEWRITER "SEPTEMBER 9, 1957" )DAYS AFTER THE INCIDENT INLITTLE ROCK--- A MAJOR CHANGEWOULD TAKE PLACE IN WASHINGTOND-C.ON SEPTEMBER 9, 1957 PRESIDENTLYNDON B JOHNSON SIGNED THECIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1957 -- ALAW THAT WOULD PROTECTAFRICAN-AMERICANS WHEN VOTING.MAKNG IT ILLEGAL INTERFERE ORSUPPRESS THE BLACK VOTE.DESPITE THAT LEGISLATION-- ANDTHE LAWS THAT CAME BEFORE ITCHANGE WAS STILL NEEDED BECAUSEMANY OF THOSE LAWS WERE BEINGIGNORED.IN THE MONTHS AND YEARS TO COMEBLACK PEOPLE WOULD ORGANIZESEVERAL DEMONSTRATIONS, MARCHESAND PROTESTSTO END RACIAL DISCRIMINATIONAND BOLSTER THE UNPRECEDENTEDFIGHT FOR EQUALITY.THE REVOLUTION HAD BEGUN."CIVIL RIGHTS PROTESTORS ALSOKNEW THAT THEY HAD TO GET MANYOF THESE IMAGES DISTRIBUTEDTHEY HAD TO GET NEWS INTERVIEWSTHEY HAD TO ENSURE THAT THEPRESS WAS PAYING ATTENTION ANDONE CAN ARGUE THAT MAMIE TILLWAS THE ONE WHO INNOVATING ALLOF THIS." MUSIC PLAYS-FEBRUARY 1960 / THE GREENSBOROSIT IN -NOVEMEBER 1960 / RUBYBRIDGES - 1961 / FREEDOM RIDERS- AUGUST 1963 / MARCH ONWASHINGTON -SEPTEMBER 1963 /BIRMINGHAM CHURCH BOMBING"THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENTREALLY DIDN'T CATCH A FIRE.UNTIL THE NATION SAW.THE FIREHOSES THE DOGS BEINGSICCED ON FOLKS AMERICA SAWWHAT WASGOING ON." -NOVEMBER 1963 JFKASSASSINATED NAT SOUND / "THECIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF 1964""WE MUST NOT APPROACHOBSERVANCE AND ENFORCEMENT OFTHIS LAW IN AVENGEFUL SPIRIT IT'S PURPOSE ISNOT TO PUNISH IT'S PURPOSE ISNOT TO DIVIDE BUT TO ENDDIVISIONS.THE MOVEMENT LED TO ONE OF THEGREATEST ACHIEVEMENTS FOR BLACKCULTURE.THROUGH BLOOD, SWEAT AND TEARSCAME THE CIVIL RIGHTS ACT OF1964.THE LEGISLATION THAT OUTLAWEDDISCRIMINATION BASED ON RACE,COLOR, RELIGION OR SEX INPUBLIC PLACES AND EMPLOYMENT.EQUALITY WAS THE LAW OF THELAND BUT THE CELEBRATION DIDN'TCOME WITHOUT DESPAIR.NAT SOUND / "OUR TIME IS JUSTABOUT UP...MINISTER MALCOM"MUSIC PLAYS - FEBRUARY 1965/ MALCOLM X ASSASSINATED-MARCH 1965 / BLOODY SUNDAY-AUGUST 1965 / VOTING RIGHTSACT OF 1965 -APRIL 1968 / MLKJR.ASSASSINATED"I MAY NOT GET THERE WITH YOUBUT I WANT YOU TO KNOW TONIGHTTHAT WE AS A PEOPLE WILL GET TOTHE PROMISE LAND SO I'M HAPPYTONIGHT I'M NOT WORRIEDABOUT ANYTHING I'M NOT FEARINGANY MAN MY EYES HAVE SEEN THEGLORY OF THE COMING OF THELORD""JUST LIKE ANY OTHER SOCIAL ORPOLITICAL REVOLUTION THERE ISMULTIPLE FORMS OF POLICEBRUTALITY MULTIPLE CASES OFSOCIETAL INJUSTICE ARE ALLCOALESCING AND BEING BROUGHTTOGETHER TO THE POINT WHEREACTIVIST SEE THIS AS THE POINTWHERE YOU HAVE TO CALL FORSOCIAL CHANGE YOU HAVE TO PUTON THE PRESSURE YOU SEE THIS ISA MOMENTWHEN YOU CAN GET PEOPLE TO JOINYOU." A HALF CENTURY AFTERMARTIN LUTHER KING WASKILLED HIS VOICE HAS BECOMEMANY.HIS CAUSE, STILL CURRENT...SO I'M HAPPY TONIGHT I'M NOTWORRIED ABOUT ANYTHING I'M NOTFEARING ANY MAN MY EYES HAVESEEN THE GLORY OF THE COMING OFTHE LORD" AS THE MOVEMENTPRESSES ON AGAIN.ALICIA PATTILLO "I CAN'TBREATHE" 13 ACTION NEWS "ICAN'T BREATHE"<BREAK