1
10
10
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https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/3d868cffca25c3c529b1991cf524fd6e.mp4
4de4bff489f43c7d537f8aefa36ac2d3
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Mayor Ivan Allen commenting that African Americans are locked into poverty by discrimination, Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 March 1
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911-
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip from March 1, 1968, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. comments on the published findings of the U.S. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders.
The clip begins with Allen speaking at a press conference, where he projects the city's future use of state or federal aid awarded for the implementation of recommendations established by the U.S. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders. He emphasizes that the city will "do everything that we possibly can to assure that there will be complete law and order in this city during this coming summer as well as subsequent years." A reporter comments "There are a lot of poor white people in America, and the report, of course dealt with Negro rioting." He then asks "Do you think there is a danger of the poor whites being forgotten in our concern for the Negro?" Allen responds that he thinks that although the report focuses on rioting in African American neighborhoods, it also recognizes the problem of poverty in America as a whole. He then defines what he considers to be the differences between white and African American poverty. "Of course the difference between white poverty and Negro poverty is white poverty has always had the opportunity to move out of the area of poverty, whereas by segregation and discrimination the Negro in the past has been confined legally, by laws almost, into the area of poverty. There was the difference between having hope and opportunity, and having hope and opportunity denied by law." Allen then acknowledges that poverty must be addressed as it affects both whites and African Americans.
On February 29, 1968, the U.S. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission (after the commission's chairman, Illinois governor Otto Kerner), released a report based upon its seven-month investigation of racial disturbances that took place in one hundred sixty-four American cities between 1964 and 1967. The commission, convened by President Lyndon Johnson, was asked to determine the cause of previous riots and propose solutions. Many whites believed that the rioting was caused by an organized African American political conspiracy. The commission contradicted this notion, and instead implicated white racism in the foundation and perpetuation of an intolerable environment for African Americans living in the city, therefore precipitating riot conditions. Federal and local housing, education and social service initiatives and officials were rebuked for failing to effectively address the needs of the African American urban poor. The commission also criticized law enforcement for handling disturbances in African American neighborhoods inappropriately, and denounced the news media for its racial bias and insufficient analysis of the origins of civil disturbances and race relations. In the most famous line of the report, the commission warned "our nation is moving toward two societies: one black, one white--separate and unequal." The Kerner commission recommended a substantial commitment of resources to prevent further social polarization. Members proposed a restructuring of federal welfare, increased federal subsidization of jobs and job training, and funding for new housing programs designed to eliminate residential segregation. Mayor Allen, along with mayors from other major American cities that sustained rioting in previous years, upheld the report's conclusions. President Johnson, however, dismissed the commission's recommendations; he considered them to be both too radical and financially unrealistic.
DigiBeta preservation master.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 1 min.): color, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
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Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
3/1/68
Contributor
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Allen, Ivan, 1911- Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Mayor Ivan Allen commenting that African Americans are locked into poverty by discrimination, Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 March 1, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1445, 13:38/15:03, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
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http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_53258
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Georgia
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/65235a99edee3f8f1fe7ef586d33ed98.mp4
eb9e098e5ab405ea589f114109bd4cbb
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Fulton County Young Republican president Mr. Thornwell speaking to a reporter about civil rights legislation, about mayor Ivan Allen, and about senator Barry Goldwater in Atlanta, Georgia, 1963 October
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911- GOLDWATER, BARRY, JR. Kennedy, John F. (John Fitzgerald), 1917-1963 Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip from October 1963, the president of the Fulton County Young Republican Club, identified as Mr. Thornwell, speaks to a reporter about proposed civil rights legislation; Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen; and senator Barry Goldwater's chances for election in the 1964 presidential campaign. The visual portion of the clip is inconsistent and fades in and out several times; also some questions and responses are not completely recorded.
The clip begins with Mr. Thornwell speaking to a reporter about the public accommodations portion of the proposed civil rights legislation under congressional consideration. Thornwell believes that public accommodations laws are "aimed at destroying and undermining private property rights" and asserts "the majority of the citizens have rights which should not be taken away at the expense of any minority." The reporter appears to test the microphone before asking Thornwell to comment on Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen's testimony about the civil rights legislation to the Senate Commerce Committee on July 26,1963. Thornwell condemns Allen's testimony as "a turn-coat performance" to court political advantage with president John F. Kennedy and his brother Robert F. Kennedy. He claims that the passage of the public accommodations law will hamper the current racial harmony, which was achieved through the efforts of leaders of both races. He further suggests that Allen's political future in Georgia may be limited and that Allen hopes president Kennedy will appoint him to a federal position. Thornwell anticipates Allen's political efforts with the Kennedys will fail because Georgia will vote for a Republican candidate in the 1964 presidential elections. Asked to evaluate Allen's chance for reelection after supporting the federal civil rights legislation Thornwell replies that "reasonable, responsible citizens of this community will recognize his wishy-washy position" on race as well as on other issues and will not reelect Allen in the 1965 mayoral election. Thornwell begins to outline the position of the Fulton County Young Republicans on the federal civil rights proposals by saying that Republicans are not segregationists: he further states that the proposed legislation was born out of demonstrations that the Kennedy brothers encouraged. Later Thornwell pledges that if Arizona senator Barry M. Goldwater is nominated as the Republican presidential candidate, "the Young Republicans will put thousands of people ringing doorbells and in the streets to back his presidential prospects." The clip ends with the off-screen reporter speaking to the cameramen and thanking Thornwell for his comments.
President John F. Kennedy promised civil rights legislation in a June 11, 1963 address following the peaceful integration of the University of Alabama campus. Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen was the only southern mayor to support the legislation in congressional hearings. However, Congress delayed the legislation until after the assassination of president Kennedy when it was taken up again at the encouragement of president Lyndon B. Johnson. The legislation passed as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and did include a public accommodations section which required businesses serving interstate travelers to serve customers regardless of race, leading to court cases with the Heart of Atlanta Motel and the Pickrick Restaurant in Atlanta, Georgia.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 4 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1963-10
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Fulton County Young Republican president Mr. Thornwell speaking to a reporter about civil rights legislation, about mayor Ivan Allen, and about senator Barry Goldwater in Atlanta, Georgia, 1963 October, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1094, 2:21/06:08, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_45292
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/ae0995d270abc26eaf4ad529f50b8b9f.mp4
b3be28369ca389bfc28bc44431b5ca54
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/ee85409c9acc8791453d733dfc8080a6.mp4
c1f4d17a3ba0882717ed1f955494dc64
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayoral candidates stating their platforms while African Americans vote at the polls, Atlanta, Georgia, 1961
Subject
The topic of the resource
Brown, Charlie, 1902- Smith, Muggsy, 1901- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 Allen, Ivan, 1911-
Description
An account of the resource
Mayoral candidates state platforms; Blacks vote at polls
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 13 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. 1 clip (about 14 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1961
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Brown, Charlie, 1902- Smith, Muggsy, 1901- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 Allen, Ivan, 1911- Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayoral candidates stating their platforms while African Americans vote at the polls, Atlanta, Georgia, 1961, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1565, 7:32/20:19, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_56944
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/ddc431f2497856520c953612e1492f08.mp4
63018b87feea9fa47595b85e0ea3d12d
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayoral candidates Ivan Allen and Lester Maddox talking about the segregation of recreation facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, 1961
Subject
The topic of the resource
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 Allen, Ivan, 1911-
Description
An account of the resource
Mayoral candidates Allen and Maddox talk about segregation of recreation facilities
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 5 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1961
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 Allen, Ivan, 1911- Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayoral candidates Ivan Allen and Lester Maddox talking about the segregation of recreation facilities in Atlanta, Georgia, 1961, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1565, 54:33/59:03, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_56946
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/13bcf21aa5f9cd9c1855481d4b53ced6.mp4
eec7a7335625cbe153b08e0c724d1cf8
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen on his decision not to run for re-election in a speech before the rotary club on the race problems of Atlanta, Georgia, 1969 January 6
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1877-1968 Allen, Ivan, 1911- Allen, Ivan, d. 1992 Massell, Sam Williamson, Q. V. Massell, Sam Hartsfield, William Berry Walden, A. T. (Austin Thomas), 1885-1965 King, Martin Luther, 1899-1984 Alexander, T. M. (Theodore Martin) Borders, William Holmes, 1905-1993 McClendon, F. E. (Frederick Earl)
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip dated January 6, 1969, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. addresses a meeting of the Atlanta Board of Aldermen at city hall; discusses his decision to not run for re-election as mayor with a reporter; and delivers a speech to the Atlanta Rotary club where he thanks Atlanta's business community for its support and urges the audience to prioritize improvements that will benefit poor African Americans both socially and economically. Several segments of the clip appear to be out of sequence.
The clip, which is approximately fifteen minutes long, begins with several shots of Allen working inside of the mayor's office in Atlanta City Hall; he speaks to an aide, and then flips through what appears to be an appointment book. Next, a reporter holds his microphone up to the mayor's son Ivan Allen III, who comments supportively on his father's work as mayor, and on his decision to retire from public office, noting ". . . we're, in some respects, sorry to see him make this decision, but in other respects, glad to know that he's going to have some time on his hands . . . and be able to devote more time to other interests." The reporter's question is not recorded. This is followed by b-roll footage of Allen's mayoral memorabilia housed in city hall, which includes a photograph of Allen speaking to a fireman in front of a street full of fire hoses; a plaque beneath a glass vitrine housing a football that reads "Atlanta's first national league football Atlanta Falcons vs. Los Angeles Rams September 11, 1966 Atlanta Stadium"; and another photograph of Allen petting a lemur held by an animal trainer. The camera then pans across a wall full of ceremonial shovels used in groundbreakings.
Next, Mayor Allen, sitting in the back seat of a chauffeured automobile, speaks to a reporter who is off-camera. Allen outlines some of the difficulties of being the mayor of a major city. He recalls "there have been fifteen or twenty major crises during the last seven or eight years," notes that he is obliged to family and friends "to not stretch myself out too far," and that he considers the privilege of serving eight years "a long time." He says that his service as mayor has broadened his friendships and his knowledge of the city, then comments "I have a very deep understanding of the race issue, of which I spoke about today with all of the frankness and candor that I can put into it. There's in Atlanta, a tremendously grave problem, and unless we build our structure strong and build a strong Negro community, we're going to be in grievous trouble and I feel like I have the complete freedom to express this in the strongest possible fashion now." The sound drops out, and the camera focuses on the vehicle approaching Atlanta City Hall through the passenger-side window.
Next, Mayor Allen greets several people, including African American alderman Q. V. Williamson, and vice mayor Sam Massell inside Atlanta City Hall at a meeting of the board of aldermen. This is followed by a shot of the audience seated inside of city hall, and then by footage of Massell speaking at a podium, admonishing current city officeholders for announcing their candidacy for the office of mayor too early. Massell notes that it is a disservice to their constituents considering the election is still ten months away; he then refers to a study that recommends shorter campaign periods. There are several more shots of people attending the meeting at city hall; these are followed by a shot of Mayor Allen, who addresses the city hall audience from the same podium where Massell was speaking previously. Allen warns against the reliance on property tax increases to supply the city with revenue, notes that high property taxes will prohibit business growth and residential development, and urges the audience to seek additional sources of revenue.
After a break in the clip, Allen speaks to the Atlanta Rotary club, a local chapter of the business service club Rotary International. At the dais, a signboard reads "Attendance," and lists 1967 and 1968 attendance figures; a Rotary International emblem is displayed on the podium where Allen delivers his speech. The screen fades to white for several seconds, then returns to Allen speaking for several moments without sound. The sound returns, and Allen recognizes the Atlanta business community by quoting Atlanta's previous mayor, William B. Hartsfield: "Atlanta's government and the business community have been closely allied in an effort to make this a better, and a greater city." He thanks the Rotary organization for their support both politically and personally; acknowledges his father, businessman Ivan Allen Sr.'s attachment to the Rotary club; and expresses appreciation for the club's consideration during and after his father's death the previous year. During the speech, Allen heralds some of the past year's accomplishments, which include the fluoridation of the city's water. He regrets the defeat of public transportation, noting "we lost rapid transit; we lost it badly," and attributes the loss to Atlanta residents not being ready to accept a greater ad valorem tax burden in order to support the service. He announces "I think that it is proper that I make clear my own plan"; the clip then breaks.
The clip starts again, with the mayor stating "Having removed myself completely from that office, there are matters that I wish to speak to the Atlanta Rotary club as well as to the people of Atlanta on what I consider to be the most difficult era in which we go into, and the most difficult problem that we have, and that is the problem of race as it confronts almost every American city today." He continues, stating "I'm anxious to have the privilege to speak to the white community of Atlanta, with the complete freedom that goes where no one says that what you say is being said because you are seeking the Negro vote. I am speaking now as a private Atlanta citizen with complete candor on what I consider to be the most grievous problems that the American city is confronted with today."
He refers to a television program that he watched recently, which documented the racial challenges of several American cities, such as Boston, Massachusetts, Rochester, New York, and New York City, each city possessing African American populations significantly smaller than that of Atlanta. He says "I believe that every right-thinking American citizen today acknowledges the fact that the most serious domestic problem that we have are the twenty million Negro citizens of this country who have been denied, and all of us are part . . . of the guilt of denying them equal opportunity, equal rights and equal advantages in this great democracy." He notes that forty-six percent of the Atlanta population is African American, and that approximately forty percent of that group consists of "an established Negro population that has been here a long time." He cites prominent African American leaders in Atlanta ". . . it's the Alexanders, it's the William Holmes Borders, it's Martin Luther King, Sr., it's the Bill Calloways, it's the T. M. Alexanders, it's Dr. [Frederick Earl] McLendon, it was old A. T. Walden. . ." and describes those leaders as "a conservative, constructive group that acquired a substance in this city and that were part of the community." The clip breaks and jumps to another portion of Allen's speech, where he explains that he has spent his past seven years in office ". . . devoted primarily to the racial problem . . ." He applauds the success of the city's services, including fire, police, street paving and garbage pickup, and acknowledges the problems caused by a city garbage worker's strike that took place during the fall of 1968. Allen then urges the audience to recognize poverty in the African American community as the city's most serious problem; acknowledges the essential role that federal funding has played in the city's municipal improvements, particularly in low income housing; and notes that seven to eight percent of the population of Atlanta lives in low income housing units. The clip breaks and jumps again. Allen continues to emphasize the importance of raising the quality of life for poor African Americans for the good of the city, and says ". . . the bottom level has got to be raised if you're going to structure the foundation." He congratulates the business community for improving employment opportunities for African Americans, and begins to discuss African American voting rights, but is cut off by a break in the clip. After a couple more jumps in the clip, Allen concludes his presentation by saying that he hopes the Rotary club will invite him to speak the following year, and that his message will be positive. He emphasizes that his perspective on the city is both candid and sincere after ". . . having lived in the sun of the vortex of the racial issue for some eight years now, and having seen what I think needs to be done, and having seen the vast changes, some successful and some not so successful . . ." He thanks the audience and the business community for their support over the years, expresses pride in the city on behalf of his family, and appreciates the privilege of serving as mayor. Next, in another segment of b-roll footage, Mayor Allen walks along the sidewalk on Forsyth Street and heads into the Dinkler Plaza hotel, the location of the Atlanta Rotary club meeting.
The clip returns to Allen's speech at the Atlanta Rotary club, where he explains that the timing of his announcement not to run for re-election is intended to provide voters with time to consider the best candidate, and he expresses confidence in the city's leadership to select a new mayor. In the next shot, Allen leaves the podium. As he makes his way behind the dais, the audience gives him a standing ovation. This is followed by shots of Allen shaking hands with members of the audience as they congratulate him. Next, a crowd of white men in business suits line up along a staircase displaying a large "Welcome Rotary" sign; this is presumably inside the Dinkler Plaza hotel. The clip jumps to an earlier scene from the event, where Allen waves to the audience as he prepares to speak to the Rotary club. The sound drops out during a brief shot of the audience, and in the first few seconds of the next shot, which returns to Allen's Rotary club speech. The sound resumes, and Allen recognizes that while they may find solutions to municipal problems, such as financial shortages, he emphasizes ". . . but we've got to find the answer in the city of Atlanta to what is obviously our number one problem, and that is the Negro citizen and he has got to be raised to a decent standard of economics and social position if a city with a forty-six percent, and growing percentage of Negro population is going to be a strong city in the future. We can't do it except by improving their lot." The clip returns to b-roll footage of the front of Atlanta City Hall, followed by a short scene of Mayor Allen entering a city hall meeting, where he greets members of the audience, and then members of the city government.
On January 6, 1969, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. publicly announced that he would not seek re-election for a third term in office, first at an Atlanta Rotary club luncheon, and then later that afternoon at a meeting of the board of aldermen while delivering his annual "state of the city" address. During these speeches, Allen urged the city's business and civic leaders to address the needs of the African American urban poor, advocated for increased funding to support the city's economic development and public housing projects, and attributed much of the city's success to the support provided by financial partnerships with the federal government. Allen's support for federally-funded municipal projects was fortified by the recommendations of the 1968 report supplied by the U.S. National Advisory Commission on Civil Disorders, also known as the Kerner Commission report, which proposed a substantial commitment of federal resources to improve African American work and living conditions. Allen also noted the city's shifting social and political demographics. As mayor, Allen had cultivated a longstanding voting coalition that was comprised of Atlanta business leaders, African Americans, and liberal and moderate whites; by the end of his second term, the core of the city's political power had begun to shift substantially away from the white business community, and towards African American voters.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 15 min.): color, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1/6/69
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911- Allen, Ivan, d. 1992 Massell, Sam Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen on his decision not to run for re-election in a speech before the rotary club on the race problems of Atlanta, Georgia, 1969 January 6, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1029, 18:06/32:43, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_44605
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Boston (Mass.) Suffolk County (Mass.) New York (N.Y.) New York County (N.Y.) Rochester (N.Y.) Monroe County (N.Y.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/e831f2cf0860bfa47d7d3321f9991319.mp4
b4a61de029f1dc97ccf58fc1e957f8d8
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen blaming rioting on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Atlanta, Georgia, 1966 October
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911-
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip, probably from September 7, 1966, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen comments on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)'s role in exacerbating civil unrest during an outdoor demonstration. The audio quality of this clip is poor.
As Allen begins to speak into a table microphone at a press conference, a reporter inserts a hand-held microphone directly in front of his face. Allen says "No, I'm not placing the blame directly on SNCC, I'm saying that they were there in full force and they agitated the situation that existed there. Blame goes back maybe a couple of hundred years, I don't know that . . . but the SNCC organization obviously was there, I'm informed, and that they precipitated by the use of a sound truck and other known methods of inciting people the incident that happened there yesterday." Allen is presumably speaking of rioting that erupted in Atlanta's Summerhill neighborhood on September 6, 1966.
Atlanta's Summerhill riots began as a rally to demonstrate against police brutality in the shooting of a suspected African American car thief, but the unrest also represented a deep dissatisfaction with the city's failure to address ongoing inequities in housing and municipal services for residents of the Summerhill neighborhood. A loudspeaker had been brought to the rally by SNCC staff so that neighborhood residents could voice their personal observations of the shooting; police arrested SNCC staffers when they refused to turn it off. Angered by these arrests, the crowd reacted by throwing bottles and rocks at police. Mayor Allen attempted to speak to demonstrators from the top of a police car, but he was heckled by the crowd and knocked off of the vehicle. White city officials blamed SNCC leaders, especially SNCC leader Stokely Carmichael, for inciting the Summerhill crowd to riot; these claims were rejected by SNCC, who instead claimed that it was the negligence of the mayor and other city officials to respond to earlier complaints that caused the riot. Carmichael was arrested in a police raid of SNCC headquarters, and convicted of inciting to riot and disorderly conduct; the charges were overturned on appeal. As fear of further rioting grew, Mayor Allen and other city politicians sought to establish better communication between the residents of African American neighborhoods and city hall, and ultimately developed the biracial Community Relations Commission in November of 1966 to address grievances in African American communities.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
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WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
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1 clip (about 1 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
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Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1966-10
Contributor
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Allen, Ivan, 1911- Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen blaming rioting on the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, Atlanta, Georgia, 1966 October, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1359, 14:34/15:49, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
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http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_50487
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Summerhill (Atlanta, Ga.) Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Georgia Southern States
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/a54006d4d00bdaf1782fb4fcb3ae6108.mp4
7b94265a03b20317ff367fa39ca6f77c
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. escorting Coretta Scott King away from Hartsfield International Airport immediately after learning about the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 April 4
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911- King, Coretta Scott, 1927-2006 King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968--Death and burial King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968--Assassination King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968--Homes and haunts McDonald, Dora
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip dated April 4, 1968, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s personal secretary Dora McDonald accompany Coretta Scott King through an Atlanta airport terminal to an Atlanta city police escort vehicle just moments after Mrs. King has been notified of her husband 's assassination in Memphis, Tennessee; later in the clip, visitors walk up the front steps of the King residence in Atlanta, where the front door is guarded by police officers.
The clip, recorded with sound, begins with Coretta Scott King walking through an airport towards an airport terminal. She is accompanied by Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s personal secretary Dora McDonald on her right, and Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. on her left. An African American police officer wearing a red cap follows behind Allen; the officer is carrying a raincoat. They walk past a sign that points toward the airplane terminal, then pass through a set of swinging doors.
The clip breaks; in the next shot, the group has moved outdoors where it is evening. There is a persistent loud noise, presumably the sound of airplane engines. McDonald assists Coretta Scott King into the rear passenger-side seat of a white police car, while Allen holds the door. The camera turns toward two unidentified young African American boys, who cry as they are held by an unidentified African American man. McDonald comforts one of the boys by gently cradling the sides of his head. A high-ranking white Atlanta police officer wearing a uniform closes the rear passenger-side door to the police car after Coretta Scott King has been seated. Allen opens the front passenger-side door and enters the vehicle. McDonald prepares to enter the vehicle after Allen. The clip breaks, then resumes on what appears to be the reflection of a car door taken at night; the background noise of airplane engines has ended, and is replaced by the sound of muffled voices. Next, in another evening shot, two unidentified men wearing overcoats and hats walk up the front steps of the King residence on 234 Sunset Avenue in Atlanta; they are filmed from the back. The two men are greeted by two African American officers guarding the doorway; the officers are wearing red raincoats and police caps.
Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. was assassinated on April 4, 1968 in Memphis, Tennessee, where he had accompanied other leaders from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) to support local sanitation workers in a labor strike. Upon notification that her husband had been wounded, Coretta Scott King was rushed to the Atlanta airport by a police escort arranged by Mayor Allen. The mayor had made arrangements to hold Eastern Airlines flight 399, headed for Memphis at 8:25 that evening for Coretta Scott King; the flight had already been delayed due to heavy rain. While Coretta Scott King waited at the airport to board the flight, Mayor Allen was notified by airline officials that King had died in Memphis; he in turn broke the news to Coretta Scott King. With the knowledge that her husband had died, Coretta Scott King returned back from the airport to the King family home. She flew to Memphis the next morning to retrieve King's body in a plane chartered for her by Senator Robert F. Kennedy.
Research determines that the portion of the clip that includes Ivan Allen, Dora McDonald, and Coretta Scott King took place on the evening of Martin Luther King, Jr.'s assassination, April 4, 1968. Events are described in Christine Farris King's 2009 book Through It All: Reflections On My Life, My Family, and My Faith. New York: Atria Books, pp. 128-130; and Gary Pomerantz's 1996 book Where Peachtree Meets Sweet Auburn: The Saga of Two Families and the Making of Atlanta. New York: Lisa Drew Books/Scribner, pp. 354-355.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
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WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 1 min.): color, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
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Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
4/4/68
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. escorting Coretta Scott King away from Hartsfield International Airport immediately after learning about the death of her husband, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Atlanta, Georgia, 1968 April 4, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1455, 34:44/35:42, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
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Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
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http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_53565
Coverage
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Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Sunset Avenue (Atlanta, Ga.) Memphis (Tenn.) Shelby County (Tenn.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/33c11b9bd6165221798c7a8ed8f70bf2.mp4
4c88f28207a48fcdb774061f66a78f64
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Senator Robert Kennedy speaking to city leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 September 29
Subject
The topic of the resource
Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968 McGill, Ralph, 1898-1969 Massell, Sam Talmadge, Herman E. (Herman Eugene), 1913-2002 Allen, Ivan, 1911-
Description
An account of the resource
Robert Kennedy speaks to Atlanta dignitaries
Title supplied by cataloger. The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
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WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 7 min.): color, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
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Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
9/29/67
Contributor
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Kennedy, Robert F., 1925-1968 McGill, Ralph, 1898-1969 Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Senator Robert Kennedy speaking to city leaders in Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 September 29, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1407, 10:30/17:51, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
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Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
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http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_51969
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/262194f1aacad743b0bbc45048aaa5fb.mp4
665879c9dfaed07148679f2a97587378
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of an unidentified African American man commenting on the need for African American leaders to help the youth of Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 April 26
Subject
The topic of the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911- Carmichael, Stokely Johnson, Leroy R., 1928-
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip from April 26, 1967, an unidentified African American man criticizes Atlanta civil rights leaders for seeking publicity at the expense of community responsibilities during the 1966 Summerhill riots, proposes that young African Americans appeal to Atlanta's wealthier African Americans instead of white employers for job opportunities, and criticizes members of the African American community for not working to earn first class citizenship.
In the clip, an unidentified African American man remarks that he is "depressed with the type of situation that is going on today, especially in the Negro community." He blames African American civil rights leaders for entering communities and "starting trouble," for leaving once "trouble" begins, and for returning when news cameras cover the aftermath. Here, he may be referring to Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) chairman Stokely Carmichael, who, in September of 1966 was present during a neighborhood confrontation with Atlanta police that took place in the city's Summerhill section, though when the situation degenerated into street rioting, Carmichael had already left town. Despite expressing disapproval for Carmichael and SNCC, Atlanta's moderate African American leaders were disinclined to criticize either in the press by name. Next, the man blames Atlanta civil rights leaders for abdicating the responsibility of restoring order when demonstrations break down in African American neighborhoods. He refers specifically to the Summerhill riots as an example of failed African American leadership where, in his view, crowds were left to be appeased by Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. He poses the question "Where are the Leroys, or the other so-called leaders that say that they are the leaders?" This is possibly a reference to Leroy Johnson, an African American state senator from Fulton County and prominent Atlanta civil rights advocate.
He proposes that activists concerned with the African American community "try to offer a program" that provides opportunities for young African American adults seeking employment instead of "depending upon the so-called 'great white father'" to give them a job. He continues by describing Atlanta as a place that is "blessed with a host of influential Negroes" who possess the financial means to do something constructive for the African American community, and believes that making an appeal to these affluent African Americans is better than "depending so on the white power structure to give them something." To further illustrate his point, he describes how he would be ashamed if he were given something that he didn't earn; he then criticizes members of the African American community for not working hard enough, stating "we expect something for nothing. We say we want first class citizenship, but we don't want to earn it."
Atlanta's Summerhill riots, which took place on September 6, 1966, began as a neighborhood demonstration against police brutality in the shooting of a suspected African American car thief. Tensions escalated after policemen arrested SNCC staffers for refusing to turn off a loudspeaker brought in for residents to voice their personal observations of the shooting. Angered by these arrests, the crowd reacted by throwing bottles and rocks at police. As the situation deteriorated, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. made attempts to appease demonstrators by climbing on top of a police car to address their demands, but he was heckled by the crowd and knocked off of the vehicle. SNCC headquarters were subsequently raided by Atlanta police, and SNCC chairman Stokely Carmichael was convicted of inciting to riot and disorderly conduct. SNCC rejected the claims against Carmichael, and asserted that the rioting was caused instead by the failure of the mayor and other city officials to address longstanding complaints about substandard housing and municipal services. Although the charges against Carmichael were ultimately overturned on appeal, Atlanta's white establishment held SNCC responsible for the violence at Summerhill, and moderate African American civil rights leaders distanced themselves from the organization. In response to the Summerhill riots, Mayor Allen and other politicians established the biracial Community Relations Commission in November of 1966 for residents of Atlanta's African American neighborhoods to communicate grievances with City Hall.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
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WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 2 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
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Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
4/26/67
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of an unidentified African American man commenting on the need for African American leaders to help the youth of Atlanta, Georgia, 1967 April 26, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1381, 13:21/15:29, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_51376
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Summerhill (Atlanta, Ga.)
WSB newsclips
-
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/2b4a8c6ae7f7a47cdf8c222e21317b72.mp4
639af09510e837b6faa7b3f7b53e7fd0
https://ivanallen.iac.gatech.edu/artifacts/files/original/bd2cf2df7d8660e7ee8e2ab9a09c5d6c.mp4
912194bb64eaf5e8180301150c896b6b
Moving Image
A series of visual representations that, when shown in succession, impart an impression of motion.
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen holding a meeting with Atlanta civic leaders about recent desegregation demonstrations, and Fulton county solicitor William T. Boyd pledging to prosecute demonstrators who break the law, Atlanta, Georgia 1964 January 27 and 1964 January 29
Subject
The topic of the resource
Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003 Allen, Ivan, 1911- Boyd, William T., 1921-1965 Clement, Rufus E. , 1900-1967 England, Ed Walker, Wyatt Tee Forman, James, 1928-2005
Description
An account of the resource
In this WSB newsfilm clip dated January 27 and 29, 1964, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. addresses a body of white and African American business, religious, and civic group leaders at City Hall with regard to recent demonstrations centered around segregated restaurants and hotels involving members of Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC), Committee on Appeal for Human Rights (COAHR), and the Ku Klux Klan that resulted in violence; members of SNCC, SCLC and several Atlanta community leaders address the same audience in City Hall; and Fulton county solicitor general William T. Boyd makes an announcement at a press conference where he pledges to prosecute demonstrators who violate the law. Several segments of the clip appear to be out of sequence.
The clip is divided into two parts. The first part, approximately six minutes long, begins with a silent portion comprised of several scenes of a government assembly. A poorly-lit close-up of an unidentified speaker is followed by another unidentified speaker at a podium, and then a shot of several men, presumably city legislators, who are working at a long desk. Behind them, a wall is lined with portraits. A different group of men, who are also presumably city legislators, are seated listening. The screen goes black. The next several silent scenes are taken inside of Atlanta City Hall, and show Mayor Allen speaking to a full audience comprised of both whites and African Americans. The next portion of the clip contains sound. Reading from a prepared statement, Mayor Allen says "this irresponsible element that chooses to assume threatening posture and attack our city destructively will find that they cannot undermine Atlanta's solid foundation of fairness and freedom built so patiently over many years by men and women of good sense and good will of both races." The sound drops out at the end of Allen's statement. The next few silent scenes include a close-up of men taking notes, a shot of an unidentified African American man with a cane speaking into a standing microphone that is taken from behind two video cameras, and several more shots of the audience.
The next shot contains sound. Here, Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) executive secretary James Forman says "there is no malice in the hearts of anyone who adheres to the principle of nonviolence against a particular individual; in fact, we love our white brothers even though they make it difficult for us to love. We even love the Ku Klux Klan that was demonstrating against us, even though they may not understand that . . ." He is interrupted by Mayor Allen, who reminds Forman to remain on subject; Allen reminds him that he is extending him every courtesy he has of other speakers. Forman defends his speech by replying "Well, I am speaking to the subject, because the subject involves the rationale of the demonstrations in the city of Atlanta. Some of us have been called irresponsible, and I think it's necessary for the city of Atlanta at this moment to understand some of the reservoir which produces the need for demonstrations." The sound drops out at the end of Forman's statement.
In the next few silent shots, Mayor Allen speaks to the audience from the podium, pointing for emphasis; this is followed by several shots of the audience. The camera closes in on the front row where restaurateur Lester Maddox, owner of the segregated Pickrick restaurant is seated; Maddox raises his hand to speak. This is followed by several shots of an unidentified white man, reading from a prepared statement at the standing microphone. The clip jumps to several shots of segregated Leb's restaurant, where a small group of African American and white demonstrators picket along the sidewalk carrying a banner that reads "Democracy on the line why are students in jail?" These shots are interspersed with shots of a white police officer directing traffic, and two white police officers standing on a street corner, presumably the corner of Forsyth and Luckie Streets, and the location of Leb's restaurant. In the next shot, Mayor Allen speaks from a podium at the meeting in city hall.
The next shot contains sound. Here, Mayor Allen states "I have asked you to meet here this afternoon to help evaluate and work out a solution to a situation which threatens not only the good name, but beyond that, even the public safety of this city." The clip breaks and skips to another section of Allen's address, where he says "Atlanta's tolerance has been almost unlimited. Atlanta's desire for every citizen to have liberty, freedom, and equal rights is unabated. Atlanta will not slow down or stop in its efforts to work out solutions to all problems of racial relations. That is the course of action to which Atlanta has been and shall continue to be committed." The sound drops out again. Several Atlanta business and community leaders speak to the audience from the stand microphone; the leaders include Atlanta board of education member Dr. Rufus E. Clement, executive secretary of the Atlanta Restaurant Association Ed England, an unidentified African American leader, and executive director of SCLC Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker. There are several more silent shots of the audience interspersed with close-up shots of Maddox, and shots of cameramen filming Mayor Allen speaking at the podium; one of the cameramen is operating his camera while simultaneously holding a lit cigarette. There are further shots of the audience and of Mayor Allen guiding an unidentified white man to the microphone; the man goes on to read from a prepared statement. There are several exterior shots of Atlanta city hall, including one where three men in overcoats and hats enter the building; this is followed by further scenes from the meeting, where the mayor and members of the audience are led in prayer by a young white clergyman. After the clergyman concludes the prayer, the standing audience collectively sits down. Next, a white audience member asks a question from his seat; the clip jumps to a shot of the audience taken from behind Mayor Allen as people are looking for places to sit down. The last shot in the first part of the clip shows Mayor Allen arranging his documents at the podium.
In the second segment of the clip, which is approximately five minutes long, William T. Boyd, solicitor general of the Atlanta judicial circuit reads from a prepared statement delivered on January 27, 1964. He is filmed seated inside an office; there is a typewriter at the desk and a file cabinet in the background. After a false start, Boyd states "Tragedy, bloodshed and death were narrowly averted in the streets of Atlanta this past weekend. That some persons of both races, white and Negro, escaped serious and possibly fatal injuries was the merest accident and I thank God for that accident." He pauses, the clip breaks, then he resumes speaking; the beginning of his statement is recorded incompletely. He argues that the conflict that broke out during protests the previous weekend provides the nation with a false picture of Atlanta "which does not show the harmony with which our Negro and white citizens have worked to improve the lot of both races here" and points to examples of peaceful school desegregation, voluntary desegregation by some merchants and restaurant owners, and peaceful demonstrations as examples of Atlanta's successful race relations. Boyd expresses his faith in the law, notes that law enforcement groups cannot uphold the law without the help of the public, noting "here respect for it is weakened, where the prophets of hate and deceit, who love not themselves, their nation, or their god prevail against it, there is tragedy. " He urges citizens to uphold the law in order to preserve public safety. Boyd stops, asks the cameraman "How was it, alright?" grabs his waiting cigarette, and takes a puff. The clip breaks, and then returns to a shot of Boyd leaving the desk with a stack of papers in his hand. The clip breaks to a gray screen, and resumes with what is probably an earlier shot of Boyd, seated at the desk. He announces that he is bringing twenty-four cases to the Fulton county grand jury on Tuesday, that they are known as "the Krystal cases" (presumably cases involving demonstrators attempting to desegregate Atlanta-area Krystal restaurants), and involve Georgia's anti-trespass law. He announces "I will use this office and its resources to curb violence by hoodlums and thugs of any race." The clip breaks, and Boyd expresses that as solicitor general of the Atlanta judicial circuit, that it is his "duty to speak out against those who would seek their day in court in the streets jeopardizing the lives of innocent bystanders as well as those who are in direct and violent disagreement with them." He acknowledges "Vital forces are at work in the Negroes' rightful attempt to gain their full constitutional recognition as Americans. Equally vital forces, and not always purely racial ones, are behind the opposition to Negro goals." He asserts "it is my sworn duty as solicitor general to uphold the law, to prosecute without fear or favor those who would violate the law. The law stands between us and chaos, no matter what our station in life, no matter what our beliefs, no matter what our race. The law is our promise that we can walk the very streets in safety . . ." He refers once more to the violent events of the previous weekend, before the clip ends; Boyd's comments are incompletely recorded.
On January 29, 1964, Atlanta mayor Ivan Allen, Jr. convened a meeting of African American and white community leaders at Atlanta city hall; he hoped to resolve heightened tensions over the partial desegregation of Atlanta restaurants and hotels, and the lack of a public accommodations law barring segregation in Atlanta. Allen's actions were prompted by a series of demonstrations organized by members of SNCC and COAHR that had elevated in intensity since December of 1963. In the four days prior to the meeting at city hall, more than three hundred people had been arrested in connection to these demonstrations. The most disruptive of these protests took place on Sunday, January 26 at segregated Leb's Restaurant in downtown Atlanta, where picketers had attracted approximately one thousand white spectators, some of whom were members of the Ku Klux Klan. Clashes between civil rights demonstrators, spectators, and restaurant personnel resulted in the injury of several demonstrators and police officers, property damages to the restaurant, and the blocking of street traffic. The Atlanta Restaurant Association placed full page ads in Atlanta papers, declaring that the city had placed too much pressure on restaurant owners to desegregate, and denied segregated establishments full protection by law enforcement when demonstrators picketed their establishments.
At the January 29 meeting, Mayor Allen requested a thirty-day moratorium on desegregation demonstrations, and upheld his support for an active federal civil rights bill to desegregate public accommodations. He announced that city police would begin to enforce the arrest of trespassers at sit-ins to accommodate restaurateurs, but that lawful picketing would be permitted and protected. Time was also allotted to Atlanta police chief Herbert Jenkins to summarize the police department's policy regarding the enforcement of laws related to public demonstrations. The mayor requested the attendance of members of the Atlanta Board of Aldermen, legislators from Fulton and DeKalb counties, members of the Summit Leadership Conference, a coordinating body for more than eighty civil rights groups in Atlanta, and representatives from SCLC, COAHR and SNCC. The meeting was also attended by members of the Atlanta Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Restaurant Association. Despite Mayor Allen's efforts, the meeting accomplished little beyond demonstrating his engagement in the ongoing problem. The Chamber of Commerce and the Atlanta Restaurant Association declared that they favored voluntary desegregation rather than a public accommodations law; the elder and more conservative members of the Atlanta Summit Leadership Conference were in agreement with the mayor regarding the thirty-day "cooling off period," but the members of SCLC and SNCC refused to comply; and Allen's proposed thirty-day moratorium on demonstrations went unheeded. Six months later, with the passage of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 in July, Atlanta restaurants were finally required to integrate by law.
Former title read "WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen holding a meeting about demonstrations by African Americans in Atlanta, Georgia, 1964 January 27." Research of the events in the clip determine that the date of Mayor Allen's address was January 29, 1964, and that William Boyd's statement was made on January 27, 1964.
Title supplied by cataloger.
The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
1 clip (about 6 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. 1 clip (about 5 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm. Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Athens, Ga. : Digital Library of Georgia and Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, University of Georgia Libraries
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
1/27/64
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Allen, Ivan, 1911- Boyd, William T., 1921-1965 Forman, James, 1928-2005 Digital Library of Georgia Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection Civil Rights Digital Library Collection (Digital Library of Georgia)
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
WSB-TV newsfilm clip of mayor Ivan Allen holding a meeting with Atlanta civic leaders about recent desegregation demonstrations, and Fulton county solicitor William T. Boyd pledging to prosecute demonstrators who break the law, Atlanta, Georgia 1964 January 27 and 1964 January 29, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1136, 7:43/14:12, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Moving images News Unedited footage
Identifier
An unambiguous reference to the resource within a given context
http://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/crdl/id:ugabma_wsbn_46073
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Atlanta (Ga.) Fulton County (Ga.) Forsyth Street (Atlanta, Ga.) Luckie Street (Atlanta, Ga.)
WSB newsclips