Description: David Boeri reports from a press conference with Mayor Ray Flynn, Doris Bunte, of the Boston Housing Authority, Neil Sullivan, the Policy Advisor to Flynn, and Robert Laplante, from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. The officials attempt to explain the new rules for the Boston Housing Authority's revised public housing tenant selection policy. The policy is intended to end discrimination in the selection process, but will not result in the removal of current tenants from their apartments. Boeri reports that the explanation of the policy is very confusing, but two tenants in attendance are able to do understand the policy. Interviews with public housing tenants Jean Deaver and Marcia Langford. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Reporter Meg Vaillancourt at the Old Colony housing project
1:00:15: Visual: Footage of Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) and Doris Bunte (Boston Housing Authority) entering a press conference. Flynn approaches the podium and addresses the audience. Shots of the audience. Flynn says that he is asking for the goodwill and help of city residents. Shot of Bunte. David Boeri reports that Flynn has alienated some city residents on the issue of integration of public housing; that some white residents oppose integration; that some African American residents have been the victims of discrimination. V: Footage of Flynn addressing the audience. Flynn says that tenants will not be asked to vacate apartments in order to achieve housing integration. Shot of an African American woman in the audience. Boeri notes that Bunte and Flynn has some problems explaining the rules of the new public housing policy. V: Footage of Flynn at the press conference. Flynn shuffles through papers at the podium. Neil Sullivan (Policy Advisor to Flynn) approaches the podium to help Flynn. Sullivan addresses the audience. Sullivan tries to explain how tenants will be placed under the new policy. Shots of Flynn; of reporters at the press conference. Boeri notes that Sullivan's explanation was not very clear; that reporters at the press conference looked bored. V: Footage of Robert LaPlante (Department of Housing and Urban Development) addressing the audience. Laplante talks about the fine points of the new housing agreement. Shots of Flynn slipping out of the press conference; of Bunte. Sullivan looks for the mayor. Footage of Boeri at the press conference looking at a video monitor showing a speech by Flynn. Boeri looks at the camera and says, "I still don't understand this." Shots of audience members at the press conference. Boeri reports that several housing project tenants were at the conference; that the tenants were able to make sense of the rules of the new policy. V: Footage of Jean Deaver (tenant) saying that potential tenants will be put on one waiting list; that potential tenants will now be given equal treatment. Footage of Marcia Langford (tenant) saying that the rules are being put in place to assure South Boston white residents that they will not be moved out of their apartments for the purposes of integration.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 06/16/1988
Description: Hope Kelly reports that Barbara Arnwine, the Executive Director of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights, is filing a lawsuit against the city of Boston, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), and the department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) on behalf of public housing tenants in Boston. Mayor Ray Flynn has announced an agreement aimed at eradicating discriminatory housing practices, but Arnwine considers the agreement inadequate because it does not acknowledge that African American families were "victims" of discrimination. Arnwine says that the city of Boston and the BHA lied to African American families and that the BHA worked to keep housing projects segregated. Press conference held by Flynn, Doris Bunte (BHA), and Robert LaPlante (HUD). Interview with Arnwine in her office at the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. She says that the city of Boston, the BHA, and HUD do not want to accept responsibility for the harm done to African American tenants and that, despite the difficulty of the struggle, racial equality is worth fighting for. Kelly reviews Arnwine's career as an activist and lawyer. Kelly's report also features footage of African American and white children playing outside of public housing projects and footage of African American students entering a Boston high school. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Carmen Fields reports on nomination papers for Bill Owens and Royal Bolling, Sr.
1:00:16: Visual: Shot of the exterior of the offices of the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights. An African American woman sits at a desk at the front of the offices. The woman answers the phone. Footage of Barbara Arnwine (Executive Director, Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights) being interviewed by Hope Kelly. Arnwine says that the city of Boston, the Boston Housing Authority (BHA), and the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) do not want to face up to the harm they have caused to African American residents of public housing in Boston. Shot of Arnwine signing a business letter. Kelly reports that Arnwine is bringing a lawsuit against the city of Boston, the BHA, and HUD on behalf of tenants of public housing in Boston. Kelly reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has announced an agreement aimed at correcting the discriminatory housing practices of the past; that Arnwine believes the agreement to be inadequate. V: Shot of Flynn, Doris Bunte (BHA), and Robert LaPlante (HUD) entering a press conference in June of 1988. Footage of Arnwine in her office, being interviewed by Kelly. Arnwine says that the agreement does not acknowledge that African American families were the "victims" of discrimination; that the agreement calls the families "disadvantaged." Arnwine says that the African American families were injured by the discriminatory housing policy. Arnwine says that African American families were misled and lied to by the city and the BHA. Arnwine says that African American families were not placed in white housing projects because of their race. Shots of African American children outside of a housing project building; of white children playing with a garden hose outside of a housing project building in South Boston. Footage of Arnwine saying that some white families were also victims of discrimination; that white families were discouraged from living in primarily African American housing projects. Arnwine says that the BHA was engaged in an effort to keep public housing projects segregated. Shot of the name plaque on the door of Arnwine's office. Shots of Arnwine working in her office. Kelly reports that Arnwine grew up in a segregated housing project in Detroit. Kelly reports that the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights was involved in the struggles to desegregate the fire department, the police department, and the schools in Boston. V: Shots of a poster in the Lawyers' Committee offices. The poster has a caption reading, "I have a dream. . . ." Shots of Arnwine talking on the telephone in her office. Kelly notes that the Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights filed the original school desegregation suit against the Boston School Committee in 1972. V: Shots of African American students entering a high school in Boston. Footage of Arnwine being interviewed by Kelly. Kelly asks if the housing discrimination suit can be compared to the school desegregation suit. Arnwine says that housing integration means that people of different races become neighbors. Arnwine says that housing integration represents change; that change is often met by resistance; that some people might get hurt in the resulting struggle. Arnwine says that it was difficult for the African Americans who first integrated the police department and the schools; that integration has a price. Arnwine says that racial equality is worth fighting for. Shots of Boston police officer taking an oath; of African American students entering Charlestown High School.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 06/21/1988
Description: David Boeri reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) and the Boston City Council will work together to create a public housing policy that ensures equal access while providing some element of choice. Boeri notes that the city must comply with the policy of the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) if they wish to continue receiving federal funds. Boeri's report includes footage of Flynn, Charles Yancey (Boston City Council), and Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council) at a press conference about fair housing policy. Boeri's report also features footage from an interview with James Kelly (Boston City Council). Kelly says that free choice is more important than racial diversity. Boeri reviews the current housing policy and the policy requirements of HUD. Boeri's report also includes footage of white and African American tenants of public housing and by footage of Dapper O'Neil (Boston City Council). This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Sonia Sanchez
1:00:10: Visual: Footage of Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) speaking to the press. Charles Yancey (Boston City Council) stands beside him. Flynn says that Boston's housing policy will guarantee equal access to housing for all. David Boeri reports that Flynn met with the Boston City Council about public housing issues; that Yancey said that the meeting was productive. Boeri reports that Flynn and the Council agreed that equal access to public housing must be guaranteed. V: Footage of Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council) saying that no families will be displaced from public housing in order to achieve integration. Boeri reports that Flynn and the Council agreed to work together constructively on the issue. Boeri notes that Dapper O'Neil (Boston City Council) was not present at the meeting; that James Kelly (Boston City Council) did not join Flynn and the other councillors for the press conference after the meeting. V: Shot of O'Neil at a meeting in the City Council chambers. Footage of Kelly in his office. Kelly says that people should be able to choose where they want to live; that the new policy will create "forced housing" instead of "fair housing." Boeri notes that the current housing selection process allows each applicant to select choose three public housing projects where he or she would like to live. Boeri reports that South Boston residents usually list the three housing projects in South Boston; that the three housing projects are all white. V: Shots of Flynn and the councillors speaking to the press; of a white woman looking out of a window of an apartment in a project building; of a white woman and white children in front of a project building; of a sign for the Old Colony Housing Project in South Boston. Shot of a housing project in South Boston. Shots from a moving vehicle of a housing project in Mission Hill. Shot of an African American boy near a dumpster outside of a public housing project. Boeri notes that the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has called Boston's housing policy discriminatory; that the three-choice system has been rejected in other cities. Boeri reports that HUD has recommended a city-wide list, where applicants take the first available apartment. V: Shots of white residents outside of a public housing project in South Boston. Footage of Kelly saying that there is nothing wrong with giving tenants a choice about where they want to live. Kelly says that free choice may result in housing developments which are not racially diverse; that free choice is more important than racial diversity. Shot of Bolling. Boeri reports that Bolling would also like to protect the three-choice system. Boeri notes that HUD provides 70% of Boston's public housing funds; that Boston stands to lose $75 million if they do not comply with HUD policy. V: Shot from a moving vehicle of a manicured lawn in front of a public housing development; of a public housing project on Fidelis Way. Footage of Bolling saying that the city will try to negotiate with HUD to develop an application process with some degree of choice for tenants. Boeri notes that the HUD policy will make tenants choose between living in public housing and living in the neighborhood of choice. Boeri notes that there are 14,500 families on the waiting list for public housing in Boston. V: Shots of public housing projects in Boston; of a racially diverse group of children playing outside of a project building.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/14/1988
Description: Meg Vaillancourt reports that Mayor Ray Flynn has promised to integrate public housing projects in South Boston and to put a stop to discriminatory practices by the Boston Housing Authority (BHA). African American families have been passed over on the waiting list for apartments in South Boston housing projects. Flynn's plans to integrate public housing have angered his constituents in South Boston, who refer to housing integration as "forced housing." Vaillancourt's report is accompanied by footage of white residents of a South Boston housing project and by footage of South Boston residents during the busing crisis in 1974. Vaillancourt reports that Flynn and Doris Bunte of the BHA attended a community meeting in South Boston to talk about housing integration with South Boston residents. Flynn defends himself against the hostile comments of South Boston residents. City Councilor James Kelly addresses the meeting, denouncing housing integration. Interview with Neil Sullivan, policy advisor to Flynn who talks about public housing integration and Flynn's relationship with South Boston residents.
1:00:02: Visual: Shot of a white woman standing at the entrance to a housing project building in South Boston. Audio of Neil Sullivan (Policy Advisor to Mayor Ray Flynn) saying that the people of South Boston understand discrimination. Meg Vaillancourt reports that residents of South Boston may understand discrimination; that some residents of South Boston also practice discrimination. Vaillancourt reports that the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) discriminates against African American families; that no African American families live in any of the three public housing projects in South Boston. V: Shots of a white woman looking out of a window of an apartment in a housing project; of the Old Colony Housing Project in South Boston; of a sign reading, "Old Colony Public Housing Development." Shots of white project residents outside of a project building. Vaillancourt reports that African American families were passed over on the waiting list for project apartments in South Boston; that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has promised to integrate the public housing projects in South Boston. Vaillancourt notes that Flynn met with angry South Boston residents at a community meeting yesterday evening. V: Footage of Flynn addressing the crowd at the community meeting. South Boston residents are crowded into the room, seated at long tables. Doris Bunte (BHA) is on stage with Flynn. Flynn says that the issue is fair and equal access to public housing. Shot of a bumper sticker reading, "Stop 'forced' housing." Vaillancourt reports that the slogan, "Stop forced housing" evokes memories of the anti-busing protests in South Boston in the 1970s. V: Footage of school buses pulling up to South Boston High School in September of 1973. Angry South Boston residents yell and jeer at the buses. Vaillancourt reports that South Boston residents are angry about the integration of the area's three public housing projects. V: Shot of a white woman in the audience making an angry remark. Footage of James Kelly (Boston City Council) addressing the crowd. Kelly says that South Boston residents are going to be denied the right to live in public housing in their own neighborhood. Members of the crowd stand and cheer. Meg Vaillancourt reports that the controversy surrounding the integration of public housing projects creates an identity crisis for Flynn; that Flynn is in disagreement with his South Boston neighbors. V: Shot of Flynn walking to the stage at the community meeting. The crowd yells and boos Flynn. Vaillancourt notes that an audience member asked Flynn when he was moving to Roxbury. V: Shots of white female audience member standing to address Flynn; of another audience member raising her hand. Footage of Flynn saying that he and his family were born and raised in South Boston. The audience jeers. Footage of Sullivan saying that Flynn was probably hurt by the attitude of South Boston residents last night; that Flynn has never ducked this sort of confrontation. Sullivan says that Flynn could have refused to go to the meeting. Vaillancourt reports that Sullivan said that the public housing projects in South Boston could begin to be integrated by April. Vaillancourt notes that no whites will be forced to move out of the projects in order to achieve integration. V: Shot of an African American man raking leaves outside of a project building; of a white female project resident speaking to a reporter. Shots of a public housing project in South Boston; of Flynn at the community meeting; of Bunte addressing the community meeting. Footage of Flynn saying that no person will be displaced to serve the purposes of integration. Footage of Sullivan being interviewed by Vaillancourt. Sullivan says that the average Boston housing development has a turnover rate of 10% each year; that 10% is a higher turnover rate than most neighborhoods. Sullivan says that the goal of the Flynn administration is to sustain a good quality of life in the public housing projects. Shots of a white woman and white children in front of a project building; of a young white boy running around outside of a project building.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/13/1988
Description: Marcus Jones reports that state and local officials have come through with funding for a multi-million dollar program to revitalize Grove Hall, which is Roxbury's business district. The area has experienced hard times since the late 1960s. Press conference to announce the revitalization program. City Councilor Charles Yancey and Mayor Ray Flynn talk about the program to revitalize the district. Jones walks through district while conducting an interview with Walter Little, the Executive Director of the Neighborhood Development Association of Grove Hall. Little talks about the revitalization program and the development of the area. Little notes that there is a high concentration of subsidized housing in the area. Little talks about the history of the area, noting that the district once had a large Jewish population. Jones notes that the revitalization program will benefit current and future residents of the area. Following the edited is additional footage from the press conference and Jones' interview with Little while walking through the Grove Hall District.
1:00:23: Visual: Footage of Charles Yancey (Boston City Council) at a ceremony to mark the revitalization of Grove Hall. Yancey says that the revitalized Grove Hall will develop into the best community in the city of Boston. Footage of Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) at the ceremony. Flynn says that the concerns of the Grove Hall community will no longer be ignored. Shots of the neighborhood; of signs for the Grove Hall Cafe and the Boston Legal Assistance Project. Marcus Jones reports that state and local officials have finally come through with a multi-million dollar program aimed at revitalizing Roxbury's business district. Jones notes that the area has experienced hard times ever since the riots which followed the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader) in 1968. V: Shot of Jones in the Grove Hall district with Walter Little (Executive Director, Neighborhood Development Association of Grove Hall). Jones asks about a boarded up building on the street. Shot of a woman crossing the Street. Footage of Little standing with Jones. Little says that three tenants of one building have now become owners of the properties on the block. Little says that local residents must have the opportunity to participate in the ownership and development of a property. Shot of the streets in the area. Jones remarks that Little has lived in this area for forty years. V: Shot of a "No Trespassing" sign on a boarded-up building; of another boarded-up building. Footage of Little saying that the area has the largest concentration of subsidized housing of any area in the city; that there are 2800 subsidized units within the Grove Hall boundaries. Little says that economic balance is important to the survival of a commercial district. Little says that the small shops currently in the Grove Hall area are not enough to support a thriving commercial district. Little notes that many of the current businesses are fairly new to the area. Jones reports that Little remembers when there was a large Jewish population in the area; that Siegel's cafeteria was a popular restaurant in those days. V: Shot of Jones and Little walking on in the Grove Hall District, near a liquor store which once was Siegel's Cafeteria. Footage of Little saying that Siegel's Cafeteria closed in the early 1970s; that they were one of the last businesses to leave the area. Shot of the front of the liquor store; of two women walking on the street. Shot of a boarded-up apartment building. Jones reports that the revitalization plan aims to benefit the current and future residents of the Grove Hall area. V: Footage of Little saying that the money is available for the project; that buildings in the area will no longer be boarded up after the revitalization. Shot of Jones and Little on the street.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/20/1988
Description: Christy George reports that City Councilor James Kelly objects to an interfaith, interracial prayer service to be held in South Boston because he fears that the meeting could be seen as an endorsement of the city's plan to integrate South Boston housing projects. Kelly has called for the meeting to be moved to another location. Interview with Father Thomas McDonnell of St. Augustine's Church in South Boston and Reverend John Borders of the Morningstar Baptist Church. McDonnell and Borders say that South Boston is not a racist neighborhood. Interview with Jim Kelly. George quotes Kelly as saying that he opposes forced busing, racial quotas, and forced housing. Community leaders have met with Mayor Ray Flynn to discuss the peaceful integration of public housing projects, and hold a press conference. Doris Bunte of the Boston Housing Authority, Charles Stith of the Union United Methodist Church, John O'Bryant of the Boston School Committee, and Don Muhammad of the Nation of Islam, Roxbury speak at the press conference. George reports that Bernard Cardinal Law (Archdiocese of Boston) endorses the meeting. George notes that Flynn is pushing for housing integration over the objections of South Boston residents. Footage of Flynn at a community meeting in South Boston and footage of anti-busing activity in South Boston in 1977.
1:00:05: Visual: Footage of Father Thomas McDonnell (St. Augustine's Church in South Boston) and Reverend John M. Borders, III (Morningstar Baptist Church in Mattapan) sitting together for an interview in South Boston. McDonnell says that both men believe in the power of prayer. Christy George reports that religious leaders want to hold an interfaith, interracial prayer meeting at St. Monica's Church in South Boston; that James Kelly (Boston City Council) has taken out a half-page advertisement in the South Boston Tribune; that the ad calls on the Catholic Church to move the prayer meeting to another location. George reports that Kelly fears that the prayer meeting could be seen as an endorsement of the city's plan to desegregate public housing projects in South Boston. V: Shot of the exterior of St. Monica's Church; of Kelly's advertisement in the South Boston Tribune; of a statue in front of the church. Footage of McDonnell saying that racism is a moral issue. Borders says that prayer is a means to change the people's hearts. Footage of police arresting two women on G Street in South Boston on May 12, 1977. Shots of police cruisers escorting school buses along a city street; of a housing project in South Boston. Shots of a sign for the Old Colony Housing Project; of a white woman and children in front of a housing project building. George notes that South Boston became a battleground during school desegregation. George reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has announced that the public housing projects in South Boston will be integrated; that Flynn alienated many South Boston voters by pushing for public housing integration. V: Shot of Flynn approaching the stage at a community meeting in South Boston on January 12, 1988. The crowd jeers and boos as Flynn walks on to the stage. Shot of audience members seated at long tables. Footage of Kelly at the community meeting. Kelly says that South Boston residents will serve time for civil rights violations if the public housing projects are integrated. The crowd applauds Kelly. George reports that community leaders met with Flynn today to talk about peaceful desegregation of the projects; that attendees at the meeting expressed thinly disguised scorn for Kelly. V: Shot of Doris Bunte (Boston Housing Authority) speaking at a press conference. Charles Stith (Union United Methodist Church) and two other African American community leaders stand behind her. Footage of John O'Bryant (Boston School Committee) at a press conference. A reporter asks him if Kelly's name was mentioned in the meeting with Flynn. O'Bryant replies, "Who's he?" George reports that Kelly believes that affirmative action is reverse racism. George quotes Kelly as saying that "assigning the needy to public housing based on race is morally and legally wrong." V: Shot of Kelly at his desk. A quote from Kelly is written out in text on-screen. Footage of Kelly saying that supporters of equal opportunity must oppose forced busing, racial quotas, and forced housing. Footage of Stith saying that there are some elected officials who insist on keeping the city divided; that religious leaders are making an effort to unite the city. Footage of Minister Don Muhammad (Nation of Islam, Roxbury) saying that not all Irish residents are racist; that African Americans in Roxbury are not all drug addicts. George reports that Bernard Cardinal Law (Archdiocese of Boston) endorsed the prayer meeting. George quotes Law as saying that publicity "could lead to the erroneous impression that racial discrimination is a problem of geography, which it is not. . . . Racial discrimination is a problem of the human heart." V: Shot of Law addressing an audience. A quote from Law is written out in text on-screen. George reports that one of the goals of the prayer meeting is to debunk the myth of South Boston as a racist neighborhood. V: Shot of a white family walking in front of St. Monica's Church. Footage of Borders saying that Kelly does not represent the views of all South Bostonians. Borders says that he had no problems in South Boston when he drove to today's interview at the church. George reports that religious leaders say that the prayer meeting is not about politics; that the controversy surrounding the meeting has become political despite the efforts of religious leaders.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/20/1988
Description: Jan von Mehren reports that City Councilor James Kelly denies that Boston's public housing policy is discriminatory and plans to ask the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for proof of discrimination. He has proposed an alternative housing policy which allows tenants to choose where they want to live. Mayor Ray Flynn has agreed to present Kelly's plan to HUD for discussion. Kelly and Flynn attend a South Boston community meeting, where Kelly speaks out against housing integration. The crowd jeers at Flynn as he approaches the stage. Von Mehren's report is accompanied by footage of white and African American residents of housing projects in Boston.
1:00:06: Visual: Shot of James Kelly (Boston City Council) at a community meeting in South Boston. Shots of audience members at the meeting applauding; of Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) at the meeting. Audio of audience members booing Flynn. Jan von Mehren reports that Kelly called a community meeting in South Boston to discuss public housing; that Flynn attended the meeting; that Flynn was booed by the crowd. V: Footage of Kelly at the meeting. Kelly dismisses the findings of discrimination in Boston public housing. Shot of a sign for the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development; of white women and children of a park bench; of a white boy scrambling under a fence near a housing project in South Boston. Von Mehren reports that there are approximately 2,000 housing units in South Boston; that no African American families have been placed in South Boston since Flynn entered office. Von Mehren reports that Kelly will ask the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) for proof of discrimination; that Kelly has come up with an alternative housing plan. V: Footage of Kelly speaking at the meeting. Audience members are crowded into the room. Kelly talks about his "freedom of choice" housing plan, in which no family would be placed in a neighborhood without their consent. Von Mehren notes that Kelly's plan would permit African American families to move into white housing projects; that Kelly's plan would not force white families to move into primarily African American housing projects. V: Shots of a racially diverse group of children outside of a housing project. Von Mehren stands at the entrance to the community meeting in South Boston. Von Mehren reports that Flynn has promised to discuss Kelly's plan to HUD; that he will not submit the plan if it is deemed discriminatory. V: Footage of Flynn at the meeting. Flynn says that he will try to achieve as much choice as is possible in the new plan; that the new plan will not discriminate. Von Mehren reports that Flynn made clear that he has an obligation to work with HUD. Von Mehren notes that Kelly was clear about his intention to fight for South Boston residents. V: Shots of Flynn at the meeting; of Kelly at the meeting; of audience members.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/01/1988
Description: David Boeri reports that the referendum question on the creation of Mandela, Massachusetts, was soundly defeated in the 1986 elections. Supporters of incorporation of a new city from the Greater Roxbury neighborhood are raising the issue again. Community leaders gathered at a press conference in support of the issue. Those present included Andrew Jones (Greater Roxbury Incorporation Project), Chuck Turner (teacher), and Byron Rushing (State Representative). Jones and Rushing speak out in favor of Mandela. They criticize the city of Boston for not dealing effectively with problems in the Roxbury neighborhood. Boeri reports that the Roxbury neighborhood is suffering from an epidemic of violence and drug-related crime. He notes that Mandela supporters believe that crime could be fought more effectively if Roxbury were an independent city. Interviews with Mandela supporters Sadiki Kambon and Donald Madrey talking about the problems in the neighborhood. City Councilor Bruce Bolling talks about street violence. Footage of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) and Ray Flynn at a press conference.
1:00:09: Visual: Footage of Andrew Jones (Greater Roxbury Incorporation Project) at a press conference. Supporters stand behind him. Jones says that the time has come to "free Mandela, Massachusetts." Shot of Mandela supporters with Jones including Chuck Turner (teacher). David Boeri reports that the referendum question on Mandela, Massachusetts was overwhelmingly rejected by voters in the 1986 elections. Boeri notes that Mandela supporters are raising the question again. V: Footage of Byron Rushing (State Representative) at the press conference. Rushing asks if it is better to be a poor neighborhood in a rich city, or a poor city in a rich state. Boeri reports that little has changed in Boston's African American neighborhoods since 1986; that Mandela supporters can exploit the fact that little has changed in their favor. Boeri notes that Roxbury may be worse off than it was in 1986. V: Shot of white police officers at a crime scene. Roxbury residents stand behind police cordons. A pool of blood appears on the street. Footage of Sadiki Kambon (Mandela initiative supporter) saying that Roxbury continues to suffer from high unemployment, poor housing, an increase in the infant mortality rate, and a high drop-out rate from schools. Shot of two white police officers patrolling a residential street in Roxbury. Boeri reports that drug-related crime and violence have created a crisis in the community. V: Shot of a Boston Herald newspaper article featuring a photo of Darlene Tiffany Moore (Roxbury resident and shooting victim). Footage of Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council) speaking to the press on August 22, 1988. Bolling says that there is open warfare going on in the district. Footage of Donald Madrey (Roxbury resident and Mandela initiative supporter) saying that Roxbury residents are living in fear from crime. Madrey says that it seems like all of the drugs in the state of Massachusetts are being dropped in Roxbury. Shot of African American residents crossing Washington street underneath elevated train tracks in Roxbury. Boeri reports that supporters of the Mandela initiative say that crime could be fought more effectively if Roxbury were an independent city. V: Shot of a group of African American men outsde of Joe's sub shop on Washington Street in Roxbury. Footage of Jones at the press conference saying that an independent city has its own police force which can set its own priorities. Jones says that the Boston Police Department is corrupt; that an independent police department could establish a better relationship with the community. Footage of Rushing saying that officers of the Mandela Police Department would live in the city; that the police officers would be living on the streets where crime takes place. Boeri notes that Boston city officials have declared war on drugs and crime in Roxbury. V: Shot of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) speaking at a press conference. Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) stands at his side. Shot of two white police officers stopping an African American man in order to search him. Footage of Rushing at the press conference. Rushing says that the city has not responded to questions about why they have not applied for federal funds for anti-drug campaigns in the city.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 08/24/1988
Description: Meg Vaillancourt reports on the street violence that resulted in the accidental shooting of Darlene Tiffany Moore (eleven-year-old Roxbury resident). Vaillancourt interviews Maleka Few (Roxbury resident, age twelve) and Jessica Moore (Roxbury resident, age 10). The girls are afraid of the violence that resulted in Tiffany Moore's death. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury residents went to City Hall to ask for more police protection in the neighborhood. Vaillancourt's report includes footage of Roxbury community leaders at a press conference. Amanda Houston (Roxbury resident), Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council), and Louis Elisa (Roxbury resident) talk about the need for more police on the streets. Vaillancourt reports the Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has put more police on the streets and has pledged a full investigation of Moore's shooting. Vaillancourt's report includes footage of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) and Flynn at a press conference. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury is experiencing its worst violence in twenty years. She notes that city and state officials gathered at a press conference to discuss the problem. Vaillancourt's report includes footage of the press conference in Roxbury with Francis "Mickey" Roache (Police Commissioner, City of Boston), Royal Bolling, Sr. (former State Senator), and John Kerry (US Senator). Roache blames drug traffic for the violence. Kerry criticizes the ineffectual drug policy and social programs of the Reagan administration. Vaillancourt's report includes footage of police officers stopping African American men on the streets of Roxbury.
1:00:26: Visual: Footage of Maleka Few (Roxbury resident, age 12) saying that she thinks it might happen to her next. Shot of a Boston Herald newspaper article with a headline reading, "Police vow to capture girl's killers." A photo of Darlene Tiffany Moore (Roxbury resident, age 11) accompanies the article. Meg Vaillancourt reports that Moore was sitting outside on Humboldt Avenue in Roxbury when she was killed by a stray bullet; that Moore was the unintentional victim of a war between two rival gangs. V: Shot of a Humboldt Avenue in Roxbury. Footage of Few saying that the gang members were not shooting at Moore; that Moore was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Few says that she does not want to go out to the store with her mother anymore. Footage of Jessica Moore (Roxbury resident, age 10) saying that she used to sit in the same place on Humboldt Street. Shots of African American girls standing on a street in Roxbury. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury parents went to City Hall today to ask for more police protection. V: Footage of Amanda Houston (Roxbury resident) saying that she is a "gutsy lady;" that she is starting to feel frightened. Footage of Bruce Bolling (Boston City Council) speaking to the press. Bolling says that there is open warfare going on in the city. Shot of media camera crews. Footage of Louis Elisa (Roxbury resident) saying that Roxbury residents pay their taxes; that Roxbury citizens are demanding equal protection under the law. Vaillancourt reports that forty extra police officers are patrolling Humboldt Avenue; that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has pledged a full investigation of the shooting. V: Shot of two police officers patrolling a street. Footage of William Celester (Deputy Superintendent, Boston Police Department) speaking to the press. Flynn stands beside him. Celester says that the community has been providing information about the shooting to police; that the police are investigating suspects. Footage of two white police officers stopping an African American man to search him. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury is experiencing its worst violence in twenty years. V: Footage of Francis "Mickey" Roache (Police Commissioner, City of Boston) speaking at press conference in Roxbury. John Kerry (US Senator) and Royal Bolling Sr. (State Senator) are among the crowd standing with Roache. Roache says that drugs equal violence. Shots of the press at the press conference. Vaillancourt notes that Kerry visited Roxbury today to talk to residents about the drug problem. V: Footage of Kerry saying that the government cannot ask kids in Roxbury to say no to drugs if the Reagan administration cannot say no to General Manuel Noriega (leader of Panama). Kerry says that the drug policy of the Reagan administration is hypocritical and ineffective; that the administration's policy is contributing to the drug problem. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury residents are calling for drastic measures to fight violence; that some curfews, night-court sessions, and the National Guard have all been suggested. V: Footage of Kerry saying that the presence of the National Guard will not solve the drug problem; that overcrowded prisons, an inadequate school system, and a lack of treatment centers are all contributing to the drug problem. Shot of two white police officers talking to an African American teenage boy on a street in Roxbury. Vaillancourt reports that Roxbury residents want increased aid on all levels. Vaillancourt notes that residents are worried that the situation will not improve after Moore's killer is found. V: Shot of a cameraman filming a man in a business suit on the street; of Humboldt Avenue in Roxbury.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 08/22/1988
Description: Meg Vaillancourt reports that South Boston residents are opposed to the city's plans to integrate public housing projects. Residents are hostile to Mayor Ray Flynn when he attends a community meeting in South Boston to discuss plans for integration, with Doris Bunte of the Boston Housing Authority. Vaillancourt notes that South Boston residents have not changed their attitudes in the face of evidence that the BHA practices discrimination against African American tenants of public housing. Interviews with South Boston public housing residents about public housing integration. Many residents are opposed to integration. Some fear that the quality of life in the projects will decline after the housing projects are integrated. Others say that racial violence will be a result of integration. A few residents are not bothered by the prospect of integration. Vaillancourt notes that the controversy over public housing integration evokes memories of the busing crisis in the 1970s. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Officials attempt to explain the new rules for the Boston Housing Authority's revised public housing tenant selection policy.
1:00:02: Visual: Footage of a white female South Boston resident looking out of the window of a housing project apartment. The woman says that she would like her neighborhood to remain white. Meg Vaillancourt reports that South Boston residents remain hostile to the idea of integration of public housing projects. V: Shots of white residents outside of a housing project in South Boston. Footage of a white female resident saying that South Boston should stay white; that there will be trouble if the housing projects are integrated. Footage of another white female South Boston resident saying that white residents have not received fair warning about the placement of African American families in white housing projects. Shots of white children playing with a hose outside of a housing project in South Boston. Vaillancourt reports that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) announced plans to integrate South Boston housing projects in October; that Flynn tried to explain the policy at a community meeting in South Boston in January. V: Footage of Flynn and Doris Bunte (Boston Housing Authority) the community meeting in January of 1988. Flynn addresses the crowd. A white woman shouts out a comment. Footage of Flynn approaching the stage as the crowd jeers at him. Vaillancourt notes that the audience at the community meeting was hostile to Flynn. Vaillancourt stands in front of a housing project building in South Boston. Vaillancourt reports that there is mounting evidence of discrimination against African American families requesting apartments in public housing projects. Vaillancourt notes that the mounting evidence has not changed the attitudes of white South Boston residents. V: Footage of Vaillancourt interviewing a white male South Boston resident. The man says that there will be trouble if African Americans move into the South Boston housing projects. Footage of another white male South Boston resident saying that the residents want their neighborhood to remain as it is. Footage of a white female South Boston resident saying that she will not be bothered if an African American family moves into her building. She says that African American families need housing as much as white families do. The woman says that some people do not feel the same way as she does; that she hopes no one will bother the African American families who move into the project. Shots of white residents outside of a project building; of a white baby playing in a wading pool outside of a project building. Vaillancourt reports that the city's housing policy has kept the housing projects segregated for fifty years; that the city is now changing its policy. Vaillancourt reports that some residents feel that the new policy will be biased. V: Footage of a white female South Boston resident sitting in a wading pool. The woman says that the city should not make tenants identify their race; that the city should place tenants in an apartment without knowing their race. Shots of the woman and two children in the wading pool. Vaillancourt notes that talk of integration in South Boston raises memories of the busing crisis in the 1970s. V: Footage of a white male South Boston resident saying that school desegregation caused the decline of the Boston School System; that most South Boston residents send their children to private schools. The man says that he will move out of public housing if African American families move in to the projects. Shots of female parochial school students walking toward a housing project building. Vaillancourt reports that the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) has not announced when the first African American family will move into the projects.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 06/16/1988