Description: Police officers and US Marshals are present outside of Charlestown High School on the first day of school during the third year of court-ordered busing in Boston. The media is gathered across the street from the school, at the foot of the Bunker Hill Monument. Robert DiGrazia (Boston Police Commissioner) confers with police and surveys the scene outside of the school. A group of buses with a police motorcycle escort pulls up to the school. African American students exit the buses and enter the school. A crowd of white youth gathers near the school. Dennis Kearney (State Representative) and Robert Murphy (Headmaster, Charlestown High School) talk to the crowd of youths. DiGrazia and Captain Bill MacDonald (Boston Police Department) confer near the crowd
0:00:05: Visual: Members of the media pass two police officers as they enter the enclosure surrounding the Bunker Hill Monument in Monument Square. Shot of three US Marshals walking toward Charlestown High School. An MDC Police officer exits a police vehicle parked near the high school. Shot of the exterior of Charlestown High School. A few police officers stand in front of the high school. Two US Marshals confer near the high school.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/08/1976
Description: Commissioner Robert DiGrazia, Boston police and US marshals stationed outside South Boston High. Black students exit school, get on bus. Buses slowly come and go. Many officials mill about on sidewalk. Headmaster Jerome Wynegar talks to Joseph Jordan. Later, white students flow out of school en masse. Comments, some racist, from the crowd waiting outside the school can be overheard.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/14/1976
Description: No audio at very beginning. Police officers and US Marshals are stationed outside of Charlestown High School. African American and white students exit the school. White students walk away from the school. African American students board buses and depart. Members of the media record the event from across the street, under Bunker Hill Monument. Gary Griffith does several takes of reporter standup from the South End. He gives an update on the senatorial race in the second Suffolk district. Elevated train tracks are visible on Washington Street. South End environs Shot of the Prudential Center. Washington St. street sign.
0:00:00: Visual: School buses pull up to the front of Charlestown High School. Graffiti on the front of the school has been painted over. A Boston Police Department cruiser pulls up behind the buses. A police officer on a motorcycle waits behind the buses. A US Marshal surveys the school from across the street. A group of officials and another US Marshal stand at the entrance of the school. Members of the media observe the scene from behind the fence at the foot of the Bunker Hill Monument. 0:01:49: V: An African American police officer is stationed at the corner of Monument Square and Concord Street. Shot of Concord Street. A group of white youth observe events at the school from across Monument Square. A girl sits on the fence watching the school. Three young men stand on the steps of a brownstone house on Monument Square. A group of police officers are stationed on Monument Square where the youth have gathered. Some members of the media stand at the foot of the Bunker Hill Monument. Shot of the Bunker Hill Monument. School buses and police motorcycle escorts remain parked in front of the school. Police radios are audible. Shots of Charlestown High School through the fence at the foot of the Bunker Hill Monument. 0:06:37: V: A police officer talks to school officials at the entrance of the school. Two white US Marshals and one African American US Marshal are gathered in front of the school. Police officials and a US Marshal confer at the corner of Monument Square and Bartlett Street. Police officers are stationed along Concord Street. Shot of the Bunker Hill Monument and the gathered media. 0:08:25: V: African American and white students exit the school together. Some white students walk away from the school. African American students and some white students head toward the buses. Shot of the exterior of Charlestown High School. A student makes a gesture of peace to the media. The video is overly bright during this scene. 0:12:02: V: Buses pull away from the school, followed by a police motorcycle and a police cruiser. White students are gathered at the corner of Concord and Bartlett Streets. Police officials leave the scene. Another group of white students is gathered on the corner of Bartlett Street and Monument Square. One girl makes a peace sign for the camera. Two police officers with riot helmets walk up the street. 0:14:24: V: Gary Griffith reports on the senatorial race in the second Suffolk district. He stands on a street corner. The Prudential Tower is visible in the distance. Griffith says that the election will be determined in the Democratic primary because there are no Republican or independent candidates; that the Democratic primary will take place in four days. Griffith makes a mistake in his delivery and does two more takes. The camera pans to Washington Street. Elevated train tracks run down the center of the street. Shot of the fire escape of a building on the corner of Washington Street. The windows of the building are boarded up. Shots of rowhouses and buildings along the street perpendicular to Washington Street. Shots of a garden behind a chain link fence. A colorful sign on the fence reads "Community Garden". Shot of the street and the Prudential Tower. Clothes are hanging out to dry on the fire escape of a building on the street. Shots of Washington Street and elevated train tracks. Shot of street sign for Washington Street. Shots of overgrown lot on the corner of Washington Street.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/09/1976
Description: Mayor Kevin White releases report on racial violence in Boston. He does not comment on the findings because he has not yet reviewed them. The report was written by a committee consisting of 13 diverse members, chaired by Speaker Thomas McGee and Judge David Nelson. They met ten times over two months to interview 17 community leaders, both supporters and opponents of busing.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 06/24/1976
Description: African American and white students exit from separate buses and join other students entering West Roxbury High School. US Marshals stand in front of the school. Robert Donahue (District Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) greets students as they enter the school. More buses drop off students at the school. Robert DiGrazia confers with officials and enters the school. A white teacher affectionately greets some African American students as they arrive at school. Administrators use two-way radio to communicate with approaching buses. Donald Burgess (headmaster, West Roxbury High School) talks to students about bus schedules as they approach the school from the parking lot.
0:10:07: Visual: Robert Donahue (District Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) greets African American students as they exit a yellow school bus. A police officer stands near the bus as the students exit. White students exit a second bus pulled up behind the first bus. White and African American students from the separate buses walk toward the entrance of West Roxbury High School. Groups of white students gather in the courtyard. Three more buses pull up to the school. White students exit the first bus. African American students exit the second and third buses. Students walk toward the entrance of the school. A group of white male students is gathered to the side of the walkway. Donahue breaks up the group and they walk easily toward the school. Three US Marshals stand on the sidewalk in front of the school. Donahue greets the US Marshals. White students continue to stream into the school, walking past the US Marshals. Donahue talks and gestures good-naturedly with a white male student on crutches. Another school bus pulls up. African American students exit the bus and walk toward the school. Groups of African American and white students enter the school. 0:08:03: V: Robert DiGrazia (Police Commissioner, City of Boston) speaks with officials gathered to the side of the walkway leading to the school. DiGrazia enters the school. White students are gathered outside of the school on the walkway. Donald Burgess (headmaster, West Roxbury High School) moves among the students with a walkie-talkie. Burgess encourages the students to enter the school. Students finish their cigarettes and make their way into the school. Members of the media film the inside of the school through a classroom window. 0:09:40: V: Another bus pulls up to the school. African American students exit the bus and walk toward the school. A teacher and a police officer supervise the students as they exit the bus. School officials and the police officer confer outside of the school. Donahue speaks into a walkie-talkie. A white teacher greets African American students affectionately as they exit the bus. He pats them on the shoulders and shakes their hands. A group of white female students walk up the steps from the school parking lot. They are followed by a group of white male students. Burgess speaks to the students as they walk up the steps. Donahue and Burgess confer about logistics. A large group of white and African American students make their way across the parking lot toward the school. Burgess speaks to some of the students about bus schedules as they approach the school. 0:16:50: V: US Marshals continue to stand in front of the school.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/13/1976
Description: No audio at the beginning. Horse-mounted police officers, police cars, police bus. Police officers are gathered along G Street outside of South Boston High School. Exteriors of the school building. School buses, accompanied by a police motorcycle escort, pull up outside of the school. African American and white students exit the school. White students walk away from the school. African American students board the buses. The buses depart. Pam Bullard interviews four South Boston High School teachers: Jerry Power, Bob Healey, Bob Donovan, and Paul Grueter. The four teachers says that conditions in the school are improving, despite negative reports in the media. Donovan says that Judge Arthury Garrity (federal judge) is among those receiving inaccurate reports about the school. They discuss some of the good things that they think are happening in South Boston High despite the racial tensions.
1:00:04: Boston Police Department vehicles are lined up along the side of the road in South Boston. A mounted police officer exercises his horse. A horse stands in a yard with grass. 1:02:21: Visual: Boston Police Department vehicles are parked in the schoolyard of South Boston High School. Police are gathered along G Street in front of the high school. Shot of the exterior of South Boston High School. A Massachusetts State Police vehicle is parked in the schoolyard. A Boston Police station wagon is parked on G Street. 1:04:55: V: Buses pull up in front of South Boston High School. The buses are accompanied by a police motorcycle escort. White students exit the high school, walking out of the schoolyard. African American students exit the high school and walk toward the buses. A young African American male student raises a clenched fist and looks at the camera. Some white students continue to exit the school, along with African American students. Two African American female students pose for the camera and say, "Hi, mom." A few of the African American students wave at the camera as they walk to the buses. Police officers stand casually on the sidewalk in front of the buses. A white student walks by the camera crew and says, "We don't watch Channel 2 news." 1:10:13: V: A group of four police officers are gathered on G Street. They laugh casually at a joke. A female African American student rushes toward her bus. Police officers mount their motorcycles. The buses pull away from the school and travel down G Street with the police escort. 1:11:57: V: Shot of the exterior of South Boston High School. Pam Bullard exits the high school, followed by four white teachers. She sets up an interview in front of the school with Jerry Power (teacher, South Boston High School), Bob Healey (teacher, South Boston High School), Bob Donovan (teacher, South Boston High School), and Paul Grueter (teacher, South Boston High School). Donovan makes it clear to Bullard that each teacher is speaking as an individual; that they are not speaking for the faculty of the school. Bullard asks each of them to say and speak their names for the camera. Bullard tells them that negative reports have been circulating about the situation inside South Boston High School. Donovan asks where the negative reports are from. Bullard says that they are from the media. Donovan says that the situation is slowly getting better after a hectic beginning of the school year. Grueter agrees that the situation is improving. Healey says that sweep teams have been established in the corridors in order to get students to class; that the school corridors had been a problem until now. Donovan says that the school faculty took some drastic measures to control the situation inside the school. Power says that the atmosphere in the school has swung between periods of tension and periods of calm; that there has been a decrease in the number of suspensions and separations of students from the school. Bullard says that many school officials and teachers outside of South Boston High School are calling the school "a lost cause." Donovan says that the faculty and staff at South Boston High School are committed to educating the students and keeping the school open. Healey says that many people are not aware of the good programs at South Boston High School. He mentions the automotive shop, business courses, and computer courses. Power says that he was quoted in a Boston Herald article that was critical of the school. He says that his quote was taken out of context. He had meant to say that not all of the students are taking full advantage of the programs offered to them; that there are both white and African American students at the school who are not interested in getting an education. Donovan says that the faculty is not ashamed of their school; that Judge Arthur Garrity (federal judge) is among those receiving inaccurate information about the situation at South Boston High School; that Garrity received a letter from the CCC which contained inaccurate information about the school.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 11/01/1976
Description: Children play in front of a house with a sign on the door reading "Remember Black Tuesday." The sign is emblematic of resistance to court-ordered busing in Boston. Older sister reads to younger children on steps.
1:00:00: Visual: Three young white children play on the steps of a house. A sign reading "Remember Black Tuesday" is posted on one of the doors. 1:00:34: V: An older white girl reads to two of the children on the steps of the house. Pam Bullard talks to one of the younger children, telling her to stay still for the camera. Close up shots of the younger children.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/09/1976
Description: Pam Bullard interviews Marion Fahey (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools). Fahey talks about the assignment of bus monitors and school aides for the coming school year. Fahey explains the roles of transitional aides, security aides and instructional aides. She says that there will also be more special needs aides and bilingual aides in the schools. Fahey comments on the need for all students to attend school in order to learn basic skills. She says that parents should be confident in the educational programs at the Boston public schools. Tape 2 of 2.
0:00:13: Visual: Pam Bullard interviews Marion Fahey (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) in her office. Fahey sits behind her desk. Fahey says that bus monitors will ride the buses with students again this year; that parents have made it clear that they want bus monitors on the buses with their children. Fahey says that there will be just as many aides this year as in previous years; that there will be fewer transitional aides in the school buildings; that transitional aides will perform duties assigned to them by the headmasters of the schools. Fahey says that the transitional aides will be supplemented by security aides from the Safety and Security Department; that the security aides have additional training in dealing with crises. Fahey says that there will be many instructional aides in the classrooms; that instructional aides will be funded under Title I of the Emergency School Assistance Act; that instructional aides will work with elementary and middle school students in reading and math. Fahey says that there will be bilingual aides as well as aides for the special needs programs in the schools. Bullard asks Fahey what she would tell parents who are skeptical about the quality of the Boston Public Schools. Fahey says that it is important for parents to send their children to school; that parents who keep their children out of school are condemning their children to an unproductive future. Fahey says that the Boston Public Schools have strong educational programs; that school faculty and staff are always working to improve school programs; that students in the Boston Public Schools receive good instruction in basic skills like reading, math and communication. Bullard closes the interview. 0:04:53: V: Bullard and Fahey speak informally. Fahey says that Boston schools are no longer in the "numbers game." Fahey notes that the focus is no longer on desegregation; that her staff is focusing on assessing the performance of students and teachers; that the tension caused by school desegregation hindered classroom learning. Shot of a spreadsheet on Fahey's desk. The spreadsheet gives the racial breakdown of students in each grade level.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/07/1976
Description: Pam Bullard interviews Kathleen Sullivan (Boston School Committee) about the quality of education in Boston. Sullivan says that she is frustrated because Boston schools have not improved since court-ordered desegregation began in 1974. Sullivan calls Arthur Garrity (federal judge) a "crazy judge." Sullivan says that the desegregation plans since 1974 have been disruptive. She says that neither African American nor white students have benefitted from school desegregation; that students should not be assigned to different schools each year. Sullivan and her assistant discuss Judge Garrity's latest order concerning the Boston schools. Bullard explains to Sullivan that she is putting together a piece which contrasts Sullivan's views on schools and court-ordered desegregation with the views of African American leader Melnea Cass
0:59:44: V: Pam Bullard interviews Kathleen Sullivan in her office. Bullard comments that Sullivan was elected to the School Committee because voters were impressed with her commitment to quality education and better schools. Bullard asks Sullivan how she would have fared if voters were less concerned with the state of the schools and more concerned with politics as usual. Sullivan says that she could have been re-elected. Sullivan says that parents are concerned about education; that a difficult economy coupled with the costs of school desegregation has made school improvement difficult. Sullivan says that the quality of education has not improved in the city since she was elected to the School Committee; that she feels frustrated in her efforts to improve the schools. 1:03:48: V: Bullard asks if it would damage Sullivan politically to admit that desegregation has improved Boston schools. Sullivan says that voters in Boston are beginning to accept desegregation as a fact; that the anti-busing movement has lost steam because people are tired; that voters would be happy to hear that schools have improved, even if the improvement was a direct result of desegregation and a "crazy judge on the scene." Sullivan says that there has been little improvement except in a few schools. Sullivan mentions that Roxbury High School, the Lewenberg School and the Curley School have seen improvement. Bullard asks why Sullivan never mentions the positive impact that desegregation has had on African American students, who now have access to an equal education. Sullivan says that she has been preoccupied with the budget this year; that she visited last year with African American students who had been assigned to three different schools in three years, and had not benefitted from the experience. Sullivan says that the school situation has begun to stabilize this year; that one can begin to talk about better education for African American students this year; that police presence in schools and community hostility to busing prevented a healthy school situation for African American students in 1974 and 1975; that she understands why African American parents might disagree with her because they wanted access to better schools for their children. Sullivan says that she hopes schools can be improved for all students; that she is worried because only 51,000 children attended Boston Public Schools last year, out of a school-age population of 117,000. Sullivan says that she taught African American students in Dorchester; that she thinks desegregation has been disruptive for those students; that the desegregation of Boston schools could have been beneficial for African American students and white students in 1974 and 1975 if it had been implemented differently. 1:10:34: V: An administrative assistant enters Sullivan's office to go over some papers with her. The assistant points out that Judge Garrity has ordered the School Committee to appoint a new Transitional Director of Program Development at South Boston High School. Sullivan and the assistant discuss Garrity's instructions. Sullivan and her assistant tell Bullard that Judge Garrity has approved 160 transfers out of 1,782 requests. Sullivan alludes to Garrity's heavy involvement in managing the Boston schools. 1:12:57: V: Bullard explains to Sullivan how she will edit the final piece. Shots of Sullivan's office. Bullard explains that she has also interviewed Melnea Cass (African American community leader) and wants the final piece to reflect the positions of the two women. Bullard says that both women are leaders, but that their positions on school desegregation reflect their ethnic heritage; that their positions are as far apart as the communities they represent. Sullivan points out that she has done a lot of work with African American students. Bullard says that Sullivan and Cass have a good working relationship because neither harbors strong racial prejudices; that both have friends of other races and backgrounds.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/28/1976
Description: Pam Bullard interviews teachers Hugh Mullen and Terry Gaskill about racial tension and disturbances at Hyde Park High School. The teachers say that incidents occur in the hallways, bathrooms and cafeteria, but not in the classrooms. They discuss requests made by Hyde Park High School faculty to the school administration upon the reopening of the school after a racial disturbance. Mullen says that the school faculty has requested that outside community groups stay out of the schools until the situation is under control. Tape 2 of 2.
0:00:14: Visual: Pam Bullard interviews a white teacher, Hugh Mullen, and an African American teacher, Terry Gaskill, about racial tension at Hyde Park High School. Gaskill says that every student has grown up with racial prejudice; that most students do not want to get into trouble; that emotions run high when trouble begins and students are drawn in to the situation. Mullen says that most of the trouble happens in the hallways and bathrooms; that the atmosphere is calm in the classrooms and the gym. Gaskill adds that two fights have occurred this year in the gym; that neither stemmed from racial tensions. Mullen says that the Hyde Park High School Faculty Senate has asked for a stronger police presence and for more aides in the school building; that the school administration has granted their requests; that he hopes the school can be peaceful without police officers on duty. Pam Bullard talks informally to the teachers while the crew takes cutaway shots. Mullen says that there has been little interference from parents; that African American parents have had meetings since last week's racial disturbance; that he does not know what has come out of the school administration's meetings with parents. Mullen says that the faculty has requested outside community groups to stay out of the school until the situation is under control.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 09/13/1976