Description: Meg Vaillancourt reports that Jesse Jackson has challenged Michael Dukakis to come out with a budget for his proposed domestic programs, during a campaign debate. Dukakis has refused to release a budget so far. Interview with Issues Dirextor for the Dukakis campaign, Christopher Edley, who says that Dukakis is an experienced chief executive and that he does not need to release a budget during a presidential campaign. Vaillancourt reviews Dukakis's proposals on day care, affordable housing, and drugs. She notes that he has not talked about a budget for these proposals. Interview with community activist and Jackson supporter Mel King, who also supports Jackson in his demand for Dukakis's budget. Dukakis has talked about funding for his education proposals and for his "Rebuild America" proposal. Vaillancourt reviews Dukakis' budget priorities and notes that he would fund increases in domestic funding through cuts in the defense budget. Vaillancourt reviews the events of Dukakis's first term as Governor of Massachusetts. She notes that a massive state debt forced Dukakis to raise taxes and cut spending.
1:00:02: Visual: Footage of Jesse Jackson (Democratic US Presidential candidate) and Michael Dukakis (Democratic US Presidential candidate) at Steel Valley Debate in Pennsylvania. Jackson says that "Reaganomics" must be reversed. The audience applauds. Meg Vaillancourt reports that Jackson has challenged Dukakis to come up with a budget detailing which domestic programs need support and how Dukakis would pay for them. Vaillancourt notes that Dukakis has stuck to his own script; that he has refused to enter into a budget battle with Jackson. V: Footage of Dukakis at the debate. Dukakis says that partnerships between Washington DC, management, and labor need to be built. Vaillancourt reports that public-private partnerships are the key to Dukakis's domestic programs. V: On-screen visuals and text detail Dukakis's positions on day care, affordable housing, and drugs. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis has called for "'a national partnership to create affordable day care for all'"; that Dukakis's position paper carries no price tag for his day care program. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis supports a reallocation of money to build more affordable housing; that Dukakis's position paper carries no price tag for the affordable housing program. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis would fight drugs by restoring funds to the Coast Guard and to other enforcement measures; that Dukakis's position paper carries no price tag for his anti-drug program. V: Shot of Jackson at the campaign debate. Footage of Christopher Edley (Issues Director for the Dukakis campaign) being interviewed by Vaillancourt. Edley says that Dukakis is an experienced chief executive; that Dukakis has put together ten balanced budgets in his tenure as Governor of Massachusetts. Edley says that an electoral campaign is not the time to put together a budget. Footage of Mel King (Jackson supporter) saying that the voters need to know about Dukakis's priorities; that voters need to know where Dukakis will find the money to implement his programs. Vaillancourt notes that Dukakis has talked about the budgets for two of his programs. V: Shots of Dukakis and Jackson at the campaign debate. On-screen text and visuals detail Dukakis's positions on job creation and education. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis's "'Rebuild America'" program would "invest $500 million from federal government to regional development." Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis supports increasing the education budget by $250 million in his first year. Vaillancourt reports that Jackson would raise taxes on corporations and the wealthy to pay for his domestic programs; that Dukakis would like to generate additional money by cracking down on tax cheats and by making the government more efficient. V: Shots of Dukakis and Jackson at the campaign debate. On-screen text and visuals detail Dukakis's budget priorities. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis will "finance all new domestic spending through cuts in Star Wars." V: Shot of King being interviewed by Vaillancourt. Footage of Dukakis speaking at a press conference in 1974. Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis promised no new taxes in his first campaign for governor of Massachusetts in 1974; that the massive state debt forced him to raise taxes and to cut spending. V: Footage of King being interviewed by Vaillancourt. King says that Dukakis has not learned the lesson of 1974; that Dukakis has not honored his commitments to meet the needs of people on welfare. King says that voters need to know where the money will come from for his programs. Vaillancourt notes that Dukakis probably does not want to quote specifics in order to avoid becoming the captive of special interest groups. V: Shot of Dukakis at the campaign debate. Footage from C-Span of Walter Mondale (1984 Democratic US Presidential candidate). Vaillancourt reports that Dukakis has avoided giving Jackson specifics outside of the areas of job creation and welfare reform; that Dukakis has left himself room to maneuver in the general election.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/25/1988
Description: Christy George reports that Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to divest its pension funds from South Africa five years ago. She adds that apartheid opponents are backing a selective purchasing bill that would bar the state from buying goods and services from companies who do business in South Africa. Ric Murphy, State Purchasing Agent, testifies in support of the bill in front of state legislators. Joseph Hermann, Chairman of State Administration Committee, wants the state to stop doing business with all countries with repressive governments. Hermann testifies before state legislators. Governor Michael Dukakis supports the bill. The bill will probably not be passed in time to help his presidential campaign. Former State Senator Jack Backman speaks in support of Dukakis. Georges' report is also accompanied by footage of scenes from apartheid South Africa and by footage of IBM workers and laborers in South Africa.
1:00:09: Visual: Footage of Themba Vilakazi (Director, Fund for a Free South Africa) speaking to an audience of apartheid opponents. Audience members applaud Vilakazi. Audience members hold signs protesting apartheid. Shot of two audience members holding signs reading, "Free South Africa." Christy George reports that Massachusetts was the first state in the nation to divest its pension funds from South Africa five years ago. George adds that apartheid opponents want the state to stop buying goods and services from companies who do business in South Africa. V: Footage from WGBX of Ric Murphy (State Purchasing Agent) addressing a legislative hearing at the State House. Murphy says that the state should not condone businesses who support apartheid. George stands in front of the Massachusetts State House. George reports that legislators wonder if divestment is the best way to help black South Africans. V: Shots of South African police officers beating protesters on a street in May of 1986; of protesters fleeing from a park in South Africa; of South African police officers. George reports that proponents of divestment say that the Massachusetts government buys goods and services from companies which pay taxes to support the South African government. Opponents of divestment says that American companies offer jobs and training to South African blacks. V: Shots of the exterior of the IBM headquarters in South Africa; of a black man in a business suit in front of the IBM building; of a factory in South Africa; of a white worker working in an automobile factory. George reports that Joseph Hermann (Chairman, State Administration Committee) wants the state to stop doing business with South Africa and other countries with repressive governments. V: Footage of Hermann saying that the state needs to reflect on the repression occurring in Northern Ireland, South Africa, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Liberia. George reports that Michael Dukakis (Governor of Massachusetts) campaigns against apartheid; that Dukakis supports the proposed selective purchasing bill. V: Shot of Dukakis addressing a crowd. State leaders including George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) stand behind him. Footage of Jack Backman (former State Senator) saying that Dukakis should be elected president as a candidate with no ties to South Africa. Shot of Royal Bolling, Sr. at the legislative hearing. George reports that the bill will probably not be passed in time to help Dukakis' presidential campaign.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/25/1988
Description: Hope Kelly reports that the Tent City Housing Complex in the South End will soon open. She notes that the housing complex is named for the protests that began on the site twenty years before. Kelly reviews the history of the Tent City site. Kelly's report includes photos of the protests at the Tent City site in the 1960s. Kelly interviews Betty Meredith (Executive Director, Tent City Corporation) and Michael Kane (Chairman, Tent City Corporation) outside of the housing complex. Kane and Meredith talk about the struggle by South End residents to get the housing complex built. Kane says that affordable housing was not a priority in this part of the city until now. Kelly interviews Mel King (community activist) about the Tent City site. Kelly reports that Copley Place was developed while the Tent City site was ignored. Kelly's report includes a time-lapse arrangement of shots documenting the construction of Copley Place. Kelly reports that 75% of the units in the housing complex are low- and moderate-income units. Kelly interviews Sophie Iglesias (Marketing Director) and Florcie Versailles (Tent City resident) about the housing complex..,
1:00:19: Visual: Shots from the window of a building on Copley Place. Shots of the high-rise buildings near Copley Place; of the South End. Hope Kelly reports on the long-standing controversy surrounding the Tent City site in the South End. V: Footage of Betty Meredith (Executive Director, Tent City Corporation) sitting outside of the Tent City Housing Development. Meredith says that she knew that South End residents would have to fight to get the housing development built. Shot of a man approaching the entrance to the Tent City Development with balloons in his hand. Shots of the exterior of the Tent City Housing Complex. Kelly reports that the Tent City Housing Complex will open tomorrow; that the housing complex is named for the protests that began on the site twenty years ago. Kelly reports that the city of Boston sold a parcel of land in the South End to William Fitzgerald (former Fire Commissioner of the City of Boston) in the 1960s; that Fitzgerald tore down the buildings on the land to make a parking lot. Kelly reports that the buildings on the land had been the homes and residences of many African American South End residents. Kelly notes that the Boston Redevelopment Authority (BRA) had promised to replace the buildings in 1965; that South End residents began to protest on the site in 1968 because nothing had been built. V: Shots of South End residents protesting on the Tent City site; of a protest sign on the Tent City site reading, "People, not cars. This is a place where homes should be." Shots of graffiti on a building reading, "BRA, go away." Shots of police officers on the Tent City site; of tents erected to house the protesters; of Mel King (community activist) being arrested by police on the Tent City site. Footage of Mel King in the South End. King says that the protesters did not believe that the city should allow people to be displaced in order to build parking lots. Kelly reports that Meredith was one of the original Tent City protesters; that Michael Kane (Chairman, Tent City Corporation) joined the protest in the 1970s because nothing had been built. V: Footage of Kelly interviewing Meredith and Kane outside of the development. Footage of Kane saying that the protesters had to block the city from building market-rate housing and a 1400-car parking garage on the site. Kelly reports that the city developed the Copley Place area while ignoring the Tent City site. V: Shot of the Tent City site in the early 1980s. A time-lapse arrangement of shots shows the construction of buildings on Copley Place. Footage of Meredith saying that the protesters had to wait a long time for the development to be built because they did not have the money to develop the land themselves. Footage of Kane saying that affordable housing was not a priority in this part of the city during the 1970s. Kelly reports that Kane and Meredith give Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) credit for the development of the Tent City site. V: Shots of the exterior of the Tent City Housing Complex. Kelly reports that there are 369 units in the Tent City development; that 75% of the units are low- and moderate-income units; that 25% of the units are market rate. V: Footage of Sophie Iglesias (Marketing Director) standing in an apartment in the Tent City Housing Complex. Iglesias says that this one-bedroom apartment has a market rate of $1,000 per month. Shots of the exterior of the housing complex. Kelly reports that low- and moderate-income renters will pay one-third of their income; that some renters will pay as little as $200 per month. V: Footage of Iglesias saying that people are not fully aware of the great need for affordable housing in the city of Boston. Footage of Meredith saying that over 6,000 people applied for the low- and moderate-income units. Kelly reports that priority is given to former South End residents who have been displaced. V: Footage of Kelly interviewing Florcie Versailles (Tent City resident). Versailles says that she would not be able to afford to live in Tent City without help from the government. Shot of Versailles in the lobby of the housing developement. Versailles pushes a child in a stroller. Footage of Meredith saying that the housing development took a long time to build; that the development will be a nice place for people to live.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/29/1988
Description: David Boeri reports that Senator Edward Kennedy took a cruise on a Coast Guard boat to Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor. Little Brewster Island is the site of a lighthouse that was repaired with funds procured by Kennedy from the federal government. Funding for the Coast Guard has been cut by the federal government, resulting in closed facilities and fewer patrols. Interview with Robert Johanson, Rear Admiral of the US Coast Guard, about the budget cuts. Kennedy and Jesse Jackson have called for a restoration of funds to the Coast Guard. Coast Guard patrols can stem the flow of drugs into the US. Jackson talks about the Coast Guard. Kennedy on Little Brewster Island.
1:00:10: Visual: Footage of Edward Kennedy (US Senator) shaking hands with a Coast Guard officer on board a boat. Shot of a Coast Guard boat cruising in Boston Harbor. Shot of Kennedy with a cigar, walking toward the lighthouse on Little Brewster Island. Shots of the lighthouse. Shots of the Boston skyline from Little Brewster Island. David Boeri reports that Kennedy took a boat cruise with a crew of Coast Guard officers and reporters; that Kennedy was trying to draw attention to his legislative record on Boston Harbor; that the boat brought Kennedy to visit the lighthouse on Little Brewster Island in Boston Harbor. Boeri notes that the lighthouse was repaired with funds from an amendment that Kennedy tacked on to an appropriations bill two years ago. Boeri notes that the the lighthouse marks the entrance to Boston harbor; that the lighthouse is still operational. Boeri adds that other lighthouses have been closed recently. V: Footage of Kennedy on Little Brewster Island. Kennedy says that light stations have been closed for budgetary reasons; that reduced services are the result of budget-tightening measures. Boeri reports from Little Brewster Island. The lighthouse is visible behind him. Boeri reports that Ronald Reagan (US President) and the Congress made cuts in the Coast Guard budget in 1988; that the Coast Guard has closed facilities. Boeri adds that the Coast Guard is running fewer patrols as a result of cuts in the budget for fuels, parts, and maintenance. Boeri reports that search and rescue patrols and fisheries enforcement patrols have been eliminated. V: Shot of a Coast Guard boat in Boston Harbor. Footage of Robert Johanson (Rear Admiral, US Coast Guard) saying that the Coast Guard has cut back on law enforcement patrols; that an increase in drug trafficking could be the result. Shot of a Coast Guard officer driving a boat. Boeri reports that the cuts in law enforcement patrols have provoked some to call for a restoration of money to the Coast Guard budget. V: Footage of Jesse Jackson from October 5, 1987. Jackson says that the Coast Guard needs to be stronger; that the Coast Guard can prevent the flow of drugs to the US. Footage of Kennedy on Little Brewster Island. Kennedy calls for a restoration of money to the Coast Guard budget. Boeri reports that Kennedy has called for Congress to transfer an additional $60 million to the Coast Guard budget. Shot of the Boston skyline from Little Brewster Island.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/04/1988
Description: Evelyn Murphy, as acting governor, takes testimony from Worcester citizens on budget needs. Interview with Murphy on her role in advising governor Dukakis. Interview with Dukakis, who declines to give up his seat as governor while he campaigns for the presidency. Dukakis press conference.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/05/1988
Description: Hope Kelly reports that Superintendent Laval Wilson proposed a set of reforms to improve the Boston Public Schools in the beginning of his tenure as superintendent. Kelly reviews Wilson's proposals for school reforms and notes that the programs were backed by the Boston School Committee. Kelly's report includes footage of Wilson in 1985 and footage of Wilson announcing his school reform package. The Boston School Committee has recently cut Wilson's budget by $8.5 million. Kelly reviews the budget cuts. Interviews with John Nucci (Boston School Committee), Sam Tyler (Boston Municipal Research Bureau), and Ellen Guiney (Educational Advisor to Mayor Flynn) about the budget cuts. Kelly reviews the budget figures for municipal spending on education from 1984 to 1989 and budget figures for overall city spending from 1986 to 1988. Kelly notes that the city's spending on education has greatly increased from 1984. She notes that critics believe that the School Department is not spending its money wisely. Kelly reports that the city will need to curb its spending in the next few years due to the absence of budget surpluses. Kelly's report is accompanied by footage of students in the Boston Public Schools.
1:00:19: Visual: Footage of Dr. Laval Wilson (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) being interviewed by the Boston School Committee for the position of superintendent of schools on July 19, 1985. Wilson says that his goal is to convince the members of the Boston School Committee that he is the best candidate for the position. Hope Kelly reports that Wilson took over the Boston Public School System at a time when the average graduating senior reads at a seventh-grade level. Kelly notes that the average drop-out rate is 43%. V: Shots of high school students outside of a high school; of students descending a stairs in a school building. Kelly notes that Wilson approached the job with determination. V: Footage of Wilson saying that his goal is to lift the educational level of the students coming out of the Boston public school system. On-screen text and visuals detail the specifics of Wilson's proposed educational programs. Kelly reports that Wilson proposed a set of reforms called the Boston Education Plan. Kelly notes that Wilson proposed a $3.1 million dollar program for after-school remedial reading; that Wilson proposed a $1.3 million program to standardize remedial reading programs city-wide. Kelly notes that the School Committee backed Wilson's programs when he arrived. Kelly reports that the School Committee cut Wilson's budget by $8.5 million on Wednesday. V: On-screen text detail the specifics of the budget cuts. Kelly reports that Wilson proposed a budget of $364.6 million; that the School Committee cut his budget to $355.9 million; that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has refused to spend more than $350.0 million on the school budget. V: Shot of Flynn talking to reporters. Footage of John Nucci (President, Boston School Committee) saying that the city administration does not understand the impact of its cuts to the school budget. Kelly reports that Sam Tyler (Boston Municipal Research Bureau) runs an agency which monitors city spending. V: Footage of Tyler being interviewed by Kelly. Tyler says that city officials were thinking about the future when they asked the School Department to keep its spending to within $350 million. Tyler says that the superintendent cannot introduce new programs and expect them all to be funded. Footage of Ellen Guiney (Flynn's Education Advisor) being interviewed by Kelly. Guiney says that $350 million is what the city can afford to spend on education. On-screen text and visuals detail the city of Boston's spending on education from 1984 to 1989. Kelly reports that the city has increased its spending on schools from $245 million in 1984 to $341.1 million in 1989. V: Footage of Guiney says that some city officials in other departments think that the School Department already receives too much money. Kelly reports that some critics wonder if the School Department is spending its money wisely. V: Shot of two elementary-school students in front of a computer terminal. Footage of Tyler saying that the school system has improved. Kelly reports that Nucci points to a 1% decrease in the drop-out rate. Kelly notes that Guiney points to improved teacher salaries and more teachers; that Guiney admits that there have been few actual performance gains by students. V: Shot of Nucci; of Guiney; of a white male teacher in a classroom. Footage of Guiney saying that she would have liked to have seen greater improvements in the last five years. Shot of an African American girl coloring a picture in a classroom. Kelly reports that spending by the city has risen overall in the past five years. V: On-screen text compares the rise in city spending to the rise in school spending from 1986 to 1988. Kelly reports that city spending has risen 34% since 1986; that school spending has risen 23% since 1986. Kelly stands in front of the offices of the Boston School Committee. Kelly reports that the city had surpluses from 1986 to 1988; that it is less certain that surpluses will exist in future city budgets. V: Footage of Tyler saying that the city needs to put a brake on its spending. Shot of elementary school students entering a classroom.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/06/1988
Description: Marcus Jones reports that Jack E. Robinson (President, National Association of Black Americans) is trying to get a voluntary school uniform program started in the Boston Public Schools. Jones notes that some schools have found that voluntary dress codes have led to better grades and behavior. He adds that opponents of school uniforms believe that they stifle creativity. Jones interviews Robinson about school uniforms. Jones reports that Robinson believes that students are more concerned about their clothes and possessions than they are about their studies. Jones quotes from a Boston Herald newspaper article about a nine-year old drug runner who impresses his friends with his clothes. Jones also interviews John Grady (Boston School Committee), Elizabeth Foley (Boston parent), and a Boston school child about school uniforms. Jones reviews some of the benefits to school uniforms.
1:00:02: Visual: Footage of white elementary students in school uniforms rising to greet their teacher at the St. Columbkille School in Brighton. Shots of students in the classroom. Marcus Jones reports that uniforms are a long-standing tradition in private and parochial schools. Jones notes that supporters of school uniforms believe that uniforms help inspire discipline. Jones notes that opponents of school uniforms believe that they stifle creativity. V: Shots of white uniformed students in classrooms. Shots of African American uniformed students in an elementary school in Washigton DC. Jones reports that an elementary school in Washington DC and five elementary schools in Baltimore have instituted a voluntary dress code; that the schools have found that the dress code has led to better grades and behavior. V: Footage of Jack E. Robinson (President, National Association of Black Americans) being interviewed by Jones. Robinson says that school uniforms lead to a decrease in disciplinary problems. Jones notes that Robinson is trying to get a voluntary uniform program started in the Boston Public Schools. V: Footage of Robinson saying that adults wear uniforms; that business people wear suits; that people in all professions wear uniforms all over the world. Shot of a Boston Herald newspaper article with a headline reading, "He's the littlest pusher." Jones reports that Robinson says that children are more concerned about clothes and stylish possessions than they are about their studies. Jones quotes from the Boston Herald newspaper article; the newspaper article says that a nine-year-old drug runner impresses his friends with his clothes. V: On-screen text quotes from the Boston Herald newspaper article. Footage of John Grady (Boston School Committee) saying that he will support uniforms if they contribute to a good learning environment in the schools. Footage of Jennifer Foley (Boston public school student) saying that she would not want to wear the same colors all year long. Footage of Elizabeth Foley (parent) saying that students are entitled to their own identities. Jones reports that there are some good reasons to institute a school uniform program. Jones notes that parents can save money on clothing bills; that students have one less peer pressure to worry them; that teachers have one less distraction in the classroom. Johnson adds that Robinson has suggested that the community can profit by having the uniforms manufactured in the neighborhoods.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/09/1988
Description: Marcus Jones reports that fifty students at Harvard Law School have occupied the dean's office to demand an increase in minority faculty at the school. The students have presented the school with a list of demands, including the promotion of professor Derrick Bell to the position of dean of the school. Interview with Robert Wilkins of the Harvard Black Law Students Association about the lack of diversity among faculty members and about the students' demands. Interview with Derrick Bell. Students at universities across the nation are protesting racism and a lack of diversity on college campuses. Jones' report includes footage of Harvard Law students in the Dean's office and footage from Frontline of a campus protest against racism.
1:00:17: Visual: Shots of Harvard Law students studying their textbooks as they occupy the Dean's office in the administration building of Harvard Law School. Most of the students are African American. Marcus Jones reports that 50 Harvard Law School students marched into the administration building in the afternoon; that most of the students are African American; that many of the students wore black as a show of solidarity. V: Footage of Robert Wilkins (Harvard Black Law Students Association) saying that the students want the administration to deal with the problem of minority faculty at the school; that the school has no specific goals, programs, or ideas to increase the numbers of minority faculty. Shots of the students studying as they sit in the dean's office. Jones reports that the students presented James Vorenberg (Dean, Harvard Law School) with twelve demands; that one of the demands is for the school to hire at least twenty tenured or tenure-track minority professors over the next four years. Jones notes that other demands include the hiring of an African American female faculty member by fall and the promotion of Derek Bell (Professor, Harvard Law School) to Dean next year. Jones notes that Vorenberg will leave the post of Dean next year. V: Shots of protest signs hanging in the administration building. Some of the signs read, "Why no tenured Asian American?" and "More black faculty now." Shots of signs reading, "Stop racism at HLS now" and "Black female faculty now." Footage of Bell saying that a cross-section of the population should be represented in the student body and the faculty; that diversity enhances quality instead of harming quality. Shots of students studying texts as they occupy the Dean's office. Jones reports that the protests of students twenty years ago forced Harvard to hire minority professors like Bell. Jones adds that today's students are hoping that their protest will force the university to take action. V: Footage of Wilkins saying that there have been demonstrations at universities across the country; that a lack of minority faculty is a common problem. Wilkins says that Harvard should take the lead in dealing with this problem. Footage from Frontline of a campus protest against racism. Jones reports that racism on college campuses is a growing problem; that students are protesting to draw attention to the issue. Jones stands in the administration building with the Harvard students. Jones reports that the tenured faculty of Harvard Law School will meet tomorrow; that no one is sure if the faculty will take a stand on the students' demands. Jones notes that the students say that the occupation will continue in shifts to accomodate those who are taking final exams.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/10/1988
Description: David Boeri reports that a group of Harvard Law students occupied the Dean's office overnight to protest the lack of minority faculty at the school. The students held a rally for their cause this morning. Charles Ogletree, a visiting Ppofessor at Harvard Law School, addresses a rally of students outside of the school. The sit-in is over for now and that student leaders met with James Vorenberg, the Dean of Harvard Law School) to discuss their demands for an increase in minority faculty members. Interview with Robert Wilkins, of the Harvard Black Law Students Association, about the meeting with the Dean. Boeri reads a quote from Vorenberg about the meeting. The students and the administration disagree about some of the students demands. The school faculty will need to vote on the students demands in the fall.
1:00:04: Visual: Shots of Harvard Law students studying their textbooks as they occupy the administration building of Harvard Law School. Most of the students are African American. David Boeri reports that a group of Harvard Law School students occupied the office of the Dean overnight; that the students are demanding that twenty minority professors be hired over the next four years; that an African American female professor be hired by fall. Boeri reports that the students held a rally today outside of Harvard Law School. Boeri notes that the faculty of the school has only two tenured African Americans and five tenured white women. V: Shots of the student rally outside of Harvard Law School; of a protest sign reading, "Black female on Harvard Law School faculty now." Footage of Charles Ogletree (Visiting Professor, Harvard Law School) addressing the students at the rally. Ogletree says that he is proud of the students; that the students have picked up where the civil rights movement left off twenty years ago. Ogletree leads the students in chanting, "Enough is enough." The students applaud for Ogletree. Boeri reports that student leaders met this morning with the Dean of Harvard Law School. V: Footage of Robert Wilkins (Harvard Black Law Students Association) saying that the sit-in is over for now. Wilkins says that the dean has agreed to seven of the student's twelve demands. Shot of a protest sign reading, "Stop H.L.S. Racism now." Shots of the students at the rally. Boeri reports that the students say that the Dean agreed to a fellowship program to train minority students to become law professors; that the students says that the Dean agreed to student participation in a minority search committee. Boeri quotes James Vorenberg (Dean, Harvard Law School) as saying this evening, "I just wouldn't put it that way. . . I don't know where you draw the line between agreeing to look into something and agreeing to do it." V: Vorenberg's quote appears written on-screen. Shot of a student at the rally holding a sign reading, "The fire this time." Shots of the students at the rally. Boeri reports that there is major disagreement between the Dean and the students on five of the students' demands. Boeri quotes a statement from the school administration as saying that the school will give priority to minority hiring but will not guarantee that specific numbers of minorities will be hired in a given time period. V: The quote from the administration's statement is written out in text on-screen. Boeri stands outside of Harvard Law School. Boeri reports that the students' demands will require faculty approval; that student leaders predict that a vote will take place in the fall. Boeri notes that the students are threatening to take action against faculty members who vote against them.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/11/1988
Description: Christy George reports that a lawsuit has been filed against the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) to protest its discriminatory housing policies. It charges that the BHA has discouraged minorities from moving into all-white housing projects. The city is planning to voluntarily integrate its housing projects by next year. Interview with Tanya Boman and Annie Hailey, who are among the plaintiffs in the lawsuit. Boman and Hailey talk about their experience with the BHA. Both women were told that their families would be unsafe in white housing projects and that the BHA would not provide them with protection. Interview with Doris Bunte of the BHA, who denies any discriminatory practices on the part of BHA employees. Interview with City Councilor James Kelly, who defends the BHA and denounces public housing integration. Kelly has proposed an alternative public housing integration plan that eliminates preferences for minority families applying for apartments in white housing projects. Interview with Dianne Wilkerson of the NAACP. Wilkerson criticizes the city's record on public housing integration and the slow pace of change. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: David Boeri reports that midwives at Boston City Hospital have been locked out by the hospital administration in a dispute over hospital policy
1:00:19: Visual: Footage of Tanya Boman (plaintiff) sitting with her children. Boman says that people should have the right to live wherever they want to live. Christy George reports that Boman applied for public housing in 1985; that she was told to apply for an apartment in Charlestown or South Boston because the city would give preference to minorities requesting apartments in white housing projects. V: Shots of parochial school students walking toward a public housing project; of white residents in front of a housing project in South Boston. Footage of Boman saying that she asked the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) if they would provide protection for her family if they moved to a white housing project. Boman says that she was told that she would need to call the Boston Police Department if she ran into any problems. Boman says that she was told that she would be moved to the bottom of the waiting list if she moved out of the apartment for a "racial reason." George reports that a discrimination suit has been filed against the BHA on behalf of Boman, Annie Hailey (plaintiff), and unnamed parties. V: Footage of Hailey saying that she applied for an apartment in the McCormack Housing Development in 1987. Hailey says that the BHA told her that she would need to see the Civil Rights Board before she could move into the project. Hailey says that the BHA told her that the project would be unsafe for her teenage son. Footage of Doris Bunte (BHA) saying that the situation needs to be examined. Bunte says that she will not tolerate employees of the BHA who discourage minorities from living in white housing developments. George reports that the city is planning to voluntarily integrate its public housing projects. V: Shots of a broken-down wall near a housing project in South Boston; of parochial school students walking toward the housing project. George reports that African Americans may be the victims of harassment and violence when they move into white housing projects. V: Footage of Bunte saying that BHA employees can tell the truth; that BHA employees cannot use tactics designed to discourage African American families from moving to white housing projects. Footage of James Kelly (Boston City Council) in his office. Kelly says that people in private housing call the police for protection; that the BHA did not discriminate by telling an African American family to call the police for protection. George reports that Kelly has proposed a plan to integrate public housing in Boston very slowly; that Kelly's proposal eliminates minority preference. George says that Kelly believes that reverse discrimination causes racial hostility. V: Shots of a white woman looking out of a window of a project apartment; of a white woman and children in front of a project building in South Boston. Footage of Kelly being interviewed by George. Kelly says that there are South Boston residents who have been on the waiting list for years; that those residents are not being treated fairly. George reports that the suit suggests that many of Boston's housing projects are still segregated. George notes that Ray Flynn (Mayor of Boston) has been praised for his efforts to integrate the public housing projects in Charlestown. V: Footage of Dianne Wilkerson (NAACP) saying that there were 200 vacancies open in Charlestown; that over 600 African American families had requested apartments in Charlestown; that the BHA actively recruited white families to fill the vacancies in the Charlestown projects. Shot of housing project buildings in Charlestown. George reports that there are only six African American families in Charlestown; that Flynn has announced plans to integrate the housing projects in South Boston. V: Shots of signs for the Old Colony Housing Project and the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development. Shots of a white female resident standing at the entrance to a housing project in South Boston. Footage of Bunte saying that the mayor and the BHA want to move forward with integration. Bunte says that she hopes that the lawsuit does not hold back plans for integration.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 05/17/1988