Description: Martin Luther King, Jr. received his doctorate of theology from Boston University in 1955, and he donated more than 80,000 personal papers to the university before he died. Coretta Scott King has filed suit against the university to get the papers returned to her. Interviews with students on campus about whether BU should return the papers to Scott King. The law firm of Melvin Miller, a BU Trustee, is handling the case for the university. Miller has accused Scott King of trying to profit from her husbands' materials. Scott King does not believe that King's agreement with the university is binding. Interview with BU Vice President Greg Felker and Black Student Union President Kiphanie Radford about the case. Shots of the papers and footage of Martin Luther King Jr. and Coretta Scott King. This tape includes additional footage of King's papers on display at BU.
1:00:10: Visual: Black and white footage of Martin Luther King (civil rights leader) delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech. Marcus Jones reports that King was one of Boston University's most distinguished graduates; that King received his doctorate of theology from the university in 1955; that a statue in honor of King was placed on the campus after his assassination in 1968. V: Shots of students on the BU campus near the statue honoring King; of the statue honoring King. Jones reports that King donated more than 80,000 personal papers to the university before he died; that Coretta Scott King (widow of King) wants the papers returned to her. V: Black and white shots of King. Shots of the King papers on display; of Coretta Scott King. Jones reports that Coretta Scott King has filed suit against BU. V: Shot of Coretta Scott King standing near the Martin Luther King's grave. Footage of a white male student saying that the university should give the papers back; of an Asian American female student saying that BU is within its rights to keep the papers. Footage of a white female student saying that BU should return the papers if they are not being cared for properly. Footage of a male student saying that Coretta Scott King should have the papers. Jones reports that the law firm of Melvin Miller (BU Trustee) is handling the case for the university; that Miller accuses Coretta Scott King of trying to make a profit from her husband's written material. V: Footage of Miller addressing an audience. Shot of a newspaper article in The Daily Free Press with a headline reading, "Miller: Mrs. King not telling the truth." Footage of King delivering the "I Have a Dream" speech at the March on Washington in 1963. Shot of Coretta Scott King. Jones reports that Coretta Scott King claims that Martin Luther King had changed his mind about keeping his papers at BU before his death. Jones notes that Miller disputes the claim by Coretta Scott King. V: Footage of Greg Felker (Vice President, BU Student Union) saying that BU should return the papers. Felker adds that there is evidence to support Coretta Scott King's claim that Martin Luther King changed his mind about housing the papers at BU. Footage of Kiphanie Radford (President, BU Black Student Union) saying that there may be merit in BU's refusal to return the papers. Shot of King's papers on display. Text of a quote from King is displayed on screen. Jones quotes a letter written by King to BU: "In the event of my death, all such materials deposited with the University shall become from that date the absolute property of Boston University." Jones says that Coretta Scott King claims that King's letter is not binding. V: Shots of Coretta Scott King at the grave of Martin Luther King; of a sign for the Martin Luther King Jr. reading room at Boston University. Jones stands on the BU campus. Jones reports that the public outcry surrounding the issue has not convinced BU to return the papers. Jones adds that BU is scheduled to respond to Coretta Scott King's charges on Monday, which is the anniversary of King's death.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/01/1988
Description: Story opens with clips of civilians commenting on near possibility of war. Clip of Martin Luther King Jr. giving a sermon. Boston University Martin Luther King Professor of Ethics John Cartwright recalls Martin Luther King's legacy of non violence and pacifism. Cartwright explains the sad irony of imminent Persian Gulf war on King's birthday. Clip of King speaking about Vienam on April 15, 1967 at anti-Vietnam War march in New York City. Brief clip of King speaking at different rally. Ends with Cartwright talking about discussion of war through the context of King's work.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/15/1991
Description: Archival soundbites of civil rights activists Martin Luther King Jr., Stokely Carmichael, H. Rap Brown, Malcolm X. Interviews with Robert Moses and Alvin Poussaint, who say we should not celebrate MLK alone, but remember the whole history of the civil rights movement. Sammy Davis Jr., Leonard Bernstein, James Baldwin, Harry Belafonte participating in march.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/20/1986
Description: Marcus Jones reports that James Farmer (civil rights leader) spoke at Faneuil Hall during a ceremony to commemorate the death of Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader). Jones notes that Farmer was the head of the Congress for Racial Equality in the 1950s. Jones' report includes footage of Farmer addressing the audience at Faneuil Hall. Jones interviews Farmer about progress on civil rights issues in the US. Jones reports that Charles Yancey read a proclamation honoring King during the ceremony at Faneuil Hall. Jones' report is accompanied by footage of Yancey reading a proclamation at the ceremony and by footage of schoolchildren performing at the ceremony. Jones' report also includes footage of King during the civil rights movement. This tape includes additional footage from the ceremony at Faneuil Hall. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Jesse Jackson (Democratic candidate for US President) has released position papers, detailing his stance on domestic issues
1:00:04: Visual: Black and white footage of Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader) delivering a speech. Black and white footage of a white man announcing the death of King to a group of students. Marcus Jones reports that today is the twentieth anniversary of King's death. Jones reports that James Farmer (civil rights leader) talked to an audience at a ceremony commemorating King's death at Faneuil Hall. V: Footage of Farmer addressing an audience at Fanueil Hall. Farmer talks about King's vision for the nation. Shots of the audience. Jones reports that Farmer was the head of the Congress for Racial Equality in the 1950s; that Farmer is now a visiting professor at Mary Washington College in Virginia. Jones says that Farmer believes that minorities have made great strides in the past twenty years. V: Footage of Farmer being interviewed by Jones at Faneuil Hall. Farmer says that there are plenty of things that need to change in the US; that some progress has been made by minorities. Jones reports that Charles Yancey (Boston City Council) read a city proclamation honoring King at the ceremony at Faneuil Hall. V: Footage of Yancey addressing the audience. Yancey says that King was once refused admittance to the Patrick T. Campbell Junior High School in Boston; that the school is now named for King. Jones reports that students from the Martin Luther King Middle School performed a song in honor of King. V: Footage of students from the King Middle School performing at Faneuil Hall. The audience applauds.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/04/1988
Description: Hope Kelly reports that students from the Boston University School of Theology held a ceremony to celebrate the life of Martin Luther King, Jr. She notes that attendees at the gathering also prayed for peace in the Persian Gulf. Interviews with BU Theology students Virgil Hammett, Leon Chestnut, Jessica Davis, and Roxie Coicou. The students talk about civil rights, the legacy of King, and their desire for a peaceful resolution to the Persian Gulf Crisis. Chestnut, Hammett and Davis address the gathered students and lead prayers to end the war. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: Carmen Fields reports on African American soldiers in the Persian Gulf War
1:00:16: Visual: Footage of students from the Boston University School of Theology walking on the Boston University (BU) campus at dusk. The students sing, "We Shall Overcome." The students gather together and link arms near the Martin Luther King Memorial statue near Marsh Chapel. Shots of the students. Hope Kelly reports that students at the BU School of Theology were celebrating the life of Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights activist); that the celebration of peace is happening while the nation is at war. V: Footage of Virgil Hammett (student, BU School of Theology) being interviewed. Hammett says that he sees the connection that King saw between civil rights and the Vietnam War. Hammett says that some US soldiers in Kuwait are fighting for rights that they do not possess at home. Footage of Leon Chestnut (student, BU School of Theology) being interviewed. Chestnut says that charity begins at home. Chestnut says that the US must set its own house in order before going off to war. Footage of Jessica Davis (student, BU School of Theology) being interviewed. Davis says that a lot of money is spent on weapons; that the government is not providing for the needs of the people. Kelly reports that Davis is a divinity student who is studying to be a minister. Kelly notes that Chestnut is a Hebrew Bible scholar and a preacher. V: Shot of Chestnut and Davis standing in a chapel. Footage of Chestnut addressing the gathering of divinity students on the BU campus. Chestnut quotes from a psalm. Footage of Chestnut being interviewed. Chestnut talks about the importance of having faith. Footage of Chestnut addressing the gathering of divinity students. Chestnut talks about faith. Footage of Roxie Coicou (student, BU School of Theology) being interviewed. Coicou says that people need to pray and to talk about the war. Kelly reports that Coicou was born in 1968, which was the year that King was assassinated. V: Footage of Davis being interviewed. Davis talks about seeing King speak when she was a little girl. Davis says that society's problems have changed little since the 1960s. Footage of Coicou being interviewed. Coicou says that politics will continue; that people need to pray. Shot of BU students at the gathering. Footage of Hammett addressing the gathering. Hammett prays for love and understanding. Hammett prays for the realization of King's goals. Footage of Davis addressing the gathering. Davis prays for an end to the war. Shots of the students at the gathering.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/21/1991
Description: Jan von Mehren reports that Ralph Abernathy (author and civil rights activist) has written a book about his experiences in the civil rights movement with Martin Luther King, Jr. Von Mehren notes that Abernathy signed copies of the book in Cambridge; she adds that the book is called, And The Walls Came Tumbling Down. Von Mehren reports that the book is controversial because Abernathy has revealed King's human side and his faults. Von Mehren's reports includes footage of the book signing in Cambridge. Michael Dorn (Cambridge resident) says that he would rather not know compromising information about his heroes. Von Mehren interviews Abernathy. Abernathy says that King would have wanted him to write this book. Von Mehren notes that Morris Dees (Southern Poverty Law Center) is one of the leading critics of the book. Von Mehren reviews Abernathy's career in the civil rights movement. Von Mehren's reports includes footage of Abernathy speaking at the Cambridge Baptist Church, and later gathered in the church with Mel King and others. Von Mehren's report also includes clips of Abernathy and King from the film, From Montgomery to Memphis. After the edited story, there is additional black and white footage from From Montgomery to Memphis.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 11/08/1989
Description: Marcus Jones reports that anti-war activists protested across the nation to rally public opinion against the use of force in the Persian Gulf, including in downtown Boston. Jesse Jackson visited MIT to speak out against going to war in the Middle East on the birthday of Martin Luther King, Jr. Jones notes that the MIT Initiative for Peace in the Middle East brought Jackson to the campus. Jackson says that the US must not rush to war on January 15. Interviews with MIT graduate students Corrie Lathan and Steve Penn, who oppose the war. Interview with Jesse Jackson, who says that the US and Iraq should negotiate because war is inevitable if talking is impossible. Jones' report includes footage from Inside Edition of Jackson in Iraq. Following the edited story is additional b-roll of anti-war demonstrations and of Jackson at MIT talking about Martin Luther King, Jr.
1:00:36: Visual: Footage of anti-war protesters on Winter Street in downtown Boston. The protesters carry signs protesting the Gulf War. They chant together, "We remember Vietnam. We won't go." Shot of two police officers standing in front of a building. Marcus Jones reports that a group of anti-war protesters demonstrated outside of the Army recruiting headquarters in Boston. V: Shot of a protesters carrying a sign reading, "U.S. Troops out of the Gulf." The protesters chant, "We won't fight for Texaco." Shot of a protester handing out leaflets. Jones reports that anti-war activists took to the streets across the country today; that the protesters are trying to rally public opinion against the use of force in the Persian Gulf. V: Shot of an older white woman wearing a sign around her neck. The sign reads, "Bring our troops home." Shot of two white children standing among the protesters. Jones reports that Jesse Jackson (African American political leader) visited MIT (Massachusetts Institute of Technology) tonight; that the members of the MIT Initiative for Peace in the Middle East brought Jackson to the campus. Jones reports that Jackson spoke out against going to war in the Middle East on the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights activist). V: Shots of Jackson greeting an MIT student; of Jackson greeting students as he walks to the podium. Shots of students in the audience. Footage of Jackson addressing the students. Jackson says that the US must not rush to war on January 15. Jackson says that efforts toward peace must be made on King's birthday. Footage of Corrie Lathan (MIT graduate student) being interviewed. Lathan says that she is opposed to the war; that the situation should be resolved in a non-violent manner. Footage of Steve Penn (MIT graduate student) being interviewed by Jones. Penn says that decision-makers in the US understand pressure; that the voice of the people must speak out against the war. Jones reports that Jackson's call for restraint may reflect a change in his thinking. Jones notes that Jackson met with Saddam Hussein (Iraqi leader) last year. Jones reports that Jackson said last year that war would be inevitable if talking proved impossible. V: Footage from Inside Edition of Jackson entering a building in Iraq; of Jackson speaking to Hussein. Jones questions whether Jackson has changed his position. V: Footage of Jackson speaking at MIT. Jones asks Jackson if he has changed his position. Jackson says that he has kept the same position. Jackson says that war is inevitable if talking is impossible. Jackson says that the US and Iraq should "talk"; that the two countries must choose negotiation over confrontation. The audience applauds for Jackson as he walks away from the podium.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/14/1991
Description: Christopher Lydon interviews Sarah Small, who runs the Protestant Ministry at the University of Massachusetts Boston campus. Lydon and Small pray together before the interview. Small talks about her admiration for Martin Luther King, Jr. and her involvement in the civil rights movement. She says that she learned a lot about herself after spending time in jail for participation in the civil rights movement. Small talks about her commitment to helping those in need. She comments on the status of African Americans in US society. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following items: Banks agree to improve access to banking services in low-income neighborhoods and Julian Bond at Harvard University
1:00:10: Visual: Footage of Sarah Small (United Campus Ministries) being interviewed by Christopher Lydon at Packard Manse in Roxbury. Lydon reports that Small runs the Protestant Ministry at the University of Massachusetts Boston campus. Lydon says that Small grew up in rural North Carolina; that Small is a devout Christian. Lydon reports that their interview began with a prayer. V: Footage of Small and Lydon praying together as they hold hands. Footage of Small saying that she has always had great faith in God. Small says that she has always seen great leaders as humans. Small tells a story about how she refused to stand up for Lyndon Johnson (former US President), saying that she only stands up for Jesus. Small talks about how much she loved and admired Martin Luther King, Jr. (civil rights leader). Small says that King was a leader who was led by the holy spirit. Small says that King knew he had a limited time to accomplish his goals. Lydon reports that Small found her political and spiritual direction when she was in jail in the 1960s. V: Footage of Smalls being interviewed by Lydon. Small says that she ended up in jail a lot; that jail became a restful haven for her. Small says that she is thankful for having gone to jail. Small says that she overcame many fears through going to jail and through her participation in the civil rights movement. Small says that she realized that she is free to do what she wants and to not do what she does not want. Lydon reports that Small often played music for the crowds before King's speeches. Lydon notes that Small's front door at the Packard Manse is always open. V: Shots of Small playing the piano and singing; of three children clapping along with the music. Footage of Small talking about helping the less fortunate. Small says that she feeds and shelters those in need. Small says that she is not afraid to keep her door open, despite the violence on the streets. Small says that she does not own anything that she would not give away to someone else. Lydon reports that Small believes that people need to realize the complexity of real equality. V: Footage of Small being interviewed by Lydon. Small says that African American children learn things twice. Small says that African American culture is different from white culture; that African American children need to learn both cultures. Small says that African American children are not given credit for learning both cultures. Small says that one group of people should not be able to determine cultural standards. Small compares American culture to a vegetable soup. Small says that African Americans are the untapped resource of the US.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/15/1990
Description: Meg Vaillancourt reports on the annual Black/Jewish Seder Supper at the Union United Methodist Church. Interviews with Leonard Zakim from the Anti-Defamation League, Charles Stith from the Union United Methodist Church, and Eric Karp from the Temple Ohabei Shalom about the importance of the Black/Jewish Seder supper. Zakim says that the supper celebrates the continuing struggle for freedom and civil rights on the part of both communities. Stith talks about the kinship between the two communities. Karp says that both communities have struggled against oppression. Interviews with attendees about the significance of the supper. Vaillancourt notes that this year's Seder supper falls on the eve of the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: James Williams protests lack of minority faculty at MIT
1:00:07: Visual: Shot of the steeple of the Union United Methodist Church at dusk. Shots of the annual Black/Jewish Seder supper at the Union United Methodist Church. Shot of an African American woman and a white man speaking at the supper. A choir sings, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot." Meg Vaillancourt reports that a group of local African Americans and Jews celebrated the Seder. V: Footage of Leonard Zakim (Anti-Defamation League) being interviewed by Vaillancourt. Zakim says that the supper celebrates the continuing struggle for freedom and civil rights. Footage of Charles Stith (Union United Methodist Church being interviewed. Stith says that society is polarized along racial lines; that the supper is an celebrates efforts to promote peaceful coexistence between groups of people. Stith says that the supper affirms the goals of Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights leader). Vaillancourt reports that attendees gathered at the Union United Methodist Church) for the eleventh Black/Jewish Seder. V: Shots of attendees reading from a religious text. The attendees hold pieces of matzoh in their hands. Footage of Eric Karp (Temple Ohabei Shalom) being interviewed. Karp says that the Seder celebrates the deliverance of the Jewish people from oppression; that the African American community has fought a long battle against oppression. Karp says that the two communities can learn from one another. Footage of an African American woman being interviewed at the supper. The woman says that she is attending her first Seder; that the two communities are brought together through their belief in God. Footage of an older Jewish woman being interviewed by Vaillancourt. Vaillancourt asks what the two communities have in common. The woman says that the two communities share a lot of things including prejudice and hard times. Footage of an older African American woman being interviewed by Vaillancourt. The woman says that African Americans and Jews are treated the same way. Footage of a young Jewish boy being interviewed. The boy says that "prejudice stinks." Shots of attendees at the supper. Vaillancourt reports that the ceremony is Jewish; that the date is important to those involved in the civil rights struggle. Vaillancourt notes that King gave his last speech twenty-three years ago tonight; that King was murdered in Memphis on the following day. Vaillancourt stands outside of the room where the supper is held. Vaillancourt reports that the Passover meal is symbolic of the exodus from Egypt by the Israelites after 400 years of slavery. V: Footage of Stith being interviewed. Stith says that enslaved African Americans identified with the struggle of Moses and the people of Israel. Stith says that there is a theological kinship between the two communities. Footage from the Seder supper. A choir sings, "Swing Low, Sweet Chariot."
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 04/03/1991
Description: Carmen Fields reports on the history and present activities of the Ku Klux Klan. Fields notes that recent statistics show an increase in hate crimes. She adds that membership in the Ku Klux Klan has increased. Fields' report includes footage from Eyes on the Prize of an interview with Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth, footage of Ku Klux Klan ceremonies and graphic shots of lynching victims. Fields talks about murders and lynchings by the Klan. She reports that the Ku Klux Klan turned out in large numbers to stop a march honoring Martin Luther King, Jr. in Forsythe County, Georgia. Fields notes that Louisiana State Rep. David Duke is a former Ku Klux Klan member, who has founded a new white advocacy group. Fields' report is accompanied by footage of Duke in the studios of WHDH radio and by footage from A Walk Through the Twentieth Century with Bill Moyers. Fields' report includes footage of Sterling Brown reading a poem about a lynching. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following items: Controversy surrounds David Duke's visit to Boston and Avi Nelson and Dianne Wilkerson talk about quotas and civil rights
1:00:07: Visual: Footage of Ku Klux Klan members at a ceremony. The members wear white robes and hoods. The members walk in a circle and carry torches. The members light a cross on fire and begin to cheer. Carmen Fields reports that the Ku Klux Klan brought David Duke (Louisiana State Representative) into prominence. Fields reports that the Ku Klux Klan began in the 1860s after Abraham Lincoln (former US president) freed the slaves. Fields notes that Klan members hated Jews, Catholics, and especially African Americans. V: Footage from Eyes on the Prize of the Reverend Fred Shuttlesworth being interviewed. Shuttlesworth says that no one knows how many African Americans have been killed because of their race in our society. Footage of Klan members standing in a circle around a burning cross. Fields reports that the Klan murdered African Americans; that the Klan has distorted the symbol of the Christian cross by associating it with violence and terror. V: Shot of a burning cross toppling over. Audio of Klan members cheering. Footage from A Walk Through the Twentieth Century with Bill Moyers. A woman is interviewed. The woman says that she would watch the newspaper to find out who had been lynched the night before and where the lynching took place. Fields reports that nearly 300 people were murdered by the Klan in the 1920s; that the murders continued through the 1960s. Fields reports that the NAACP began calling for anti-lynching legislation in the 1940s; that no congress ever passed a law. V: Shots of a black and white photograph of a group of men watching a body burn; of a charred body hanging from a tree; of white men surrounding the body of an African American man hanging from a tree. Shots of a black and white photograph of the bodies of two African American men hanging from trees; of a the body of a handcuffed African American man hanging from a tree. Fields reports that the Ku Klux Klan seemed to die out in the 1960s and 1970s; that the Ku Klux Klan turned out in large numbers to stop a march honoring Martin Luther King Jr. (civil rights leader) in Forsythe County, Georgia. Fields reports that statistics show an increase in hate crimes; that membership in the Ku Klux Klan has increased. V: Shot of hooded and robed Klan members at a cross-burning ceremony. White people in civilian clothes stand behind them. Shots of cars parked on a street in a rural area. Shot of two African American protesters in front of a group of protesters in Forsythe County, Georgia. Shots of Klan members at a cross-burning ceremony; of a wizard of the Klan at a cross-burning ceremony. Footage of David Duke speaking into a broadcaster's microphone in the studios of WHDH radio. Duke says that Americans are not shallow; that they are wise. Fields reports that Duke is a former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan; that Duke has founded a new white advocacy group. Fields reports that Duke has not been able to explain away his connection to the Ku Klux Klan. V: Shot of Duke at WHDH. Shot of Sterling Brown (poet). Shots of Klan members at a cross-burning ceremony. Fields notes that Brown's best friend was lynched by the Klan. V: Footage from A Walk Through the Twentieth Century with Bill Moyers. Brown reads a poem about the lynching of his friend.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/28/1991