Description: Day 3, year 2 of desegregation. Reporters on set give accounts of day's events in school system. Ed Baumeister opens with press conference in which Metropolitan Distric Commission Police (MDC) Superintendent Lawrence Carpenter and mayoral spokesperson Peter Meade comment on student safety and “minority white” school system. Clip of Robert Donahue of School Department on student suspensions. Reporter Pam Bullard presents statistical figures for racial makeup of schools. Clip of Cardinal Medeiros on white influx to parochial schools. WGBH reporters discuss political significance of majority African American schools. At police command center, officers monitor communications to spot trouble and coordinate efforts of State, MDC, and Boston police forces: George Landry of Boston Police Department comments on the professional rivalry between groups. Reporter Gary Griffith reports on South Boston residents who are less vocal in protest than in year 1. Stills of bandaged Michael Coakley, allegedly beaten by the Tactical Patrol Force (TPF). Claims against brutality of TPF. Reporter Paul deGive discusses Charlestown residents' resentment of media and threatened retaliation against media presence. Stills of peaceful Charlestown marchers filling street. Gloria Conway, editor of Charlestown Patriot comments on the peaceful demonstration. Pam Bullard reports on location about Joseph Lee elementary school in Dorchester (first busing site) exterior and open classrooms. Lee School Principal Frances Kelley talks about school's program. Children line up to board bus; wave goodbye from inside bus as it pulls away.
2:12:09: Ed Baumeister introduces the show. Opening credits. Baumeister gives summary of the day's events: no arrests related to the schools; an orderly demonstration in Charlestown. Visual: Footage of the day's press conference by city officials. Baumeister asks if there are plans to reduce police presence. Lawrence Carpenter (MDC Police Superintendent) replies that he does not know; Peter Meade (Mayor's Office) doubts that there will be a reduction. Baumeister notes the absence of top officials from daily press conference; that present attendance levels in Boston schools indicate that white students are in the minority. V: Footage of Robert Donahue (Boston School Department) reporting on discipline in the schools. Donahue gives information on new student registration for the following day. Baumeister reports that attendance was 52,109 (68,4%). 2:16:01: Pam Bullard reports on the percentages of white and minority children in Boston schools. Bullard reports that under the court-ordered desegregation plan, 60 of 162 Boston schools are projected to be predominantly African American; that 46 of 115 elementary schools are projected to be predominantly African American; that current attendance levels put 61 of 115 elementary schools predominantly African American. Bullard reports that school officials fear that white children will become a minority in Boston schools. V: Footage of Meade talking about desegregation leading to a white minority in other urban school systems. Meade says that one could project a non-white majority in the future based on elementary school enrollments; that racial imbalance in Boston schools is unfortunate. Bullard reports that elementary enrollment is down 18% from previous year; that 73 whites of 306 have attended the Lee School so far; that 85 of 145 whites have attended the Morris School so far; that 86 of 136 whites have attended the Ripley School so far; that 75 of 148 whites have attended the Kilmer School so far. Bullard reports that many white parents enrolled children in private schools to avoid eventual busing; that Catholic schools are serving as a haven for anti-busers despite a pledge to the contrary by Humberto Cardinal Medeiros (Archdiocese of Boston). V: Footage of Medeiros saying that he would examine enrollment numbers at Catholic schools before determining any punishment for those who enrolled to avoid busing. Bullard reports that school officials are uncertain if white students will return. 2:21:49: Baumeister asks Bullard about the significance of a majority non-white school system. Bullard replies that a majority non-white school system may not receive sufficient funds from a white city government; that the city risks losing its white population. Baumeister reports on a rivalry among state, MDC and Boston police forces during the 1974 school year. 2:22:33: Donovan Moore reports on coordination among state, MDC and Boston police forces. Moore reports that school desegregation requires 100 federal marshals, 250 MDC police officers, 350 state troopers and 1,000 Boston police officers. V: Footage of officers sitting in front of radios at communications center in Boston Police Headquarters. George Landry (Boston Police Department) explains how the communications center operates. Officers are shown looking at a map of the city and working the radios. Moore reports that the center can communicate instantly with officers on the streets. Moore lists the different police forces. V: Shots of an MDC officer on horseback; of state police in front of South Boston High School; of Boston police officers walking on the street. Footage of Landry admitting to a spirit of competiveness among the police forces. Landry denies any hostility. 2:25:49: Gary Griffith reports that South Boston remains a stronghold of the anti-busing movement; that South Boston has been relatively quiet since the opening of school three days ago. V: Shots of photographs of Nancy Yotts (South Boston Information Center); of students in front of a high school; of African American students boarding buses. Griffith reports that the SBIC has accused the police department's Tactical Patrol Force (TPF) of police brutality; that the SBIC has produced witnesses including Michael Coakley, who says he was beaten by police. Griffith reports that the SBIC has demanded the withdrawal of the TPF from South Boston; that Warren Zanaboni (South Boston Marshals) says he tries to get South Boston youth off the streets at night. V: Shots of photographs of an SBIC poster in a store window; of Michael Coakley, with bandaged head and arm in a sling. Shot of a photograph of Zanaboni. Griffith reports on small skirmishes between police and South Boston youth during the previous three nights; that the MDC police and the police in South Boston have a good working relationship with the South Boston Marshals; that the TPF does not have a good relationship with the marshals; that four arrests were made by the TPF the previous evening; that South Boston residents say the trouble would subside if the TPF withdrew. 2:28:55: Paul deGive reports that relations between between Charlestown residents, the police and the news media show slight improvement; that rumors circulated in the morning that residents would target the media; that the media tried not to antagonize the residents during the mother's march. V: Shots of photographs of mother's march in Charlestown; of prayer meeting at the St. Francis de Sales church; of camerapeople covering the march; of peaceful street scenes in Charlestown; of police patrolling streets. DeGive reports that the police did not crowd the marchers; that Superintendent Joseph Jordan (Boston Police Department) was calmly watching events develop; that police were quietly patrolling the streets. V: Footage of Gloria Conway (Editor, Charlestown Patriot) interviewed by deGive. Conway says that the police were wise to allow a peaceful demonstration because it allowed residents to vent their frustrations; that the police presence today seemed less aggressive and threatening; that many officers were covering their regular beats. DeGive reports that Conway, Dennis Kearney (State Representative) and community leaders requested that the TPF not be deployed in Charlestown. [ V: Shot of a photograph of Kearney in street. DeGive reports that Mon O'Shea (Associate Dean, Bunker Hill Community College) accused the TPF of creating a military-like atmosphere; that community leaders agree that some police presence is needed; that Kearney is seeking a way to keep Charlestown youth in check. 2:34:16: Baumeister adds that the atmosphere was calm and attendance was low at Charlestown High School. Bullard reports from the Joseph Lee School in Dorchester. Bullard notes that the Boston School Committee's decision to ignore the racial imbalance at the Lee School's opening provoked the lawsuit leading to court-ordered desegregation in Boston; that four years later, the Lee School is still racially imbalanced. V: Shots of photographs of the Lee School; of groups African American kids outside of Franklin Field Housing Project; of school classrooms. Bullard notes that the Lee School is located in an inner city neighborhood; that white students from West Roxbury were to be bused into the Lee School; that 73 whites out of 306 have attended the Lee School so far; that the school is an excellent but underutilized facility. V: Footage of Bullard interviewing Frances Kelley (Principal, Joseph Lee School). Kelley talks about enrichment programs at the Lee School. She says that the school opened with no problems; that white parents may be staying away due to safety concerns; that in the past, parents have been very satisfied with the Lee School. Footage of children exiting school and boarding buses. Bullard notes that children assigned to the Lee this year will stay for subsequent grades; that desegregation has failed so far at the Lee. V: Footage of African American children outside of Lee School; of white children leaving the school on a bus. 2:40:07: Baumeister talks about the evening's late newscast and closes show. Credits roll.
Collection: Evening Compass, The
Date Created: 09/10/1975
Description: Evening Compass late edition newscast on the second day of school during Phase II desegregation of Boston Schools. Ed Baumeister and Paul deGive introduce the show and give attendance statistics. Introduction includes footage of Marion Fahey (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) giving an upbeat statement on the opening of schools. Greg Pilkington reports on African American students who are bused into Charlestown. Pilkington's report includes interviews with Caroline Bell (local resident), Harietta Moore (local resident), Robert Kelley (student), Galina Davis(student), Georgia Carter (local resident), John Filadoro (bus driver) and Leona Pleas (bus monitor). Pilkington notes that the bus rides from the South End to Charlestown have been uneventful so far. Pilkington reports on a group of Roxbury parents who are urging other African American parents to send their children to Charlestown High School. Richard Gittens (transitional aid, Charlestown High School) reports that there are no problems at Charlestown High School. Pilkington interviews Nathaniel Jones (general counsel, NAACP) about school desegregation issues and busing in Boston. Jones says that segregated schools are harmful to both white students and African American students. Judy Stoia interviews Renee Burke (student, Hyde Park High School) and Donald McCarthy (student, Hyde Park High School) on their participation in a leadership program to lessen racial tension at Hyde Park High School. Stoia interviews Judy Rattash (First National Bank of Boston), Suzanne Kelly (Stonehill College) and Gail O'Reilly (teacher, Hyde Park High School) about Hyde Park High School programs in conjuction with Stonehill College and the First National Bank of Boston. Rattash, O'Reilly and Kelly talk about the programs available to Hyde Park High School students. DeGive reports that the Massachusetts Supreme Court failed to lift an injuction blocking the City of Boston from paying legal fees for the Boston Home and School Association's appeals of court-ordered busing. DeGive notes that the Home and School Association will seek private funding to continue the fight against the court order. Pam Bullard interviews John Coakley about magnet schools and the opening of schools across the city. Coakley says that public-safety issues are being handled better this year than last year. This tape has audible time code on track 2 and visible time code in the upper right corner.
23:00:02: Ed Baumeister introduces a special Evening Compass broadcast featuring information on the school situation. Baumeister reports that the city is calm; that federal marshals are ready to act if there are any signs of a disturbance. Opening credits roll. Paul deGive reports that school attendance was 64.9%. Baumeister reports that there is still confusion over school assignments for some students. [ V: Footage of Marion Fahey (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) saying that the general climate of the schools is "excellent"; that there have been no arrests in the schools. Baumeister reports that there were 14 arrests in Boston today; that 94 have been arrested since the opening of school; that 9 police officers have been injured. 23:02:25: Greg Pilkington reports on African American students assigned to Charlestown High School. V: Footage of African American students boarding buses at corner of Lenox and Tremont Streets, near the Cathedral Housing Project in the South End; of African American students riding buses. Pilkington reports that Charlestown has been the center of resistance to Phase II busing; that many African American students assigned to Charlestown schools did not attend the opening day of school for fear of violence; that there was no violence in the schools or along the bus routes on opening day. V: Footage of Pilkington interviewing parents at the bus stop. Caroline Bell (local resident) says that her two sons were assigned to the Holden School in Charlestown; that her sons were apprehensive about going to school in Charlestown; that they were pleased with the school when they returned home after the first day. Harietta Moore (local resident) says that four of her children were assigned to schools in Charlestown; that they did not attend the opening day of school; that they will attend school today because the schools in Charlestown appear to be peaceful. Robert Kelley (student) says that a crowd threw rocks at his bus as he was leaving school in Charlestown; that the climate inside the school was fine. Galina Davis (student) says that a crowd outside of her school in Charlestown was insulting the African American students. Footage of buses lined up to pick up students at a bus stop. Pilkington says that the busing of students from the South End to Charlestown was uneventful yesterday; that the absence of a bus monitor caused some confusion. V: Footage of Georgia Carter (local resident) saying that parents were concerned about their children riding buses without bus monitors. John Filadoro (bus driver) says that a bus monitor would have calmed the fears of the kids on the bus; that the police did a good job of breaking up crowds and easing tension on the streets; that he thinks his bus might have a bus monitor today. Leona Pleas (bus monitor) says that she came out today because she heard that bus monitors were needed; that she has a child assigned to school in Charlestown; that white parents should send their kids to school because a child's education is more important than politics; that more African American students are on the bus today to go to Charlestown. 23:06:45: Pilkington reports that 85 African American students attended Charlestown High School today; that the attendance figure for African American students at the high school is 38%; that a group of parents in Roxbury is urging African American parents to send their children to school in Charlestown. Pilkington interviews Richard Gittens (bus monitor and transitional aide, Charlestown High School) in the studio. Gittens says that the climate is good at Charlestown High School; that the principal at Charlestown High School is doing a good job; that there have been no problems between white and African American students; that the school situation is normal, despite the violence on the streets in Charlestown. Gittens says that he is among a group of parents urging others to send their children to school in Charlestown; that they hope for 100% attendance among African American students by Friday. Gittens says that African American parents and students are pleased with the middle school in Charlestown; that African American parents and students have found that there is a difference between schools in Charlestown and schools in African American neighborhoods. Gittens says white and African American parents need to send their kids to school, no matter how they feel about busing. Gittens says that the violence on the streets in Charlestown has not affected the educational climate in the high school. Gittens leaves the set. 23:11:14: Pilkington interviews Nathaniel Jones (general counsel, NAACP) in the studio about desegregation issues and the court case which brought desegregation to Boston (Morgan v. Hennigan). Jones says that the resolve of the government to enforce the court order has resulted in a peaceful opening of schools in Boston. Jones says that the plaintiffs in the lawsuit brought the case to court because the Constitutional rights of their children were being violated; that the court's decision in Morgan v. Hennigan is in line with the Supreme Court's landmark decision in Brown v. Board of Education; that it is unconstitutional for a school board to make policy which results in a segregated school system. Jones says that segregation is harmful to both white children and African American children; that segregated schools are inherently unequal; that Judge Garrity's ruling eliminates segregation and tries to remedy the harm caused by segregation to white and African American children in Boston. Jones says that popular opinion about busing is irrelevant; that the Constitutional rights of the minority must be protected; that busing does not compromise a child's education; that busing has been used in the past to enforce segregation; that 3% of children in the US are bused for the purposes of desegregation. Jones says that he can understand why African Americans might have reservations about busing; that in the past, the burden of busing fell on the African American community; that the court order calls for students of both races to be bused in Boston; that the rights of African American students must be protected. 23:17:40: Baumeister reports that attendance at Hyde Park High School was 70% today; that African American attendance was 65%; that white attendance was 74%; that the school has opened peacefully this year. Baumeister reports that the pairing of Hyde Park High School with Stonehill College and the First National Bank of Boston led to the creation of Student Leadership Teams to deal with racial tension. 23:18:33: Judy Stoia interviews Renee Burke (student, Hyde Park High School), Donald McCarthy (student, Hyde Park High School) in the studio. Burke and McCarthy are members of the Hyde Park Biracial Leadership Team. Burke says that the training she received as a member of the team helped her; that the training brought the team closer together. McCarthy says that the training took place at Stonehill College; that members of the group have learned to trust one another. Burke says that members of the team are working as student aides in the school. McCarthy says that the team can set a good example for the other students; that the 52 members of the team can show that African American and white students can get along. Burke says that there has been a lessening of tension in the school; that team members can help to mediate problems among students. McCarthy says that there is much less tension this year than last year. Burke says that she hopes that the example of the biracial team will encourage more interaction between African American and white students. McCarthy says that interaction between the two groups will happen gradually; that there are probably a few resentments carried over from the previous year. 23:22:55: Stoia interviews Judy Rattash (First National Bank of Boston), Suzanne Kelly (Stonehill College) and Gail O'Reilly (teacher, Hyde Park High School) in the studio. Rattash says that the First National Bank will continue some of its pilot programs from the previous year at Hyde Park High School; that the bank developed a successful computer course taught at their facility in Columbia Park during the previous year; that the bank is developing a program called World of Work, in which students learn interview and resume techniques. Rattash says that students get hands-on experience with computers in the computer course. Kelly says that Stonehill College would like to expand the leadership program at Hyde Park High School; that they would like to get more students involved in one-day leadership workshops at the college. Kelly says that she is presently writing proposals to get funding for programs through the state legislature; that some programs may begin before the funds become available at the end of September. Kelly says that there are plans for academic enrichment programs, an ethnic studies program, an ethnic crafts course, and a radio production; that the programs take place at Stonehill College and at Hyde Park High School. O'Reilly says that she likes the programs available through Stonehill College and the First National Bank; that the bank's reading tutorial program will continue this year; that both the bank and the college will participate in the school newspaper. Rattash says that other outside organizations are interested in the schools; that the Greater Boston Real Estate Board may try to work with teachers to develop a curriculum for students at Hyde Park High School; that the bank will encourage the Junior Achievement program at Hyde Park High School. Burke says that students will be especially interested in the newspaper program. 23:29:57: Paul deGive reports that Massachusetts Superior Court Justice Francis Quirico has refused to lift an injuction blocking the city of Boston from paying legal fees for the Boston Home and School Association; that the city of Boston had paid over $50,000 until African American parents brought the city to court. DeGive reports that the Boston Home and School Association will seek private funds in order to continue to fight the court order; that the Home and School Association is slated to argue the desegregation plan in front of the First Circuit Court of Appeals next week. 23:30:56: Baumeister reports that John Coakley was praised for his performance last year as Boston's chief school desegregation planner; that he was appointed head of the city-wide magnet schools by William Leary (former Superintendent of Schools); that he was not reappointed to that post by the new superintendent Marion Fahey. Baumeister reports that Judge Garrity has requested that Coakley stay in the post until the end of September. 23:31:09: Pam Bullard interviews John Coakley in the studio. Bullard asks why there are more problems with transportation and student assignments this year. Coakley says that the school department had more time to implement the Phase I plan after it was handed down from the court; that the Phase II plan was more complex, and the schools had less time to implement it. Coakley says that organizing bus transit is very complex; that the school department did the best it could in the time allowed. Bullard reports that elementary school attendance city-wide was 70%; that elementary school attendance in Dorchester was 74%; that elementary school attendance in East Boston was 76%; that attendance in elementary-level magnet schools was 80%. Coakley says that parents choose magnet schools; that the magnet schools are well established and carry over a sizable population from year to year. Bullard asks Coakley if the magnet schools can continue to pull in students and reverse the trend of declining enrollments. Coakley says that the Boston area provides great resources to the magnet schools; that universities, hospitals, and other institutions are participating in magnet school programs. Bullard reports that attendance at high schools is down 7% from last year; that attendance at middle schools is up 11% from last year; that attendance at elementary schools is down 18% from last year. Coakley says that many elementary schools were unaffected by Phase I desegregation; that elementary schools are losing students because more schools are affected by Phase II desegregation this year. Coakley says that he thinks some elementary school students may have left public schools for reasons other than desegregation. Bullard asks Coakley to compare the opening of schools this year to the opening of schools last year. Coakley says that he is more optimistic about the schools this year; that public safety issues are being handled more effectively this year; that many residents, parents, and students do not wish to see a repeat of last year's violence; that many are trying to recover their pride in the city, which may have been lost last year. Coakley says that Phase II desegregation did try to incorporate educational improvements with desegregation; that the magnet schools are an example of this; that the involvement of universities and other institutions in the schools can provide some momentum for a more dynamic school system. 23:40:25: Bumeister reports on Evening Compass broadcasts for the following day. DeGive reminds viewers that Edwin Diamond (media critic) will analyze media coverage of busing on the tomorrow's late edition of Evening Compass. DeGive closes the show. Credits roll.
Collection: Evening Compass, The
Date Created: 09/09/1975
Description: A compilation of three Evening Compass shows from 1974-75. Evening Compass newscast from September 12, 1974. Paul deGive reports on the first day of school at the Rochambeau Elementary School. He reports that some parents, including Barbara King (local resident), are keeping their children out of school for fear of violence. Judy Stoia reports on the peaceful opening of the Martin Luther King School. Greg Pilkington and Diane Dumanoski report on their experiences riding buses with students to and from South Boston High School and Hyde Park High School. The bus Pilkington rode on was stoned in South Boston. Pilkington and Dumanoski report on the reactions of students. Joe Klein reports on the first day of school for a Hyde Park student, bused to the Lewenberg School in Mattapan. Klein reports that the student says that he will return to school tomorrow. Evening Compass newscast from December 12, 1974. Stoia reports on a violent mob gathered outside South Boston High School after the stabbing of a white student by an African American student. Stoia reports on clashes between the crowd and police. Pilkington reports from the Bayside Mall, where African American students arrived on buses after being trapped for several hours in South Boston High School. The students and their parents are angry and frightened. Peggy Murrell reports on the reactions of Thomas Atkins (President, NAACP) and Mel King (State Representative) to the violence at South Boston High School. Murrell reports that Atkins and King say that schools should be shut down if the safety of African American students cannot be guaranteed. Pam Bullard reports that the plaintiffs in the Boston school desegregation case (Morgan v. Hennigan) will demand that the federal court increase safety measures for African American students in South Boston. She also reports on a pending deadline for the Boston School Committee to file a school desegregation plan for 1975. Bullard notes that the School Committee risks being held in contempt of court if it does not file a plan. Evening Compass special from March 14, 1975. Pam Bullard reviews the major events concerning the desegregation of Boston schools in 1974. Her report includes footage and still photos of key figures and events in the busing crisis. Judy Stoia reports on an alternative school in Hyde Park, created by white parents to avoid busing, and on an alternative school for African American students. White parents at the alternative school in Hyde Park say that African American students are welcome to attend their school. Baumeister reports on Raymond Flynn, the only mayoral candidate to campaign on an antibusing platform. Baumeister also analyzes busing coverage by The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald American. Bullard reports on the school desegregation plan for the 1975-76 school year. Her report includes comments by Peter Ingeneri (Area Superintendent, Dearborn District) and Isaac Graves (Manager, Roxbury Little City Hall. She reports on segregation among Boston school faculty and administrators, and on plans to integrate school faculty in 1975. End credits reflect personnel working on all Evening Compass shows for the weeks of December 12, 1974 and March 14, 1975. Produced and directed by Charles C. Stuart.
0:00:15: Ed Baumeister introduces Paul deGive's report on the first day of school at the Rochambeau Elementary School in Dorchester. DeGive reports that the opening was peaceful; that a rumored white boycott failed to materialize; that buses were empty; that the absentee rate was 50% for both white and African American students. Degive comments that many parents were present at the opening. DeGive reports on an interview with Barbara King (local resident) who was present to observe the opening but did not send her daughter to the school for fear of violence. The nearby Murphy school also opened without incident. The attendance rate at the Murphy was estimated at two-thirds. 0:02:50: Baumeister introduces Judy Stoia's report on the Martin Luther King School. Stoia reports on the peaceful opening of the Martin Luther King School, which had been an African American school the previous year: the attendance rate was 50%; 130 white students attended, out of a possible 634; many parents kept their children at home because the King school was expected to be a trouble spot. 0:04:25: Baumeister talks to reporters Greg Pilkington and Diane Dumanoski. Pilkington spent the day with African American students who were bused into South Boston. Pilkington describes the students' reactions to their arrival at South Boston High School and their departure on buses which were stoned by an angry crowd. Diane Dumanoski describes a peaceful bus ride to Hyde Park High School with just one white student on the bus. Pilkington remarks on the low attendance at South Boston High School and describes the teachers as tense and ambivalent about busing. Dumanoski describes hostility from some white students at Hyde Park High School. 0:11:46: Baumeister reports on statistics: 47,000 students out of possible 70,000 attended Boston schools; police made 6 arrests; buses made 450 runs. Joe Klein reports on the first day of school for Jimmy Glavin, a Hyde Park student bused to the Lewenberg school in Mattapan. Visual: Report is a montage of still photographs. Shots of a photo of Claire O'Malley (bus monitor); of Glavin waiting for the bus; of Glavin on the bus. Klein reports that Glavin was the only student at the first stop; that the bus made several stops; that some parents refused to put their children on the bus. Klein reports that children of non-local parents in Coast Guard housing attended school. V: Shots of photographs of students and parents at various bus stops. Shots of photographs of students boarding the bus. Klein reports that the Lewenberg school was quiet; that the nearby Thompson School was quiet; that there were few white students in attendance at the Thompson School. Klein reports that the white students left the Lewenberg School on buses in the afternoon. Klein notes that Glavin says that he will return to school the next day. V: Shots of photographs of students in classrooms. Shots of photographs of students exiting the school and boarding buses; of Glavin exiting the bus. Baumeister ends the show. 0:16:17: Baumeister introduces the show. (Opening credits are cut.) Judy Stoia reports on violence at South Boston High School, where an African American student stabbed a white student. Stoia reports that an angry crowd of 1500 people had assembled outside of the high school by 1:00pm. Stoia reports that Louise Day Hicks (Boston City Council) tried to calm the crowd. V: Shots of photographs of huge crowds assembled on G Street, in front of the school; of helmeted police officers keeping the crowd at bay. Shot of a photograph of Hicks. Footage of Hicks assuring the crowd that the assault will be investigated. William Bulger (State Senator) stands beside Hicks. Hicks pleads with the crowd to let African American students return home safely. The crowd boos Hicks. Stoia reports that the crowd was hostile to police; that police units from the Tactical Patrol Force (TPF), the MDC Police Department and the Massachusetts State Police Department were outnumbered by the crowd; that the crowd threw bricks and bottles at police. Stoia reports that the crowd angrily stoned school buses headed toward the school. V: Shots of photographs of the huge crowd; of a TPF unit; of an MDC police officer on a motorcycle; of mounted police on the street. Shots of photographs of a police car with a broken window; of arrests being made. Shots of photographs of the crowd; of stoned school buses. Stoia reports that the buses were decoys and that African American students had escaped through a side door and were bused to safety. V: Shots of photographs of a side entrance of South Boston High School. 0:21:06: Pilkington reports on atmosphere at the Bayside Mall, where buses arrived with African American students who had been trapped in South Boston High School. Pilkington reports that students and parents were frightened and angry. V: Footage of buses and police officers in the mall parking lot. Angry groups of African American students speak directly to the camera about their experiences in South Boston. One student comments on the angry and violent parents in the South Boston crowd. An angry African American woman says that white children go to school peacefully at the McCormack school in her neighborhood, but that African American students cannot go safely to South Boston. She says that Kevin White (Mayor, City of Boston) is not doing his job. A man shouts into a bullhorn that there is no school on Thursday or Friday. Pilkington reports that the anger of the African American community seems to be directed at the city, the police, and the Boston School Committee for not controlling the situation in South Boston. 0:22:55: Peggy Murrell reports on the reaction of Thomas Atkins (President, NAACP) and Mel King (State Representative) to the violence at South Boston High School. She says that both leaders are determined to continue with school desegregation; that both are concerned for the safety of African American students in the schools. She quotes Atkins as saying that schools should be shut down and students should be reassigned if the safety of African American students cannot be guaranteed. Murrell reports that King agrees with Atkins about shutting down the schools if safety cannot be assured; that King says African American students will continue to attend school despite the violence. V: Shots of photographs of Atkins and of King. Murrell quotes King's condemnation of the violence at South Boston High School. Murell reports that Atkins charged the South Boston Home and School Association with holding a racist rally inside the high school and with encouraging a school boycott by white students. Murell says that Virginia Sheehy (South Boston Home and School Association) denies the charges. Murell reports that Sheehy says that white students should be able to hold meetings in school just like African American students do. State Senator William Owens (Chairman of the Emergency Committee Against Racism in Education) agrees that schools should be shut down if a peaceful solution cannot be found, and says that a march against racism planned for Saturday will proceed. 0:26:52: Pam Bullard reports on a special hearing before Judge Garrity planned for the next day: the African American plaintiffs in the desegregation case (Morgan v. Hennigan) have called the hearing to demand the following: the presence of state police and the national guard in South Boston; a ban on parents in schools; a ban on gatherings of more than five people in South Boston; a ban on the use of all racial epithets. Bullard reports that Eric Van Loon (attorney for the plaintiffs) says that South Boston will not escape desegregation. Bullard notes that the Boston School Committee is under court order to file a second phase desegregation plan on the following Monday; that the new plan will desegregate schools city-wide and will allow parents to choose between flexible and traditional educational programs. V: Footage of John Coakley (Boston School Department) talking about the differences between the traditional and flexible program choices under the new plan. Coakley says that the new plan allows parents to choose programs, but not specific schools. Bullard reports that the Boston School Committee has repeatedly refused to endorse any form of desegregation; that the committee risks being held in contempt of court if they do not approve a plan to submit to the court. Bullard reports on speculation that William Leary (Superintendent, Boston Public Schools) will submit the plan without the approval of the School Committee, to avoid being held in contempt of court. 0:31:56: Baumeister comments on the silence of both Mayor Kevin White and Governor Frank Sargent regarding the violence in South Boston. V: Footage of White on September 12, 1974, condemning violence and promising that it would not be tolerated. Credits roll. 0:34:14: Evening Compass special: The Compass Weekly: A Delicate Balance. Pam Bullard's report sums up the events concerning the desegregation of schools in Boston during the 1974 school year. V: Report includes footage of antibusing demonstrations at City Hall Plaza in August and September of 1974; of William Reid (Headmaster, South Boston High School) reporting low attendance figures on September 13, 1974; of white students and black students discussing forced busing outside of Hyde Park High School; of a car on the street with two KKK signs displayed; of Kevin White addressing the busing issue on October 8, 1974; of Gerald Ford stating his opposition to forced busing on October 9, 1974; of national guardsmen on October 16, 1974; of students discussing their feelings about busing; of William Leary (Superintendent, Boston School Department) announcing the reopening of South Boston High School on January 7, 1974. Report also includes footage of children in classrooms, antibusing protests, school buses escorted by police, police in South Boston, and still photos of important figures in the busing controversy. 0:45:27: Stoia reports on alternative schools set up in Hyde Park by parents opposed to forced busing. Stoia reports that some teachers are accredited and are paid from the students' fees; that the curriculum is similar to public school curriculum and classes are smaller. V: Footage of a teacher and students in an alternative classroom. Footage of Henry Lodge (Hyde Park parent) being interviewed by Stoia. Lodge talks about the good education provided by the alternative schools; about parents' need to escape from forced busing and inferior public schools. Stoia reports that 125 white students attend alternative schools in Hyde Park and South Boston; that organizers plan to open Hyde Park Academy, which will have its own building to accommodate 500 students; that these schools are open to African Americans, but are mostly white. Stoia reports on an alternative school for African American students. V: Footage of African American teacher and students in an alternative classroom. Stoia reports that African American parents do not want to send their children into a hostile environment. Stoia remarks that parents are looking for "quality education," which is a term often heard in the desegregation debate. V: Footage of Thomas Atkins (President of the NAACP) calling on leaders to stop politicizing the school desegregation process. 0:49:22: Baumeister comments that many Boston residents are opposed to busing but that Raymond Flynn is the only mayoral candidate opposed to busing. Baumeister reports that Flynn campaigns on the busing issue and is the only antibusing politician to run for mayor. V: Shots of still photographs of candidates White, Thomas Eisenstadt, and Flynn. Shots of photographs of busing opponents Louise Day Hicks, William Bulger (State Senator), Avi Nelson (radio talk show host). Baumeister reports on media coverage of busing by The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald American. Baumeister reports that both papers urged compliance with the court order and played down any violence resulting from desegregation; that the Globe is especially distrusted by the antibusing movement; that antibusing leaders have set up their own information centers; that television stations have largely escaped the anti-media feeling of the anti-busers; that a large media presence will exacerbate the tense situation. V: Shots of front-page busing coverage in The Boston Globe and The Boston Herald American. Footage of William Reid (Headmaster, South Boston High School) on September 15, 1974. Reid tells the media to stop filming and photographing his students. 0:54:15: Bullard reports on the peaceful integration of some schools and on the next phase of school desegregation in Boston, which will include schools in Charlestown, East Boston, and Roxbury. V: Footage of Peter Ingeneri (Area Superintendent, Dearborn District) on November 21, 1974. Ingeneri talks about larger social problems which will make school desegregation difficult in Roxbury. Footage of Isaac Graves (Manager, Roxbury Little City Hall) on January 9, 1975. Graves talks about African American commitment to better schools and integration. Footage of Chris Mitchell (student) on January 9, 1975. Mitchell talks about how important it is to graduate from high school. Report also includes footage of students boarding buses; of students in integrated classrooms; of African American schoolchildren; of buses transporting schoolchildren. Bullard reports on a Supreme Court ruling which dealt a blow to the antibusing movement's plan to include the suburbs in desegregation. Bullard reads statistics regarding the segregation of Boston school teachers and administrators. She reports on the plan to integrate teachers and administrators and to hire more African Americans in the school system. Bullard reports on the budget for police and security required to desegregate Boston's schools; on expectations for more resistance to busing in the next school year; on efforts to reverse or stop the court order. V: Credits roll over footage of African American students boarding buses.
Collection: Evening Compass, The
Date Created: 09/12/1974
Description: Evening Compass special. In-studio operators take phone calls from parents with questions about school assignments and busing for the next school year. Ed Baumeister gives the answers to several true-or-false questions regarding the state plan to achieve racial balance in Boston schools. Judy Stoia gives statistics for the maximum travel distance of students and the racial makeup of schools in each elementary and intermediate school district. Paul deGive reports on a plan proposed by the Boston School Department to hire aids to help care for children and locate parents in case of sickness or family emergency. Baumeister and Pam Bullard (Boston Herald American) interview John Coakley (Boston School Department) and Dr. Charles Glenn (Massachusetts State Department of Education) about implementation of the racial balance plan. Both men respond to questions about the busing of kindergarten students. Judy Stoia explains the term geocode. Stoia and Bob Murray (Boston School Department) give on-air answers to some of the most common questions received by the operators. In studio Bullard, Baumeister and Dr. John Finger of Rhode Island College discuss plan developed to integrate schools. WGBH reporter and Bob Murray have question-and-answer session with questions from callers. Joan Buckley, representative from Boston Teachers Union, discusses plan for teachers with Bullard and Baumeister.
0:02:11: Visual: Introduction to A Compass Special: September in April, a special broadcast concerning the state racial balance plan for the Boston schools. Ed Baumeister is in the studio, along with several volunteers covering the phones. Baumeister introduces the program as informational, designed to answer parents' questions about the plan and its implementation. Baumeister gives out a number for parents to call to reach volunteers in the studio. Baumeister provides true/false answers to basic questions about the plan. Questions touch on the reimbursement of transportation costs, general travel distances for students of various ages and numbers of white and non-white students to be bused. 0:06:08: V: Paul deGive reports on parents who worry about being able to reach their child at a distant school in the case of sickness or emergency. He reports that the Boston School Department will propose a plan to hire transitional aids at each school to contact parents and to care for children in an emergency. 0:09:15: V: Baumeister encourages parents to call studio for information. Volunteers answer the phones. 0:09:55: Report on the Boston elementary school districts under the racial balance plan. Narrator describes the standardization of grade structure in elementary schools and the changes to various elementary school districts. The districts are as follows: Hennigan Kennedy, Bacon Dearborn, Tobin Farragut, Washington Park, Sumner-Conley, Tileston Chittick Greenwood, Lee, Murphy, Marshall Dever Mason, Mendell-Parkman, Paine-Audobon, Milmore, Prince, Faneuil, Lincoln Quincy, Hurley-Bates, Carter, Eliot, South Boston, Hyde Park, Cannon, Ohrenburger, Parker Longfellow. V: Shot of a map of Boston's elementary school districts. Narrator gives information for each district, including district boundaries, names of schools within the district, maximum travel distance for any student in the district and projected non-white enrollment for each school in the district. A map of each district is shown as the narrator reads the information for that district. 0:20:11: V: Judy Stoia encourages parents to call the studio for information concerning their child's school assignment. Shots of telephone volunteers. Stoia mentions that the volunteers are from the Citywide Education Coalition, the Teachers Union and the Boston School Department. Stoia talks to volunteer Lee Grant and explains the term "geocode." Stoia talks to volunteer Scott Campbell about what kind of information he can give to parents over the phone. 0:23:30: V: Baumeister introduces Pam Bullard (Boston Herald American) and John Coakley (Education Planning Center of the Boston School Department). Baumeister refers to Coakley as the man charged with making the racial balance plan work. Coakley refutes the claim that he is in charge of the plan, but discusses preparation for implementation of the plan. Baumeister asks Coakley if the School Department has any flexibility in implementing the plan. Bullard asks Coakley to respond to parental complaints about kindergarten assignments. Bullard presses kindergarten issue, asking if kindergarten children will be bused to the Martha Baker School or to kindergarten centers. Coakley summarizes School Department efforts to minimize busing of kindergarten students and cites the inadequacies of state plan concerning kindergarten students. Baumeister asks Coakley how he would change plan if he could. Coakley cites preliminary plans for integration by the Boston School Department and the Boston School Committee. Coakley says these plans were never developed. Baumeister thanks Coakley. 0:33:27: V: Baumeister provides answers to more true/false questions about the racial balance plan. Questions touch on the following issues: state reimbursement for travel under the desegregation plan, reimbursement of MBTA travel under the plan, major thoroughfares as school district boundaries, classification of Spanish-speaking students, overcrowding of Boston schools. 0:35:14: Report on intermediate school districts under the racial balance plan. Narrator talks about the redistricting of intermediate schools under the plan. Narrator gives the following information for each district: district boundaries, maximum travel distance for any student in the district and percentage of non-white students within each intermediate district school. Narrator reads the information for each district over a map of that district and a shot of the district school. The districts follow: Cleveland, Curley, Dearborn, Edison, Gavin, Holmes, Irving, King, Lewenberg, Lewis, Mackey, McCormack, Michelangelo, Roosevelt, Shaw, Taft, Thompson, Timilty, Wilson. V: Shot of a map of Boston's intermediate school districts. 0:44:41: V: An in-studio reporter asks a volunteer named Fran to describe the phone calls she has received. The reporter addresses a specific situation concerning the placement of 6th grade students in Hyde Park. 0:46:31: V: Baumeister and Bullard interview Dr. Charles Glenn (Office of Equal Education Opportunity of the State Department of Education). Baumeister asks Glenn how the plan determines which children will be bused at the high school level. Bullard asks Glenn about the busing of kindergarten students under the state plan. Glenn explains the intricacies of the plan and its implementation. Baumeister asks Glenn why the state plan to desegregate schools is better than any put forth by the Boston School Committee. Glenn explains that the state desegregation plan goes as far as it can under state law. Bullard questions Glenn about hurried implementation of the racial balance plan, and if the communities involved will be adequately prepared. Glenn responds that the plan has been implemented as well as can be expected in the time given. 0:55:15: V: Baumeister provides answers to more true/false questions. Questions touch on the following issues: definition of non-white students, school assignments and school assignment changes, Massachusetts state racial imbalance regulations, teacher assignments. 0:56:49: V: Stoia and Bob Murray (Education Planning Center of the Boston School Department) answer the most difficult questions received by phone volunteers. Questions involve travel distance within a school district, whether Dr. Glenn lives in Boston, the assignment of students in sub-system schools (Trotter school, Lewis school and Copley High School), and the assignment of seniors in the high schools.
Collection: Evening Compass, The
Date Created: 04/22/1974