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Black / Jewish seder

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

Black theology students

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

Evening Compass clips: 1974-75

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

James Farmer

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

King papers at BU

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

Northeastern honors Nelson Mandela

Description: Marcus Jones reports on Northeastern University's observation of the birthday of Martin Luther King Jr. Jones notes that a ceremony commemorating King's life was held at the university. Jones' report includes footage from the ceremony. Sonia Sanchez (poet and teacher) talks about King. Jones' report also includes footage of King. Susan Sullivan (Northeastern Law student) makes the announcement that the university is awarding an honorary law degree to Nelson Mandela. Interviews with Daniel Givelber (Dean, Northeastern University School of Law) and Sullivan about the decision to award a degree to Mandela. Jones notes that the university trustees overturned a policy which required recipients of degrees to pick them up in person. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: David Scondras, Charles Yancey and Ray Flynn: Boston City Council makes fair housing policy
1:00:10: Visual: Footage of an African American man performing a song at a ceremony commemorating the life of Martin Luther King (civil rights leader) at Northeastern University. Shots of the audience. Marcus Jones reports that hundreds of people gathered at Northeastern to commemorate the life of King; that King's 59th birthday is Friday. V: Shots of King addressing a crowd; of King marching at the head of a group of civil rights demonstrators. Footage of Sonia Sanchez (poet and teacher) talks about King's struggle to advance the cause of civil rights. Sanchez says that King's work is not finished. Shots of audience members applauding. Jones reports that Sanchez was the featured speaker at the ceremony; that the remarks of Susan Sullivan (Northeastern Law student) were the highlight of the event. V: Footage of Sullivan announcing that the Board of Trustees at Northeastern University has decided to award an honorary law degree to Nelson Mandela (jailed South African leader). The crowd applauds. Jones reports that Northeastern law students have petitioned the university for three years to grant a degree to Mandela. V: Shot of the entrance to the library at Northeastern Law School. Shot of a paper taped to the door of the library. A handwritten note on the paper reads, "Trustees grant Mandela Honorary Degree." Jones reports that the request had been previously denied due to a policy which required recipients of degrees to pick them up in person. Jones notes that Mandela has been jailed by the South African government because of his opposition to apartheid. V: Black and white footage of Mandela speaking; of a sign for Pollsmoor Prison, where Mandela is held. Jones notes that the university's decision to accede to the demands of students and faculty is unprecedented. V: Footage of Jones interviewing Daniel Givelber (Dean, Northeastern University School of Law). Givelbar says that Northeastern has an unusually diverse group of Trustees; that the Trustees felt like they were doing the right thing. Givelbar notes that the Board of Trustees made the decision to divest two years ago. Footage of Susan Sullivan saying that the degree should have been granted when the students first petitioned for it; that the law students should not have had to fight so hard for it. Sullivan says that international recognition could hasten Mandela's release from jail. Jones notes that the scheduled protest by the students turned into a celebration. Jones says that Northeastern students hope that other universities will follow Northeastern's example.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 01/14/1988

September in July

Description: Evening Compass special features updates and information on the court-ordered busing for integration of Boston schools. Opens with footage of Racial Harmony Now Committee in WGBH studio. Ed Baumeister introduces news topics and gives a brief history of civil rights in Boston and segregation facts. Racial Harmony Now Committee holds an in-studio meeting to discuss community involvement in busing, school integration and education. Roy Covell (Boston Police Department) reports on police efforts to ensure the safety of students. John Kerrigan discusses his opposition to busing in Boston. John Kerrigan (Chairman, Boston School Committee) and Kathleen Sullivan (Boston School Committee) discuss the court order by Judge Garrity and the implementation of the state plan to integrate Boston schools in September. Greg Pilkington reports on the on-going hearings to determine a long-term remedy for integrating Boston schools. Eric Van Loon (lawyer for the plaintiffs, Morgan v. Hennigan) comments on the court ruling and the on-going hearings. Judy Stoia reports on MBTA proposals to cover busing needs. Members of the Citywide Education Coalition are in the studio to answer calls from parents and give information on neighborhood groups working with schools on the transition to the state racial balance plan.
0:45:53: Visual: Introduction to Compass Weekly: September in July, a special broadcast on the court-ordered plan to achieve racial balance in Boston schools. Parents and concerned citizens are in the studio to talk about how parents can get involved in the schools. Ed Baumeister explains that the show will give an update on the court order, report on reaction to the order and provide information on neighborhood groups working with schools on the transition to the court-ordered plan. Volunteers from the Citywide Education Coalition are in the studio to answer phone calls from parents, and to give them information on groups in their neighborhoods. 0:48:33: Baumeister gives a brief history of civil rights in Boston. Baumeister says that Boston was a center in the movements for racial justice and public education in the nineteenth century; that Boston had a reputation as a "liberal" city with a good civil rights record in the twentieth century. V: Shots of Post Office Square; of the old Public Latin School; of a local park; of mixed race schoolchildren. Baumeister says that African Americans have played a significant role in the history of Boston and the nation; that Boston was found to have been segregating its schools in the 1960s. Baumeister reports that African Americans live in the city of Boston while the suburbs of Boston are primarily white. Baumeister notes that a federal court declared in 1974 that the city's schools were deliberately segregated. Baumeister notes that the Boston School Committee has been fighting the state's Racial Imbalance Act since 1965; that the decision by Judge Garrity was delivered 15 months after the start of the Morgan v. Hennigan trial. V: Shots of gravestones in historic cemetery; of a plaque commemorating Boston Massacre; of the Robert Gould Shaw memorial). Panoramic shots of the Boston skyline. 0:53:41: V: Judy Stoia sits in the studio with the Education Committee from Racial Harmony Now, a Dorchester group working to ease the transition into the racial balance plan. She is quiet while they hold a meeting: one member mentions the efforts of Chuck Williams (teacher at South Boston High School) to further communication between students at South Boston High School and Girls' High School; another member talks about expanding efforts to go door-to-door in Dorchester to talk about the advantages of school integration; another member talks about the need to focus on education instead of race; the group's Youth Committee has made efforts to bring African American and white students together; the second member suggests that the group sponsor a gathering of parents at the YMCA; another member makes additional suggestions to ease the transition for students who will be bused to new schools. 0:59:54: V: Stoia talks to Roy Covell (Boston Police Department) about the police department's efforts to work with community groups and to create a community task force. He says that the police department's top priority is the safe transport of students to and from the schools. A member of the Racial Harmony Now group asks Covell about traffic patterns around the schools and crosswalks for schoolchildren. 1:04:09: V: Ed Baumeister interviews Kathleen Sullivan (Boston School Committee) and John Kerrigan (Chairman, Boston School Committee). Baumeister asks Kerrigan about the Committee's efforts to appeal the federal court decision. Kerrigan talks about his visit to Senators Kennedy and Brooke in Washington D.C.; he says that the decision places an "unfair burden" on the city of Boston. Sullivan advocates a metropolitan plan to integrate schools in the city and the suburbs. Bullard asks about an alternative busing plan presented by the School Committee to the court. Sullivan and Kerrigan defend the School Committee's record on school integration. Bullard asks them about the Lee School District and feeder patterns to Boston High Schools. Kerrigan talks about the problems of "white flight" and crime at English High School. Baumeister asks if School Committee will assume a leadership role in the coming school year; Kerrigan responds that the School Committee will assume leadership on safety issues but that he will not encourage parents to allow their children to be bused under the state plan. 1:22:30: V: Members of Racial Harmony Now discuss negative media coverage of the school integration issue. One member suggests organizing gatherings of white and black families whose children will be attending school together. Another member suggests that the gatherings focus on how to improve the schools. Several members mention interracial gatherings between Roxbury and South Boston parents at Freedom House. 1:27:34: V: Baumeister encourages parents to call the studio to find out about neighborhood groups working with schools on the transition to the racial balance plan. Shots of phone operators and the members of Racial Harmony Now in the studio. 1:28:50: V: Greg Pilkington reports on latest hearings held by Judge Garrity in Federal Court to determine a long-term integration remedy for the Boston schools: Garrity admitted the Boston Teachers' Union and the Administrators' Union as parties to the suit with limited participation; the Home and School Association was refused as a party to the suit, but might appear later as a friend of the court; Judge Garrity refused the Boston School Committee's attempts to have the City of Boston named as co-defendant in the case. 1:31:38: V: Baumeister encourages parents to call the studio. Baumeister talks to Eric Van Loon (attorney for plaintiffs, Morgan v. Hennigan). Van Loon says that a metropolitan busing plan is impossible until the Supreme Court decides the Detroit school desegregation case (Milliken v. Bradley). Baumeister asks if the plaintiffs would support a metropolitan integration plan in Boston. Pilkington asks Van Loon about the court hearings for a long-term integration remedy: Van Loon advocates the recruiting of African American teachers and administrators; Van Loon says the plaintiffs would support modification of the state plan, or a new plan, if the result were a greater number of integrated schools in Boston. 1:40:26: V: Stoia reports on new bus routes for Boston schoolchildren under the state Racial Balance plan: school opening times will be staggered so that the MBTA can use buses on more than one route; MBTA general manager Joseph Kelly says that there is little time to arrange for busing by private contractors; the state pays transportation costs for students bused over 1.5 miles; the city pays for students bused under 1.5 miles; exact bus routes are not yet available. 1:42:09: V: Baumeister sits in the studio with Racial Harmony Now. He encourages parents to contact the Citywide Education Coalition. Baumeister signs off and the credits roll.
Collection: Evening Compass, The
Date Created: 07/09/1974