Description: Marcus Jones reports that two African American families moved into a South Boston housing project today; he notes that the families are the first African Americans to live in the project in ten years. Jones reports that the two families were on the emergency placement list and had no other housing alternatives. Jones notes that there is increasing opposition to the mayor's housing desegregation plan by both African Americans and whites. He adds that the NAACP has filed suit to block the plan, contending that it unfairly ignores families discriminated against prior to 1983. Jones reports that the Boston Housing Authority (BHA) claims to have lost records for applicants before 1983, but will try to investigate claims of discrimination prior to that date. Jones interviews Carl Haith (President, Boston chapter of the NAACP) about the NAACP lawsuit. Haith says that the city needs to identify residents who were discriminated against prior to 1983. Jones' report includes footage of African American movers at a South Boston housing project and footage of white residents outside of the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development. Jones interviews one of the African American movers, who says that he has encountered no problems at the housing development. This tape includes additional footage of movers at the McCormack Housing Development. This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item: cThe campaigns of Jesse Jackson and Michael Dukakis have different agendas for the upcoming Democratic convention
1:00:03: Visual: Footage of an African American man moving a large box from a moving truck into a housing project building in South Boston. Marcus Jones reports that two African American families moved into a South Boston housing project today. V: Shots of white residents outside of the McCormack Housing Development; of a sign for the Mary Ellen McCormack Housing Development. Jones reports that an African American family last lived in the development ten years ago; that the family left because they claim to have been harassed by white residents. V: Shots of a moving truck outside of a project building. Police and movers stand near the truck. Jones reports that police officers in uniform and in plain clothes were present at the housing project today. V: Footage of an African American mover saying that he has had no trouble at the housing project today; that white residents have offered him refreshments while he did his work. Shots of the movers moving a couch from the moving truck into the project building. Two green shamrocks are posted above the entrance. Jones reports that the two African American families were on the emergency placement list; that they were placed at the project because they had no other place to go. Jones notes that opposition to the mayor's desegregation plan for public housing is growing among whites and African Americans. V: Shot of Jones and Carl Haith (President, Boston chapter of the NAACP) entering an office from a dark hallway. Footage of Haith saying that the city should not have to identify African Americans to enter an-all white housing project. Shot of the exterior of the NAACP offices in Roxbury. Jones reports that the NAACP has filed a lawsuit to block the city's desegregation plan. Jones notes that the NAACP believes the plan to be unfair because it ignores groups which may have been discriminated against before 1983. V: Shots of NAACP employees and volunteers in the NAACP offices. Footage of Haith saying that the city claims to be unable to identify victims of discrimination before 1983. Haith says that the city should try to identify those victims and compensate them. Jones reports that the Boston Housing Authority claims that many applications filed before 1983 were lost when the city switched to a new computer system. V: Shots of white residents standing at the entrance to a housing project building in South Boston; of a white woman looking out of the window of a project apartment; of a housing project in South Boston. Jones reports that the BHA says that it will investigate the claims of those who claim to have been discriminated against before 1983. V: Shots of African American movers at the McCormack Housing development. Jones stands in front of the NAACP offices in Roxbury. Jones reports that the NAACP led the fight to desegregate public schools in Boston; that the city had probably expected the NAACP to support its plan to desegregate public housing. Jones reports that the NAACP does not think the city's plan does enough.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 07/11/1988
Description: Interview with residents at Orient Heights housing project about prejudice among residents, and outside groups, including white supremacy groups, coming in causing trouble. Two white boys say “the white kids don't want to live with the blacks or the spics [sic].” Interview with woman from Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights about unresponsiveness of city officials to racial violence, following fire bombing of Guatemalan family by 200 whites. Interview with man from an advocacy group on the history of similar racially motivated attacks in East Boston and the lack of response from the community and officials. He mentions that violence in housing projects, specifically, is not given enough attention by the police. He also describes lawsuits brought by minorities who have been discriminated against. Exteriors of Orient Heights project, many windows boarded up. Black and white kids play. Mural of JFK and Big Bird.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 07/27/1978
Description: Sharon Felzer reports that four groups filed suit against the 1987 redistricting plan for the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Felzer notes that the plaintiffs complain that the plan violates the one-person, one-vote clause of the Constitution and that it does not provide fair minority representation. Felzer adds that the 1987 plan was designed by James Brett (State Representative). Felzer's report includes footage of Brett defending his latest plan in the chambers of the House of Representatives. Felzer interviews Alan Jay Rom (attorney, who criticizes Brett's latest plan. Felzer reports that Rom has drafted his own redistricting plan. Felzer compares the redistricting plans of Brett and Rom. Felzer's report includes footage of African Americans at a polling station and footage of George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) in the House chambers.
1:00:12: Visual: Footage of James Brett (State Representative) in the chambers of the Massachusetts House of Representatives. Brett says that the plan was not put together to please incumbents; that the plan was put together to please the US Federal District Court. Shot of House leadership including George Keverian (Speaker of the Massachusetts House of Representatives) in the House chambers. Maps of the districts are displayed at the front of the House chambers. Sharon Felzer reports that four groups filed suit against last year's House redistricting plan. Felzer reports that the groups complained that the plan violated the one-person, one-vote requirement of the Consitution; that the plan did not provide fair minority representation. Felzer notes that Brett's latest redistricting plan was recently unveiled. V: Shot of an African American man at a polling station; of an African American female poll worker. Footage of Alan Jay Rom (attorney) saying that Brett ignored the principles of the US Constitution when drafting his latest redistricting plan. Felzer reports that the groups who filed the suit want one-third of Boston's seventeen House districts open to minority representation. V: Shots of African Americans walking on a street in Roxbury; of an African American woman waiting for a bus. Felzer reports that Rom has drafted his own redistricting plan for Boston's House districts. Felzer reports that Rom's plan cuts minority representation in the Roxbury district to 80%; that Brett's plan leaves minority representation in the Roxbury district at 96%. V: Shot of a Rom's map of Boston House districts. On-screen text compares details of Rom's proposal with details of Brett's proposal. Footage of Rom saying that Brett's plan violates the Voting Rights Act and the one-person, one-vote principle. Footage of Brett saying that his plan does not disregard minority representation in Boston. Shot of Keverian and House leadership at the front of the House chambers. Felzer reports that five of the state's 160 districts would be either over-represented or under-represented in Brett's plan. Felzer notes that Republicans oppose Brett's plan because it violates the one-peson, one-vote clause. V: Footage of Steven Pierce (State Representative) saying that the federal court will impose a new plan if the House does not draft its own new plan. Shot of Keverian. Felzer stands outside of the House chambers. Felzer reports that Republicans are concerned about the court-imposed injuction on the distribution of nominating papers for House seats; that challengers will not have enough time to circulate their nominating papers before the election deadlines. Felzer reports that the House defeated a Republican amendment to extend the filing of nomination papers. V: Footage of William Galvin (State Representative) saying that signatures are easily obtained for nomination papers. Shots of Keverian at the front of the House chambers; of the roll call board in the House chambers. Felzer reports that the bill now goes to the State Senate; that Rom will request approval of the bill at a court hearing tomorrow. V: Shot of Rom and Felzer looking at Rom's redistricting plan for Boston.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 03/14/1988
Description: Jan von Mehren reports that the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Boston Police Department on behalf of minority youth in Mattapan, Roxbury, and Dorchester. Von Mehren notes that the lawsuit accuses the Police Department of engaging in unreasonable search and seizure practices. Von Mehren's reports includes footage from a press conference with John Roberts (Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union), Bill Owens (State Senator), Caroline Marshall (mother of plaintiff), and Margaret Burnham (attorney). Roberts says that statements by the Boston Police Department provoked the lawsuit. Marshall and Burnham speak out against unreasonable police practices. Von Mehren quotes Paul Evans (Commissioner, Boston Police Department) as saying that the police are not violating anyone's Constitutional rights. Von Mehren reports that many students at English High School support the lawsuit. Von Mehren interviews English High School students about their experiences with police officers.
1:00:10: Visual: Footage of a group of English High School students walking on a street after school. Jan von Mehren reports that many students from English High School have stories to tell about police officers who have overstepped their boundaries. V: Footage of Tony Moss (Roxbury resident, 16 years old) saying that he was walking home from school one day when police officers stopped, threw him against the wall and proceeded to search him. Footage of Hector Pinto (Dorchester resident) talking about being searched by police. Footage of a high school gym. A group of girls in the gym play with a volleyball. Another group of students stands on the bleachers. Footage of Reginald Verdieu (Mattapan resident) saying that he has never been searched; that his friends have been searched. Verdieu says that a friend was forced by police officers to pull down his pants and take off his shoes. Footage of Alexia Baez (18 years old) being interviewed by von Mehren. Baez says that a group of her friends were searched by police; that one member of the group was forced to pull down his pants. Von Mehren reports that Baez believes that the police are humiliating teenagers. Von Mehren reports that the Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union has filed a class-action lawsuit against the Boston Police Department; that the suit is being filed on behalf of African American and Latino young people from Mattapan, Roxbury, and Dorchester. V: Footage of John Roberts (Massachusetts Civil Liberties Union) speaking at a press conference. Roberts says that statements by the Boston Police Department provoked the lawsuit. Roberts sits at a table four others including Bill Owens (State Senator) Caroline Marshall (mother of plaintiff), and Margaret Burnham (attorney). Shots of the media at the press conference; of von Mehren at the press conference. Von Mehren reports that the lawsuit accuses the Police Department of engaging in unreasonable search and seizure practices; of violating the fourth amendment rights of those who are searched. V: Footage of Marshall saying that she wants the police to operate within the law; that people need to realize what is going on in their community. Shots of attendees at the press conference. Footage of Burnham saying that police are only allowed to search those who are suspected of committing a crime. Von Mehren quotes Paul Evans (Commissioner, Boston Police Department) as saying that police do sometimes make mistakes; that police are not violating anyone's Constitutional rights. V: Shot of two white police officers stopping to search a young African American male. Evans' quote appears written in text on-screen. Von Mehren reports that many English High School students applaud the lawsuit. Von Mehren notes that the students are quick to point out the problems in their neighborhood. Von Mehren says that the students do not want the police to leave the neighborhood; that the students want police to stop searching the wrong people. V: Shots of English High School students walking on the sidewalks. Footage of Verdieu saying that innocent people should not be stopped by police; that police do need to stop some people.
Collection: Ten O'Clock News
Date Created: 11/21/1989