African Meeting House
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Commentary on the African Meeting House on Joy Street during its renovation. Michael Haynes (Twelfth Baptist Church), Steven Spaulding (TLT Construction Company), J. Marcus Mitchell (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity), Henry Hampton (Museum of Afro American History), and Ruth Batson (Museum of Afro American History) talk about the renovations and the historical significance of the Meeting House. The report includes shots of the Meeting House and photographs and drawings of historical figures with connections to the meeting house.
This edition of the Ten O'Clock News also included the following item:
Marcus Jones reports on the participation of minority developers in downtown construction Minority developers plan downtown development
1:00:13: Visual: Shots of the exterior of the African Meeting House on Joy Street. Footage of Reverend Michael Haynes (Twelfth Baptist Church) talking about bringing 85 schoolchildren from Roxbury to the Meeting House. Haynes says that the schoolchildren rubbed the bricks after being told that the bricks had been made by the early African Americans who built the Meeting House. Shots of the old bricks inside the Meeting House. Footage of Steven Spaulding (TLT Construction Company) talking about the interior of the Meeting House. Shot of a black and white image of the Meeting House. Shot of a black and white photo of a sign with a Star of David hanging on the Meeting House. Footage of J. Marcus Mitchell (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) saying that the Meeting House was being used as a Jewish synagogue when he first saw it. Mitchell refers to a stone honoring Cato Gardner. Shot of the stone which reads, "A gift to Cato Gardner, first promoter of this building, 1806. Shots of the exterior of the meeting house. Footage of Henry Hampton (Museum of Afro American History) saying that the Meeting House is the oldest standing African American church building in the country; that the New England Abolitionist Society was organized at the Meeting House; that the Meeting House was the site of the first African American school; that the black regiments which fought in the Civil War were organized at the Meeting House. Hampton says that the Meeting House served as the center for African American political, religious, and educational leadership for half of the nineteenth century. Shots of a black and white drawing of a meeting of the New England Abolitionist Society; of a black and white photo of girl standing outside of the Meeting House; of a flyer urging African Americans to fight in the Civil War; of a black and white photo of a black Civil War regiment. Shots of black and white drawings of historical figures. Shots of the interior of the Meeting House. Scaffolding has been constructed in the building. Footage of Spaulding explaining that little remains of the interior of the building; that there was a fire in the building in 1973. Footage of Ruth Batson (Museum of Afro American History) saying that you can hear the voices of Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison in the building. Shots of black and white images of Douglass and Garrison. Batson says that there are "good vibes" in the building. Footage of Hampton saying that the building represents the dreams of the African American community 180 years ago. Hampton says that the African American citizens of that time wanted to leave the segregated balconies of white churches and create their own space. Shot of the balcony of a colonial-era church. Shots of the exterior of the Meeting House.
1:00:13: Visual: Shots of the exterior of the African Meeting House on Joy Street. Footage of Reverend Michael Haynes (Twelfth Baptist Church) talking about bringing 85 schoolchildren from Roxbury to the Meeting House. Haynes says that the schoolchildren rubbed the bricks after being told that the bricks had been made by the early African Americans who built the Meeting House. Shots of the old bricks inside the Meeting House. Footage of Steven Spaulding (TLT Construction Company) talking about the interior of the Meeting House. Shot of a black and white image of the Meeting House. Shot of a black and white photo of a sign with a Star of David hanging on the Meeting House. Footage of J. Marcus Mitchell (Metropolitan Council for Educational Opportunity) saying that the Meeting House was being used as a Jewish synagogue when he first saw it. Mitchell refers to a stone honoring Cato Gardner. Shot of the stone which reads, "A gift to Cato Gardner, first promoter of this building, 1806. Shots of the exterior of the meeting house. Footage of Henry Hampton (Museum of Afro American History) saying that the Meeting House is the oldest standing African American church building in the country; that the New England Abolitionist Society was organized at the Meeting House; that the Meeting House was the site of the first African American school; that the black regiments which fought in the Civil War were organized at the Meeting House. Hampton says that the Meeting House served as the center for African American political, religious, and educational leadership for half of the nineteenth century. Shots of a black and white drawing of a meeting of the New England Abolitionist Society; of a black and white photo of girl standing outside of the Meeting House; of a flyer urging African Americans to fight in the Civil War; of a black and white photo of a black Civil War regiment. Shots of black and white drawings of historical figures. Shots of the interior of the Meeting House. Scaffolding has been constructed in the building. Footage of Spaulding explaining that little remains of the interior of the building; that there was a fire in the building in 1973. Footage of Ruth Batson (Museum of Afro American History) saying that you can hear the voices of Frederick Douglass and William Lloyd Garrison in the building. Shots of black and white images of Douglass and Garrison. Batson says that there are "good vibes" in the building. Footage of Hampton saying that the building represents the dreams of the African American community 180 years ago. Hampton says that the African American citizens of that time wanted to leave the segregated balconies of white churches and create their own space. Shot of the balcony of a colonial-era church. Shots of the exterior of the Meeting House.
