1
00:00:07,400 --> 00:00:09,866
LYNDON B. JOHNSON:
My fellow Americans,

2
00:00:09,866 --> 00:00:14,333
we have endured a week such as
no nation should live through.

3
00:00:14,333 --> 00:00:16,933
(sirens wailing)

4
00:00:16,933 --> 00:00:21,266
JELANI COBB:
The summer of 1967
was really a crucible.

5
00:00:21,266 --> 00:00:22,533
You see in city after city,

6
00:00:22,533 --> 00:00:26,633
these uprisings,
in a broad enough way

7
00:00:26,633 --> 00:00:31,133
that it can't be simply
dismissed as coincidental.

8
00:00:31,133 --> 00:00:34,366
FRED HARRIS:
Conditions were such,
in every one of these cities,

9
00:00:34,366 --> 00:00:38,666
that almost any spark
could set them off.

10
00:00:38,666 --> 00:00:41,233
JOHN A. POWELL:
You had Newark, you had Detroit.

11
00:00:41,233 --> 00:00:43,000
You had cities
all across the country

12
00:00:43,000 --> 00:00:44,700
up in flames.

13
00:00:44,700 --> 00:00:49,566
People were wondering, can
we actually have a country?

14
00:00:49,566 --> 00:00:51,266
JOHNSON:
I am tonight appointing

15
00:00:51,266 --> 00:00:55,066
a special Advisory Commission
on Civil Disorders.

16
00:00:55,066 --> 00:00:57,600
The commission
will investigate the origins

17
00:00:57,600 --> 00:01:00,500
of the recent disorders
in our cities.

18
00:01:00,500 --> 00:01:03,800
It will make recommendations
to me, to the Congress,

19
00:01:03,800 --> 00:01:06,700
to the state governors,
and to the mayors

20
00:01:06,700 --> 00:01:09,133
for measures to prevent

21
00:01:09,133 --> 00:01:12,533
or contain such disasters
in the future.

22
00:01:12,533 --> 00:01:15,233
He said,
answer three questions.

23
00:01:15,233 --> 00:01:16,500
What happened?

24
00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:18,166
Why did it happen?

25
00:01:18,166 --> 00:01:20,633
What can be done to prevent it

26
00:01:20,633 --> 00:01:22,766
from happening again and again?

27
00:01:22,766 --> 00:01:24,266
♪ ♪

28
00:01:24,266 --> 00:01:27,000
HARRIS:
The commission held
20 days of hearings.

29
00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:29,633
We heard from
a lot of witnesses.

30
00:01:29,633 --> 00:01:32,033
COBB:
They really were trying to get

31
00:01:32,033 --> 00:01:34,166
a baseline of knowledge

32
00:01:34,166 --> 00:01:36,833
about why American cities
were on fire.

33
00:01:38,300 --> 00:01:39,700
HUGH ADDONIZIO:
We've had members of

34
00:01:39,700 --> 00:01:41,633
the president's Commission
on Civil Disorders

35
00:01:41,633 --> 00:01:43,300
here in our city today.

36
00:01:43,300 --> 00:01:47,433
VESLA WEAVER:
The Kerner Commission
avoided this tendency

37
00:01:47,433 --> 00:01:51,700
to listen only to
certain sections of society.

38
00:01:51,700 --> 00:01:53,466
HARRIS:
We can learn a good deal more

39
00:01:53,466 --> 00:01:55,733
out over the country,
talking to people,

40
00:01:55,733 --> 00:01:58,900
than we can sitting in a
building in Washington.

41
00:01:58,900 --> 00:02:00,400
♪ ♪

42
00:02:00,400 --> 00:02:01,966
JOHN LINDSAY:
I trust that the report

43
00:02:01,966 --> 00:02:03,566
will be completely honest.

44
00:02:03,566 --> 00:02:06,066
That being the case,
it will describe, undoubtedly,

45
00:02:06,066 --> 00:02:08,566
a very serious condition
in the country.

46
00:02:08,566 --> 00:02:14,366
HARRIS:
The commission told the truth,
but it was a harsh truth.

47
00:02:14,366 --> 00:02:15,766
Buy your books on the
Riot Commission!

48
00:02:15,766 --> 00:02:18,166
On the Riot Commission!

49
00:02:18,166 --> 00:02:19,633
REPORTER:
Throughout the neighborhood,

50
00:02:19,633 --> 00:02:21,500
more than 2,000 copies
of "The Riot Report"

51
00:02:21,500 --> 00:02:24,100
were sold in less than a week.

52
00:02:24,100 --> 00:02:27,266
COBB:
It really becomes a
centerpiece of conversation.

53
00:02:27,266 --> 00:02:30,300
You see civic groups,
churches, libraries,

54
00:02:30,300 --> 00:02:34,666
even police departments
buying the book in bulk.

55
00:02:34,666 --> 00:02:37,033
REPORTER:
These are the major proposals:

56
00:02:37,033 --> 00:02:38,933
a form of guaranteed
annual income,

57
00:02:38,933 --> 00:02:41,633
six million new
low- and middle-income units,

58
00:02:41,633 --> 00:02:44,666
two million new jobs in
government and private business.

59
00:02:44,666 --> 00:02:48,533
The cost has been estimated
at $2 billion a month.

60
00:02:48,533 --> 00:02:50,700
Something like the cost
of the war in Vietnam.

61
00:02:50,700 --> 00:02:52,600
DAVID C. CARTER:
Once it became clear

62
00:02:52,600 --> 00:02:56,600
what a political bombshell
this might represent,

63
00:02:56,600 --> 00:02:59,600
Lyndon Johnson wants to take
the legs out from under it.

64
00:02:59,600 --> 00:03:01,533
♪ ♪

65
00:03:09,400 --> 00:03:13,766
(chattering on police radio)

66
00:03:13,766 --> 00:03:17,766
(sirens blaring)

67
00:03:25,533 --> 00:03:27,766
DISPATCHER (over police radio):
Anyone at Third Precinct

68
00:03:27,766 --> 00:03:29,300
to check condition
at Symphony Hall?

69
00:03:29,300 --> 00:03:32,033
A large crowd gathering.

70
00:03:32,033 --> 00:03:34,133
(distant shouting,
popping sounds)

71
00:03:34,133 --> 00:03:37,133
At 94 7th Avenue,
they're shooting from the roofs.

72
00:03:37,133 --> 00:03:40,100
(sirens wailing)

73
00:03:40,100 --> 00:03:42,766
All cars in the Second Precinct,
get down around Broad Street.

74
00:03:42,766 --> 00:03:45,066
A white van
that's supposed to be

75
00:03:45,066 --> 00:03:46,866
loaded with ammunition and guns

76
00:03:46,866 --> 00:03:48,166
and colored people.

77
00:03:48,166 --> 00:03:50,233
That's at
the Clay Street Bridge.

78
00:03:50,233 --> 00:03:52,066
Any First Precinct car

79
00:03:52,066 --> 00:03:54,066
can check a man who was shot,
he's laying in the gutter

80
00:03:54,066 --> 00:03:57,600
in front of
69 South Orange Avenue.

81
00:03:57,600 --> 00:04:02,200
Precinct cars, the shoe
store at Bergen and Renner.

82
00:04:02,200 --> 00:04:03,500
Looting.

83
00:04:03,500 --> 00:04:05,766
It's 498 Clinton Avenue
and looting.

84
00:04:05,766 --> 00:04:10,200
(alarm bell ringing)

85
00:04:10,200 --> 00:04:12,966
POLICE OFFICER (over bullhorn):
Ladies and gentlemen,
ladies and gentlemen,

86
00:04:12,966 --> 00:04:15,266
let me have
your attention, please.

87
00:04:15,266 --> 00:04:18,000
Governor Hughes

88
00:04:18,000 --> 00:04:20,733
and the Newark city officials

89
00:04:20,733 --> 00:04:24,333
have earlier
issued a proclamation.

90
00:04:24,333 --> 00:04:26,666
There will be a curfew

91
00:04:26,666 --> 00:04:31,400
upon pedestrians
starting at 11:00.

92
00:04:31,400 --> 00:04:35,900
♪ ♪

93
00:04:39,133 --> 00:04:42,300
(crowd shouting)

94
00:04:50,133 --> 00:04:51,800
RICHARD J. HUGHES:
The city in those sections

95
00:04:51,800 --> 00:04:54,366
is apparently still in
what can only be classified

96
00:04:54,366 --> 00:04:57,533
as open rebellion.

97
00:04:57,533 --> 00:04:59,600
And Mayor Addonizio
and I have determined

98
00:04:59,600 --> 00:05:01,733
that the line between
jungle assault

99
00:05:01,733 --> 00:05:04,133
on law and order

100
00:05:04,133 --> 00:05:06,500
might as well be drawn here
as any place in America.

101
00:05:09,400 --> 00:05:12,366
♪ ♪

102
00:05:17,833 --> 00:05:19,566
REPORTER:
Governor Richard Hughes says

103
00:05:19,566 --> 00:05:21,500
the situation in Newark
is under control

104
00:05:21,500 --> 00:05:23,633
with the exception
of sniper fire.

105
00:05:23,633 --> 00:05:27,833
And he says there is no way
to control sniper fire.

106
00:05:29,833 --> 00:05:35,366
(guns firing)

107
00:05:39,900 --> 00:05:46,166
♪ ♪

108
00:05:46,166 --> 00:05:49,133
There are about 22 blocks
of Newark's Springfield Avenue

109
00:05:49,133 --> 00:05:50,666
here in the ghetto area.

110
00:05:50,666 --> 00:05:52,966
And this Friday, they all look
pretty much like this.

111
00:05:52,966 --> 00:05:55,300
One massive sea
of devastation

112
00:05:55,300 --> 00:05:58,900
as far as the eye can see,
in both directions.

113
00:05:58,900 --> 00:06:01,500
Debris, broken glass,

114
00:06:01,500 --> 00:06:05,000
all that's left after
a night of violent rioting.

115
00:06:05,000 --> 00:06:06,300
How much did
you lose?

116
00:06:06,300 --> 00:06:08,066
About $15,000 to $20,000.

117
00:06:08,066 --> 00:06:09,500
But it isn't that.

118
00:06:09,500 --> 00:06:12,000
It's all my life that
I've put in here for 18 years

119
00:06:12,000 --> 00:06:14,166
to build up a little business,
and now I'm forced out.

120
00:06:14,166 --> 00:06:16,600
Why? Because these
professional no-goodniks,

121
00:06:16,600 --> 00:06:18,033
bums and what-have-you.

122
00:06:18,033 --> 00:06:19,466
MAN:
Can I say something?

123
00:06:19,466 --> 00:06:21,633
Listen, all we want
is a equal right.

124
00:06:21,633 --> 00:06:22,966
That's all
we're asking for.

125
00:06:22,966 --> 00:06:25,033
And as long as
they keep this up,

126
00:06:25,033 --> 00:06:27,533
we goin' burn the white out.

127
00:06:27,533 --> 00:06:31,566
♪ ♪

128
00:06:33,566 --> 00:06:38,100
HARRIS:
The civil disorders,
violent protests

129
00:06:38,100 --> 00:06:40,433
that erupted
in so many of America's cities

130
00:06:40,433 --> 00:06:43,300
during the hot summer of 1967

131
00:06:43,300 --> 00:06:47,866
were just sensational
front-page, big-type news,

132
00:06:47,866 --> 00:06:51,366
and the same was true
on television.

133
00:06:51,366 --> 00:06:54,600
They just dominated
the television news.

134
00:06:54,600 --> 00:07:00,266
The fires,
the looting, the sniping.

135
00:07:00,266 --> 00:07:05,933
(fire crackling)

136
00:07:05,933 --> 00:07:07,400
(glass smashes)

137
00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:08,900
(explosion pops)

138
00:07:08,900 --> 00:07:12,066
MAN (shouting in distance):
Burn, baby, burn!

139
00:07:16,133 --> 00:07:18,400
(glass smashes)

140
00:07:20,066 --> 00:07:22,533
GEORGE W. ROMNEY:
The difficulty

141
00:07:22,533 --> 00:07:25,833
late yesterday was on
the west side of the city,

142
00:07:25,833 --> 00:07:27,866
but it spread pretty well
across the city now,

143
00:07:27,866 --> 00:07:30,400
so you're dealing with--
what is it, 139 square miles?

144
00:07:30,400 --> 00:07:31,600
JEROME CAVANAGH: Yes.
Something like that?

145
00:07:31,600 --> 00:07:33,300
Yes, that's correct, yes.

146
00:07:37,800 --> 00:07:39,000
ROMNEY:
As governor of

147
00:07:39,000 --> 00:07:40,400
the state of Michigan,

148
00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:42,966
I do hereby officially request
the immediate deployment

149
00:07:42,966 --> 00:07:44,433
of federal troops into Michigan

150
00:07:44,433 --> 00:07:46,833
to assist state
and local authorities

151
00:07:46,833 --> 00:07:49,133
in reestablishing law and order
in the city of Detroit.

152
00:07:53,033 --> 00:07:56,133
HARRIS:
It caused enormous, uh, fear

153
00:07:56,133 --> 00:08:01,033
and, uh, anger, puzzlement.

154
00:08:01,033 --> 00:08:04,066
43 Americans died
in these streets.

155
00:08:04,066 --> 00:08:06,433
386 were injured.

156
00:08:06,433 --> 00:08:10,166
477 buildings
were damaged or destroyed.

157
00:08:13,300 --> 00:08:18,166
Something like it happened in
76 American cities this summer.

158
00:08:21,466 --> 00:08:24,000
HARRIS:
The question was, is this
some kind of organized thing?

159
00:08:24,000 --> 00:08:25,966
How long is it gonna last?

160
00:08:25,966 --> 00:08:29,666
What can be done to stop it?

161
00:08:33,466 --> 00:08:34,466
FRANK MCGEE:
Next summer,

162
00:08:34,466 --> 00:08:35,700
it could look like this

163
00:08:35,700 --> 00:08:37,166
in the downtown
sections of our cities.

164
00:08:39,466 --> 00:08:41,100
It could look like this

165
00:08:41,100 --> 00:08:43,666
in the neighborhood
where you live.

166
00:08:45,166 --> 00:08:47,300
The simple fact is this:

167
00:08:47,300 --> 00:08:50,633
we are in the worst crisis we
have known since the Civil War.

168
00:08:50,633 --> 00:08:52,566
Since Newark and Detroit,

169
00:08:52,566 --> 00:08:55,566
law and order have become
obsessions on Capitol Hill.

170
00:08:55,566 --> 00:08:57,833
And the main direction
of congressional movement

171
00:08:57,833 --> 00:08:59,766
is toward
investigating committees,

172
00:08:59,766 --> 00:09:02,600
anti-riot bills,
gun control legislation,

173
00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,133
more police support.

174
00:09:05,866 --> 00:09:08,766
HARRIS:
At the heighth
of the Detroit riots,

175
00:09:08,766 --> 00:09:12,133
I introduced
a resolution in the Senate.

176
00:09:12,133 --> 00:09:15,700
I said, we ought to have a
blue ribbon citizen's commission

177
00:09:15,700 --> 00:09:18,266
to look into these
civil disorders,

178
00:09:18,266 --> 00:09:20,833
not just
on a law-and-orders basis,

179
00:09:20,833 --> 00:09:24,166
but getting at deeper causes.

180
00:09:24,166 --> 00:09:26,566
That was on July the 25th

181
00:09:26,566 --> 00:09:28,566
of 1967.

182
00:09:29,733 --> 00:09:33,666
On the 27th, it was announced
by the White House

183
00:09:33,666 --> 00:09:38,633
that President Johnson was gonna
have a nationwide telecast.

184
00:09:38,633 --> 00:09:40,600
And he called me that evening,

185
00:09:40,600 --> 00:09:43,600
not very much before
he was to go on the air.

186
00:09:43,600 --> 00:09:46,333
And he said to me, uh,
"Fred, I'm gonna appoint

187
00:09:46,333 --> 00:09:49,333
"that commission
you've been talking about,

188
00:09:49,333 --> 00:09:51,400
and I'm gonna put you on it."

189
00:09:51,400 --> 00:09:55,500
And I said, "Well, I'll, I'll do
the best I can."

190
00:09:55,500 --> 00:09:57,100
And he said,
"Another thing, Fred,

191
00:09:57,100 --> 00:09:59,166
"I want you to remember
you're a..." (chuckles)

192
00:09:59,166 --> 00:10:00,433
"...you're a Johnson man."

193
00:10:00,433 --> 00:10:02,766
And I said, "Yes, sir,
I am a Johnson man."

194
00:10:02,766 --> 00:10:04,933
And he said, "If you forget it,

195
00:10:04,933 --> 00:10:08,333
I'll take my pocket knife
and cut your blank off."

196
00:10:08,333 --> 00:10:10,300
He did not say "blank."
(chuckles)

197
00:10:10,300 --> 00:10:13,400
My fellow Americans,

198
00:10:13,400 --> 00:10:15,500
we have endured a week

199
00:10:15,500 --> 00:10:18,533
such as no nation
should live through.

200
00:10:18,533 --> 00:10:22,266
A time of violence and tragedy.

201
00:10:22,266 --> 00:10:24,000
For a few minutes tonight,

202
00:10:24,000 --> 00:10:26,633
I want to talk
about that tragedy.

203
00:10:26,633 --> 00:10:28,933
And I want to talk
about the deeper questions

204
00:10:28,933 --> 00:10:31,133
that it raises for us all.

205
00:10:31,133 --> 00:10:32,933
I am tonight appointing

206
00:10:32,933 --> 00:10:35,733
a special Advisory Commission
on Civil Disorders.

207
00:10:35,733 --> 00:10:37,133
Governor Otto Kerner
of Illinois...

208
00:10:37,133 --> 00:10:38,800
HARRIS:
I think he just wanted
to be sure

209
00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,066
that he would get all the credit

210
00:10:41,066 --> 00:10:43,733
for what he'd been doing
in regard to race and poverty.

211
00:10:43,733 --> 00:10:46,500
And I should say that
Lyndon Johnson did more

212
00:10:46,500 --> 00:10:50,033
against racism
and against poverty

213
00:10:50,033 --> 00:10:53,266
than any president
before or since,

214
00:10:53,266 --> 00:10:56,766
with the sole exception
of, probably, Abraham Lincoln.

215
00:10:56,766 --> 00:11:00,066
♪ ♪

216
00:11:03,000 --> 00:11:04,900
MARTIN LUTHER KING JR.:
It would be fatal

217
00:11:04,900 --> 00:11:06,866
for the nation

218
00:11:06,866 --> 00:11:11,366
to overlook the urgency
of the moment.

219
00:11:11,366 --> 00:11:16,033
This sweltering summer of the
Negro's legitimate discontent

220
00:11:16,033 --> 00:11:18,266
will not pass

221
00:11:18,266 --> 00:11:21,133
until there is
an invigorating autumn

222
00:11:21,133 --> 00:11:23,366
of freedom and equality.

223
00:11:23,366 --> 00:11:25,500
WALTER CRONKITE:
They called it

224
00:11:25,500 --> 00:11:28,433
the March on Washington
for Jobs and Freedom.

225
00:11:30,566 --> 00:11:33,733
More than 200,000 of them
came to Washington this morning

226
00:11:33,733 --> 00:11:35,366
in a kind of climax

227
00:11:35,366 --> 00:11:37,266
to a historic spring and summer

228
00:11:37,266 --> 00:11:40,933
in the struggle
for equal rights.

229
00:11:40,933 --> 00:11:45,766
KING:
1963 is not an end,
but a beginning.

230
00:11:45,766 --> 00:11:49,333
Those who hope that the Negro

231
00:11:49,333 --> 00:11:52,466
needed to blow off steam

232
00:11:52,466 --> 00:11:53,966
and will now be content

233
00:11:53,966 --> 00:11:57,933
will have a rude awakening
if the nation returns

234
00:11:57,933 --> 00:11:59,300
to business as usual.

235
00:11:59,300 --> 00:12:04,933
(applause)

236
00:12:08,833 --> 00:12:12,333
HARRIS:
Johnson took up
the mantle of John Kennedy.

237
00:12:15,266 --> 00:12:17,300
President Kennedy
had recommended

238
00:12:17,300 --> 00:12:19,100
civil rights legislation

239
00:12:19,100 --> 00:12:22,633
but had no chance to pass it.

240
00:12:25,566 --> 00:12:29,000
JOHNSON:
We have talked
long enough in this country

241
00:12:29,000 --> 00:12:31,333
about equal rights.

242
00:12:31,333 --> 00:12:35,733
We have talked
for a hundred years or more.

243
00:12:38,000 --> 00:12:39,900
It is time now

244
00:12:39,900 --> 00:12:43,400
to write the next chapter,

245
00:12:43,400 --> 00:12:47,033
and to write it in
the books of law.

246
00:12:47,033 --> 00:12:48,833
(applause)

247
00:12:48,833 --> 00:12:52,300
HARRIS:
Johnson made that
really a major thing,

248
00:12:52,300 --> 00:12:55,200
and I think
felt very deeply about it.

249
00:12:55,200 --> 00:12:58,566
CHET HUNTLEY:
Lyndon Baines Johnson
and the Great Society.

250
00:12:58,566 --> 00:13:00,833
Two weeks before he took
the oath of office

251
00:13:00,833 --> 00:13:03,333
for the first term
as president in his own right,

252
00:13:03,333 --> 00:13:05,633
Mr. Johnson spelled out
to Congress

253
00:13:05,633 --> 00:13:07,500
what he wanted
for the Great Society.

254
00:13:07,500 --> 00:13:08,766
JOHNSON:
...major recommendations.

255
00:13:08,766 --> 00:13:11,966
First, to keep
our economy growing.

256
00:13:11,966 --> 00:13:15,600
To open, for all Americans,

257
00:13:15,600 --> 00:13:20,933
the opportunity that is
now enjoyed by most Americans.

258
00:13:20,933 --> 00:13:25,766
And to improve
the quality of life

259
00:13:25,766 --> 00:13:27,033
for all.

260
00:13:27,033 --> 00:13:30,300
(applause)

261
00:13:30,300 --> 00:13:33,100
JOSHUA ZEITZ:
In the first two or three years
of Johnson's administration,

262
00:13:33,100 --> 00:13:36,466
owing to large Democratic
majorities in Congress

263
00:13:36,466 --> 00:13:38,500
and a well of goodwill,

264
00:13:38,500 --> 00:13:40,700
following the Kennedy
assassination,

265
00:13:40,700 --> 00:13:43,833
 
Johnson was able to pass
a sweeping domestic agenda.

266
00:13:45,166 --> 00:13:46,866
The Civil Rights Act of 1964,

267
00:13:46,866 --> 00:13:50,600
which desegregated
all public accommodations.

268
00:13:51,966 --> 00:13:55,500
Passed the
Voting Rights Act of 1965,

269
00:13:55,500 --> 00:13:58,066
which essentially
desegregated the voting process

270
00:13:58,066 --> 00:14:01,333
throughout
the entire U.S. South.

271
00:14:01,333 --> 00:14:03,266
JOHNSON:
Millions of Americans

272
00:14:03,266 --> 00:14:09,100
are denied the right to vote
because of their color.

273
00:14:09,100 --> 00:14:13,066
Today is a triumph for freedom,

274
00:14:13,066 --> 00:14:16,400
as huge as any victory

275
00:14:16,400 --> 00:14:20,533
that's ever been won
on any battlefield.

276
00:14:20,533 --> 00:14:23,166
Today, the Negro story

277
00:14:23,166 --> 00:14:28,566
and the American story
fuse and blend.

278
00:14:33,066 --> 00:14:35,733
COBB:
Johnson also initiated
the War on Poverty,

279
00:14:35,733 --> 00:14:39,433
and authorizes
nearly a billion dollars

280
00:14:39,433 --> 00:14:42,800
to specifically
target the places

281
00:14:42,800 --> 00:14:44,800
and institutions where poverty

282
00:14:44,800 --> 00:14:46,933
is created and re-created

283
00:14:46,933 --> 00:14:50,500
in education, in employment.

284
00:14:50,500 --> 00:14:55,466
It is an actual good-faith
effort to move the needle some

285
00:14:55,466 --> 00:14:57,766
on what American poverty
looks like,

286
00:14:57,766 --> 00:15:01,100
particularly in
disenfranchised communities.

287
00:15:01,100 --> 00:15:06,500
JOHNSON:
It is not enough just to open
the gates of opportunity.

288
00:15:08,066 --> 00:15:09,466
All our citizens

289
00:15:09,466 --> 00:15:11,866
must have the ability

290
00:15:11,866 --> 00:15:16,266
to walk through those gates.

291
00:15:16,266 --> 00:15:21,000
And this is the next
and the more profound stage

292
00:15:21,000 --> 00:15:23,700
of the battle for civil rights.

293
00:15:23,700 --> 00:15:25,200
(applause)

294
00:15:25,200 --> 00:15:26,733
COBB:
Lyndon Johnson
had made the calculation

295
00:15:26,733 --> 00:15:29,866
about what investment
in civil rights

296
00:15:29,866 --> 00:15:31,766
would mean politically.

297
00:15:31,766 --> 00:15:37,100
He is aware that
every significant step he takes

298
00:15:37,100 --> 00:15:39,500
simultaneously feeds

299
00:15:39,500 --> 00:15:42,233
this growing backlash,
or what people have called

300
00:15:42,233 --> 00:15:45,266
"whitelash,"
to the Civil Rights Movement--

301
00:15:45,266 --> 00:15:49,633
the idea that
Johnson had set in motion

302
00:15:49,633 --> 00:15:53,333
a kind of government overreach.

303
00:15:53,333 --> 00:15:56,300
ZEITZ:
You saw that manifest itself
as early as 1964,

304
00:15:56,300 --> 00:15:59,266
when Barry Goldwater
entered the presidential race

305
00:15:59,266 --> 00:16:01,033
and challenged Johnson.

306
00:16:01,033 --> 00:16:02,533
It was very clear

307
00:16:02,533 --> 00:16:05,333
that he was tapping into
a reserve of white anger,

308
00:16:05,333 --> 00:16:07,200
a belief that somehow

309
00:16:07,200 --> 00:16:08,766
the Great Society and Johnson's

310
00:16:08,766 --> 00:16:10,533
civil rights agenda
were going to be threatening

311
00:16:10,533 --> 00:16:13,466
to their communities, uh, to
their jobs and to their safety.

312
00:16:13,466 --> 00:16:15,566
While the President
of the United States

313
00:16:15,566 --> 00:16:17,966
speaks of the Great Society,

314
00:16:17,966 --> 00:16:19,900
our cities and suburbs

315
00:16:19,900 --> 00:16:23,766
are turning into
the lawless society.

316
00:16:23,766 --> 00:16:25,400
(applause)

317
00:16:26,666 --> 00:16:28,666
MICHAEL FLAMM:
Goldwater is making the argument

318
00:16:28,666 --> 00:16:32,933
that the doctrine of
non-violent civil disobedience

319
00:16:32,933 --> 00:16:35,633
that is promoted by Dr. King
and other civil rights leaders

320
00:16:35,633 --> 00:16:37,566
is fundamentally encouraging

321
00:16:37,566 --> 00:16:41,266
a disrespect for authority and
for law.

322
00:16:42,766 --> 00:16:47,000
WEAVER:
This is a claim that
had been articulated before.

323
00:16:47,000 --> 00:16:48,166
Southern segregationists

324
00:16:48,166 --> 00:16:49,766
are famous,

325
00:16:49,766 --> 00:16:51,533
in the congressional record

326
00:16:51,533 --> 00:16:53,566
and on, on the floor of
Congress,

327
00:16:53,566 --> 00:16:58,200
 
for saying that civil rights
agitation is breeding crime.

328
00:16:58,200 --> 00:17:01,333
So you've got, on the one hand,

329
00:17:01,333 --> 00:17:04,066
one of
the largest political struggles

330
00:17:04,066 --> 00:17:08,366
for racial justice in
our nation's history happening.

331
00:17:08,366 --> 00:17:11,866
And at that time,
legislators are actively arguing

332
00:17:11,866 --> 00:17:16,800
that we ought to, to treat
protestors as ordinary thugs.

333
00:17:16,800 --> 00:17:18,866
GOLDWATER:
Nothing prepares the way

334
00:17:18,866 --> 00:17:22,200
for tyranny
more than the failure

335
00:17:22,200 --> 00:17:24,133
of public officials
to keep the streets safe

336
00:17:24,133 --> 00:17:25,633
from bullies and marauders.

337
00:17:25,633 --> 00:17:27,900
(applause)

338
00:17:27,900 --> 00:17:29,366
FLAMM:
He's the making
the argument that

339
00:17:29,366 --> 00:17:31,433
not only has the federal
government expanded too much,

340
00:17:31,433 --> 00:17:35,200
not only is it spending
too many tax dollars

341
00:17:35,200 --> 00:17:37,966
on too wide a range
of social programs,

342
00:17:37,966 --> 00:17:40,933
but those
social programs themselves

343
00:17:40,933 --> 00:17:44,133
are fueling the troubles
that are beginning to appear

344
00:17:44,133 --> 00:17:45,733
in America's cities.

345
00:17:48,566 --> 00:17:50,700
(car horns honking)

346
00:17:52,433 --> 00:17:55,866
ELIZABETH HINTON:
In the 1960s,
the U.S. begins to witness

347
00:17:55,866 --> 00:17:57,866
massive demographic changes

348
00:17:57,866 --> 00:18:01,400
that resulted from
the Great Migration

349
00:18:01,400 --> 00:18:04,366
of rural Black Americans in the
southern states

350
00:18:04,366 --> 00:18:07,366
to northern and western cities.

351
00:18:07,366 --> 00:18:11,266
Cities were becoming Blacker.

352
00:18:11,266 --> 00:18:15,533
Washington D.C. had come into
a Black majority by 1960.

353
00:18:15,533 --> 00:18:19,066
Detroit and Cleveland, Black
people were edging majorities.

354
00:18:19,066 --> 00:18:22,400
This was alarming
to federal policymakers

355
00:18:22,400 --> 00:18:25,800
because as Black populations
in cities are growing,

356
00:18:25,800 --> 00:18:28,600
there are fewer and fewer jobs.

357
00:18:28,600 --> 00:18:30,766
De-industrialization
is already happening.

358
00:18:31,966 --> 00:18:34,900
WEAVER:
There's a sense that society

359
00:18:34,900 --> 00:18:37,733
is breaking down,
and it was breaking down.

360
00:18:37,733 --> 00:18:39,933
Black people were saying,
like, "Enough!"

361
00:18:41,266 --> 00:18:43,033
HINTON:
Social scientists
and policymakers

362
00:18:43,033 --> 00:18:46,500
in the early 1960s
start to label

363
00:18:46,500 --> 00:18:49,700
Black youth
as "social dynamite."

364
00:18:49,700 --> 00:18:51,200
Given this cocktail

365
00:18:51,200 --> 00:18:55,066
of population change
and continued inequality,

366
00:18:55,066 --> 00:18:57,133
this group of "social dynamite,"

367
00:18:57,133 --> 00:18:59,133
these youth of color,
would explode.

368
00:18:59,133 --> 00:19:03,100
(explosion, people shouting)

369
00:19:03,100 --> 00:19:04,566
And that's exactly
what happened.

370
00:19:05,800 --> 00:19:06,933
REPORTER:
There's looting at this moment

371
00:19:06,933 --> 00:19:08,866
at 88th and Broadway.

372
00:19:08,866 --> 00:19:10,600
At 103rd and Compton,
a Molotov cocktail

373
00:19:10,600 --> 00:19:12,366
was thrown a short time ago,

374
00:19:12,366 --> 00:19:15,233
and in that area are about
3,000 or 4,000 rioters.

375
00:19:15,233 --> 00:19:17,333
(sirens wailing,
chattering on police radio)

376
00:19:17,333 --> 00:19:22,666
REPORTER:
A bloody rampage in a crowded
Negro neighborhood called Watts.

377
00:19:22,666 --> 00:19:26,233
(guns firing)
Absolutely incredible scene.

378
00:19:26,233 --> 00:19:31,166
A gun battle
in the middle of Broadway,

379
00:19:31,166 --> 00:19:33,966
the main business streets
of Los Angeles.

380
00:19:33,966 --> 00:19:38,733
(men shouting, guns firing)

381
00:19:38,733 --> 00:19:42,233
Small army of policemen,
most of them carrying shotguns.

382
00:19:42,233 --> 00:19:45,000
National Guardsmen
with 30-caliber machine guns,

383
00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:47,066
bodies of several Negroes

384
00:19:47,066 --> 00:19:50,433
who have been shot
already in this battle.

385
00:19:52,033 --> 00:19:57,266
♪ ♪

386
00:19:57,266 --> 00:20:00,033
ZEITZ:
Johnson is
at his ranch in Texas,

387
00:20:00,033 --> 00:20:03,466
and Joe Califano,
his domestic policy chief,

388
00:20:03,466 --> 00:20:05,233
spent two days
trying to get the president

389
00:20:05,233 --> 00:20:09,733
on the phone and couldn't;
Johnson simply shut down.

390
00:20:09,733 --> 00:20:13,400
COBB:
This is just days
after he's cashed in

391
00:20:13,400 --> 00:20:16,700
all of his political chips to
shepherd the Voting Rights Act

392
00:20:16,700 --> 00:20:18,600
through Congress.

393
00:20:18,600 --> 00:20:20,266
It's a kind of indignation,

394
00:20:20,266 --> 00:20:23,166
almost a sense
of being slapped in the face.

395
00:20:23,166 --> 00:20:25,633
"We just had the most massive

396
00:20:25,633 --> 00:20:26,866
"legislation in U.S. history,

397
00:20:26,866 --> 00:20:28,366
"certainly since the Civil War,

398
00:20:28,366 --> 00:20:31,233
"extending the rights
to African Americans.

399
00:20:31,233 --> 00:20:32,566
Why aren't you happy?"

400
00:20:32,566 --> 00:20:36,733
♪ ♪

401
00:20:36,733 --> 00:20:40,833
BILL STOUT:
With no reason at all, bottles
and rocks and broken windows.

402
00:20:40,833 --> 00:20:44,666
Almost a mad holiday
atmosphere, people laughing,

403
00:20:44,666 --> 00:20:47,766
cheering on those who
find things to take home,

404
00:20:47,766 --> 00:20:49,666
stores broken into,

405
00:20:49,666 --> 00:20:52,133
the one directly across
the street, a pawn shop.

406
00:20:52,133 --> 00:20:53,500
COBB:
These reporters

407
00:20:53,500 --> 00:20:55,533
might as well have been
foreign correspondents.

408
00:20:55,533 --> 00:20:57,266
Can I talk with you
for just a moment?

409
00:20:57,266 --> 00:20:59,266
I just want to ask...
COBB (voiceover):
Overwhelmingly white,

410
00:20:59,266 --> 00:21:01,233
overwhelmingly male,

411
00:21:01,233 --> 00:21:04,100
overwhelmingly
middle upper class.

412
00:21:04,100 --> 00:21:06,466
They were covering
a different nation.

413
00:21:06,466 --> 00:21:08,633
STOUT:
The burning and looting,

414
00:21:08,633 --> 00:21:11,233
the shooting and beating
went on for nearly a week.

415
00:21:11,233 --> 00:21:13,766
In the background,
there's a long chronicle

416
00:21:13,766 --> 00:21:15,400
of defeat and disappointment,

417
00:21:15,400 --> 00:21:18,033
of discrimination
and Negro grievances,

418
00:21:18,033 --> 00:21:19,766
of pure hate for the white man.

419
00:21:21,500 --> 00:21:25,300
CHAMBERS:
The news coverage was lurid.

420
00:21:25,300 --> 00:21:27,733
The tone was,

421
00:21:27,733 --> 00:21:31,566
big cities in America are
exploding

422
00:21:31,566 --> 00:21:33,733
and we should all be afraid.

423
00:21:33,733 --> 00:21:37,233
ELIZABETH HINTON:
For Johnson, there's a real fear

424
00:21:37,233 --> 00:21:40,533
that this violence
is somehow going to undercut

425
00:21:40,533 --> 00:21:41,933
the War on Poverty.

426
00:21:41,933 --> 00:21:44,100
He's put in this position where

427
00:21:44,100 --> 00:21:47,500
he's got to maintain
his commitment

428
00:21:47,500 --> 00:21:49,400
to addressing
racial discrimination,

429
00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:54,133
but also his commitment
to restore law and order.

430
00:21:54,133 --> 00:21:58,600
JOHNSON:
A rioter with
a Molotov cocktail in his hands

431
00:21:58,600 --> 00:22:01,833
is not fighting for civil rights

432
00:22:01,833 --> 00:22:05,666
any more than a Klansman
with a sheet on his back

433
00:22:05,666 --> 00:22:09,100
and a mask on his face.

434
00:22:09,100 --> 00:22:12,700
They are both more or less
what the law declares them:

435
00:22:12,700 --> 00:22:15,366
lawbreakers,

436
00:22:15,366 --> 00:22:19,500
destroyers of constitutional
rights and liberties,

437
00:22:19,500 --> 00:22:23,066
and would ultimately
destroy a free America.

438
00:22:23,066 --> 00:22:27,066
COBB:
On the heels of Watts,
Congress passes,

439
00:22:27,066 --> 00:22:31,233
by unanimous vote, the
Law Enforcement Assistance Act.

440
00:22:31,233 --> 00:22:33,533
And that's really
the point at which

441
00:22:33,533 --> 00:22:38,366
we can mark the beginnings
of the War on Crime.

442
00:22:39,866 --> 00:22:42,633
In theory, this War on Crime

443
00:22:42,633 --> 00:22:46,233
coexists with
this War on Poverty,

444
00:22:46,233 --> 00:22:48,300
almost as a kind
of stick and carrot.

445
00:22:48,300 --> 00:22:51,633
And it funnels
millions of dollars

446
00:22:51,633 --> 00:22:54,166
into increasing numbers
of police

447
00:22:54,166 --> 00:22:58,100
and experimental
crime control projects

448
00:22:58,100 --> 00:23:00,500
that were being enacted,
by and large,

449
00:23:00,500 --> 00:23:03,400
in low-income
communities of color.

450
00:23:03,400 --> 00:23:06,600
WEAVER:
This is the first moment
that we see

451
00:23:06,600 --> 00:23:08,700
the federal government
actually sending money

452
00:23:08,700 --> 00:23:11,900
to help support crime control.

453
00:23:11,900 --> 00:23:14,766
Crime is no longer
a state and local issue.

454
00:23:14,766 --> 00:23:17,133
The federal government's
gonna get involved.

455
00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:23,066
It's setting up a precedent
for ever more investment.

456
00:23:23,066 --> 00:23:28,133
COBB:
But the War on Crime
in no way quelled the uprisings.

457
00:23:28,133 --> 00:23:33,400
You have even more of
those kind of conflicts in 1966.

458
00:23:33,400 --> 00:23:37,166
Uprisings in 38 American cities,

459
00:23:37,166 --> 00:23:42,966
from San Francisco
to Providence, Rhode Island.

460
00:23:42,966 --> 00:23:45,566
I think America must see

461
00:23:45,566 --> 00:23:49,300
that riots do not develop
out of thin air.

462
00:23:49,300 --> 00:23:54,366
Certain conditions continue
to exist in our society,

463
00:23:54,366 --> 00:23:57,300
which must be condemned

464
00:23:57,300 --> 00:24:01,133
as vigorously
as we condemn riots.

465
00:24:02,366 --> 00:24:04,433
CARTER:
The image of civil rights

466
00:24:04,433 --> 00:24:06,366
in many white Americans' minds

467
00:24:06,366 --> 00:24:08,233
had been of African Americans

468
00:24:08,233 --> 00:24:12,866
beseeching the nation
for decent treatment,

469
00:24:12,866 --> 00:24:16,466
for equality,
asking white America

470
00:24:16,466 --> 00:24:19,666
to just accord them
their basic humanity.

471
00:24:19,666 --> 00:24:23,066
 
The images of well-dressed
sit-in demonstrators

472
00:24:23,066 --> 00:24:25,733
being beaten, being spat upon

473
00:24:25,733 --> 00:24:27,966
are so important
to understanding

474
00:24:27,966 --> 00:24:29,833
white Americans' sympathetic
attitudes

475
00:24:29,833 --> 00:24:30,966
towards civil rights.

476
00:24:33,033 --> 00:24:36,833
And then you see
a fundamental transition

477
00:24:36,833 --> 00:24:38,800
where media simply can't resist

478
00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:42,033
the spectacle of urban disorder.

479
00:24:43,466 --> 00:24:46,866
The camera simply
cannot look away.

480
00:24:46,866 --> 00:24:48,766
 
And as much as it unsettles

481
00:24:48,766 --> 00:24:52,133
white viewers, there's
also this sort of fixation.

482
00:24:52,133 --> 00:24:55,466
In some ways, it's confirming
their darkest prejudices

483
00:24:55,466 --> 00:24:57,433
about Black Americans.

484
00:24:57,433 --> 00:25:02,400
Now they're seeing a more
menacing face of Black America,

485
00:25:02,400 --> 00:25:05,933
and they emphatically
do not like what they're seeing.

486
00:25:08,100 --> 00:25:09,733
FLAMM:
What you start to see
is this phrase,

487
00:25:09,733 --> 00:25:14,033
"We're rewarding the rioters."

488
00:25:14,033 --> 00:25:16,666
We're creating a climate

489
00:25:16,666 --> 00:25:21,066
where people understand
that through uprisings,

490
00:25:21,066 --> 00:25:22,633
through rioting,
through looting,

491
00:25:22,633 --> 00:25:24,633
they can gain
the support of liberals,

492
00:25:24,633 --> 00:25:27,266
who will then shower communities

493
00:25:27,266 --> 00:25:29,800
with new and expensive
social programs

494
00:25:29,800 --> 00:25:33,633
subsidized by angry
and anxious white voters

495
00:25:33,633 --> 00:25:36,200
outside of urban America.

496
00:25:36,200 --> 00:25:38,600
Louis Harris is
one of this nation's

497
00:25:38,600 --> 00:25:40,466
foremost public
opinion analysts,

498
00:25:40,466 --> 00:25:42,533
in years gone by,
and again this summer.

499
00:25:42,533 --> 00:25:46,400
Mr. Harris, how much of
a change has there been

500
00:25:46,400 --> 00:25:48,466
in the northern
white man's attitudes

501
00:25:48,466 --> 00:25:51,866
toward the Black man
during the summer of 1966?

502
00:25:51,866 --> 00:25:53,233
The fear that whites have

503
00:25:53,233 --> 00:25:55,333
over Negroes moving
into their neighborhoods is,

504
00:25:55,333 --> 00:25:57,633
without question,
the deepest fear

505
00:25:57,633 --> 00:26:00,533
that abounds
in white society today.

506
00:26:01,866 --> 00:26:04,133
ZEITZ:
The Civil Rights Act of 1964

507
00:26:04,133 --> 00:26:06,966
was fairly uncontroversial
in the North.

508
00:26:06,966 --> 00:26:08,966
Same with the Voting Rights Act.

509
00:26:08,966 --> 00:26:11,200
Where it got tricky for Johnson

510
00:26:11,200 --> 00:26:14,766
was when the administration
began to attempt to address

511
00:26:14,766 --> 00:26:19,666
systemic racism and systemic
inequality outside of the South.

512
00:26:19,666 --> 00:26:25,000
CARTER:
Open housing pushed all sorts
of buttons with white Americans,

513
00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:27,300
in the North, in the Midwest,

514
00:26:27,300 --> 00:26:30,100
places where whites
simply were not accustomed

515
00:26:30,100 --> 00:26:31,200
to living
in the same geographies

516
00:26:31,200 --> 00:26:33,700
with Black neighbors.

517
00:26:33,700 --> 00:26:35,566
(crowd shouting)

518
00:26:35,566 --> 00:26:38,300
WOMAN IN CROWD:
We want freedom!

519
00:26:38,300 --> 00:26:44,300
CARTER:
That is when whites seem to say
"This far, but no further."

520
00:26:44,300 --> 00:26:46,700
I'm sure he's only coming
here for one reason,

521
00:26:46,700 --> 00:26:48,633
that's to bust the
neighborhood down,

522
00:26:48,633 --> 00:26:50,433
discourage
the white person,

523
00:26:50,433 --> 00:26:52,433
stop the whites from
moving into the area

524
00:26:52,433 --> 00:26:55,366
and hope that it
will be converted

525
00:26:55,366 --> 00:26:57,966
to a Negro,
integrated development.

526
00:26:57,966 --> 00:26:59,366
ZEITZ:
A lot of that
was driven by fear,

527
00:26:59,366 --> 00:27:00,966
fear of what they saw

528
00:27:00,966 --> 00:27:03,000
in neighborhoods that were
predominantly African American.

529
00:27:03,000 --> 00:27:06,300
Those neighborhoods
were heavily blighted.

530
00:27:06,300 --> 00:27:08,866
Those neighborhoods
were dangerous.

531
00:27:08,866 --> 00:27:10,666
There was
a fair amount of crime.

532
00:27:10,666 --> 00:27:13,966
MAN:
I really envy you out here
on the northwest side

533
00:27:13,966 --> 00:27:15,833
of the city of Chicago,

534
00:27:15,833 --> 00:27:18,533
because you are
very, very far removed

535
00:27:18,533 --> 00:27:20,500
from the real
problems that exist.

536
00:27:20,500 --> 00:27:25,033
You don't have slums within
a block or two of you.

537
00:27:25,033 --> 00:27:27,000
ZEITZ:
And if you're
one of these white voters,

538
00:27:27,000 --> 00:27:29,533
you're thinking like, "I don't
want this in my neighborhood."

539
00:27:29,533 --> 00:27:31,400
You're not seeing
what's behind it.

540
00:27:31,400 --> 00:27:33,733
You just see something
that scares you.

541
00:27:33,733 --> 00:27:35,833
Every taxpayer in the
United States of America

542
00:27:35,833 --> 00:27:37,733
has donated money
to these people.

543
00:27:37,733 --> 00:27:38,900
For what?

544
00:27:38,900 --> 00:27:41,266
We can be sociable
with 'em in work.

545
00:27:41,266 --> 00:27:43,166
We can get along with them
and joke with them.

546
00:27:43,166 --> 00:27:46,700
But when we leave our job,

547
00:27:46,700 --> 00:27:49,833
and close the door,
and we're on our way home,

548
00:27:49,833 --> 00:27:51,933
we want them to go
in their direction,

549
00:27:51,933 --> 00:27:53,066
and we can go in ours.

550
00:27:53,066 --> 00:27:55,166
Whites were saying things like,

551
00:27:55,166 --> 00:27:56,766
"Why can't you wait?"

552
00:27:56,766 --> 00:27:58,533
Even whites who were supportive.

553
00:27:58,533 --> 00:28:01,066
It's like, we support the idea
that Blacks need to,

554
00:28:01,066 --> 00:28:02,366
to have a different life,

555
00:28:02,366 --> 00:28:05,333
but you're pushing too fast.

556
00:28:06,733 --> 00:28:08,300
FLAMM:
In the 1966 election,

557
00:28:08,300 --> 00:28:13,333
you now see conservative white
politicians across the country

558
00:28:13,333 --> 00:28:16,733
borrowing from
the Goldwater playbook

559
00:28:16,733 --> 00:28:20,666
and using "law and order"
in races for Congress.

560
00:28:20,666 --> 00:28:24,700
And Democrats in general,
and liberals in particular,

561
00:28:24,700 --> 00:28:29,166
suffer serious, serious losses.

562
00:28:29,166 --> 00:28:33,900
COBB:
If you are a Republican
elected official in 1966,

563
00:28:33,900 --> 00:28:37,300
you see this
as a mandate to, one,

564
00:28:37,300 --> 00:28:41,066
do more of the same
and, two, increasingly,

565
00:28:41,066 --> 00:28:45,000
to roll back the War on Poverty,

566
00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:47,933
Great Society initiatives

567
00:28:47,933 --> 00:28:51,333
that have been the centerpiece
of Lyndon Johnson's presidency.

568
00:28:51,333 --> 00:28:56,200
(applause)

569
00:28:56,200 --> 00:29:00,566
At home, the question is

570
00:29:00,566 --> 00:29:05,000
whether we will continue working
for better opportunities

571
00:29:05,000 --> 00:29:07,033
for all Americans,

572
00:29:07,033 --> 00:29:09,500
when most Americans are already

573
00:29:09,500 --> 00:29:14,700
living better
than any people in history.

574
00:29:14,700 --> 00:29:18,200
Abroad, the question is

575
00:29:18,200 --> 00:29:21,100
whether we have
the staying power

576
00:29:21,100 --> 00:29:24,700
to fight a very costly war,

577
00:29:24,700 --> 00:29:27,400
when the objective is limited,

578
00:29:27,400 --> 00:29:31,466
and the danger to us
is seemingly remote.

579
00:29:31,466 --> 00:29:34,366
FLAMM:
Johnson is painfully aware
that the war in Vietnam

580
00:29:34,366 --> 00:29:38,066
is consuming $30 billion a year,

581
00:29:38,066 --> 00:29:39,933
while the expenditures
on the Great Society

582
00:29:39,933 --> 00:29:41,533
are about
a billion dollars a year.

583
00:29:41,533 --> 00:29:43,966
And conservatives
in Congress are going after

584
00:29:43,966 --> 00:29:47,066
even that small amount.

585
00:29:47,066 --> 00:29:49,033
HARRIS:
Johnson had said,

586
00:29:49,033 --> 00:29:52,000
"We can have guns and butter.

587
00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:53,866
"We don't have to choose between

588
00:29:53,866 --> 00:29:55,233
"domestic programs and the war.

589
00:29:55,233 --> 00:29:56,233
We can do both."

590
00:29:56,233 --> 00:29:58,400
But in 1967,

591
00:29:58,400 --> 00:30:01,000
it was becoming increasingly
clear that was not true.

592
00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:03,700
(crowd shouting)

593
00:30:03,700 --> 00:30:07,066
Then came
these terrible disorders

594
00:30:07,066 --> 00:30:10,433
all around the country.

595
00:30:10,433 --> 00:30:11,900
POWELL:
You had Newark, you had Detroit.

596
00:30:11,900 --> 00:30:13,666
You had cities
all across the country

597
00:30:13,666 --> 00:30:15,733
up in flames.

598
00:30:17,900 --> 00:30:20,433
People were wondering, can
we actually have a country?

599
00:30:20,433 --> 00:30:22,433
ZEITZ:
Johnson's being faced

600
00:30:22,433 --> 00:30:24,333
with a good deal of pressure
to do something.

601
00:30:24,333 --> 00:30:27,033
But he's really incapable

602
00:30:27,033 --> 00:30:30,433
of governing in the way that he
had been accustomed to before.

603
00:30:30,433 --> 00:30:33,966
Last week in Congress,
a small but important plan

604
00:30:33,966 --> 00:30:37,133
for action in the cities

605
00:30:37,133 --> 00:30:41,200
was voted down
in the House of Representatives.

606
00:30:41,200 --> 00:30:44,500
The members of that body
rejected my request

607
00:30:44,500 --> 00:30:50,133
for $20 million to fight
the pestilence of rats.

608
00:30:50,133 --> 00:30:53,900
Rats which prowl
in dark alleys and tenements

609
00:30:53,900 --> 00:30:57,533
and attack
thousands of city children.

610
00:30:57,533 --> 00:30:59,866
Moderates who pride themselves

611
00:30:59,866 --> 00:31:01,833
on their
civil rights voting record,

612
00:31:01,833 --> 00:31:03,933
because they survived
the dangers

613
00:31:03,933 --> 00:31:05,833
of the political backlash
back home,

614
00:31:05,833 --> 00:31:08,600
are now becoming
backlashers themselves.

615
00:31:08,600 --> 00:31:10,666
Many of them seem to be saying,

616
00:31:10,666 --> 00:31:13,800
"If Newark and Detroit
and Plainfield and Toledo

617
00:31:13,800 --> 00:31:16,766
are the thanks we get,
here is our answer."

618
00:31:18,133 --> 00:31:20,933
FLAMM: Lyndon Johnson is
a political animal.

619
00:31:20,933 --> 00:31:22,633
He understands

620
00:31:22,633 --> 00:31:24,933
exactly what is happening.

621
00:31:24,933 --> 00:31:28,133
He sees the political trap
that he is in,

622
00:31:28,133 --> 00:31:31,633
and he's desperately
trying to find a way out.

623
00:31:31,633 --> 00:31:34,000
GILLON:
Creating
a presidential commission

624
00:31:34,000 --> 00:31:36,066
was, for Johnson,
the best option,

625
00:31:36,066 --> 00:31:39,133
because it allows him to show
presidential leadership,

626
00:31:39,133 --> 00:31:41,500
that he's aware
of the disturbances

627
00:31:41,500 --> 00:31:43,266
that are taking place, that
he's doing something about it,

628
00:31:43,266 --> 00:31:47,133
but it also allows him
to kick the can down the road.

629
00:31:47,133 --> 00:31:48,866
He can say, "Well, I've done
my part.

630
00:31:48,866 --> 00:31:51,100
"I've set up this distinguished
commission.

631
00:31:51,100 --> 00:31:52,933
Let's wait for the
recommendations."

632
00:31:52,933 --> 00:31:58,166
CHAMBERS:
I was in Mississippi
doing civil rights work,

633
00:31:58,166 --> 00:32:03,533
and I remember watching a
black-and-white television set,

634
00:32:03,533 --> 00:32:07,200
and Johnson speaking
about this terrible crisis

635
00:32:07,200 --> 00:32:09,666
that was occurring in America.

636
00:32:09,666 --> 00:32:14,166
And he announced that
he was forming this commission.

637
00:32:14,166 --> 00:32:18,333
We laughed, and we thought,
"Oh, my God," you know?

638
00:32:18,333 --> 00:32:22,433
Commissions are appointed
to make problems go away,

639
00:32:22,433 --> 00:32:25,300
not to deal with them, right?

640
00:32:25,300 --> 00:32:28,300
The commission
will investigate the origins

641
00:32:28,300 --> 00:32:30,866
of the recent disorders
in our cities.

642
00:32:30,866 --> 00:32:34,433
It will make recommendations
to me, to the Congress,

643
00:32:34,433 --> 00:32:37,066
to the state governors,
and to the mayors

644
00:32:37,066 --> 00:32:39,733
for measures to prevent

645
00:32:39,733 --> 00:32:43,266
or contain such disasters
in the future.

646
00:32:43,266 --> 00:32:47,033
President Johnson
called us together by telegram

647
00:32:47,033 --> 00:32:48,766
after he had appointed us.

648
00:32:48,766 --> 00:32:53,200
We met in a cabinet room.

649
00:32:53,200 --> 00:32:56,000
He signed the executive order

650
00:32:56,000 --> 00:32:58,900
and gave each of us a pen.

651
00:32:58,900 --> 00:33:00,900
JOHN KOSKINEN:
The president really
was a conciliator

652
00:33:00,900 --> 00:33:02,333
who would put
a lot of different people

653
00:33:02,333 --> 00:33:04,066
from different backgrounds
together

654
00:33:04,066 --> 00:33:05,800
and say, "Come, let us reason
together."

655
00:33:05,800 --> 00:33:08,133
 
And they covered
the political spectrum.

656
00:33:08,133 --> 00:33:09,800
GILLON:
They had to have supported

657
00:33:09,800 --> 00:33:11,900
some aspect of
his Great Society, especially

658
00:33:11,900 --> 00:33:14,066
the Civil Rights Act of '64
and Voting Rights Act.

659
00:33:14,066 --> 00:33:16,166
Also, just as important,

660
00:33:16,166 --> 00:33:19,900
is they had to have been
supporting the Vietnam War.

661
00:33:19,900 --> 00:33:21,600
He would not appoint anyone
who was a skeptic

662
00:33:21,600 --> 00:33:22,733
of the Vietnam War.

663
00:33:23,833 --> 00:33:26,833
COBB:
It's meant to give him

664
00:33:26,833 --> 00:33:30,100
the political leeway
to maneuver.

665
00:33:30,100 --> 00:33:32,633
And you anticipate him

666
00:33:32,633 --> 00:33:35,166
being able to pull the strings

667
00:33:35,166 --> 00:33:36,766
and move this commission

668
00:33:36,766 --> 00:33:40,100
in a direction that's most
politically beneficial for him.

669
00:33:40,100 --> 00:33:42,700
♪ ♪

670
00:33:42,700 --> 00:33:44,733
CHAMBERS:
There were 11 members.

671
00:33:44,733 --> 00:33:50,333
The chair was Otto Kerner,
who was governor of Illinois.

672
00:33:50,333 --> 00:33:52,233
OTTO KERNER:
I was contacted

673
00:33:52,233 --> 00:33:54,600
with a telephone call
day before yesterday.

674
00:33:54,600 --> 00:33:57,400
JOHNSON:
I want nothing but competence,

675
00:33:57,400 --> 00:33:59,266
and I want nothing
but compassion,

676
00:33:59,266 --> 00:34:03,000
and I want nothing
but, uh, patriotism.

677
00:34:03,000 --> 00:34:05,333
CHAMBERS:
John Lindsay,
the mayor of New York...

678
00:34:05,333 --> 00:34:07,633
JOHNSON:
I want you to be vice-chairman,

679
00:34:07,633 --> 00:34:10,900
and I don't want you to even
consider, uh, thinking about it;

680
00:34:10,900 --> 00:34:12,200
I just want you
to say "Yes, sir."

681
00:34:12,200 --> 00:34:13,666
LINDSAY:
Yes, sir.

682
00:34:13,666 --> 00:34:15,333
KOSKINEN:
Lindsay, at that time,

683
00:34:15,333 --> 00:34:17,866
was still
a registered Republican.

684
00:34:17,866 --> 00:34:19,633
He was
a very liberal Republican,

685
00:34:19,633 --> 00:34:21,933
back in the old days
where there were such things

686
00:34:21,933 --> 00:34:23,500
as liberal Republicans.

687
00:34:26,866 --> 00:34:29,066
CHAMBERS:
There were two
United States senators.

688
00:34:30,666 --> 00:34:33,600
JOHNSON:
Fred Harris, a young man
who'd been interested

689
00:34:33,600 --> 00:34:36,833
in this field in the Senate.

690
00:34:36,833 --> 00:34:38,800
I haven't asked him yet,
but I'm hoping

691
00:34:38,800 --> 00:34:41,666
that I can get Senator Brooke
from Massachusetts.

692
00:34:41,666 --> 00:34:44,066
CHAMBERS:
Ed Brooke,

693
00:34:44,066 --> 00:34:48,100
the first and the only,
then, Black senator

694
00:34:48,100 --> 00:34:50,400
since Reconstruction.

695
00:34:50,400 --> 00:34:52,666
A businessman...

696
00:34:52,666 --> 00:34:55,733
JOHNSON:
I want to ask Tex Thornton,
of Litton Industries,

697
00:34:55,733 --> 00:34:58,600
California, to be on it.

698
00:34:58,600 --> 00:35:04,233
CHAMBERS:
Two members of the House,
McCulloch and Corman,

699
00:35:04,233 --> 00:35:07,366
a Republican and a Democrat;

700
00:35:07,366 --> 00:35:10,833
Herb Jenkins,
the Chief of Police of Atlanta;

701
00:35:10,833 --> 00:35:14,500
the Secretary of Commerce
of the state of Kentucky,

702
00:35:14,500 --> 00:35:16,966
Katherine Ann Peden;

703
00:35:16,966 --> 00:35:21,266
Roy Wilkins,
the head of the NAACP;

704
00:35:21,266 --> 00:35:24,800
and I.W. Abel,
the head of the Steelworkers.

705
00:35:24,800 --> 00:35:27,433
Many very well-known people

706
00:35:27,433 --> 00:35:29,266
and establishment people.

707
00:35:29,266 --> 00:35:31,433
♪ ♪

708
00:35:31,433 --> 00:35:33,366
COBB:
The only activist voice

709
00:35:33,366 --> 00:35:38,566
is that of Roy Wilkins,
who, by the standards of 1967,

710
00:35:38,566 --> 00:35:40,800
is a fairly moderate figure.

711
00:35:42,133 --> 00:35:44,700
Edward Brooke was
the only other Black person

712
00:35:44,700 --> 00:35:48,866
on the commission,
and he was a Republican.

713
00:35:48,866 --> 00:35:51,066
"Time" magazine had given him

714
00:35:51,066 --> 00:35:55,200
the really questionable
honorific of NASP,

715
00:35:55,200 --> 00:35:59,033
or Negro Anglo-Saxon Protestant.

716
00:35:59,033 --> 00:36:01,000
HARRIS:
People looking at this group,

717
00:36:01,000 --> 00:36:03,200
a lot of people thought

718
00:36:03,200 --> 00:36:05,033
that nothing really
was gonna come of it.

719
00:36:05,033 --> 00:36:08,266
And that had been true
of a lot of commissions.

720
00:36:08,266 --> 00:36:12,800
But I think Johnson really
wanted a deep and full report.

721
00:36:12,800 --> 00:36:15,900
As he said,
answer three questions.

722
00:36:15,900 --> 00:36:17,166
What happened?

723
00:36:17,166 --> 00:36:18,833
Why did it happen?

724
00:36:18,833 --> 00:36:21,766
What can be done to prevent it

725
00:36:21,766 --> 00:36:24,033
from happening again and again?

726
00:36:24,033 --> 00:36:27,100
Johnson said, "Charlie Schultze,
the budget director here,

727
00:36:27,100 --> 00:36:28,800
"will take care
of whatever your needs are

728
00:36:28,800 --> 00:36:30,933
to do what needs to be done."

729
00:36:30,933 --> 00:36:33,733
In effect, money won't
be any problem for you.

730
00:36:33,733 --> 00:36:37,533
So, Mr. Chairman,
Mr. Vice-Chairman,

731
00:36:37,533 --> 00:36:39,833
let your search be free.

732
00:36:39,833 --> 00:36:43,166
Let us be untrammeled
by what has been called

733
00:36:43,166 --> 00:36:45,266
the conventional wisdom.

734
00:36:45,266 --> 00:36:51,133
As best you can,
find the truth, the whole truth,

735
00:36:51,133 --> 00:36:53,533
and express it in your report.

736
00:36:53,533 --> 00:36:57,433
♪ ♪

737
00:36:57,433 --> 00:37:00,800
HARRIS:
I didn't know
John Lindsay earlier.

738
00:37:00,800 --> 00:37:06,233
But in our first meeting, John
spoke out about how important

739
00:37:06,233 --> 00:37:09,366
he thought it was that we not
just deal with the question

740
00:37:09,366 --> 00:37:13,000
of law and order, but that
we get at deeper causes.

741
00:37:14,866 --> 00:37:17,233
HARRIS:
I, from earliest time,

742
00:37:17,233 --> 00:37:22,466
was very interested
in the plight of poor people.

743
00:37:22,466 --> 00:37:27,000
I grew up in
a little town in Oklahoma.

744
00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:32,033
I started working the fields
when I was five years old.

745
00:37:32,033 --> 00:37:33,633
We lived in a area

746
00:37:33,633 --> 00:37:36,733
where Comanche Indians
were all amongst us.

747
00:37:36,733 --> 00:37:41,200
And that, I think,
had some effect on me.

748
00:37:42,333 --> 00:37:44,900
No Negroes lived in my town;

749
00:37:44,900 --> 00:37:48,000
at one time, I think,
were prevented from doing so.

750
00:37:48,000 --> 00:37:50,833
But I knew how
they were treated generally.

751
00:37:51,900 --> 00:37:54,633
John Lindsay was probably
more knowledgeable

752
00:37:54,633 --> 00:37:59,100
about these issues than
anybody in America at that time.

753
00:37:59,100 --> 00:38:04,766
He was living with this problem
as a big-city mayor.

754
00:38:04,766 --> 00:38:07,333
He saw the desperate conditions

755
00:38:07,333 --> 00:38:09,600
in which so many
Black people lived.

756
00:38:09,600 --> 00:38:13,700
And I was convinced from the
very first moment he spoke

757
00:38:13,700 --> 00:38:17,400
that he and I were on
the same wavelength exactly.

758
00:38:18,500 --> 00:38:22,366
(indistinct talking)

759
00:38:22,366 --> 00:38:24,166
That first day,
the very first meeting,

760
00:38:24,166 --> 00:38:27,366
it's clear John Lindsay

761
00:38:27,366 --> 00:38:29,700
and Fred Harris
wanted to push the committee

762
00:38:29,700 --> 00:38:31,566
into dealing with

763
00:38:31,566 --> 00:38:34,133
the root causes
of racial unrest,

764
00:38:34,133 --> 00:38:39,033
which they believed was poverty
and a sense of powerlessness.

765
00:38:39,033 --> 00:38:41,300
Tex Thornton sees
the commission's purpose

766
00:38:41,300 --> 00:38:45,400
solely to help law enforcement
to crush future uprisings.

767
00:38:45,400 --> 00:38:50,533
And in every debate, just about,
those two are on opposite sides.

768
00:38:50,533 --> 00:38:52,966
REPORTER:
Governor, what is the feeling
of urgency

769
00:38:52,966 --> 00:38:55,833
among the commission
members on this first day?

770
00:38:55,833 --> 00:38:57,433
Great urgency.

771
00:38:57,433 --> 00:38:59,866
As a matter of fact,
if we could have continued on,

772
00:38:59,866 --> 00:39:01,933
I think we would've done so.

773
00:39:01,933 --> 00:39:06,300
But we felt we had to take
a little breathing spell here,

774
00:39:06,300 --> 00:39:08,733
review our charge,

775
00:39:08,733 --> 00:39:11,033
obtain an executive director,

776
00:39:11,033 --> 00:39:14,000
look at staff opportunities
and places for us to operate.

777
00:39:14,000 --> 00:39:15,966
The group decided
to begin hearings

778
00:39:15,966 --> 00:39:17,733
in Washington
next Tuesday and Wednesday

779
00:39:17,733 --> 00:39:19,300
with government officials.

780
00:39:19,300 --> 00:39:21,366
The commission will
ask for subpoena powers.

781
00:39:21,366 --> 00:39:23,066
The president wants an
interim report

782
00:39:23,066 --> 00:39:24,466
from his new commission

783
00:39:24,466 --> 00:39:26,666
no later than March 1
of next year.

784
00:39:26,666 --> 00:39:28,933
He wants a final report,
at the latest,

785
00:39:28,933 --> 00:39:30,633
one year from today.

786
00:39:30,633 --> 00:39:32,100
♪ ♪

787
00:39:32,100 --> 00:39:33,900
COBB:
This is not the group of people

788
00:39:33,900 --> 00:39:35,400
that you would generally expect

789
00:39:35,400 --> 00:39:37,566
to be a kind of fount of wisdom

790
00:39:37,566 --> 00:39:41,866
on a subject
as intractable as race.

791
00:39:41,866 --> 00:39:44,133
And that is

792
00:39:44,133 --> 00:39:46,800
the foremost challenge
that confronts them

793
00:39:46,800 --> 00:39:49,833
the minute
they walk through the door.

794
00:39:49,833 --> 00:39:52,600
What can they possibly say

795
00:39:52,600 --> 00:39:55,966
that can, one, lend insight

796
00:39:55,966 --> 00:39:58,000
into questions of race

797
00:39:58,000 --> 00:39:59,233
and, two,

798
00:39:59,233 --> 00:40:02,700
be instructive as to how

799
00:40:02,700 --> 00:40:04,700
the society can move forward.

800
00:40:04,700 --> 00:40:07,400
♪ ♪

801
00:40:09,300 --> 00:40:10,966
REPORTER:
Senator Thurmond,

802
00:40:10,966 --> 00:40:13,033
there's some suggestions
that there may be

803
00:40:13,033 --> 00:40:14,300
a Communist conspiracy
or a conspiracy

804
00:40:14,300 --> 00:40:15,500
involved in these riots.

805
00:40:15,500 --> 00:40:17,333
Do you have any information
on this?

806
00:40:17,333 --> 00:40:19,966
I don't think there's
any question about it.

807
00:40:19,966 --> 00:40:25,333
There's no doubt in my mind
that these riots are organized,

808
00:40:25,333 --> 00:40:27,166
and there's no doubt
in my mind

809
00:40:27,166 --> 00:40:29,033
that the Communists
are behind these riots.

810
00:40:29,033 --> 00:40:30,966
CROWD:
♪ We're gonna walk the walk ♪

811
00:40:30,966 --> 00:40:32,400
♪ We're gonna talk the talk ♪

812
00:40:32,400 --> 00:40:34,833
♪ Ride on, freedom... ♪

813
00:40:34,833 --> 00:40:35,866
POWELL:
"Outside agitator"
was the phrase

814
00:40:35,866 --> 00:40:37,600
that people used in the South,

815
00:40:37,600 --> 00:40:39,233
whenever anything happened that
people didn't like.

816
00:40:39,233 --> 00:40:42,133
 
I said we're gonna
take a stand today.

817
00:40:42,133 --> 00:40:43,666
POWELL:
"These must be
outside agitators,

818
00:40:43,666 --> 00:40:45,300
'cause our Negroes
wouldn't behave this way."

819
00:40:45,300 --> 00:40:47,333
(crowd calling back,
clapping)

820
00:40:47,333 --> 00:40:50,066
And in the North,
it went one step further.

821
00:40:50,066 --> 00:40:52,766
It was to say that
the Communists were behind it.

822
00:40:52,766 --> 00:40:56,366
CARTER:
Surely, Blacks of their own
accord wouldn't be

823
00:40:56,366 --> 00:40:57,966
torching their own
neighborhoods,

824
00:40:57,966 --> 00:40:59,700
so there must be some
hidden hand here.

825
00:40:59,700 --> 00:41:01,166
 
CARMICHAEL:
Don't be afraid.

826
00:41:01,166 --> 00:41:02,533
Don't be ashamed.

827
00:41:02,533 --> 00:41:03,966
We want Black Power.

828
00:41:03,966 --> 00:41:05,833
We want Black Power.

829
00:41:05,833 --> 00:41:07,000
CROWD:
We want Black power!

830
00:41:07,000 --> 00:41:08,500
We want Black Power.

831
00:41:08,500 --> 00:41:09,500
CROWD:
Black Power!

832
00:41:09,500 --> 00:41:10,766
We want Black Power.

833
00:41:10,766 --> 00:41:11,966
WALLACE:
Stokely Carmichael,

834
00:41:11,966 --> 00:41:14,566
a 25-year-old revolutionary,

835
00:41:14,566 --> 00:41:17,333
a college graduate
with a degree in philosophy.

836
00:41:17,333 --> 00:41:20,066
It was here
in Mississippi this summer

837
00:41:20,066 --> 00:41:22,400
that Carmichael,
with his cry for Black Power,

838
00:41:22,400 --> 00:41:25,300
first became a national figure,

839
00:41:25,300 --> 00:41:26,766
and to many,
a frightening one.

840
00:41:26,766 --> 00:41:29,000
You gonna sit in front of
your television set

841
00:41:29,000 --> 00:41:30,933
and listen to LBJ tell you that

842
00:41:30,933 --> 00:41:35,666
"violence never accomplishes
anything, my fellow Americans."

843
00:41:35,666 --> 00:41:38,300
The face of the Civil Rights
Movement has changed

844
00:41:38,300 --> 00:41:40,600
by the summer of 1967.

845
00:41:40,600 --> 00:41:43,166
But you see, the real problem
with violence

846
00:41:43,166 --> 00:41:45,833
is that we have never been
violent.

847
00:41:45,833 --> 00:41:48,566
We have been too nonviolent,
too nonviolent.

848
00:41:48,566 --> 00:41:51,166
(crowd cheering)

849
00:41:51,166 --> 00:41:54,333
FLAMM:
Dr. King remains the
preeminent leader...

850
00:41:54,333 --> 00:41:55,766
Oh, that's all right,

851
00:41:55,766 --> 00:41:57,366
that's all right...

852
00:41:57,366 --> 00:42:00,366
FLAMM:
But there is a sense
among white Americans

853
00:42:00,366 --> 00:42:03,566
that Dr. King is
no longer in charge.

854
00:42:03,566 --> 00:42:04,933
You better quit
running around here,

855
00:42:04,933 --> 00:42:06,333
talking about loving
these honkies to death.

856
00:42:06,333 --> 00:42:07,900
During rebellions, brother,

857
00:42:07,900 --> 00:42:09,800
you got stop looting
and start shooting.

858
00:42:09,800 --> 00:42:10,800
(crowd cheering)

859
00:42:10,800 --> 00:42:12,200
Black Power, brother.

860
00:42:12,200 --> 00:42:14,666
BOESEL:
Of course it alarms
white people;

861
00:42:14,666 --> 00:42:16,000
it alarmed the government.

862
00:42:16,000 --> 00:42:18,566
The FBI was all over these guys.

863
00:42:18,566 --> 00:42:20,966
The Communists in this country

864
00:42:20,966 --> 00:42:24,133
had organized, very intensely,

865
00:42:24,133 --> 00:42:28,700
a drive to infiltrate
into the racial discord

866
00:42:28,700 --> 00:42:30,466
and discontent in the country.

867
00:42:30,466 --> 00:42:32,666
MUHAMMED:
Running the Federal Bureau
of Investigation,

868
00:42:32,666 --> 00:42:37,566
J. Edgar Hoover had been
a key opponent of civil rights,

869
00:42:37,566 --> 00:42:40,033
had collapsed civil rights
with communism.

870
00:42:40,033 --> 00:42:43,433
He understood that

871
00:42:43,433 --> 00:42:47,766
any form of civil rights
did pose,

872
00:42:47,766 --> 00:42:51,200
to some degree, a legitimate
challenge

873
00:42:51,200 --> 00:42:53,200
to the way the nation
functioned.

874
00:42:53,200 --> 00:42:54,866
 
Black people
had literally been

875
00:42:54,866 --> 00:42:57,000
raw material
for wealth creation.

876
00:42:57,000 --> 00:43:00,933
And so Hoover's holding the line

877
00:43:00,933 --> 00:43:04,300
against the threat of Black
people being at the vanguard

878
00:43:04,300 --> 00:43:07,333
of a communist takeover
of the United States.

879
00:43:07,333 --> 00:43:11,433
♪ ♪

880
00:43:11,433 --> 00:43:13,533
CARTER:
Hoover is consistently

881
00:43:13,533 --> 00:43:15,900
playing up these possibilities,

882
00:43:15,900 --> 00:43:18,633
sending wildly inaccurate,

883
00:43:18,633 --> 00:43:21,900
unvetted raw intelligence
information

884
00:43:21,900 --> 00:43:24,066
to the White House.

885
00:43:24,066 --> 00:43:27,266
Because where there's smoke,
there must be some fire.

886
00:43:27,266 --> 00:43:30,300
♪ ♪

887
00:43:32,066 --> 00:43:34,100
GILLON:
This issue of conspiracy

888
00:43:34,100 --> 00:43:36,166
was very important
to the commission.

889
00:43:36,166 --> 00:43:39,433
Their first major witness
was J. Edgar Hoover.

890
00:43:41,933 --> 00:43:46,600
He puts all of these
charts up around the room.

891
00:43:46,600 --> 00:43:48,300
And shows, you know,

892
00:43:48,300 --> 00:43:51,433
"Stokely Carmichael
was in Maryland on this day,

893
00:43:51,433 --> 00:43:53,766
and the next day,
there was a disturbance."

894
00:43:53,766 --> 00:43:56,400
He's trying to create

895
00:43:56,400 --> 00:44:00,100
a connection between
these advocates of Black Power

896
00:44:00,100 --> 00:44:02,433
and the racial unrests.

897
00:44:02,433 --> 00:44:05,700
(flames roaring,
indistinct shouting)

898
00:44:05,700 --> 00:44:09,400
(rioting footage continues)

899
00:44:09,400 --> 00:44:12,066
MAN (on footage):
Burn, baby, burn.

900
00:44:12,066 --> 00:44:14,166
(indistinct shouting)

901
00:44:14,166 --> 00:44:16,200
HARRIS:
If you pressed him,

902
00:44:16,200 --> 00:44:19,700
J. Edgar Hoover, he'd...
he said, "No, there was not

903
00:44:19,700 --> 00:44:22,233
any national conspiracy
behind the riots."

904
00:44:22,233 --> 00:44:26,566
But then, he talked about
outside agitators and so forth,

905
00:44:26,566 --> 00:44:31,033
and really made you think--
and made Lyndon Johnson think--

906
00:44:31,033 --> 00:44:32,966
that there was a conspiracy.

907
00:44:32,966 --> 00:44:36,700
FLAMM:
Johnson believes Hoover

908
00:44:36,700 --> 00:44:40,233
and listens to Hoover.

909
00:44:40,233 --> 00:44:42,566
They are neighbors
in Washington.

910
00:44:42,566 --> 00:44:47,266
Johnson is also
extraordinarily thin-skinned.

911
00:44:47,266 --> 00:44:52,366
He takes criticism
really, really personally.

912
00:44:52,366 --> 00:44:56,000
He is attracted to the idea
that the only reason

913
00:44:56,000 --> 00:44:58,200
all of this violence
is taking place

914
00:44:58,200 --> 00:44:59,866
is because people
are being provoked,

915
00:44:59,866 --> 00:45:03,600
incited, and agitated.

916
00:45:03,600 --> 00:45:08,066
HINTON:
If the rebellions were about
underlying racial inequalities,

917
00:45:08,066 --> 00:45:11,633
then that was an indictment
of the War on Poverty.

918
00:45:11,633 --> 00:45:15,400
Perhaps it hadn't gone
far enough.

919
00:45:15,400 --> 00:45:17,166
Perhaps it wasn't sufficient

920
00:45:17,166 --> 00:45:19,366
to address historical racism

921
00:45:19,366 --> 00:45:20,400
and inequality.

922
00:45:20,400 --> 00:45:26,233
♪ ♪

923
00:45:29,633 --> 00:45:34,100
(indistinct chatter)

924
00:45:34,100 --> 00:45:36,866
REPORTER:
Dr. King, what were
the major points discussed

925
00:45:36,866 --> 00:45:39,000
before the commission today?

926
00:45:39,000 --> 00:45:41,066
KING:
Well, we discussed many points

927
00:45:41,066 --> 00:45:46,733
concerning the
civil disorders taking place.

928
00:45:46,733 --> 00:45:50,633
My major point was that
the time has come for

929
00:45:50,633 --> 00:45:55,300
a massive program on the part of
the federal government

930
00:45:55,300 --> 00:45:58,700
that will make jobs or income

931
00:45:58,700 --> 00:46:01,933
a reality for every
American citizen.

932
00:46:01,933 --> 00:46:04,700
♪ ♪

933
00:46:04,700 --> 00:46:07,633
HARRIS:
The commission held a
long series of hearings

934
00:46:07,633 --> 00:46:10,966
about civil disturbances
and violent protests.

935
00:46:13,600 --> 00:46:15,433
20 days of hearings.

936
00:46:17,266 --> 00:46:19,600
We heard from
a lot of witnesses.

937
00:46:20,900 --> 00:46:23,066
COBB:
The commission called upon
people

938
00:46:23,066 --> 00:46:26,933
who had varying
perspectives and insights

939
00:46:26,933 --> 00:46:30,000
into the pertinent
questions of race--

940
00:46:30,000 --> 00:46:33,666
historians,
sociologists, economists,

941
00:46:33,666 --> 00:46:37,766
law enforcement figures,
activists.

942
00:46:37,766 --> 00:46:40,333
And they really were
trying to get

943
00:46:40,333 --> 00:46:43,633
a kind of baseline
of knowledge

944
00:46:43,633 --> 00:46:46,700
about why American cities
were on fire.

945
00:46:46,700 --> 00:46:48,366
One of the witnesses,

946
00:46:48,366 --> 00:46:51,133
the renowned Black
psychologist Kenneth Clark,

947
00:46:51,133 --> 00:46:53,833
voiced a real degree
of skepticism

948
00:46:53,833 --> 00:46:55,200
about what they were doing.

949
00:46:55,200 --> 00:46:59,700
He ticks off all
of the inquiries

950
00:46:59,700 --> 00:47:03,366
that have happened in response
to other uprisings--

951
00:47:03,366 --> 00:47:08,700
1935, 1943, 1965-- and says,

952
00:47:08,700 --> 00:47:10,833
"Each of them
produced a report.

953
00:47:10,833 --> 00:47:13,966
None of those reports actually
made any difference,"

954
00:47:13,966 --> 00:47:16,633
and raises the question
about whether this inquiry

955
00:47:16,633 --> 00:47:18,266
will make any
difference either.

956
00:47:18,266 --> 00:47:22,300
So far as we can find at
this point-- and of course

957
00:47:22,300 --> 00:47:25,500
we've had only a small amount
of material before us--

958
00:47:25,500 --> 00:47:28,100
as to the various riots
that have occurred,

959
00:47:28,100 --> 00:47:30,500
there seems to be
no common plan.

960
00:47:30,500 --> 00:47:32,633
There doesn't seem
to be a plan at all.

961
00:47:32,633 --> 00:47:34,466
Something happens,
it may be rumor,

962
00:47:34,466 --> 00:47:35,766
it may be an arrest,

963
00:47:35,766 --> 00:47:37,666
but suddenly
it triggers the riots.

964
00:47:37,666 --> 00:47:40,833
HARRIS:
The president
told us to state the facts.

965
00:47:40,833 --> 00:47:42,500
And one of the facts

966
00:47:42,500 --> 00:47:44,866
that we said straight out was

967
00:47:44,866 --> 00:47:47,333
that there was a great deal
of overreaction

968
00:47:47,333 --> 00:47:52,433
 
by the police and
by the National Guard.

969
00:47:52,433 --> 00:47:54,500
The great majority
of people who were killed

970
00:47:54,500 --> 00:47:56,533
were Black people.

971
00:47:56,533 --> 00:47:58,100
We looked, for example,

972
00:47:58,100 --> 00:47:59,733
at sniping reports.
(gun firing)

973
00:47:59,733 --> 00:48:01,200
(repeated firing)

974
00:48:01,200 --> 00:48:02,366
MCGEE:
Sniping was organized.

975
00:48:02,366 --> 00:48:03,466
They were mobile

976
00:48:03,466 --> 00:48:05,900
and able to tie up large forces.

977
00:48:05,900 --> 00:48:07,733
MUHAMMED:
There was a consistent refrain

978
00:48:07,733 --> 00:48:11,833
that a sniper was shooting at

979
00:48:11,833 --> 00:48:15,433
or had shot law enforcement

980
00:48:15,433 --> 00:48:18,833
or members of the National Guard
or fire departments.

981
00:48:18,833 --> 00:48:22,566
No one to this day
will ever know,

982
00:48:22,566 --> 00:48:25,000
in all instances,

983
00:48:25,000 --> 00:48:28,266
what did happen
or didn't happen.

984
00:48:28,266 --> 00:48:31,766
What we do know is that
a lot of the instances

985
00:48:31,766 --> 00:48:34,400
of the shooting or deaths

986
00:48:34,400 --> 00:48:37,133
of members of
the National Guard,

987
00:48:37,133 --> 00:48:38,900
of the fire department,
the police,

988
00:48:38,900 --> 00:48:40,933
were by friendly fire.

989
00:48:40,933 --> 00:48:44,466
That being said,
it didn't really matter.

990
00:48:44,466 --> 00:48:49,533
The notion of a fictionalized,
larger-than-life sniper problem

991
00:48:49,533 --> 00:48:52,433
meant that law enforcement

992
00:48:52,433 --> 00:48:56,000
could use the most aggressive,
militarized weaponry and tactics

993
00:48:56,000 --> 00:48:58,400
to "put down"
their own citizens.

994
00:48:58,400 --> 00:49:02,433
(weapon firing, siren wailing)

995
00:49:02,433 --> 00:49:04,666
(tires screeching,
siren continues)

996
00:49:04,666 --> 00:49:07,866
HARRIS:
When we could trace down
a sniper incident report,

997
00:49:07,866 --> 00:49:09,500
here's the kind of thing
we found:

998
00:49:09,500 --> 00:49:12,066
A young National Guard guy
with live ammunition

999
00:49:12,066 --> 00:49:16,000
was stationed
under a streetlight.

1000
00:49:16,000 --> 00:49:18,133
And he was scared to death
in this Black neighborhood,

1001
00:49:18,133 --> 00:49:19,766
high rise apartment nearby.

1002
00:49:19,766 --> 00:49:22,833
And he shot out the streetlight.

1003
00:49:22,833 --> 00:49:26,766
And that gave rise to
all sorts of reports,

1004
00:49:26,766 --> 00:49:28,533
everywhere on the radio
and everywhere else,

1005
00:49:28,533 --> 00:49:29,933
"There's snipers.

1006
00:49:29,933 --> 00:49:31,866
"They pulled up
some kind of vehicle

1007
00:49:31,866 --> 00:49:35,900
with a machine gun on it
and sprayed that apartment."

1008
00:49:35,900 --> 00:49:37,666
(rapid gunfire)

1009
00:49:37,666 --> 00:49:41,100
As a result of
what we thought was

1010
00:49:41,100 --> 00:49:44,733
a overreaction by
the National Guard,

1011
00:49:44,733 --> 00:49:46,833
virtually all of whom
were white and young,

1012
00:49:46,833 --> 00:49:48,200
with no training whatsoever

1013
00:49:48,200 --> 00:49:52,500
of how to deal with
any civil disturbances,

1014
00:49:52,500 --> 00:49:55,866
I suggested we make
an announcement early,

1015
00:49:55,866 --> 00:49:57,900
separate from our final report,

1016
00:49:57,900 --> 00:50:01,733
calling for integration
of the National Guard.

1017
00:50:01,733 --> 00:50:03,100
♪ ♪

1018
00:50:03,100 --> 00:50:04,400
GILLON:
African Americans made up

1019
00:50:04,400 --> 00:50:08,600
less than two percent of
National Guard members.

1020
00:50:08,600 --> 00:50:10,700
Lindsay and Harris both thought

1021
00:50:10,700 --> 00:50:12,366
that it was important to, to
make that statement.

1022
00:50:12,366 --> 00:50:15,866
 
Tex Thornton
doesn't want to do it.

1023
00:50:15,866 --> 00:50:19,666
And this is
the first big battle.

1024
00:50:19,666 --> 00:50:21,600
And Tex Thornton
argues vehemently

1025
00:50:21,600 --> 00:50:24,400
against the commission making
any kind of a statement.

1026
00:50:25,566 --> 00:50:27,566
HARRIS:
We were such different people,

1027
00:50:27,566 --> 00:50:30,500
and there were
a lot of different views

1028
00:50:30,500 --> 00:50:33,800
and a lot of argument
from the first.

1029
00:50:33,800 --> 00:50:37,566
I had worried that
we wouldn't be able

1030
00:50:37,566 --> 00:50:40,166
to come up
with a good report.

1031
00:50:40,166 --> 00:50:44,100
So I made a deal
with a publisher

1032
00:50:44,100 --> 00:50:46,266
to write a book myself.

1033
00:50:46,266 --> 00:50:49,066
♪ ♪

1034
00:50:50,766 --> 00:50:53,033
(children playing)

1035
00:50:53,033 --> 00:50:55,000
ADDONIZIO:
We've had members of

1036
00:50:55,000 --> 00:50:56,800
the president's Commission
on Civil Disorders

1037
00:50:56,800 --> 00:50:58,833
here in our city today.

1038
00:50:58,833 --> 00:51:01,366
We hope that they have been able
to walk through our city,

1039
00:51:01,366 --> 00:51:05,033
and find out for themselves
exactly what exists out there.

1040
00:51:05,033 --> 00:51:07,566
(children playing in background)

1041
00:51:07,566 --> 00:51:11,300
LINDSAY:
There isn't anybody that
you talk to in a community

1042
00:51:11,300 --> 00:51:13,400
that's under stress
in any city of the country

1043
00:51:13,400 --> 00:51:15,933
who is not a valuable person
to talk to.

1044
00:51:17,166 --> 00:51:20,300
WEAVER:
The Kerner Commission
avoided this tendency

1045
00:51:20,300 --> 00:51:23,833
to listen only to
certain sections of society.

1046
00:51:23,833 --> 00:51:26,633
And they go out and they scour,

1047
00:51:26,633 --> 00:51:29,033
trying to understand
the patterns

1048
00:51:29,033 --> 00:51:30,600
and the common features

1049
00:51:30,600 --> 00:51:32,166
and what is it people are
saying.

1050
00:51:32,166 --> 00:51:34,233
 
HARRIS:
We can learn a good deal more

1051
00:51:34,233 --> 00:51:37,166
out over the country,
talking to people,

1052
00:51:37,166 --> 00:51:39,500
than we can sitting in

1053
00:51:39,500 --> 00:51:41,333
a building in Washington,
and so,

1054
00:51:41,333 --> 00:51:43,500
we're going to a good
many cities around the country;

1055
00:51:43,500 --> 00:51:45,400
Milwaukee is one of them.

1056
00:51:45,400 --> 00:51:49,000
We just want to kind of get
the sense and feel of some of

1057
00:51:49,000 --> 00:51:52,166
these tremendous urban problems
that we have in America.

1058
00:51:54,800 --> 00:51:58,466
(interview):
In Milwaukee, I spent a morning
in a Black barbershop.

1059
00:51:59,833 --> 00:52:01,800
Young men coming in,
25 to 30.

1060
00:52:03,066 --> 00:52:05,566
And the first question
I asked each of them

1061
00:52:05,566 --> 00:52:08,166
as they came into
the barbershop puzzled them,

1062
00:52:08,166 --> 00:52:09,700
and I finally figured out why.

1063
00:52:09,700 --> 00:52:11,233
My question was,

1064
00:52:11,233 --> 00:52:13,866
"Is there
greater discrimination

1065
00:52:13,866 --> 00:52:16,366
"here in Milwaukee
than where you came from

1066
00:52:16,366 --> 00:52:20,033
in Jackson or, or Memphis
or wherever?"

1067
00:52:20,033 --> 00:52:23,733
And the reason it puzzled 'em
was, as I found out,

1068
00:52:23,733 --> 00:52:27,533
in Milwaukee, they didn't
see any white people.

1069
00:52:27,533 --> 00:52:29,966
There was more segregation

1070
00:52:29,966 --> 00:52:32,833
in Milwaukee--
that's a northern city--

1071
00:52:32,833 --> 00:52:35,300
than those southern cities
that they'd come from.

1072
00:52:36,966 --> 00:52:39,000
♪ ♪

1073
00:52:39,000 --> 00:52:42,000
And to see the
terrible conditions:

1074
00:52:42,000 --> 00:52:46,733
three and four families
living in a one-family house.

1075
00:52:48,633 --> 00:52:52,000
Grocery store with day-old bread
and wilted vegetables.

1076
00:52:53,633 --> 00:52:57,000
Criminally inferior schools.

1077
00:52:57,000 --> 00:52:59,733
♪ ♪

1078
00:52:59,733 --> 00:53:01,666
There wasn't any
transportation system.

1079
00:53:01,666 --> 00:53:04,366
The jobs had left--

1080
00:53:04,366 --> 00:53:08,266
moved out to the suburbs,
or had disappeared altogether.

1081
00:53:08,266 --> 00:53:10,700
♪ ♪

1082
00:53:10,700 --> 00:53:14,333
In Cincinnati,
John Lindsay and I ran onto

1083
00:53:14,333 --> 00:53:16,766
some young men
that were shooting craps

1084
00:53:16,766 --> 00:53:20,000
on the street,
in broad daylight.

1085
00:53:20,000 --> 00:53:22,300
When they found out
we were from Washington,

1086
00:53:22,300 --> 00:53:24,833
they all, just in a chorus
almost, said,

1087
00:53:24,833 --> 00:53:28,133
"Jobs, baby.
We need jobs, baby."

1088
00:53:28,133 --> 00:53:30,233
The only thing we can do

1089
00:53:30,233 --> 00:53:32,666
is stand around
and stand on the corner

1090
00:53:32,666 --> 00:53:34,633
all the time.

1091
00:53:34,633 --> 00:53:36,233
See, we don't have
anything to do,

1092
00:53:36,233 --> 00:53:37,533
so, not no purpose.

1093
00:53:37,533 --> 00:53:39,533
KOSKINEN:
It was an eye-opener.

1094
00:53:39,533 --> 00:53:42,000
These weren't outsiders,

1095
00:53:42,000 --> 00:53:43,833
these weren't conspirators,

1096
00:53:43,833 --> 00:53:45,733
these weren't
political radicals.

1097
00:53:45,733 --> 00:53:48,366
These were people
who had legitimate

1098
00:53:48,366 --> 00:53:50,866
and great, long-standing
grievances

1099
00:53:50,866 --> 00:53:52,533
about the nature of their life

1100
00:53:52,533 --> 00:53:54,700
and the limited opportunities
they were provided.

1101
00:53:54,700 --> 00:53:57,133
Everybody's so all fired up
about these riots

1102
00:53:57,133 --> 00:53:59,000
and this here racial disorder
and Black Power,

1103
00:53:59,000 --> 00:54:00,633
and nobody's figuring out that
half of these cats

1104
00:54:00,633 --> 00:54:02,200
want to get out there
and make it for themselves.

1105
00:54:02,200 --> 00:54:03,966
You think they want to stay
like this all their lives?

1106
00:54:03,966 --> 00:54:07,733
The resentment is of
the same kind.

1107
00:54:07,733 --> 00:54:12,633
The conviction that something
must be done quickly,

1108
00:54:12,633 --> 00:54:16,866
outside of the routine channels,
is very widespread.

1109
00:54:18,233 --> 00:54:21,133
HARRIS:
It really put faces on
these problems.

1110
00:54:21,133 --> 00:54:23,000
And I know that it had
the same effect

1111
00:54:23,000 --> 00:54:25,233
on other members
of the commission.

1112
00:54:26,400 --> 00:54:28,833
Tex Thornton said himself,

1113
00:54:28,833 --> 00:54:32,966
after going out to riot cities
and talking to people there,

1114
00:54:32,966 --> 00:54:37,133
"I have moved about
90 degrees to the left."

1115
00:54:37,133 --> 00:54:38,833
(film reel clicking on,
whirring)

1116
00:54:38,833 --> 00:54:40,333
(clicking)

1117
00:54:42,700 --> 00:54:46,200
HARRIS:
We also had these
copious reports

1118
00:54:46,200 --> 00:54:48,500
from our survey teams.

1119
00:54:48,500 --> 00:54:51,800
♪ ♪

1120
00:54:51,800 --> 00:54:55,133
GILLON:
The commission staff
included social scientists

1121
00:54:55,133 --> 00:54:57,500
who were in Washington
at the headquarters.

1122
00:54:57,500 --> 00:54:59,200
(typewriter keys clacking)

1123
00:54:59,200 --> 00:55:03,800
CHAMBERS:
And the commission sent out
these teams of six people

1124
00:55:03,800 --> 00:55:07,633
to 23 cities to learn
exactly what had happened.

1125
00:55:09,066 --> 00:55:13,966
WEAVER:
They do an extraordinary
field investigation.

1126
00:55:13,966 --> 00:55:17,133
They interviewed business
leaders, civic leaders,

1127
00:55:17,133 --> 00:55:20,000
on down to
Black police officers.

1128
00:55:20,000 --> 00:55:24,433
They sat in people's
living rooms and barber shops.

1129
00:55:24,433 --> 00:55:26,433
They heard their stories.

1130
00:55:26,433 --> 00:55:30,433
♪ ♪

1131
00:55:40,666 --> 00:55:44,433
BOESEL:
I was one of four analysts

1132
00:55:44,433 --> 00:55:48,900
in charge of conducting
analyses of those reports.

1133
00:55:48,900 --> 00:55:51,933
There were mountains of material
that we had to go through--

1134
00:55:51,933 --> 00:55:54,200
news reports,

1135
00:55:54,200 --> 00:55:56,800
some FBI reports,

1136
00:55:56,800 --> 00:55:59,533
boxes and piles of documents.

1137
00:56:01,200 --> 00:56:04,500
Our job was to
take that information

1138
00:56:04,500 --> 00:56:07,100
and all the statistics
that we could find,

1139
00:56:07,100 --> 00:56:09,200
put them together

1140
00:56:09,200 --> 00:56:12,700
in an analysis that
answered the question,

1141
00:56:12,700 --> 00:56:13,933
"Why did it happen?"

1142
00:56:13,933 --> 00:56:15,800
♪ ♪

1143
00:56:15,800 --> 00:56:18,133
KOSKINEN:
After having done that
through about 15 cities,

1144
00:56:18,133 --> 00:56:19,800
a common pattern began
to emerge,

1145
00:56:19,800 --> 00:56:22,766
which was, these
were people protesting.

1146
00:56:22,766 --> 00:56:24,733
♪ ♪

1147
00:56:24,733 --> 00:56:26,300
BOESEL:
In the South,

1148
00:56:26,300 --> 00:56:28,366
you had the Jim Crow system,

1149
00:56:28,366 --> 00:56:31,233
organized legal segregation.

1150
00:56:31,233 --> 00:56:33,466
There were lines
that you couldn't cross.

1151
00:56:33,466 --> 00:56:35,233
If you crossed them,

1152
00:56:35,233 --> 00:56:37,066
you knew what
the consequences would be.

1153
00:56:38,833 --> 00:56:44,466
So it was possible to
use civil disobedience tactics

1154
00:56:44,466 --> 00:56:46,633
to move toward a goal.

1155
00:56:46,633 --> 00:56:50,000
♪ ♪

1156
00:56:50,000 --> 00:56:54,100
In the North, the causes of
oppression and disadvantage

1157
00:56:54,100 --> 00:56:56,266
were more opaque.

1158
00:56:57,466 --> 00:57:00,266
You were a lot freer
in many ways,

1159
00:57:00,266 --> 00:57:02,400
but one thing
that you couldn't do

1160
00:57:02,400 --> 00:57:07,400
was move out of your
constricted neighborhood,

1161
00:57:07,400 --> 00:57:08,800
your ghetto.

1162
00:57:09,766 --> 00:57:11,866
ZEITZ:
The six million
African Americans

1163
00:57:11,866 --> 00:57:13,333
who've moved north since
World War I

1164
00:57:13,333 --> 00:57:15,566
find that they're
facing a wall of opposition.

1165
00:57:15,566 --> 00:57:18,300
Unions discriminate
against them.

1166
00:57:18,300 --> 00:57:20,766
They're not able
to get the same high-paying,

1167
00:57:20,766 --> 00:57:23,666
high-benefits union jobs
that many white people did.

1168
00:57:25,100 --> 00:57:28,933
Realtors and home sellers
are discriminating against them.

1169
00:57:28,933 --> 00:57:30,333
They're consigned to

1170
00:57:30,333 --> 00:57:32,800
some of the worst
rental properties in cities.

1171
00:57:32,800 --> 00:57:35,266
MAN:
The least little thing you do,

1172
00:57:35,266 --> 00:57:37,100
it upset...

1173
00:57:37,100 --> 00:57:40,000
it unbalanced the cart,
and once the cart is tipped,

1174
00:57:40,000 --> 00:57:41,700
then the apples
begin to roll out,

1175
00:57:41,700 --> 00:57:42,866
and they just keep rolling,

1176
00:57:42,866 --> 00:57:43,900
and you can't
pick them all back up.

1177
00:57:43,900 --> 00:57:45,600
The federal government

1178
00:57:45,600 --> 00:57:47,533
underwrote the suburbanization
of America

1179
00:57:47,533 --> 00:57:51,033
 
through agencies
that insured mortgages.

1180
00:57:51,033 --> 00:57:53,066
It did so through
the G.I. Bill of Rights.

1181
00:57:54,400 --> 00:57:56,433
But African Americans,
who were helping

1182
00:57:56,433 --> 00:57:58,666
to fund these programs
through their taxes,

1183
00:57:58,666 --> 00:57:59,766
did not get to
take part in them,

1184
00:57:59,766 --> 00:58:00,833
because of discrimination

1185
00:58:00,833 --> 00:58:03,433
among realtors and home sellers.

1186
00:58:05,966 --> 00:58:09,000
BOESEL:
You've had a generation
of young people,

1187
00:58:09,000 --> 00:58:11,433
politically conscious.

1188
00:58:11,433 --> 00:58:12,866
Black Power

1189
00:58:12,866 --> 00:58:17,400
and Black nationalism
were in the air at the time.

1190
00:58:17,400 --> 00:58:20,633
They rejected the gradualism

1191
00:58:20,633 --> 00:58:24,800
of traditional
civil rights organizations.

1192
00:58:24,800 --> 00:58:26,233
They wanted control,

1193
00:58:26,233 --> 00:58:27,933
control of their own
communities.

1194
00:58:27,933 --> 00:58:30,600
They wanted action.

1195
00:58:30,600 --> 00:58:35,033
♪ ♪

1196
00:58:35,033 --> 00:58:37,200
There were long histories

1197
00:58:37,200 --> 00:58:39,866
of efforts by Black leaders

1198
00:58:39,866 --> 00:58:42,666
to pressure city governments

1199
00:58:42,666 --> 00:58:46,033
to address a wide variety
of problems.

1200
00:58:46,033 --> 00:58:49,300
But it never resulted in much.

1201
00:58:49,300 --> 00:58:52,666
They're gonna have to find

1202
00:58:52,666 --> 00:58:56,200
some other way
to bring about change.

1203
00:58:56,200 --> 00:58:58,600
Not going through
the system anymore,

1204
00:58:58,600 --> 00:59:02,000
but turning out in the streets.

1205
00:59:02,000 --> 00:59:04,533
HINTON:
Many of the young people
who participated

1206
00:59:04,533 --> 00:59:06,433
had spent their childhoods

1207
00:59:06,433 --> 00:59:09,766
witnessing the Civil Rights
Movement unfold.

1208
00:59:09,766 --> 00:59:11,733
Yet they were still living

1209
00:59:11,733 --> 00:59:13,733
with roaches and rats
running around,

1210
00:59:13,733 --> 00:59:16,766
in public schools
that didn't have

1211
00:59:16,766 --> 00:59:19,566
up-to-date books
or resources.

1212
00:59:19,566 --> 00:59:23,466
When nonviolent
direct action protests

1213
00:59:23,466 --> 00:59:27,366
haven't worked to
change your conditions,

1214
00:59:27,366 --> 00:59:29,766
then the next step

1215
00:59:29,766 --> 00:59:33,600
is violent direct action.

1216
00:59:33,600 --> 00:59:37,366
POWELL:
The word "riot" has
a connotation to it.

1217
00:59:37,366 --> 00:59:41,066
The idea of riots being
people destroying property,

1218
00:59:41,066 --> 00:59:43,100
almost irrational.

1219
00:59:43,100 --> 00:59:45,833
It doesn't suggest
there's any underlying cause

1220
00:59:45,833 --> 00:59:48,466
other than bad actors,
if you will.

1221
00:59:48,466 --> 00:59:51,433
But I was back in Detroit,
visiting my parents;

1222
00:59:51,433 --> 00:59:52,933
Detroit was burning.

1223
00:59:52,933 --> 00:59:55,533
And I remember going down
to the end of the block,

1224
00:59:55,533 --> 00:59:57,266
and someone pointing...

1225
00:59:57,266 --> 01:00:00,033
I think it was an M-16,
at me, and saying,

1226
01:00:00,033 --> 01:00:03,033
"Go back where you were."

1227
01:00:03,033 --> 01:00:06,100
I was just pissed at America.

1228
01:00:06,100 --> 01:00:09,800
That James Brown song
comes to mind, you know,

1229
01:00:09,800 --> 01:00:13,333
"We'd rather die on our feet
than keep living on our knees."

1230
01:00:13,333 --> 01:00:15,866
And to me, I felt that way.

1231
01:00:15,866 --> 01:00:17,500
And I felt like, "Okay, yeah,

1232
01:00:17,500 --> 01:00:19,100
there's a risk involved, but we
gotta do something."

1233
01:00:19,100 --> 01:00:22,933
♪ ♪

1234
01:00:22,933 --> 01:00:25,100
HARRIS:
Conditions were such

1235
01:00:25,100 --> 01:00:27,333
in every one of these cities,

1236
01:00:27,333 --> 01:00:30,233
that almost any spark

1237
01:00:30,233 --> 01:00:32,833
could set them off,

1238
01:00:32,833 --> 01:00:35,766
and the sparks we found

1239
01:00:35,766 --> 01:00:38,266
were the police department.

1240
01:00:38,266 --> 01:00:43,333
♪ ♪

1241
01:00:49,800 --> 01:00:54,433
♪ ♪

1242
01:00:58,666 --> 01:01:01,300
MUHAMMED:
For African American migrants

1243
01:01:01,300 --> 01:01:03,033
who began to leave the South

1244
01:01:03,033 --> 01:01:05,766
in first thousands
and then tens of thousands

1245
01:01:05,766 --> 01:01:08,400
and, over time,
hundreds of thousands,

1246
01:01:08,400 --> 01:01:10,566
they were leaving the South

1247
01:01:10,566 --> 01:01:14,366
one step ahead, often,
of racial terrors,

1248
01:01:14,366 --> 01:01:17,300
whether it came from a
southern sheriff or a lynch mob.

1249
01:01:18,766 --> 01:01:20,566
And they came to
these northern cities

1250
01:01:20,566 --> 01:01:24,333
in hopes that the freedom
they found there

1251
01:01:24,333 --> 01:01:26,033
would provide
safety and security,

1252
01:01:26,033 --> 01:01:29,300
in addition to
economic mobility.

1253
01:01:29,300 --> 01:01:33,333
♪ ♪

1254
01:01:33,333 --> 01:01:35,300
Too often,
what they found, however,

1255
01:01:35,300 --> 01:01:37,366
was that the police,

1256
01:01:37,366 --> 01:01:40,166
by and large,
were there to protect

1257
01:01:40,166 --> 01:01:42,600
the interest of white residents.

1258
01:01:44,833 --> 01:01:50,833
♪ ♪

1259
01:01:50,833 --> 01:01:52,200
When I was researching

1260
01:01:52,200 --> 01:01:55,000
Black people moving into
New York City in the 1930s,

1261
01:01:55,000 --> 01:01:57,400
one of the things
that surprised me

1262
01:01:57,400 --> 01:02:00,400
was the number of complaints

1263
01:02:00,400 --> 01:02:03,866
from white residents
about Black children

1264
01:02:03,866 --> 01:02:07,066
playing on playgrounds
with their white children.

1265
01:02:07,066 --> 01:02:09,966
And they wanted the city
administrators

1266
01:02:09,966 --> 01:02:12,100
to use the police to keep those
Black kids

1267
01:02:12,100 --> 01:02:13,666
off those playgrounds.

1268
01:02:13,666 --> 01:02:18,200
♪ ♪

1269
01:02:18,200 --> 01:02:20,666
This is the kind of pressure

1270
01:02:20,666 --> 01:02:23,500
that police officers
are not only getting,

1271
01:02:23,500 --> 01:02:25,166
but they're responding to.

1272
01:02:25,166 --> 01:02:27,233
They're doing this work.

1273
01:02:27,233 --> 01:02:30,333
♪ ♪

1274
01:02:30,333 --> 01:02:33,366
The white community
treats every Black person

1275
01:02:33,366 --> 01:02:35,233
on their block,
in their store,

1276
01:02:35,233 --> 01:02:36,966
on their playground,

1277
01:02:36,966 --> 01:02:39,200
as a would-be suspect.

1278
01:02:42,133 --> 01:02:45,033
Rhetoric around
Black criminality

1279
01:02:45,033 --> 01:02:47,766
was the most elastic
and most durable way

1280
01:02:47,766 --> 01:02:51,000
of justifying segregation.

1281
01:02:53,200 --> 01:02:54,766
Police behave differently,

1282
01:02:54,766 --> 01:02:58,133
essentially interrogating
Black people at every turn.

1283
01:02:58,133 --> 01:02:59,366
POLICEMAN:
And what did you do?

1284
01:02:59,366 --> 01:03:00,900
I pulled right on around--
I come around...

1285
01:03:00,900 --> 01:03:02,766
For two blocks...
She lives right here.

1286
01:03:02,766 --> 01:03:05,800
MUHAMMED:
Setting up virtual checkpoints

1287
01:03:05,800 --> 01:03:08,100
on the borders
of these communities,

1288
01:03:08,100 --> 01:03:12,333
doing hostile drives
through Black neighborhoods,

1289
01:03:12,333 --> 01:03:13,900
as a show of force

1290
01:03:13,900 --> 01:03:16,766
for Black people to so-call
"stay in their place."

1291
01:03:18,333 --> 01:03:21,733
They're policing the
boundaries of Black life.

1292
01:03:23,733 --> 01:03:26,800
HARRIS:
Very often, African Americans
in these central cities,

1293
01:03:26,800 --> 01:03:29,666
the contact with the police,

1294
01:03:29,666 --> 01:03:32,233
that was the only contact

1295
01:03:32,233 --> 01:03:34,333
they had with the government.

1296
01:03:34,333 --> 01:03:36,400
(indistinct shouting)

1297
01:03:36,400 --> 01:03:40,033
And that was a contact
which was really

1298
01:03:40,033 --> 01:03:43,200
very, very
dangerous for them.

1299
01:03:43,200 --> 01:03:45,366
(man shouting indistinctly)

1300
01:03:45,366 --> 01:03:48,666
Police brutality
was a real thing.

1301
01:03:48,666 --> 01:03:51,400
But on top of that,

1302
01:03:51,400 --> 01:03:55,533
there was really no kind
of procedure for grievance

1303
01:03:55,533 --> 01:03:57,633
or for complaints.

1304
01:03:59,933 --> 01:04:02,066
That, I think,

1305
01:04:02,066 --> 01:04:05,200
is a perfect situation
waiting for an explosion.

1306
01:04:05,200 --> 01:04:07,100
♪ ♪

1307
01:04:07,100 --> 01:04:09,666
COBB:
So when you see legislation

1308
01:04:09,666 --> 01:04:12,233
like the Law Enforcement
Assistance Act

1309
01:04:12,233 --> 01:04:15,000
coming out in 1965,

1310
01:04:15,000 --> 01:04:18,866
it effectively pours gasoline
on the very problem

1311
01:04:18,866 --> 01:04:21,200
that is at the core of these

1312
01:04:21,200 --> 01:04:23,300
uprisings in the first place.

1313
01:04:26,966 --> 01:04:29,066
(thumping)

1314
01:04:29,066 --> 01:04:30,900
HINTON:
As rebellion escalates,

1315
01:04:30,900 --> 01:04:33,233
we see a real merger happening

1316
01:04:33,233 --> 01:04:36,333
between social welfare programs,

1317
01:04:36,333 --> 01:04:38,600
programs specifically
targeting Black youth...

1318
01:04:38,600 --> 01:04:40,566
(man giving marching
instructions)

1319
01:04:40,566 --> 01:04:42,300
HINTON:
And crime control programs

1320
01:04:42,300 --> 01:04:45,966
that are also
targeting Black youth.

1321
01:04:45,966 --> 01:04:47,966
Police officers are running

1322
01:04:47,966 --> 01:04:50,366
after-school
recreation programs.

1323
01:04:50,366 --> 01:04:53,366
Police started giving toys

1324
01:04:53,366 --> 01:04:56,833
and delivering turkeys
to families on Thanksgiving,

1325
01:04:56,833 --> 01:05:00,333
and to essentially cast a layer
of surveillance.

1326
01:05:00,333 --> 01:05:04,366
 
It was about making sure
that you could identify

1327
01:05:04,366 --> 01:05:07,466
people in the Black community
who posed a potential threat

1328
01:05:07,466 --> 01:05:08,933
to the neighboring
white communities,

1329
01:05:08,933 --> 01:05:12,833
taking down the names
of potential delinquents.

1330
01:05:14,500 --> 01:05:18,466
HINTON:
The police also supported
tactical patrol units

1331
01:05:18,466 --> 01:05:21,666
who walked the streets
in order to prevent crime

1332
01:05:21,666 --> 01:05:23,600
before it occurred.

1333
01:05:23,600 --> 01:05:27,400
Essentially subjecting
people of color

1334
01:05:27,400 --> 01:05:30,866
to a set of laws

1335
01:05:30,866 --> 01:05:33,633
that people in
middle-class, suburban,

1336
01:05:33,633 --> 01:05:35,966
and white communities
would never be subjected to.

1337
01:05:37,266 --> 01:05:38,966
POWELL:
They would actually
stop people

1338
01:05:38,966 --> 01:05:41,333
for bumping the tires
against the curb

1339
01:05:41,333 --> 01:05:43,100
when they're parking, spitting.

1340
01:05:43,100 --> 01:05:44,533
Part of it
is sending a message.

1341
01:05:45,600 --> 01:05:48,266
It's sending a message
that we're in control.

1342
01:05:48,266 --> 01:05:50,400
You're supposed to be
afraid of us.

1343
01:05:50,400 --> 01:05:54,133
And we can stop you
for any reason.

1344
01:05:54,133 --> 01:05:58,633
♪ ♪

1345
01:05:58,633 --> 01:06:02,266
BOESEL: They're out on the
street all the time.

1346
01:06:02,266 --> 01:06:05,633
There are these young people
on the street.

1347
01:06:05,633 --> 01:06:10,133
The police are trying to
keep them moving,

1348
01:06:10,133 --> 01:06:13,800
 
keep them off balance by all
of these harassing tactics--

1349
01:06:13,800 --> 01:06:16,066
stop and frisk,

1350
01:06:16,066 --> 01:06:17,866
make arbitrary arrests

1351
01:06:17,866 --> 01:06:21,233
and then they'd be
released without charges.

1352
01:06:21,233 --> 01:06:23,900
There's this constant conflict,

1353
01:06:23,900 --> 01:06:26,366
constant daily rubbing conflict,

1354
01:06:26,366 --> 01:06:31,766
between police and
young people in the streets.

1355
01:06:31,766 --> 01:06:33,400
I have more fear for the police

1356
01:06:33,400 --> 01:06:35,500
than I have for the criminal,

1357
01:06:35,500 --> 01:06:36,933
because the policeman can do it

1358
01:06:36,933 --> 01:06:38,233
and get away with it.

1359
01:06:38,233 --> 01:06:39,500
I can fight the criminal back.

1360
01:06:39,500 --> 01:06:42,700
(indistinct argument)

1361
01:06:42,700 --> 01:06:48,633
BOESEL:
There often comes a conspicuous
incident of police brutality,

1362
01:06:48,633 --> 01:06:52,733
an outrageous act by police.

1363
01:06:52,733 --> 01:06:54,933
♪ ♪

1364
01:06:54,933 --> 01:06:56,200
In Detroit,

1365
01:06:56,200 --> 01:07:00,466
it was a raid on
an after-hours social club.

1366
01:07:00,466 --> 01:07:04,300
People were partying
to celebrate the return

1367
01:07:04,300 --> 01:07:07,466
of one veteran from Vietnam

1368
01:07:07,466 --> 01:07:10,666
and console another guy
who was gonna head to Vietnam.

1369
01:07:10,666 --> 01:07:13,500
(siren wailing)

1370
01:07:15,400 --> 01:07:19,766
In Newark, it was
the beating of a cab driver.

1371
01:07:19,766 --> 01:07:23,633
MUHAMMED:
When residents observe
what's happening,

1372
01:07:23,633 --> 01:07:26,300
they decide enough is enough.

1373
01:07:26,300 --> 01:07:28,566
Time and time again,

1374
01:07:28,566 --> 01:07:32,266
somewhere in that story,
is this

1375
01:07:32,266 --> 01:07:35,000
moment of exchange,
this interaction

1376
01:07:35,000 --> 01:07:38,433
between a police officer
and a Black person.

1377
01:07:39,600 --> 01:07:42,200
ZEITZ:
There was an endless cycle,
a wave of urban violence

1378
01:07:42,200 --> 01:07:44,566
followed by calls for
law and order.

1379
01:07:44,566 --> 01:07:46,600
Law and order
would then express itself

1380
01:07:46,600 --> 01:07:49,000
in a heavy-handed way,
and this was often

1381
01:07:49,000 --> 01:07:52,433
the spark behind the
next wave of violence.

1382
01:07:52,433 --> 01:07:56,500
HINTON:
When Detroit and Newark
erupt in '67,

1383
01:07:56,500 --> 01:07:58,133
two years into
the War on Crime,

1384
01:07:58,133 --> 01:08:01,933
that should have been taken
as a moment for policy makers

1385
01:08:01,933 --> 01:08:03,433
to rethink these strategies.

1386
01:08:03,433 --> 01:08:07,133
But policymakers responded

1387
01:08:07,133 --> 01:08:10,366
by militarizing police,

1388
01:08:10,366 --> 01:08:13,700
so that when and if
rebellion comes,

1389
01:08:13,700 --> 01:08:15,466
police departments
will be ready

1390
01:08:15,466 --> 01:08:18,700
to suppress the disorder
on their own.

1391
01:08:18,700 --> 01:08:21,366
We begin to see local police

1392
01:08:21,366 --> 01:08:24,133
getting armored tanks,

1393
01:08:24,133 --> 01:08:27,100
getting M-1
and M-14 carbine rifles,

1394
01:08:27,100 --> 01:08:29,533
using helicopters,
all techniques and devices

1395
01:08:29,533 --> 01:08:32,800
that had been used in Vietnam.

1396
01:08:32,800 --> 01:08:36,000
HARRIS:
We very much were opposed
to the military

1397
01:08:36,000 --> 01:08:38,700
giving military hardware

1398
01:08:38,700 --> 01:08:41,766
and vehicles to the police.

1399
01:08:41,766 --> 01:08:44,033
(weapon firing)
We thought that the police

1400
01:08:44,033 --> 01:08:46,866
ought to be civilians.

1401
01:08:46,866 --> 01:08:49,533
They should look like
and be a part of

1402
01:08:49,533 --> 01:08:51,633
the communities where they
served.

1403
01:08:53,066 --> 01:08:55,833
 
Lyndon Johnson himself
once had said,

1404
01:08:55,833 --> 01:08:57,300
"If I were
one of these people

1405
01:08:57,300 --> 01:09:01,366
and mistreated the way
some of them are by the police,

1406
01:09:01,366 --> 01:09:04,033
I might pick up a gun myself."

1407
01:09:04,033 --> 01:09:07,366
Later on, I'm sure
he was sorry he had said that.

1408
01:09:07,366 --> 01:09:11,933
(indistinct yelling)

1409
01:09:11,933 --> 01:09:14,033
But that's the way we felt.

1410
01:09:16,000 --> 01:09:21,633
♪ ♪

1411
01:09:26,466 --> 01:09:29,566
KING:
It is estimated

1412
01:09:29,566 --> 01:09:35,533
that we spend $322,000

1413
01:09:35,533 --> 01:09:40,400
for each enemy
we kill in Vietnam,

1414
01:09:40,400 --> 01:09:42,266
while we spend

1415
01:09:42,266 --> 01:09:45,900
in the so-called
War on Poverty in America

1416
01:09:45,900 --> 01:09:48,700
only about $53

1417
01:09:48,700 --> 01:09:51,800
for each person
classified as poor.

1418
01:09:51,800 --> 01:09:55,366
♪ ♪

1419
01:09:55,366 --> 01:09:57,633
CARTER:
Absent the conflict in
Southeast Asia,

1420
01:09:57,633 --> 01:09:59,366
Lyndon Johnson would go down

1421
01:09:59,366 --> 01:10:03,966
as an extraordinarily
gifted leader.

1422
01:10:03,966 --> 01:10:07,066
But Vietnam
is the albatross

1423
01:10:07,066 --> 01:10:10,366
that will always hang over
Lyndon Johnson's legacy.

1424
01:10:10,366 --> 01:10:13,366
JOHNSON:
I report to you that
our country is challenged,

1425
01:10:13,366 --> 01:10:15,666
at home and abroad.

1426
01:10:15,666 --> 01:10:19,733
That it is our will
that is being tried,

1427
01:10:19,733 --> 01:10:21,933
and not our strength.

1428
01:10:21,933 --> 01:10:24,333
PROTESTORS:
Hell no, we won't go!

1429
01:10:24,333 --> 01:10:26,233
Hell no, we won't go!

1430
01:10:26,233 --> 01:10:28,500
Hell no, we won't go!

1431
01:10:28,500 --> 01:10:30,766
 
(jet engine roaring)

1432
01:10:33,133 --> 01:10:36,433
ZEITZ:
As he began to lose the hearts
and minds of young people,

1433
01:10:36,433 --> 01:10:38,333
of people on college campuses,

1434
01:10:38,333 --> 01:10:39,600
as, as the war became

1435
01:10:39,600 --> 01:10:42,600
a divisive factor
in American life,

1436
01:10:42,600 --> 01:10:46,366
he was loath to admit
how deeply involved

1437
01:10:46,366 --> 01:10:47,766
the United States
was in Vietnam.

1438
01:10:47,766 --> 01:10:50,300
JOHNSON:
I wish, with all of my heart,

1439
01:10:50,300 --> 01:10:52,866
that the expenditures
that are necessary

1440
01:10:52,866 --> 01:10:55,500
to build and
to protect our power

1441
01:10:55,500 --> 01:10:59,000
could all be devoted
to the programs of peace.

1442
01:10:59,000 --> 01:11:01,166
ZEITZ:
He remembered other
Democratic presidents

1443
01:11:01,166 --> 01:11:05,133
who saw their domestic policy
ambitions cut short by wars

1444
01:11:05,133 --> 01:11:07,500
that ultimately made it
impossible for them

1445
01:11:07,500 --> 01:11:09,966
to continue to pursue
those goals.

1446
01:11:09,966 --> 01:11:12,766
He didn't want that to happen
to the Great Society.

1447
01:11:12,766 --> 01:11:17,000
FLAMM:
Johnson is also hoping
desperately

1448
01:11:17,000 --> 01:11:19,666
that the Kerner Commission will

1449
01:11:19,666 --> 01:11:21,933
acknowledge that
his Great Society is

1450
01:11:21,933 --> 01:11:24,800
actually making a difference
and improving the lives

1451
01:11:24,800 --> 01:11:27,333
of Black Americans
across the country.

1452
01:11:27,333 --> 01:11:29,900
But the Kerner Commission
quickly becomes

1453
01:11:29,900 --> 01:11:31,100
a runaway commission.

1454
01:11:31,100 --> 01:11:33,600
KERNER:
Certainly,

1455
01:11:33,600 --> 01:11:35,933
in speaking to people,
sociologists,

1456
01:11:35,933 --> 01:11:38,600
who've been at this thing
much longer than I have

1457
01:11:38,600 --> 01:11:40,566
and who've made it
their specialty,

1458
01:11:40,566 --> 01:11:43,866
have all pointed out
the fact that there is a,

1459
01:11:43,866 --> 01:11:48,100
a feeling of deep inferiority
among these people.

1460
01:11:48,100 --> 01:11:51,900
They've been rejected
as to housing, as to job,

1461
01:11:51,900 --> 01:11:56,666
and after job, as to improving
the status of the job.

1462
01:11:57,833 --> 01:12:00,133
And I do have
a feeling myself--

1463
01:12:00,133 --> 01:12:03,033
and again,
I'm speaking personally--

1464
01:12:03,033 --> 01:12:07,366
that the white community of
the United States is not aware

1465
01:12:07,366 --> 01:12:09,000
of the existence
of this problem;

1466
01:12:09,000 --> 01:12:11,000
I'm afraid many aren't.

1467
01:12:11,000 --> 01:12:13,166
And many who are aware of it

1468
01:12:13,166 --> 01:12:17,133
are not aware as to how deep
and sensitive this is.

1469
01:12:18,433 --> 01:12:22,233
HARRIS:
Johnson was getting all the
time inside reports,

1470
01:12:22,233 --> 01:12:26,833
some from some of the members
of the commission itself,

1471
01:12:26,833 --> 01:12:29,733
who thought that
John Lindsay and I

1472
01:12:29,733 --> 01:12:32,266
were going too far.

1473
01:12:32,266 --> 01:12:34,300
And that we were
going to recommend

1474
01:12:34,300 --> 01:12:37,300
huge new federal programs

1475
01:12:37,300 --> 01:12:40,000
and not put any
money figures on 'em.

1476
01:12:40,000 --> 01:12:43,200
And that angered him
a great deal,

1477
01:12:43,200 --> 01:12:45,166
I was later to find out.

1478
01:12:45,166 --> 01:12:48,233
CARTER:
That's when Lyndon Johnson
becomes acutely aware

1479
01:12:48,233 --> 01:12:52,600
of what a political bombshell
this might represent.

1480
01:12:52,600 --> 01:12:54,533
And as soon as the Kerner
Commission becomes

1481
01:12:54,533 --> 01:12:56,933
perceived as a potential threat
to him politically,

1482
01:12:56,933 --> 01:12:58,333
I think he wants to take

1483
01:12:58,333 --> 01:12:59,833
the legs out from under it.

1484
01:12:59,833 --> 01:13:02,233
♪ ♪

1485
01:13:02,233 --> 01:13:04,366
KOSKINEN:
My assumption was this
was a national crisis,

1486
01:13:04,366 --> 01:13:06,400
this was the federal government.

1487
01:13:06,400 --> 01:13:08,133
Money was not
gonna be the problem.

1488
01:13:08,133 --> 01:13:10,466
My role on the commission

1489
01:13:10,466 --> 01:13:13,000
was to be the assistant
to Victor Palmieri,

1490
01:13:13,000 --> 01:13:14,733
the deputy executive director,

1491
01:13:14,733 --> 01:13:16,433
who was responsible for the day-
to-day operations.

1492
01:13:17,800 --> 01:13:19,000
In early December,

1493
01:13:19,000 --> 01:13:21,500
we were invited
to the White House

1494
01:13:21,500 --> 01:13:23,033
to meet with Charlie Schultze,

1495
01:13:23,033 --> 01:13:25,433
who was then the director
of the Bureau of the Budget,

1496
01:13:25,433 --> 01:13:28,200
who had the task of
informing us that

1497
01:13:28,200 --> 01:13:30,933
we were gonna have to
close the commission down

1498
01:13:30,933 --> 01:13:33,400
as quickly as we could.

1499
01:13:33,400 --> 01:13:36,300
Victor and I,
a couple weeks before Christmas,

1500
01:13:36,300 --> 01:13:38,066
had to have a meeting with,

1501
01:13:38,066 --> 01:13:40,200
by then,
200 members of our staff

1502
01:13:40,200 --> 01:13:42,300
to advise them
that most of them

1503
01:13:42,300 --> 01:13:46,400
were not gonna be on the payroll
after January 1.

1504
01:13:46,400 --> 01:13:50,000
CHAMBERS:
David Ginsburg, for whom
I worked, was the director.

1505
01:13:50,000 --> 01:13:53,700
He tried very much
to protect Johnson,

1506
01:13:53,700 --> 01:13:56,666
even though he knew the truth,
by saying that

1507
01:13:56,666 --> 01:13:59,500
the commission's work
was so important

1508
01:13:59,500 --> 01:14:02,800
that we were
going to get out a report

1509
01:14:02,800 --> 01:14:05,400
months, months earlier

1510
01:14:05,400 --> 01:14:09,600
in order to have our views
before the American people,

1511
01:14:09,600 --> 01:14:12,133
before the hot weather
of the next summer.

1512
01:14:13,366 --> 01:14:15,233
Well, that was baloney.

1513
01:14:15,233 --> 01:14:18,000
 
REPORTER:
Governor, some of the ex-staff
members of the commission

1514
01:14:18,000 --> 01:14:20,500
are all over the Hill
complaining to congressmen

1515
01:14:20,500 --> 01:14:23,966
that the president or some of
the White House people

1516
01:14:23,966 --> 01:14:25,833
are torpedoing the work
of the commission.

1517
01:14:25,833 --> 01:14:27,866
Well, let me say,
there is absolutely not

1518
01:14:27,866 --> 01:14:29,533
an iota of truth in that.

1519
01:14:29,533 --> 01:14:32,933
LINDSAY:
This March 1 deadline
is a self-imposed deadline

1520
01:14:32,933 --> 01:14:34,833
by the commission.

1521
01:14:34,833 --> 01:14:37,266
And the reason the commission
came to that conclusion

1522
01:14:37,266 --> 01:14:40,266
was because of the urgency
of the problem.

1523
01:14:40,266 --> 01:14:42,800
 
But it's a very difficult
timetable to live with,

1524
01:14:42,800 --> 01:14:44,833
because of the mountains
of material

1525
01:14:44,833 --> 01:14:46,066
that we're working with.

1526
01:14:46,066 --> 01:14:48,133
KOSKINEN:
What we had to do

1527
01:14:48,133 --> 01:14:50,100
was start drafting.

1528
01:14:50,100 --> 01:14:52,933
(typewriter keys clacking)

1529
01:14:52,933 --> 01:14:55,133
(typewriter bell chimes)

1530
01:14:55,133 --> 01:14:57,500
We had eight or ten
different people,

1531
01:14:57,500 --> 01:14:59,400
some people working on
the introduction,

1532
01:14:59,400 --> 01:15:02,533
others working on
various programmatic sections,

1533
01:15:02,533 --> 01:15:05,966
and all of that had to be
put into readable form

1534
01:15:05,966 --> 01:15:08,500
within a matter of days.

1535
01:15:08,500 --> 01:15:11,466
HARRIS:
David Ginsburg and Vic Palmieri

1536
01:15:11,466 --> 01:15:15,100
were primarily responsible
for writing these drafts.

1537
01:15:15,100 --> 01:15:18,033
And we discussed,
and then actually voted,

1538
01:15:18,033 --> 01:15:19,233
on each draft.

1539
01:15:20,966 --> 01:15:24,166
All of us were people
of very strong opinions,

1540
01:15:24,166 --> 01:15:28,333
and so our meetings
were quite contentious.

1541
01:15:28,333 --> 01:15:30,866
COBB:
The commissioners argued over

1542
01:15:30,866 --> 01:15:33,166
the significance
of social conditions

1543
01:15:33,166 --> 01:15:35,400
in creating the uprisings,

1544
01:15:35,400 --> 01:15:38,366
how forcefully
to condemn the police,

1545
01:15:38,366 --> 01:15:41,166
how strongly to support
open housing.

1546
01:15:41,166 --> 01:15:44,400
And as each of those
is resolved,

1547
01:15:44,400 --> 01:15:47,566
it sends the commission
further down the path

1548
01:15:47,566 --> 01:15:49,900
toward its
ultimate conclusions.

1549
01:15:49,900 --> 01:15:53,100
CHAMBERS:
Probably the most
significant chapter

1550
01:15:53,100 --> 01:15:55,366
was the fourth chapter.

1551
01:15:56,966 --> 01:16:00,733
That was drafted by
David Ginsburg himself

1552
01:16:00,733 --> 01:16:05,400
after sensing a consensus
among the commissioners

1553
01:16:05,400 --> 01:16:08,900
that the central theme
of the report

1554
01:16:08,900 --> 01:16:13,366
should be the impacts
of white racism on Black people.

1555
01:16:13,366 --> 01:16:15,733
And that was the subject

1556
01:16:15,733 --> 01:16:18,000
of a whole day's
commissioner's meeting.

1557
01:16:18,000 --> 01:16:21,400
I remember
the commission spending

1558
01:16:21,400 --> 01:16:25,000
well over an hour haggling
over two sentences.

1559
01:16:26,300 --> 01:16:29,400
HARRIS:
I thought, and so did
John Lindsay,

1560
01:16:29,400 --> 01:16:33,633
that it was highly important
to use the word "racism."

1561
01:16:33,633 --> 01:16:36,533
To say "white racism."

1562
01:16:36,533 --> 01:16:41,566
We thought we really needed
to shock people

1563
01:16:41,566 --> 01:16:43,900
by the use of that term.

1564
01:16:43,900 --> 01:16:45,833
And to get people to have...

1565
01:16:45,833 --> 01:16:47,900
make people have to
think about that

1566
01:16:47,900 --> 01:16:51,533
and talk about it,
and size up history

1567
01:16:51,533 --> 01:16:54,266
in terms of racism

1568
01:16:54,266 --> 01:16:56,233
as it had existed
from the first.

1569
01:16:56,233 --> 01:17:01,333
♪ ♪

1570
01:17:03,700 --> 01:17:08,166
We also wanted to say, to young
Black people particularly,

1571
01:17:08,166 --> 01:17:09,766
you're not crazy.

1572
01:17:09,766 --> 01:17:14,966
There is systematic racism
that you're a victim of.

1573
01:17:16,766 --> 01:17:19,633
The word "racism" didn't sit
well

1574
01:17:19,633 --> 01:17:22,033
with some members
of the commission.

1575
01:17:22,033 --> 01:17:26,066
Some thought it was too harsh,
that we ought to use

1576
01:17:26,066 --> 01:17:28,600
softer words like "intolerance"

1577
01:17:28,600 --> 01:17:31,333
or "discrimination" or whatever.

1578
01:17:31,333 --> 01:17:33,466
And we had a vote.

1579
01:17:33,466 --> 01:17:37,033
It was a six-to-five vote
within the commission

1580
01:17:37,033 --> 01:17:39,800
in favor of saying "racism."

1581
01:17:41,033 --> 01:17:43,200
REPORTER:
Governor,
are there any measures

1582
01:17:43,200 --> 01:17:45,333
that won't cost any money?

1583
01:17:46,633 --> 01:17:49,033
Yes, there are recommendations
in there

1584
01:17:49,033 --> 01:17:51,100
would not cost any money.

1585
01:17:51,100 --> 01:17:53,633
And there are the measures
that would do away with racism,

1586
01:17:53,633 --> 01:17:58,466
we believe, by actually setting
forth to the American people

1587
01:17:58,466 --> 01:18:00,633
that there is this problem.

1588
01:18:00,633 --> 01:18:02,866
Let's not sweep it
under the rug.

1589
01:18:02,866 --> 01:18:05,033
That there is segregation,

1590
01:18:05,033 --> 01:18:06,900
that if we can change
people's attitudes,

1591
01:18:06,900 --> 01:18:08,366
this will not cost a penny.

1592
01:18:10,800 --> 01:18:15,066
HARRIS:
On a lot of tough questions,
we voted six to five.

1593
01:18:15,066 --> 01:18:17,466
But when we got down
to the final report,

1594
01:18:17,466 --> 01:18:20,866
we eventually
adopted it unanimously.

1595
01:18:22,366 --> 01:18:27,366
David Ginsburg said once
that this is the only

1596
01:18:27,366 --> 01:18:30,133
unanimous report
that was adopted

1597
01:18:30,133 --> 01:18:32,300
by a vote of six to five.

1598
01:18:32,300 --> 01:18:35,466
♪ ♪

1599
01:18:35,466 --> 01:18:38,500
There was a lot of compromise
involved.

1600
01:18:38,500 --> 01:18:41,166
We thought,
if we can't come together,

1601
01:18:41,166 --> 01:18:44,900
there's no hope the country can.

1602
01:18:44,900 --> 01:18:48,066
CHAMBERS:
Only if those who were

1603
01:18:48,066 --> 01:18:50,366
most conservative
on the commission

1604
01:18:50,366 --> 01:18:53,466
endorsed the strong findings

1605
01:18:53,466 --> 01:18:57,033
that we had made,
would it have an effect

1606
01:18:57,033 --> 01:18:59,600
on white America in general.

1607
01:18:59,600 --> 01:19:05,533
And the report was written
for white America.

1608
01:19:05,533 --> 01:19:07,866
Black people didn't need
to be told

1609
01:19:07,866 --> 01:19:11,133
that racism was a central
problem in their lives.

1610
01:19:11,133 --> 01:19:13,000
LINDSAY:
I, I trust that the report

1611
01:19:13,000 --> 01:19:15,166
will be thoroughly readable,

1612
01:19:15,166 --> 01:19:20,800
um, and I expect that it
will be completely honest.

1613
01:19:20,800 --> 01:19:24,933
Um, that being the case,
it will describe, undoubtedly,

1614
01:19:24,933 --> 01:19:27,633
a very serious condition
in the country.

1615
01:19:27,633 --> 01:19:31,766
And, uh, the commission's view
undoubtedly will be

1616
01:19:31,766 --> 01:19:35,600
that no one can turn their back
on that, it's too serious.

1617
01:19:37,400 --> 01:19:40,900
HARRIS:
We had, well in advance, decided
that we wanted to try

1618
01:19:40,900 --> 01:19:45,366
to get this out popularly
to as many people as possible.

1619
01:19:45,366 --> 01:19:49,233
And David Ginsburg, our
executive director,

1620
01:19:49,233 --> 01:19:51,266
was very prescient about this.

1621
01:19:52,266 --> 01:19:55,166
And so made arrangements with
Bantam Press

1622
01:19:55,166 --> 01:19:59,700
that as we finished one chapter,
we would turn that over,

1623
01:19:59,700 --> 01:20:02,266
so that they could get it out
exactly

1624
01:20:02,266 --> 01:20:04,566
when the report was finished.

1625
01:20:04,566 --> 01:20:08,400
The other thing we did
was to put the report out

1626
01:20:08,400 --> 01:20:11,066
with an embargo for the A.M.s

1627
01:20:11,066 --> 01:20:15,600
on the morning of March 3.

1628
01:20:15,600 --> 01:20:19,366
We wanted time to background
the reporters,

1629
01:20:19,366 --> 01:20:22,100
journalists,
and opinion leaders.

1630
01:20:22,100 --> 01:20:25,133
But Alan Spivak,
our press secretary,

1631
01:20:25,133 --> 01:20:28,233
got word from
a "Washington Post" reporter

1632
01:20:28,233 --> 01:20:31,000
that the "Washington Post"
had a copy

1633
01:20:31,000 --> 01:20:33,166
of the summary of the report

1634
01:20:33,166 --> 01:20:39,433
and they intended to turn it
loose for February 29.

1635
01:20:39,433 --> 01:20:41,933
So David Ginsburg talked

1636
01:20:41,933 --> 01:20:45,800
to Ben Bradlee of the "Post,"
said to him, "If you do this,

1637
01:20:45,800 --> 01:20:49,500
"we are going to turn loose
the summary ourselves.

1638
01:20:49,500 --> 01:20:53,700
So that you won't have
an exclusive on it."

1639
01:20:53,700 --> 01:20:56,700
There was just chaos.

1640
01:20:56,700 --> 01:20:59,100
Reporters here,
they're looking at all this

1641
01:20:59,100 --> 01:21:01,433
and don't have time
to digest it.

1642
01:21:01,433 --> 01:21:02,933
I got a call

1643
01:21:02,933 --> 01:21:04,700
from an AP reporter who said,

1644
01:21:04,700 --> 01:21:06,500
"I have a 30-minute deadline.

1645
01:21:06,500 --> 01:21:10,033
Can you sort of capsulize
the report for me?"

1646
01:21:11,633 --> 01:21:14,566
The headlines were very
shocking headlines,

1647
01:21:14,566 --> 01:21:18,400
particularly if you had not
thought about this before,

1648
01:21:18,400 --> 01:21:19,700
or known anything about it,

1649
01:21:19,700 --> 01:21:21,566
as most people didn't know
much about it.

1650
01:21:21,566 --> 01:21:23,833
The headlines were something
like,

1651
01:21:23,833 --> 01:21:28,966
"White Racism Cause of
Black Riots, Commission Says."

1652
01:21:28,966 --> 01:21:31,833
HARRY REASONER:
Good evening,
this is Harry Reasoner.

1653
01:21:31,833 --> 01:21:33,633
For the last few days,

1654
01:21:33,633 --> 01:21:35,566
this country has lived under
indictment,

1655
01:21:35,566 --> 01:21:38,433
a charge of white racism,
national in scale,

1656
01:21:38,433 --> 01:21:40,300
terrible in its effects.

1657
01:21:40,300 --> 01:21:43,200
The evidence to support that
charge has now been presented,

1658
01:21:43,200 --> 01:21:46,600
more than 1,400 pages of
testimony, findings,

1659
01:21:46,600 --> 01:21:50,666
conclusions, the full text of a
report released just last night.

1660
01:21:50,666 --> 01:21:53,466
This is our basic conclusion.

1661
01:21:53,466 --> 01:21:56,833
Our nation is moving
toward two societies.

1662
01:21:56,833 --> 01:21:59,400
One Black, one white.

1663
01:21:59,400 --> 01:22:01,433
Separate and unequal.

1664
01:22:01,433 --> 01:22:04,833
The commission found
that the country

1665
01:22:04,833 --> 01:22:08,833
is at a crossroads,
and that a choice can be made

1666
01:22:08,833 --> 01:22:10,833
and must be made.

1667
01:22:10,833 --> 01:22:14,300
KOSKINEN:
You had to really be hibernating
somewhere

1668
01:22:14,300 --> 01:22:18,200
not to see the media coverage
in the press and on television.

1669
01:22:18,200 --> 01:22:21,266
But if you wanted to know more
in detail,

1670
01:22:21,266 --> 01:22:23,333
the fact that you
could go to a store

1671
01:22:23,333 --> 01:22:27,133
and buy the paperback allowed
a million-and-a-half people

1672
01:22:27,133 --> 01:22:30,633
within a month to have the
actual report in their hand.

1673
01:22:32,500 --> 01:22:38,000
HARRIS:
We said that white racism has
created these Black ghettos,

1674
01:22:38,000 --> 01:22:40,266
as we said in those days,

1675
01:22:40,266 --> 01:22:44,133
and it's white racism
that sustains it.

1676
01:22:44,133 --> 01:22:47,900
COBB:
This is shocking
to the sensibilities in 1968.

1677
01:22:47,900 --> 01:22:52,533
There had been large-scale
studies

1678
01:22:52,533 --> 01:22:56,733
that indicted American
racism prior to this.

1679
01:22:56,733 --> 01:23:00,233
W.E.B. DuBois had done one,
um, you know,

1680
01:23:00,233 --> 01:23:02,100
nearly 70 years earlier.

1681
01:23:02,100 --> 01:23:06,000
What we had not seen was this
kind of argument

1682
01:23:06,000 --> 01:23:11,033
being echoed in the highest
echelons of American power.

1683
01:23:13,100 --> 01:23:15,066
CHAMBERS:
It was very important
to the commission that people

1684
01:23:15,066 --> 01:23:19,433
in the United States understand
that more was going on

1685
01:23:19,433 --> 01:23:22,733
than that just some of us
individuals

1686
01:23:22,733 --> 01:23:25,000
didn't like Black people.

1687
01:23:25,000 --> 01:23:30,000
It was that kind of
change that was necessary

1688
01:23:30,000 --> 01:23:33,633
involved the changing
of whole institutions.

1689
01:23:33,633 --> 01:23:35,666
♪ ♪

1690
01:23:35,666 --> 01:23:37,600
ZEITZ:
You're looking at a report

1691
01:23:37,600 --> 01:23:40,766
that's basically identifying a
whole range of public

1692
01:23:40,766 --> 01:23:43,400
and private actors who have been
responsible

1693
01:23:43,400 --> 01:23:46,166
for perpetuating racism,
from the banks

1694
01:23:46,166 --> 01:23:48,433
to the mortgage providers
and the realtors,

1695
01:23:48,433 --> 01:23:51,100
to public and private sector
unions,

1696
01:23:51,100 --> 01:23:53,000
to municipal police forces

1697
01:23:53,000 --> 01:23:55,700
and municipal governments
more broadly.

1698
01:23:55,700 --> 01:23:58,533
This is the first time
you had the government saying

1699
01:23:58,533 --> 01:24:00,600
these problems are systemic.

1700
01:24:00,600 --> 01:24:02,300
Certain people have benefited
from the system,

1701
01:24:02,300 --> 01:24:05,833
certain people have perpetuated
the system,

1702
01:24:05,833 --> 01:24:06,866
and other people have been
disadvantaged,

1703
01:24:06,866 --> 01:24:08,233
and to fix it,

1704
01:24:08,233 --> 01:24:10,033
we are probably going to have to
rebalance the books.

1705
01:24:11,600 --> 01:24:13,266
 
POWELL:
Whites were saying things like,

1706
01:24:13,266 --> 01:24:15,800
what's wrong with the Negro
in the country?

1707
01:24:15,800 --> 01:24:17,500
What's wrong with
Black people in the country?

1708
01:24:17,500 --> 01:24:20,166
How do we fix them?

1709
01:24:20,166 --> 01:24:22,133
What the Kerner Commission did
was say,

1710
01:24:22,133 --> 01:24:24,100
"Mm, it's not... the problem is

1711
01:24:24,100 --> 01:24:25,300
"not so much with them.

1712
01:24:25,300 --> 01:24:28,233
The problem is with us."

1713
01:24:28,233 --> 01:24:31,300
Here in the populous Central
Ward, a Negro district,

1714
01:24:31,300 --> 01:24:33,500
the special commission's report
was greeted

1715
01:24:33,500 --> 01:24:36,100
as an acknowledgement
of what Negroes themselves

1716
01:24:36,100 --> 01:24:38,366
have been saying in Newark
for several years.

1717
01:24:39,666 --> 01:24:42,933
WEAVER:
The Kerner Commission united
the political

1718
01:24:42,933 --> 01:24:45,600
and economic abandonment
of a group of people

1719
01:24:45,600 --> 01:24:48,700
with the cause
of American democracy.

1720
01:24:48,700 --> 01:24:50,666
They say this forthrightly.

1721
01:24:50,666 --> 01:24:53,366
They say our collective future

1722
01:24:53,366 --> 01:24:55,000
is in peril.

1723
01:24:55,000 --> 01:24:57,033
To pursue our present course,

1724
01:24:57,033 --> 01:24:59,233
will involve the continuing
polarization

1725
01:24:59,233 --> 01:25:03,200
of the American community
and, ultimately,

1726
01:25:03,200 --> 01:25:06,133
the destruction
of basic democratic values.

1727
01:25:07,400 --> 01:25:11,266
The alternative will require a
commitment to national action--

1728
01:25:11,266 --> 01:25:15,566
compassionate, massive,
and sustained--

1729
01:25:15,566 --> 01:25:18,366
backed by the resources
of the most powerful

1730
01:25:18,366 --> 01:25:20,666
and richest nation on the earth.

1731
01:25:20,666 --> 01:25:23,566
From every American,
it will require new attitudes,

1732
01:25:23,566 --> 01:25:27,133
new understanding
and, above all, new will.

1733
01:25:27,133 --> 01:25:30,500
POWELL:
The Kerner Commission
comes down and says

1734
01:25:30,500 --> 01:25:32,333
we don't have to be
two Americas.

1735
01:25:32,333 --> 01:25:34,800
We can't be two Americas.

1736
01:25:34,800 --> 01:25:38,433
We can fix this,
but first of all

1737
01:25:38,433 --> 01:25:40,566
we have to acknowledge it.

1738
01:25:40,566 --> 01:25:42,466
What we've tried to do
in this report

1739
01:25:42,466 --> 01:25:44,266
is to let people
see this thing through our eyes

1740
01:25:44,266 --> 01:25:46,500
and to feel it in the pit
of their stomachs like we do.

1741
01:25:46,500 --> 01:25:49,033
And then if they see what a
crisis this really is,

1742
01:25:49,033 --> 01:25:51,566
what a terribly serious crisis
this is for our country,

1743
01:25:51,566 --> 01:25:53,300
I think there'll be a great deal
more willingness

1744
01:25:53,300 --> 01:25:55,500
to try to move
to do something about it.

1745
01:25:55,500 --> 01:25:59,300
HARRIS (interview):
We called for massive new
federal programs,

1746
01:25:59,300 --> 01:26:03,966
jobs in particular,
but also in education

1747
01:26:03,966 --> 01:26:06,366
and in housing and in
transportation.

1748
01:26:06,366 --> 01:26:09,666
And we called for changes in the
media,

1749
01:26:09,666 --> 01:26:11,400
and in police.

1750
01:26:11,400 --> 01:26:14,400
 
REPORTER:
An integrated police
force is a must,

1751
01:26:14,400 --> 01:26:16,900
says the commission, a visible
symbol for the ghetto

1752
01:26:16,900 --> 01:26:18,900
that police are not just
the agents of repression

1753
01:26:18,900 --> 01:26:21,900
put there by the white majority.

1754
01:26:21,900 --> 01:26:25,633
HINTON:
The commission suggested
all sorts of measures

1755
01:26:25,633 --> 01:26:27,800
to promote police-community
relations,

1756
01:26:27,800 --> 01:26:30,866
to increase trust between
residents and police

1757
01:26:30,866 --> 01:26:33,100
and to kind of scale back

1758
01:26:33,100 --> 01:26:36,866
some of the more aggressive
enforcement approaches

1759
01:26:36,866 --> 01:26:39,700
that had led to the rebellions
in the first place.

1760
01:26:39,700 --> 01:26:42,000
These are the major proposals:

1761
01:26:42,000 --> 01:26:44,400
on welfare, a new approach,

1762
01:26:44,400 --> 01:26:47,100
a form of guaranteed annual
income based on the idea

1763
01:26:47,100 --> 01:26:49,900
that even in good times,
some people can't get jobs

1764
01:26:49,900 --> 01:26:52,600
or can't make enough
to support their families.

1765
01:26:52,600 --> 01:26:55,366
On housing, a national
open housing law,

1766
01:26:55,366 --> 01:26:58,066
six million new
low- and middle-income units.

1767
01:26:58,066 --> 01:27:02,433
On jobs, two million new jobs in
government and private business.

1768
01:27:02,433 --> 01:27:06,066
The cost has been estimated
at $2 billion a month.

1769
01:27:06,066 --> 01:27:08,733
Something like the cost
of the war in Vietnam.

1770
01:27:08,733 --> 01:27:11,366
HINTON:
The Kerner Commission recognized

1771
01:27:11,366 --> 01:27:16,033
that the War on Poverty had not
gone far enough.

1772
01:27:16,033 --> 01:27:19,333
That what was needed was
a massive,

1773
01:27:19,333 --> 01:27:21,933
structural transformation
to address

1774
01:27:21,933 --> 01:27:26,266
the underlying causes
of the rebellions.

1775
01:27:26,266 --> 01:27:30,100
The report in many ways
is a really bold

1776
01:27:30,100 --> 01:27:32,600
and exciting vision,
uh, for what

1777
01:27:32,600 --> 01:27:35,266
U.S. domestic policy could be.

1778
01:27:35,266 --> 01:27:37,266
Buy your books on the
Riot Commission!

1779
01:27:37,266 --> 01:27:38,966
On the Riot Commission!

1780
01:27:38,966 --> 01:27:41,400
REPORTER:
This is Bushwick,
a neighborhood in Brooklyn

1781
01:27:41,400 --> 01:27:43,433
that's half Black
and half white.

1782
01:27:43,433 --> 01:27:45,900
At PS 151,

1783
01:27:45,900 --> 01:27:48,466
where the pupils are
mostly Negro or Puerto Rican,

1784
01:27:48,466 --> 01:27:51,733
the school's book fair was
enlarged to include a table

1785
01:27:51,733 --> 01:27:54,133
full of the paper-bound reports.

1786
01:27:54,133 --> 01:27:56,833
Sixth graders were not
the best customers,

1787
01:27:56,833 --> 01:27:59,600
but throughout the
neighborhood in various ways,

1788
01:27:59,600 --> 01:28:02,233
more than 2,000 copies
of "The Riot Report"

1789
01:28:02,233 --> 01:28:04,233
were sold in less than a week.

1790
01:28:04,233 --> 01:28:07,900
POWELL:
It was a "New York Times"
bestseller and it's a tome.

1791
01:28:07,900 --> 01:28:10,533
It's not light reading,
it's not a comic book.

1792
01:28:10,533 --> 01:28:12,600
So there was interest.

1793
01:28:12,600 --> 01:28:14,766
COBB:
It really becomes a
centerpiece of conversation.

1794
01:28:14,766 --> 01:28:16,500
You see civic groups,

1795
01:28:16,500 --> 01:28:19,200
churches, libraries,

1796
01:28:19,200 --> 01:28:22,166
even police departments
buying the book in bulk.

1797
01:28:22,166 --> 01:28:24,533
Bought already.

1798
01:28:24,533 --> 01:28:26,900
At one point, Marlon Brando,

1799
01:28:26,900 --> 01:28:29,966
who was then an A-list figure
in Hollywood,

1800
01:28:29,966 --> 01:28:33,033
made the rounds on talk shows,

1801
01:28:33,033 --> 01:28:36,000
carrying a copy of the Kerner
Commission Report with him.

1802
01:28:36,000 --> 01:28:39,133
This report clearly indicates,

1803
01:28:39,133 --> 01:28:43,933
uh, that the Black people

1804
01:28:43,933 --> 01:28:46,400
have not been able to pick
themselves up

1805
01:28:46,400 --> 01:28:48,166
by their bootstraps because

1806
01:28:48,166 --> 01:28:50,066
of white feelings against them.

1807
01:28:50,066 --> 01:28:53,600
And we all of us have
to find out, what is that?

1808
01:28:53,600 --> 01:28:56,033
What's going to be
the answer to this report?

1809
01:28:56,033 --> 01:28:58,600
What answer in the form
of action in Washington?

1810
01:28:58,600 --> 01:29:01,733
Here's Roger Mudd,
who covers Congress.

1811
01:29:01,733 --> 01:29:04,466
Roger, what's the
impact down there?

1812
01:29:04,466 --> 01:29:08,900
Harry, the report has not
been accepted on Capitol Hill

1813
01:29:08,900 --> 01:29:12,733
as gospel as it has been in
most of the editorial reaction,

1814
01:29:12,733 --> 01:29:14,866
in the public prints.

1815
01:29:14,866 --> 01:29:18,033
The mentality of Capitol Hill
is not geared

1816
01:29:18,033 --> 01:29:22,900
to, uh, instant reaction to
broad programs, broad studies.

1817
01:29:22,900 --> 01:29:25,900
It's geared to specific
legislative proposals.

1818
01:29:25,900 --> 01:29:28,633
As yet, nothing has come from
the White House but silence.

1819
01:29:28,633 --> 01:29:31,066
When the report was issued,

1820
01:29:31,066 --> 01:29:34,433
Johnson already had a good sense
of what was in it.

1821
01:29:34,433 --> 01:29:39,566
 
His reaction was the most
negative of any president

1822
01:29:39,566 --> 01:29:43,466
who ever received a report
from a commission he'd created.

1823
01:29:43,466 --> 01:29:45,466
He refused to accept a copy.

1824
01:29:45,466 --> 01:29:50,566
He refused
to thank the commissioners.

1825
01:29:50,566 --> 01:29:53,700
He refused to hold what had
already become a custom,

1826
01:29:53,700 --> 01:29:56,666
receiving it from them
and thanking them for it,

1827
01:29:56,666 --> 01:30:00,566
maybe having everybody appear
on the White House lawn.

1828
01:30:02,600 --> 01:30:04,766
REPORTER:
Mr. Lindsay, does it
seem strange and peculiar

1829
01:30:04,766 --> 01:30:07,266
that the president
would not choose to comment

1830
01:30:07,266 --> 01:30:08,600
on the findings
of the commission

1831
01:30:08,600 --> 01:30:11,166
that he himself appointed?

1832
01:30:11,166 --> 01:30:13,233
Not necessarily at all.

1833
01:30:13,233 --> 01:30:14,866
It's a very large report,
very comprehensive,

1834
01:30:14,866 --> 01:30:18,500
and, uh, needs a lot of review.

1835
01:30:18,500 --> 01:30:22,233
HARRIS:
We didn't really think
about whether Lyndon Johnson

1836
01:30:22,233 --> 01:30:26,666
would like what we said
or found or recommended.

1837
01:30:26,666 --> 01:30:31,066
He said, "Find the truth
and express it in your report."

1838
01:30:31,066 --> 01:30:32,766
That's what we did.

1839
01:30:32,766 --> 01:30:36,566
And we were really
disappointed, surprised,

1840
01:30:36,566 --> 01:30:40,433
that he, he rejected it.

1841
01:30:40,433 --> 01:30:44,166
LYNDON JOHNSON:
Every time you appoint one
of these committees,

1842
01:30:44,166 --> 01:30:47,833
you get more
than you can do anything about.

1843
01:30:47,833 --> 01:30:50,133
They recommended that I spend
$80 million,

1844
01:30:50,133 --> 01:30:52,466
and I got no place to get
the 80-- I can't borrow it.

1845
01:30:52,466 --> 01:30:54,933
I can't tax it,
I can't get a tax bill

1846
01:30:54,933 --> 01:30:57,400
of any kind,
and they didn't discuss that.

1847
01:30:57,400 --> 01:30:59,800
That's a detail they
didn't get into.

1848
01:31:01,833 --> 01:31:04,500
HARRIS:
Johnson was just in a mess.

1849
01:31:05,566 --> 01:31:09,833
The Tet Offensive had happened
in January of that year.

1850
01:31:09,833 --> 01:31:11,733
WALTER CRONKITE:
We have been too
often disappointed

1851
01:31:11,733 --> 01:31:15,366
by the optimism of the American
leaders, both in Vietnam

1852
01:31:15,366 --> 01:31:18,066
and Washington, to have faith
any longer

1853
01:31:18,066 --> 01:31:21,433
in the silver linings
they find in the darkest clouds.

1854
01:31:21,433 --> 01:31:23,533
For it seems now more certain

1855
01:31:23,533 --> 01:31:27,000
than ever that the bloody
experience of Vietnam

1856
01:31:27,000 --> 01:31:28,800
is to end in a stalemate.

1857
01:31:28,800 --> 01:31:31,433
PROTESTORS (chanting):
Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did
you kill today?

1858
01:31:31,433 --> 01:31:35,200
Hey, hey, LBJ, how many kids did
you kill today?

1859
01:31:35,200 --> 01:31:37,400
Hey, hey, LBJ...

1860
01:31:37,400 --> 01:31:40,300
HARRIS:
There were increasing
demonstrations

1861
01:31:40,300 --> 01:31:42,300
all around the country and right
outside the White House

1862
01:31:42,300 --> 01:31:47,700
with people saying, "LBJ, how
many kids did you kill today?

1863
01:31:51,233 --> 01:31:55,466
His own popularity
had sunk to 36 percent.

1864
01:31:55,466 --> 01:31:57,566
JOHNSON:
I've not wanted to reflect
on Kerner

1865
01:31:57,566 --> 01:32:01,000
and criticize the commission.

1866
01:32:01,000 --> 01:32:02,700
At the same time,
I couldn't embrace it

1867
01:32:02,700 --> 01:32:05,733
because I've got to have
some fiscal solvency,

1868
01:32:05,733 --> 01:32:08,133
and I can't have it unless
I have a tax bill.

1869
01:32:08,133 --> 01:32:10,300
LINDSAY:
We're not talking about
something

1870
01:32:10,300 --> 01:32:11,866
that is going to kill
the country.

1871
01:32:11,866 --> 01:32:14,433
Over a five-year period,

1872
01:32:14,433 --> 01:32:18,466
we put $18 billion
into highways alone.

1873
01:32:18,466 --> 01:32:23,033
Another $18 to $20 billion
into the space program.

1874
01:32:23,033 --> 01:32:25,866
Now is this country going to
say that it's impossible

1875
01:32:25,866 --> 01:32:28,766
to correct the cancer
that exists

1876
01:32:28,766 --> 01:32:30,700
in the center of these,
of these cities?

1877
01:32:30,700 --> 01:32:33,500
ZEITZ:
So it's bad enough that
it's a presidential commission

1878
01:32:33,500 --> 01:32:35,066
and it's Johnson's presidential
commission,

1879
01:32:35,066 --> 01:32:36,633
but it's also populated

1880
01:32:36,633 --> 01:32:39,000
with leading white liberal
politicians

1881
01:32:39,000 --> 01:32:41,533
who are effectively
telling white America,

1882
01:32:41,533 --> 01:32:44,133
you're responsible
for the racism.

1883
01:32:44,133 --> 01:32:45,766
You're responsible
for the violence.

1884
01:32:45,766 --> 01:32:48,666
You're responsible
for what you see on TV.

1885
01:32:48,666 --> 01:32:51,566
And this is in the lead-up
to the 1968 elections.

1886
01:32:51,566 --> 01:32:55,066
Johnson was already conducting a
fair amount of public polling.

1887
01:32:55,066 --> 01:32:57,066
Richard Scammon,
who was his pollster,

1888
01:32:57,066 --> 01:32:59,000
looked at the electorate

1889
01:32:59,000 --> 01:33:02,800
and came back to him and said,
"Look, the median voter in 1968

1890
01:33:02,800 --> 01:33:05,833
is un-young, un-Black,
and un-poor."

1891
01:33:05,833 --> 01:33:10,766
And it fundamentally created a
political problem for Johnson.

1892
01:33:10,766 --> 01:33:13,433
The great irony of the
Kerner Commission

1893
01:33:13,433 --> 01:33:15,000
is that Johnson sets it up

1894
01:33:15,000 --> 01:33:20,100
as a way of building support
for his presidency.

1895
01:33:20,100 --> 01:33:23,266
But in the end, it puts him
in an impossible position.

1896
01:33:23,266 --> 01:33:25,866
He can't accept the
recommendations without

1897
01:33:25,866 --> 01:33:29,533
alienating the conservative
members of Congress.

1898
01:33:29,533 --> 01:33:34,266
He also can't criticize it
without alienating liberals.

1899
01:33:34,266 --> 01:33:36,666
He can't please anyone.

1900
01:33:36,666 --> 01:33:39,633
ZEITZ:
There was also a sense
that he had run out of steam

1901
01:33:39,633 --> 01:33:41,700
and run out of capital;
he liked being president

1902
01:33:41,700 --> 01:33:44,833
to do things and it was by no
means clear that,

1903
01:33:44,833 --> 01:33:47,266
were he able to eke
out another term,

1904
01:33:47,266 --> 01:33:49,566
he'd be able to expand
on the Great Society

1905
01:33:49,566 --> 01:33:52,366
or build bigger domestic policy
programs.

1906
01:33:52,366 --> 01:33:55,566
In all likelihood,
he would've had to just continue

1907
01:33:55,566 --> 01:33:57,466
what he was doing,

1908
01:33:57,466 --> 01:34:00,666
which was managing an unruly
nation at home and a war

1909
01:34:00,666 --> 01:34:04,100
that seemed impossible to get
out of abroad.

1910
01:34:04,100 --> 01:34:06,000
CARTER:
I think Johnson sort of felt,
increasingly,

1911
01:34:06,000 --> 01:34:07,466
"Where are my allies?

1912
01:34:09,566 --> 01:34:12,500
"People are failing to
appreciate that in fact

1913
01:34:12,500 --> 01:34:15,666
I did do more for this country
than many other presidents."

1914
01:34:17,100 --> 01:34:23,433
With American sons
in the fields far away,

1915
01:34:23,433 --> 01:34:27,400
with America's future under
challenge right here at home,

1916
01:34:27,400 --> 01:34:32,733
I do not believe that I should
devote an hour or a day

1917
01:34:32,733 --> 01:34:38,200
of my time to any personal
partisan causes

1918
01:34:38,200 --> 01:34:41,266
or to any duties other

1919
01:34:41,266 --> 01:34:46,633
than the awesome duties
of this office.

1920
01:34:46,633 --> 01:34:52,266
Accordingly, I shall not seek,

1921
01:34:52,266 --> 01:34:57,466
and I will not accept,
the nomination of my party

1922
01:34:57,466 --> 01:35:00,533
for another term
as your president.

1923
01:35:00,533 --> 01:35:03,533
(indistinct chatter)

1924
01:35:03,533 --> 01:35:07,433
♪ ♪

1925
01:35:07,433 --> 01:35:09,733
(people chattering)

1926
01:35:09,733 --> 01:35:12,633
ROBERT F. KENNEDY:
Ladies and gentlemen...

1927
01:35:12,633 --> 01:35:14,366
(clears throat)

1928
01:35:14,366 --> 01:35:17,466
I'm only going to talk to you
just for a minute or so

1929
01:35:17,466 --> 01:35:19,533
this evening because I have,

1930
01:35:19,533 --> 01:35:23,833
I have some very sad news
for all of you,

1931
01:35:23,833 --> 01:35:28,400
and I think sad news for
all of our fellow citizens

1932
01:35:28,400 --> 01:35:33,366
and people who love peace
all over the world.

1933
01:35:33,366 --> 01:35:35,966
And that is that

1934
01:35:35,966 --> 01:35:38,066
Martin Luther King was shot and
was killed tonight

1935
01:35:38,066 --> 01:35:39,433
in Memphis, Tennessee.

1936
01:35:39,433 --> 01:35:40,800
(crowd screams in anguish)

1937
01:35:40,800 --> 01:35:45,900
♪ ♪

1938
01:35:55,266 --> 01:35:59,933
CARTER:
So many Americans felt this
sense of

1939
01:35:59,933 --> 01:36:03,400
our last best hope

1940
01:36:03,400 --> 01:36:07,466
for the prospects of nonviolence
has been taken away from us.

1941
01:36:12,600 --> 01:36:16,266
(indistinct talking)

1942
01:36:19,533 --> 01:36:25,066
♪ ♪

1943
01:36:27,900 --> 01:36:30,266
In the aftermath of King's
assassination,

1944
01:36:30,266 --> 01:36:32,466
when you see a replay

1945
01:36:32,466 --> 01:36:35,000
of the kind of violence
that had taken place

1946
01:36:35,000 --> 01:36:36,966
in the summer of 1967,

1947
01:36:36,966 --> 01:36:41,133
it feels as though the Kerner
Commission's prophecies

1948
01:36:41,133 --> 01:36:44,500
are simply being fulfilled.

1949
01:36:46,100 --> 01:36:48,166
(siren blaring)

1950
01:36:48,166 --> 01:36:50,133
HINTON:
At least a hundred cities
erupted

1951
01:36:50,133 --> 01:36:53,733
in the days and weeks after.

1952
01:36:54,833 --> 01:36:56,366
Martin Luther King,
the king of love,

1953
01:36:56,366 --> 01:36:58,400
the king of nonviolence
and peace,

1954
01:36:58,400 --> 01:37:00,900
for him to get assassinated

1955
01:37:00,900 --> 01:37:05,966
really made the entire future
of Black Americans

1956
01:37:05,966 --> 01:37:08,633
seem as uncertain as ever.

1957
01:37:11,466 --> 01:37:14,600
FLAMM:
The country is truly in flames.

1958
01:37:17,166 --> 01:37:20,500
The U.S. military has
to send thousands and thousands

1959
01:37:20,500 --> 01:37:22,100
of troops to the capitol

1960
01:37:22,100 --> 01:37:24,800
to protect Congress
and the White House.

1961
01:37:24,800 --> 01:37:28,300
You have angry and fearful
members of Congress

1962
01:37:28,300 --> 01:37:30,266
pleading with Johnson

1963
01:37:30,266 --> 01:37:33,433
to issue shoot-to-kill orders
to the U.S. soldiers

1964
01:37:33,433 --> 01:37:35,700
who are in Washington, D.C.

1965
01:37:38,566 --> 01:37:40,666
(siren wailing)

1966
01:37:40,666 --> 01:37:42,300
CHAMBERS:
We were all,

1967
01:37:42,300 --> 01:37:45,066
all of us extremely depressed
about the assassination

1968
01:37:45,066 --> 01:37:48,366
that had just occurred,
but I also felt,

1969
01:37:48,366 --> 01:37:52,866
well, this is, of course,
exactly what you expect, right?

1970
01:37:52,866 --> 01:37:56,166
And later that night,
I went downtown,

1971
01:37:56,166 --> 01:38:02,633
and as we turned off
of 14th Street,

1972
01:38:02,633 --> 01:38:04,500
we were looking straight ahead

1973
01:38:04,500 --> 01:38:09,266
at a tank coming toward us,
and...

1974
01:38:11,633 --> 01:38:13,400
I remember thinking

1975
01:38:13,400 --> 01:38:19,933
this just can't be the America
that we live in.

1976
01:38:21,100 --> 01:38:23,233
Soon after the
National Advisory Commission

1977
01:38:23,233 --> 01:38:26,200
on Civil Disorders published its
report last month,

1978
01:38:26,200 --> 01:38:29,033
members of the commission
received a telegram,

1979
01:38:29,033 --> 01:38:32,233
which concluded with the
following words,

1980
01:38:32,233 --> 01:38:34,533
"My only hope now
is that white America

1981
01:38:34,533 --> 01:38:37,566
"and our national government
will heed your warnings

1982
01:38:37,566 --> 01:38:40,100
"and implement your
recommendations.

1983
01:38:40,100 --> 01:38:43,000
"By ignoring them,
we will sink inevitably

1984
01:38:43,000 --> 01:38:46,233
"into a nightmarish
racial doomsday.

1985
01:38:46,233 --> 01:38:49,566
"God grant that your excellent
report will educate the nation

1986
01:38:49,566 --> 01:38:52,900
and lead to action before it is
too late."

1987
01:38:52,900 --> 01:38:56,533
The telegram was
signed by Martin Luther King Jr.

1988
01:38:56,533 --> 01:39:00,800
Now, just six weeks after that
telegram was sent,

1989
01:39:00,800 --> 01:39:05,466
it's too late to answer
the martyred Dr. King.

1990
01:39:05,466 --> 01:39:08,766
It could be that out
of this tragedy,

1991
01:39:08,766 --> 01:39:11,833
as sorrowful it has...
as it has left

1992
01:39:11,833 --> 01:39:15,366
most of us, would come a jolt,

1993
01:39:15,366 --> 01:39:18,500
a kind of a realization
that we cannot continue,

1994
01:39:18,500 --> 01:39:22,100
again to quote the report,
on the present course.

1995
01:39:26,466 --> 01:39:28,166
GILLON:
Liberals in Congress had been
trying

1996
01:39:28,166 --> 01:39:31,633
to pass the
Fair Housing Act for years.

1997
01:39:31,633 --> 01:39:33,400
But in the wake
of the King assassination

1998
01:39:33,400 --> 01:39:36,233
and in light of the report's
recommendations,

1999
01:39:36,233 --> 01:39:38,200
there's new momentum.

2000
01:39:38,200 --> 01:39:43,833
So if there's one significant
piece of legislation that is

2001
01:39:43,833 --> 01:39:45,733
the direct result of the
Kerner Commission,

2002
01:39:45,733 --> 01:39:48,100
it's the Fair Housing Act
of 1968.

2003
01:39:48,100 --> 01:39:52,800
CARTER:
But those who know the
Fair Housing Act of 1968 well

2004
01:39:52,800 --> 01:39:57,066
know that it is at best
a toothless attempt

2005
01:39:57,066 --> 01:40:00,733
to deal with the worst aspects
of housing discrimination.

2006
01:40:00,733 --> 01:40:03,533
It doesn't begin to address
the fundamental things

2007
01:40:03,533 --> 01:40:05,900
that are keeping Blacks from
being able to break out

2008
01:40:05,900 --> 01:40:08,733
of what someone called an
encircling noose,

2009
01:40:08,733 --> 01:40:12,500
these white suburbs around
Black inner-city areas.

2010
01:40:12,500 --> 01:40:13,933
It's too little and too late.

2011
01:40:15,366 --> 01:40:17,900
CHAMBERS:
When I ask myself
what the commissioners thought

2012
01:40:17,900 --> 01:40:20,833
would be the impact
of the report

2013
01:40:20,833 --> 01:40:23,533
and whether it would produce
the kind of change

2014
01:40:23,533 --> 01:40:28,200
that they were calling for,
I suspect very few of them

2015
01:40:28,200 --> 01:40:34,466
were naive enough to believe
that, "Well, goodbye racism.

2016
01:40:34,466 --> 01:40:37,966
We're gonna have
a new world here."

2017
01:40:37,966 --> 01:40:40,766
I think they just hoped

2018
01:40:40,766 --> 01:40:45,266
it would be a small nudge
in the right direction.

2019
01:40:45,266 --> 01:40:48,600
The report did have its impacts
here and there.

2020
01:40:48,600 --> 01:40:51,700
 
For instance, the commission
had critiqued the media,

2021
01:40:51,700 --> 01:40:53,866
saying they tended to look at
these issues

2022
01:40:53,866 --> 01:40:55,600
through the eyes of white men.

2023
01:40:55,600 --> 01:40:59,066
And you did see news
organizations

2024
01:40:59,066 --> 01:41:01,233
diversifying their ranks.

2025
01:41:01,233 --> 01:41:05,600
They did pledge to cover urban
issues with more nuance,

2026
01:41:05,600 --> 01:41:08,266
and more balance.

2027
01:41:08,266 --> 01:41:13,833
But, by and large,
the political and moral will

2028
01:41:13,833 --> 01:41:16,366
that the report had hoped
to summon,

2029
01:41:16,366 --> 01:41:19,266
it doesn't really come to pass.

2030
01:41:19,266 --> 01:41:23,966
HARRIS:
Virtually all of my mail
was really mean and hate mail.

2031
01:41:23,966 --> 01:41:26,833
But a lot of people were,
I think, kind of puzzled,

2032
01:41:26,833 --> 01:41:29,000
sort of, sort of like my dad.

2033
01:41:29,000 --> 01:41:32,966
The way he heard the Kerner
Report was, "Mr. Harris,

2034
01:41:32,966 --> 01:41:34,866
"out of the goodness
of your heart,

2035
01:41:34,866 --> 01:41:37,666
"you ought to pay more taxes

2036
01:41:37,666 --> 01:41:42,266
to help poor Black people
who are rioting in Detroit."

2037
01:41:42,266 --> 01:41:43,966
He said this to me,

2038
01:41:43,966 --> 01:41:45,733
he said, "The hell with that.

2039
01:41:45,733 --> 01:41:48,000
"I'm having a hard enough
time myself.

2040
01:41:48,000 --> 01:41:49,800
"I'm already paying too much
tax,

2041
01:41:49,800 --> 01:41:52,066
and not getting anything
for it."

2042
01:41:52,066 --> 01:41:54,100
And that, that was true.

2043
01:41:54,100 --> 01:41:57,666
A new white backlash is plainly
visible in the country.

2044
01:41:57,666 --> 01:42:00,533
The lead story in today's "Wall
Street Journal" is headed,

2045
01:42:00,533 --> 01:42:02,966
"Ghetto Violence Brings
Hardening of Attitudes

2046
01:42:02,966 --> 01:42:04,833
Toward Negro Gains."

2047
01:42:04,833 --> 01:42:08,933
FLAMM:
Law and order broadly defined
becomes the most pressing,

2048
01:42:08,933 --> 01:42:11,033
most powerful political issue

2049
01:42:11,033 --> 01:42:14,600
for white voters in America
by early 1968.

2050
01:42:14,600 --> 01:42:18,566
Urban unrest is the number one
concern.

2051
01:42:18,566 --> 01:42:22,033
(gun firing)

2052
01:42:22,033 --> 01:42:25,433
REPORTER:
The sale of firearms
has doubled in the last year.

2053
01:42:25,433 --> 01:42:28,633
The tension of Negro
disillusionment is in the air,

2054
01:42:28,633 --> 01:42:31,600
and so is white anxiety,

2055
01:42:31,600 --> 01:42:35,200
with both sides fearing
an incident that will escalate.

2056
01:42:36,566 --> 01:42:38,133
Why buy it?

2057
01:42:38,133 --> 01:42:40,166
Because I want to be able to
shoot through a car at somebody

2058
01:42:40,166 --> 01:42:42,000
if they bomb my house.

2059
01:42:42,000 --> 01:42:45,433
I'm going to be prepared;
I got food, I got water.

2060
01:42:45,433 --> 01:42:50,266
Right now, I got about
150 rounds of shells.

2061
01:42:50,266 --> 01:42:52,400
My whole neighborhood's
that way.

2062
01:42:55,200 --> 01:42:58,766
(crowd clamoring)

2063
01:42:58,766 --> 01:43:01,233
ROBERT F. KENNEDY:
What we're going to do in
the year 1968

2064
01:43:01,233 --> 01:43:03,033
is going to determine the future
of this country

2065
01:43:03,033 --> 01:43:04,500
for decades and decades ahead.

2066
01:43:08,000 --> 01:43:09,933
POWELL:
Very little in
history is inevitable.

2067
01:43:09,933 --> 01:43:11,366
It's important to remember,
because sometimes,

2068
01:43:11,366 --> 01:43:14,766
in our more cynical states,
we think nothing matters

2069
01:43:14,766 --> 01:43:16,700
and it's all gonna be bad.

2070
01:43:16,700 --> 01:43:18,300
And actually we don't know how
it's gonna matter,

2071
01:43:18,300 --> 01:43:20,000
but it matters.

2072
01:43:22,633 --> 01:43:24,300
ROBERT F. KENNEDY:
I run because it is

2073
01:43:24,300 --> 01:43:26,433
now unmistakably clear

2074
01:43:26,433 --> 01:43:30,933
that we can change these
disastrous, divisive policies

2075
01:43:30,933 --> 01:43:34,600
only by changing the men
who are now making them.

2076
01:43:35,800 --> 01:43:39,400
For the reality of recent events
in Vietnam

2077
01:43:39,400 --> 01:43:42,666
has been glossed over
with illusions.

2078
01:43:42,666 --> 01:43:46,833
Report of the Riot Commission
has been largely ignored.

2079
01:43:46,833 --> 01:43:48,966
The crisis in our cities

2080
01:43:48,966 --> 01:43:53,066
and in our ghettos
have all been met

2081
01:43:53,066 --> 01:43:57,833
with too little and too late.

2082
01:43:57,833 --> 01:44:00,200
POWELL:
I think Robert Kennedy
really cared about the country.

2083
01:44:00,200 --> 01:44:02,900
And increasingly to him,

2084
01:44:02,900 --> 01:44:04,833
that included marginalized
people,

2085
01:44:04,833 --> 01:44:06,666
including African Americans.

2086
01:44:06,666 --> 01:44:11,733
CROWD (chanting):
RFK! RFK! RFK! RFK!

2087
01:44:11,733 --> 01:44:15,166
(crowd whistling, cheering)

2088
01:44:18,900 --> 01:44:20,733
So my thanks to all of you,

2089
01:44:20,733 --> 01:44:24,433
and now it's on to Chicago
and let's win there. Thank you.

2090
01:44:24,433 --> 01:44:28,766
(cheers and applause)

2091
01:44:28,766 --> 01:44:33,833
(people screaming)

2092
01:44:37,233 --> 01:44:40,866
(screaming, panicking)

2093
01:44:49,333 --> 01:44:53,766
(screaming, sound dissipates)

2094
01:45:00,700 --> 01:45:02,200
MAN:
What do I think about
the future?

2095
01:45:02,200 --> 01:45:03,933
There ain't no future,
that's all there is to it.

2096
01:45:03,933 --> 01:45:05,500
WOMAN:
No future at all.

2097
01:45:05,500 --> 01:45:08,233
REPORTER:
Why don't you
think there's a future?

2098
01:45:08,233 --> 01:45:10,766
YOUNG MAN:
Kennedy-- they killed
Kennedy, they killed King,

2099
01:45:10,766 --> 01:45:12,666
they killed Evers.
Who's they?

2100
01:45:12,666 --> 01:45:14,800
They're killing all the, all the
people that do something...

2101
01:45:14,800 --> 01:45:16,066
Malcolm X.
White people.

2102
01:45:16,066 --> 01:45:17,933
Yeah, that do something
for the Black man,

2103
01:45:17,933 --> 01:45:19,466
you know, that stood up for 'em.
Thank you, thank you.

2104
01:45:19,466 --> 01:45:22,066
I have to believe, maybe 'cause
I wanna believe,

2105
01:45:22,066 --> 01:45:25,266
that if, um, Kennedy had lived,

2106
01:45:25,266 --> 01:45:27,400
uh, the Kerner Commission
would've lived

2107
01:45:27,400 --> 01:45:29,766
and the country would be in such
a different place.

2108
01:45:29,766 --> 01:45:31,500
(crowd chanting)

2109
01:45:31,500 --> 01:45:33,133
But instead,

2110
01:45:33,133 --> 01:45:36,666
Nixon comes along and says,
"We're not doing this."

2111
01:45:38,600 --> 01:45:41,233
For the past five years,

2112
01:45:41,233 --> 01:45:43,633
we have been deluged
by government programs

2113
01:45:43,633 --> 01:45:45,766
for the unemployed,
programs for the cities,

2114
01:45:45,766 --> 01:45:49,766
programs for the poor, and we
have reaped from these programs

2115
01:45:49,766 --> 01:45:51,566
an ugly harvest

2116
01:45:51,566 --> 01:45:55,033
of frustration, violence,
and failure across the land.

2117
01:45:55,033 --> 01:45:57,900
I say it's time to quit pouring
billions of dollars

2118
01:45:57,900 --> 01:46:01,100
into programs that have failed
in the United States of America.

2119
01:46:01,100 --> 01:46:04,400
GILLON:
Richard Nixon repeats
all the things

2120
01:46:04,400 --> 01:46:06,400
that, that the conservatives
were saying

2121
01:46:06,400 --> 01:46:08,400
about the Kerner Commission
Report.

2122
01:46:08,400 --> 01:46:10,733
That it seems to reward
rioters,

2123
01:46:10,733 --> 01:46:13,966
that there needs to be a greater
emphasis on law and order.

2124
01:46:13,966 --> 01:46:16,066
And that becomes
the central theme of his,

2125
01:46:16,066 --> 01:46:18,233
of his campaign in 1968,
was law and order.

2126
01:46:19,666 --> 01:46:22,833
NIXON:
Let us recognize that the first
civil right of every American

2127
01:46:22,833 --> 01:46:26,000
is to be free
from domestic violence.

2128
01:46:26,000 --> 01:46:31,333
CARTER:
Richard Nixon will very
skillfully tap into this

2129
01:46:31,333 --> 01:46:34,633
sense of what about
the non-protestors?

2130
01:46:34,633 --> 01:46:37,433
(ominous music playing in ad)

2131
01:46:37,433 --> 01:46:39,366
We've lost sight of the fact
that many Americans

2132
01:46:39,366 --> 01:46:41,266
still see America
as a land of opportunity.

2133
01:46:43,700 --> 01:46:45,066
Why all this focus

2134
01:46:45,066 --> 01:46:50,300
on unhappy people,
people demanding things,

2135
01:46:50,300 --> 01:46:53,700
and worse, burning things down
to further their agenda.

2136
01:46:53,700 --> 01:46:55,766
♪ ♪

2137
01:46:55,766 --> 01:46:58,466
This is not the American way.

2138
01:47:01,966 --> 01:47:06,500
♪ ♪

2139
01:47:06,500 --> 01:47:08,333
HINTON:
Lyndon Johnson had introduced

2140
01:47:08,333 --> 01:47:11,333
a new punitive element
in national policy.

2141
01:47:11,333 --> 01:47:12,866
Of course, Johnson did this

2142
01:47:12,866 --> 01:47:17,333
alongside his ambitious
social welfare program.

2143
01:47:17,333 --> 01:47:20,833
But when Richard Nixon took
office, he abandoned

2144
01:47:20,833 --> 01:47:22,800
the social welfare part
and really seized

2145
01:47:22,800 --> 01:47:26,333
on the punitive elements of the
Great Society and expanded them.

2146
01:47:28,166 --> 01:47:31,700
RICHARD NIXON:
I, Richard Millhouse Nixon,
do solemnly swear...

2147
01:47:31,700 --> 01:47:35,466
HINTON:
So we begin to see even
more aggressive

2148
01:47:35,466 --> 01:47:39,700
policing tactics being embraced
by national policy makers.

2149
01:47:39,700 --> 01:47:41,300
We begin to see

2150
01:47:41,300 --> 01:47:43,200
more draconian laws

2151
01:47:43,200 --> 01:47:45,666
and sentencing provisions being
enacted.

2152
01:47:45,666 --> 01:47:49,033
And the carceral state
continued to expand.

2153
01:47:50,766 --> 01:47:54,200
HARRIS:
The disturbances unfortunately
had a short-term effect,

2154
01:47:54,200 --> 01:47:55,800
if you were going to demagogue
about it

2155
01:47:55,800 --> 01:47:58,666
and was very helpful to Nixon.

2156
01:47:58,666 --> 01:48:02,133
And to other conservative
politicians since then.

2157
01:48:02,133 --> 01:48:06,266
We began to turn backwards
on desegregation

2158
01:48:06,266 --> 01:48:08,966
and on virtually everything
else.

2159
01:48:11,166 --> 01:48:13,933
BOESEL:
There was a long period of

2160
01:48:13,933 --> 01:48:16,900
social conservatism
after the riots,

2161
01:48:16,900 --> 01:48:19,500
prompted by the riots.

2162
01:48:19,500 --> 01:48:24,366
They issued in a racially
conservative political era

2163
01:48:24,366 --> 01:48:28,900
in which law and order
and repression

2164
01:48:28,900 --> 01:48:31,566
pretty much prevailed,

2165
01:48:31,566 --> 01:48:35,633
and that suited most of the
white citizenry of the country.

2166
01:48:35,633 --> 01:48:38,966
♪ ♪

2167
01:48:41,833 --> 01:48:43,700
MUHAMMED:
I've talked to a lot of people
about this and heard,

2168
01:48:43,700 --> 01:48:47,966
consistently heard,
people my age, early 50s say,

2169
01:48:47,966 --> 01:48:50,333
"You know, I grew up
in the suburbs of Detroit.

2170
01:48:50,333 --> 01:48:51,666
"My parents always said,

2171
01:48:51,666 --> 01:48:53,233
you can't go to Detroit,
it's not safe."

2172
01:48:53,233 --> 01:48:57,066
Which was just code word for
saying Black people live there.

2173
01:49:00,100 --> 01:49:02,833
The ghetto was reinforced.

2174
01:49:08,233 --> 01:49:12,566
HARRIS:
The commission told the truth,
but it was a harsh truth.

2175
01:49:14,866 --> 01:49:17,466
The secretary of labor back
then

2176
01:49:17,466 --> 01:49:20,933
said, you can capsulize
the commission's report

2177
01:49:20,933 --> 01:49:24,866
in the words of that great
American philosopher, Pogo,

2178
01:49:24,866 --> 01:49:29,133
who said, "We have met the enemy
and he is us."

2179
01:49:30,533 --> 01:49:35,200
♪ ♪

2180
01:49:38,833 --> 01:49:43,533
♪ ♪

2181
01:49:45,433 --> 01:49:47,466
My service on the Kerner
Commission

2182
01:49:47,466 --> 01:49:50,233
and the advocacy
which followed it,

2183
01:49:50,233 --> 01:49:53,800
in a way kind of ruined me
as a senator.

2184
01:49:56,500 --> 01:49:57,966
Hubert Humphrey was vice
president

2185
01:49:57,966 --> 01:50:01,000
when I became a senator
at age 33,

2186
01:50:01,000 --> 01:50:05,000
and he said that compromise
is the essence

2187
01:50:05,000 --> 01:50:08,733
of the operations
of a legislative body.

2188
01:50:08,733 --> 01:50:11,000
He said, "I don't mean
compromise on principle,

2189
01:50:11,000 --> 01:50:16,933
but I mean on how we do it
or how much we do this year."

2190
01:50:19,266 --> 01:50:24,233
And I came to a time after
the Kerner Report that I,

2191
01:50:24,233 --> 01:50:26,333
I just...

2192
01:50:29,566 --> 01:50:32,233
I couldn't compromise.

2193
01:50:32,233 --> 01:50:35,400
I, I knew that's what we had
been doing

2194
01:50:35,400 --> 01:50:39,666
and that that had got us
in the mess we're in.

2195
01:50:41,500 --> 01:50:47,333
♪ ♪

2196
01:50:47,333 --> 01:50:50,366
We had people around
the Senate, even, who said,

2197
01:50:50,366 --> 01:50:54,966
"Well, Black people in America
are much better off

2198
01:50:54,966 --> 01:50:57,600
than they are anywhere else
in the world."

2199
01:50:57,600 --> 01:50:59,666
You know,
in Zambia or somewhere.

2200
01:50:59,666 --> 01:51:03,700
The answer to that is,
these are Americans.

2201
01:51:03,700 --> 01:51:05,666
They're not in Africa.

2202
01:51:05,666 --> 01:51:08,433
And they're not trying
to tear down the system.

2203
01:51:08,433 --> 01:51:11,366
They want to be a, a part of it.

2204
01:51:11,366 --> 01:51:15,166
They're trying to get
the country to do

2205
01:51:15,166 --> 01:51:18,266
what it says it believes in.

2206
01:51:18,266 --> 01:51:21,566
They're trying, trying to make
democracy work.

2207
01:51:23,600 --> 01:51:28,966
COBB:
My first serious engagement with
the Kerner Report was in 1992,

2208
01:51:28,966 --> 01:51:33,600
in the aftermath of the Rodney
King uprisings in Los Angeles.

2209
01:51:33,600 --> 01:51:40,966
And you heard the word Kerner
again and again and again.

2210
01:51:40,966 --> 01:51:44,900
And it has remained this
touchstone, you know,

2211
01:51:44,900 --> 01:51:48,766
this vitally important document,
that unfortunately

2212
01:51:48,766 --> 01:51:53,333
has retained its relevance over
the span of history.

2213
01:51:53,333 --> 01:51:59,033
♪ ♪

2214
01:51:59,033 --> 01:52:03,166
The Kerner Commission did not
deign to take the easy way out.

2215
01:52:03,166 --> 01:52:08,133
They told the nation what
exactly the problem was.

2216
01:52:08,133 --> 01:52:12,300
Even if it meant that no one
was going to listen to them.

2217
01:52:12,300 --> 01:52:15,200
♪ ♪

2218
01:52:20,166 --> 01:52:22,933
♪ ♪

2219
01:52:31,100 --> 01:52:34,066
ANNOUNCER:
"American Experience:
The Riot Report"

2220
01:52:34,066 --> 01:52:36,100
is available with PBS Passport

2221
01:52:36,100 --> 01:52:38,233
and on Amazon Prime Video.

2222
01:52:38,233 --> 01:52:43,833
♪ ♪

2223
01:52:55,033 --> 01:52:57,933
♪ ♪