I . 645, The March ( The Marc h on Washington , August 28 , 1963 ) Transcript of the Documentary At the beginning of the 1960s, the situation in the Afro-American community was growing ever more tense owing to high unemployment and racist discrimi­ nation- In response, a coalition of civil rights groups organized the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, one of the key events in the history of the black civil rights movement ·in the United States, on August 28, 1963. The main organizers included A- Philip Randolph of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and Martin Luther King Jr. of the Southern Chris· tian Leadership Conference <SCLC>- Approximately 250,000 participants, one quarter of them white, marched peacefully from the Washington Monument to the Lincoln Memorial and thus helped ensure that the u.s. Administration passed the Civil Rights Act in 1964 - On behalf of the USIA, James Blue pro­ duced the documentary The March: He directed 12 cameramen, w~ote the poetic voiceover, narrated and edited ·the film- It includes the full text of Mar­ tin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech, was translated into 52 languages and 300 copies were distributed world-wide- >> The transcript was first published in: Gerald O' Grady (ed.), James Bl ue. Scripts and Interviews. Celebrating Swamp: 25 Years - Honoring Founder James Blue , Conference at the Rice University Media Center, November 1-3, 2002, SWAMPSouthwest Alternate Media Project, Houston, 2002, PP · 79-84, M James Blue Memorial Collection- [... ] from Jackson,Mississippi, from Birmingham,Alabama, or about the LoudspeakerTruck: FreedomNow movement,hear me.We're distancefrom Johannesburgto Dar-es-Salaam. requestingall citizensto move into Washington,to go by plane,by car, By the end of August, 1963,in some placesof the United States,a bus,any way that you can get there. Walk if necessary.We are pushing Negro could not go to school where he chose,eat where he wished, for jobs, housing,desegregated schools. This is an urgent request. build his home where it pleasedhim or find jobs for which he was Pleasejoin, go to Washington. qualified. A. Philip Randolph: Negroeswant the samethings that white citi­ He had beeninsulted, beaten, jailed, drenchedwith water, chasedby zenspossess, all of their rights. Theywant no reservations,they want dogs but he was coming to Washington,he said, to swallow up hatred completeequality, social, economic and political, and no force under in love,to overcomeviolence by peacefulprotest. the sun can stem and block and stop this civil rights revolution which Marshall testing walkie-talkie: Thisis EqualityOne calling Freedom is now under way. Two,over[ ...) Singing: Hold on, hold on, keepyour eyeson that prize,hold on[ ...) Narration: Many peoplepredicted violence. Negro groups trained If the F.B.I.would investigate, themselvesto overwhelmit. Armedwith portabletwo-way radios, probably,then, we would integrate. volunteersscattered throughout the areawould keepwatch. Should Keepyour eyeson the prize, violencecome then, that day,they would call for help. Eachman Hold on, hold on![ ...] would havea code name: Freedom- Equality- Justice- Jobs. We are all here blackand white, Walkie-talkie: Thisis FreedomTwo to EqualityOne[ ...) Boundto fight for equal rights [... ] Narration: TheConstitution of the United Statesguarantees every Hold on, hold on! Americanthe right to pr.otestpeaceably. Two hundredthousand Narration: On August 28, 1963, two hundred thousandAmericans Americans,then , were going to usethis right. cameto Washingtonto demandcomplete freedom for everyone.This Threehundred and fifty yearsago, the white man came to America, is the story of that day. and three hundredand fifty yearsago the Negrocame to America.The Theycame from LosAngeles and San Francisco,or about the distance one cameas master,the other as slave. from Moscowto Bombay.They came from Cleveland,-fromChicago, Onehundred years ago, Abraham Lincoln declared as Presidentof the or about the distancefrom BuenosAires to Rio de Janeiro.They came United Statesthat all slaveswould henceforwardbe set free. Now, < James Blue, The March (The March on Washington), USA, 1963-1964, 35mm film, b/w, sound, 32 min, still from a digital copy D -I. 646, Diagram of the route at the March on Washington, August 28, J963, published the same day in The WashingtonPost. both blackand white Americanswere preparingto marchto saythat a fied stories,nor are we gonna fight them with hatred, but we're gonna century later,the black manstill wasnot completelyfree. fight them with love. When they hate us,we gonnaabsorb their 'If I am not free,you are not free. If one man on earth is partly en­ hatred in love; when they speakagainst us,we gonna speakth ings of slaved,the world is not completelyfree." love toward them; we're not gonna let their hatredturn us around, It wasevery man'sduty, then, to helpevery other man. but we gonna love them on everyside. Bullhorn: We needfour peopleat table eight [ ...] Singing: [ ...) oh, I do believe,that we shall overcomeone day. Narration: In New York,volunteers worked for two daysand two l eader: Shakehands with the personbes ide you. nights to makelu nchesfor the march;they madeeighty thousand Preacher: Do you want to be free? cheesesandwiches. Group: YEAH! Singing: We shall overcomesome day[ ...] Preacher: Do you want to be free? Voice of a young woman: Get your button here.O .k. Get your button Group: YEAH! herefor the Marchon Washington.Do you have it? Preacher: Let me hear you say it! Narration: Thepins said: 'I MARCHFOR JOBS AND FREEDOM.'Every­ Group: FREEDOM![...) one who marchedwore one.The two hundredthousand people who Singing [at train station] : We shall not be moved( ... ] were to marchthat day were held together by the strength of that pin. Young woman [on bus]: We'realmost there. Prayer in church: Thismorning, Father, we ask if thou would hear Leader:Just hold those two and I'll passthem down from here.All the prayersof thy childreneverywhere. Those who are burdeneddown right, just passthem back.All right, I'll start on this side [ ...] If you becauseof conditionshere in Americaand those who are confused haveany questionsor anything that's botheringyou. Besure you con­ about how they should treat their fellow men.Oh, God, we askfor tact your captain for anything,and they will takeit from there. Do not thosewho have hatred in their heartsto touch their heartsright now, try to do anything on your own, becausethe minute you do, you will oh Father,and somehow,fill their heartswith loveand, oh God,make be upsettingthe purposeof this march.The whole thing is an orderly of this land in which we live a land of cleanlinessand a land of righ­ conductedmarch. teousness,oh God,and maywe recognizeth is land, a land of Freedom Woman:That's it, that's Washington. for everyrace. Oh, Father. Man: Hi! Hi, everybody!We're here ! Singing: We shall overcome[ ...] [Yells] Yell outside of bus: Let me hear you say it! FREEDOM! Group: FREEDOM!FREEDOM! FREEDOM! [... preparations,night falls ...) Song by Joan Baez: We are not afraid (. ..) Narration: In the night few peoplehad arrived.Negro leaders feared Oh,deep in my heart I do believe that their work had failed. Thosewho did come,waited singing. · Thatwe shall overcome,some day[ ...) Singing: We shall overcome(... ) Song by Odetta: I'm on my way (... ] Preacher: Weare encouraged.We're not going to fight our white I'm on my way and I won't turn back, brethrenwith malice,nor are we going to fight them with any falsi- I'm on my way,Great God, I'm on my way [ ...] 648, • ,. ',< ,/ ; •~·••' ~ 1 4<..-v , \( c) l- °" Freedom March - Au~ust 28, 1~63 TIME EX)UIP!1Sl'!T ;:;S.;.T,;:;;OR;.;.Y=---------- PROCEEDTO: 4:30 AM 35 00 Cutmap 35 U.Y. 3us fran Brooklyn-Bus Meet .Jim Int. °tloth Arri & arrives at Ellypse - Blue at tent Shaw Nagra crowds-closeups-Gen'l Cons. & 15th Kemper views at sta-.;e Hash. :r-;on. (USIA • Jim Blue) r;rounds 6:00 AM 35 00 Westan DC wall, Arrives Union Station Crew & Blue Int. "Pippitt eyemo & crowds- Gen'l color to Capitol Melekoglu DC recorder Prob. wild SOF Hill Hower (USIA - Jim Blue) 6: 00 AM 3 5 ~ickman 3 5 Arri & Sunrise from tvash. Stationary SOF Metax~ zoom Mon. -city shots - Ext. Gerlach recorder early AM risers on (USIA - Tony Calsava ge) rrounds-Cen'l color - \.fui te '-~ouse 8:00 AM 35 Yoder eyemo Copter shots A.M.­ then to Ind. SIL Sands ~utler Aviation, A\·e. by Ext. National Airport 11:00 (USIA - Jim Krell) 8:00 AM 35 Alpert Arri & Gen'l color early AM To photo SIL =tiueiio eyemo alonr: Const. Ave & truck by (USIA - Bob Silberling) vicinity '.las h . Mon. 10:30 p.ro unds & reflect i n~ pool 9:30 AM 35 DS WestgtL.... DC wall, 10 cele rrat es visit Crew to w.n, Int. li:!'.pp1.ff eyemo, Con~ress, lip sync balance of l-leleko::-:lu Cap. delegates arrivals day Hower recorder (USIA - Jim Blue) 10: 00 AM 35 DS Ll.iclanan Arri & -on Stand - stars ~ickman to Ext. Hetaxas recorder enterta1.n, Gen'l color stand west Storey Stand Position-upper side DC Hon, (USIA - Tony Cal sava ge) north corner by 11 : 15 10: 00 AM 35 Koza• 35 Arri rroof L:f.ncoln Hem. Stationary SIL Marcus & zoom arrivals both sides­ Ext • P-fY'v....{\... o <;S wide ar.~les- crowd (USIA - ~ reactio~-entire Plerlge -departures 10:00 AM 35 Ward Wall eyemo Center stand- Gen'l Stationary SOF Butera zoom-DC prc,r,rarn-wide anr-le of E=:t. \'an Sand ampex arrivals & departures (YSIA - Joe O'Donnell) Lincoln Memorial , 10 :00 AM 3 5 Mamas n .Y. wall Side stand - Gen 'l Stationary SOP PortnoW eyemo- DC program-arrivals & Ext.