- Collection:
- WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection
- Title:
- Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of Lester Maddox promoting states' rights and segregation as he speaks to a white audience in Americus, Georgia, 1965 July 29
- Creator:
- WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
- Contributor to Resource:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
- Date of Original:
- 1965-07-29
- Subject:
- African American men--Georgia--Americus
Central business districts--Georgia--Americus
Communism--Georgia--Americus
Police--Georgia--Americus
Police vehicles--Georgia
Segregation--Georgia--Americus
Voting--Georgia--Americus
Reporters and reporting--Georgia--Americus
African American civil rights workers--Georgia--Americus
Subversive activities--Georgia--Americus
Governors--Georgia--Election, 1965
Political campaigns--Georgia
Demonstrations--Georgia--Americus
Americus (Ga.)--Race relations--History--20th century
Georgia--Politics and government--History--20th century - People:
- Maddox, Lester, 1915-2003
Whatley, Andrew A., 1941-1965--Death and burial
Johnson, Lyndon B. (Lyndon Baines), 1908-1973
McGill, Ralph, 1898-1969
Vandiver, S. Ernest (Samuel Ernest), 1918-2005
Allen, Ivan, 1911-2003 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Sumter County, Americus, 32.07239, -84.23269
- Medium:
- moving images
news
unedited footage - Type:
- MovingImage
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- In this series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips from July 29, 1965, Georgia segregationist and gubernatorial candidate Lester Maddox speaks to a white crowd in Americus, Georgia. The clip begins with an African American man, possibly incarcerated, being led by a white man. Two African Americans, Eddie James Lamar and Charlie Lee Hopkins, were arrested following the July 28 shooting death of 21-year-old white Americus resident Andrew Whatley. Following a break in the clip, unidentified buildings appear, as do Georgia patrol cars and state troopers. Next, Maddox speaks to a crowd gathered in an Americus recreation facility. He explains that he is in Americus on a "mission of peace." He calls for the restoration of states' rights, exclaiming, "We are going to get them like George Wallace in the White House and save this great land!" Maddox urges the crowd to make their feelings known "at the voting booths and with your dollar." Maddox, who says, "I belong here in Georgia," challenges those who criticize his presence in Americus as an "outsider" and condemns them for not being equally critical of the nonresident African Americans who have come to support the civil rights movement in Americus. Maddox also disparages the media for what he sees as inconsistency; he expresses appreciation for media presence at the rally and for fairness and kindness in the past, but then faults them for calling his wife while she is recuperating in the hospital. "I'm proud to be called a segregationist," he says, "but I challenge the news media to call 'Light bulb' Johnson, or [Atlanta mayor] Ivan Allen, or 'No not one' Vandiver an integrationist. That's what they are, every one of them." Maddox here refers to President Lyndon Johnson and Georgia governor Ernest Vandiver. He blames President Johnson, editor and publisher of the Atlanta Constitution Ralph McGill, and "the communists" for conspiring "to bring about this great tragedy that has taken place in Americus, Georgia." Racial tensions in Americus, which had been building since the July 20 arrest of four African American women for standing in a "white" line during an election, boiled over on July 28. On July 28, Andrew Whatley, a 21-year-old white marine recruit was shot to death from a passing car occupied by two African American men. Whatley had been standing near a crowd of whites, some of whom were throwing rocks at black drivers as they passed. Maddox also denounces "cowardly" businessmen for valuing business more than standing up for their beliefs. Maddox closed his Atlanta restaurant chain the Pickrick rather than desegregate.
Title supplied by cataloger.
IMLS Grant, 2008.
Digibeta Center Cut (4 x 3) downconvert from HDD5 1080/23.98PsF film transfer. - Local Identifier:
- Clip number: wsbn48501
- Metadata URL:
- https://crdl.usg.edu/id:ugabma_wsbn_wsbn48501
- Digital Object URL:
- https://crdl.usg.edu/do:ugabma_wsbn_wsbn48501
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn48501/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: wsbn48501, Series of WSB-TV newsfilm clips of Lester Maddox promoting states' rights and segregation as he speaks to a white audience in Americus, Georgia, 1965 July 29, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1306, 7:51/14:34, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia
- Extent:
- 1 clip (about 6 mins., 43 secs.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm.
- Original Collection:
- Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.
- Contributing Institution:
- Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection
- Rights:
-
