- Collection:
- WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection
- Title:
- WSB-TV newsfilm clip of a racial demonstration in Savannah, Georgia, 1970 October 16
- Creator:
- WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)
- Date of Original:
- 1970-10-16
- Subject:
- African Americans--Civil rights--Georgia--Savannah
Demonstrations--Georgia--Savannah
Civil rights demonstrations--Georgia--Savannah
Social history
Race relations
Black American Heritage Flag
Pan-Africanism
Legislators--Georgia
Legislators--Georgia--Savannah
African American legislators--Georgia
African American legislators--Georgia--Savannah
African American state legislators--Georgia
African American state legislators--Georgia--Savannah
Lawyers--Georgia--Savannah
African American lawyers--Georgia--Savannah
Police vehicles--Georgia--Savannah
Motorcycles--Georgia--Savannah
Pedestrians--Georgia--Savannah
City traffic--Georgia--Savannah
Municipal courts--Georgia--Savannah
Judges--Georgia--Savannah
Police--Georgia--Savannah
Jails--Georgia--Chatham County
Arrest--Georgia--Savannah
Imprisonment--Georgia--Savannah
Bail--Georgia--Savannah
Appellate procedure--Georgia--Savannah
Contempt of court--Georgia--Savannah
Reporters and reporting--Georgia--Savannah - People:
- Hill, Bobby L. (Bobby Lee), 1941-2000
Mulling, Victor H., 1916-1994 - Location:
- United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah, 32.08354, -81.09983
- Medium:
- moving images
news
unedited footage - Type:
- MovingImage
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- In this WSB newsfilm clip from October 16, 1970, demonstrators in Savannah, Georgia protest the incarceration of Georgia state representative Bobby L. Hill; one of Hill's attorneys comments on his arrest and appeal for release.
The clip begins with a shot of a group of African American men walking down the sidewalk; one man in the group waves a red, green and black Pan-African flag on a pole. Next, a Savannah police officer directs street traffic from a motorized tricycle; on the opposite side of the street, a steady crowd of African American pedestrians walk along the sidewalks and crosswalks. Three young African American boys play around by jumping into the camera shot and waving their arms. Next, an unidentified African American attorney speaks to a reporter who is off-camera. The attorney reports that Hill was frisked, handcuffed, then taken to the county jail, where he is currently residing. He says that a motion for an appeal bond is pending with Judge Victor Mulling, the presiding municipal judge who cited Mr. Hill for contempt. The reporter then asks the attorney what his feelings are for Mr. Hill's alleged actions, which involve instructing his defendants that they were free to leave the courtroom without the judge's permission. The attorney responds that it remains to be decided whether or not Mr. Hill actually said such things, and therefore he does not have an opinion to state on the matter.
On Thursday, October 15, 1970, Georgia state representative from district ninety-four in Chatham county Bobby L. Hill, a practicing Savannah attorney, was arrested and jailed for contempt of court by Savannah Municipal Court judge Victor H. Mulling. Hill was representing six African American high school students who were arrested after interracial fighting broke out at newly-integrated Savannah High School. No white students were arrested in the incident. In trying the case, Judge Mulling noted that the defendants had not been issued correct warrants, and called a recess in order to reissue them. During this time, Hill allegedly notified his clients that they could not be held on illegal warrants, and were therefore not required to stay in court. As several of the defendants attempted to leave the courtroom, they were stopped by deputies with blackjacks; the sight of this scene caused the entire courtroom to break out in disorder. For his alleged role in the courtroom disturbance, Hill was held in Chatham County Jail for four days. While Hill's attorneys requested his release on bond, several demonstrations were held in protest of his incarceration, including marches on the Chatham County Jail, which attracted hundreds of demonstrators. In defiance of the demonstrations, Judge Mulling refused to rule on the bond motion for Hill. Hill's attorneys filed a petition for habeas corpus in Superior Court; they were granted a hearing, but could not immediately secure a bond for Hill's release. Ultimately, Hill was released on Tuesday, October 19, by order of U.S. District Court judge Alexander A. Lawrence.
Title supplied by cataloger. - Local Identifier:
- Clip number: wsbn61126
- Metadata URL:
- https://crdl.usg.edu/id:ugabma_wsbn_wsbn61126
- Digital Object URL:
- https://crdl.usg.edu/do:ugabma_wsbn_wsbn61126
- IIIF manifest:
- https://dlg.usg.edu/record/ugabma_wsbn_wsbn61126/presentation/manifest.json
- Language:
- eng
- Bibliographic Citation (Cite As):
- Cite as: wsbn61126, WSB-TV newsfilm clip of a racial demonstration in Savannah, Georgia, 1970 October 16, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1682, 52:23/53:21, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Georgia
- Extent:
- 1 clip (about 58 secs.): color, 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:
-
