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WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Ben Lucas, Board of Commissioners chair and an African American man discussing African American grievances in Rome, Georgia, 1971 September 2

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@ Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection

WSB-TV (Television station : Atlanta, Ga.)

Description

In this WSB newsfilm clip from Rome, Georgia, on September 2, 1971, African American grievances are discussed by Ben Lucas, chair of the Board of Commissioners, and an African American man, possibly Jimmy Hardy, a twenty-two-year-old elected member of the Black Coordinating Committee.The clip is divided into two parts. The first part of clip begins with three unidentified white men standing outside a fire station. Two white men drive by in a police car, and other cars drive the streets of downtown Rome. Next, three unidentified African American men sit around a table covered with documents; an unidentified white reporter is seen speaking to them. One of the men, possibly Jimmy Hardy, answers the reporter's questions, calling it a mistake and a disservice to link the rape and African American grievances. He explains that the African American unrest began over a year ago. The rape mentioned was the alleged rape of a seventeen-year-old white girl by eight African American males, ages fourteen to twenty-three. The eight young men were arrested August 17, and reports of police brutality shortly followed.After these comments, two white men are seen speaking outside a building; Ben Lucas, chair of the Board of Commissioners faces the camera and the interviewing reporter stands with his back to the camera. Lucas also emphasizes that the alleged rape is not the cause of African American demands, although it "may have been the triggering mechanism." Lucas confirms the city's intention to continue to improve communication between African American and white...
Type:
Video
Contributors:
Lucas, Benjamin
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Record Contributed By

Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection

Record Harvested From

Digital Library of Georgia