- Collection:
- Civic Magazine
- Title:
- Civic magazine
- Creator:
- Savannah (Ga.). Public Information Office
- Date of Original:
- 2001
- Subject:
- African American History Month--Georgia--Savannah
Mayors--Georgia--Savannah
Race relations
Savannah (Ga.)--Race relations
City council members--Georgia--Savannah
Savannah State University (Ga.)--Faculty
African American college teachers--Georgia--Savannah
African Americans--Georgia--Savannah
African Americans--Civil rights--Georgia--Savannah
African American educators--Georgia--Savannah
Brown, Oliver, 1918- --Trials, litigation, etc.
Topeka (Kan.). Board of Education--Trials, litigation, etc.
Segregation in education--Georgia--Savannah
African Americans--Education--Georgia--Savannah
Busing for school integration--Georgia--Savannah - People:
- Adams, Floyd, 1945-
- Location:
- United States, Georgia, Chatham County, Savannah, 32.08354, -81.09983
- Medium:
- television programs
- Type:
- Moving Image
- Format:
- video/mp4
- Description:
- Hosted by Charlesetta Bisard. Segment one: Political emergence, 0:00-8:08A special edition segment of Civic Magazine for Black History Month opens with a clip of Dr. Martin Luther King's speech "I Have a Dream." Mayor Floyd Adams, Jr., Savannah's first African-American mayor, is interviewed and speaks about how he aims to treat all of Savannah's citizens equally, regardless of how black Savannahians may have been treated in the past, and how racial unity and equality in Savannah has come a long way. Retired Vice President of WTOC News Doug Weathers talks about Bowles Ford's ascension to the city council in 1970 as the city's first black alderman, who was selected by prospective mayoral candidate John Rousakis to run on his mayoral ticket. Savannah State University Professor Dr. Charles Elmore talks about black leaders in Savannah and local black heroes of the city. Segment two: Education, 8:08-16:39. The segment looks back on the Brown v. Board decision of 1954 and the progress that has been made in the following decades in securing equal educational opportunities for black Savannahians. Interviewees for this segment include Chatham Board of Education Deputy Superintendent Dr. Gerri Smith, Retired Vice President of WTOC News Doug Weathers who talks about forced busing campaigns to integrate schools, and Savannah State University Professor Dr. Charles Elmore who speaks about his experience going through school integration as a student. Segment three: Revitalizing Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, 16:39-21:47. The segment focuses on the revitalization projects on Martin Luther King Boulevard, or as it was formerly called, West Broad Street. West Broad was the commercial center of the black community, but had later fallen into disrepair. In an interview, Mayor Floyd Adams, Jr. talks about his fond memories of visiting West Broad Street as a child and speculates on its decline, which he attributes to an urban renewal program in which the city bought and condemned properties. He talks about the successful revitalization efforts on Martin Luther King Boulevard but talks about how most of these new businesses are not owned by African-Americans, as they had been in the past. Also interviewed are Retired Vice President of WTOC News Doug Weathers, who blames the decline of West Broad Street on the demolition of Union Station and the phasing out of train travel, which brought most visitors to Savannah through the heart of West Broad Street, so that traffic is now gone. Segment four: Law enforcement, 21:47-28:57. The segment discusses the integration of Savannah's law enforcement agencies. The Savannah Police Department became the first law enforcement agency in Georgia to hire black officers in 1947; these first black officers are known as the Original Nine. Original Nine officer Lt. John A. White is interviewed and talks about what it meant for the black community to have black officers on the staff. He talks about how the police chief, who initially did not want black officers, later came to appreciate their stellar work as police officers and even requested members of the Original Nine black officers to serve as pallbearers at his funeral, although they were only able to bear his coffin to the door since the church was whites-only. Savannah PD Maj. Juliette Tolbert talks about her experience serving as an African-American and as the highest ranking woman in the history of the SPD. Segment five: Religion, 28:57-33:48. The segment profiles the influence of religion in Savannah's black community and the efforts of black churches in the march towards equality. Rev. Thurman Tillman of the First African Baptist Church is interviewed for this segment, and talks about the church as the center of the black community in addition to black colleges like Savannah State University. He also talks about how the message of Jesus Christ is applied to a situation like racial discrimination.
- External Identifiers:
- Metadata URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/civic/id:0123-v12-07b
- Digital Object URL:
- https://dlg.galileo.usg.edu/do:gsg_civic_0123-v12-07b
- Language:
- eng
- Extent:
- 1 video file (mp4) (33 min., 48 sec.) : sd., col.
- Holding Institution:
- City of Savannah Municipal Archives
- Rights:
-
