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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
Finished 4-13-62, Anti-Bussing Meeting Mosque Rev. J.B. Book, 8-28-70
Date Created
1970-08-28
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of a rally against school desegregation busing organized by Reverend John B. Book of the Southside Christian Church at the Mosque (now the Altria Theater) in Richmond, Virginia, held on August 28, 1970. Footage includes Book and several other speakers on the stage. This appears to be a group of majority white participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:19 Footage begins. Footage of a partial building.
00:00:25 Footage filmed from the right side of the stage in the Mosque Theater. A podium with a microphone is in the center, approximately six adults and one child are on the stage setting up. The individual on the far right wearing a suit appears to be Reverend John B. Book.
00:00:28 Footage of an individual at the podium with an electric guitar. Five individuals, all of whom appear to be children, are seated in chairs to the right of the podium. Behind them is another row of chairs, with three adults sitting in them.
00:00:34 Multiple clips of the individual at the podium playing the guitar and singing.
00:00:51 Reverend Book stands and claps at the podium, other individuals on the stage also clap. Book speaks into the microphone.
00:01:04 Footage of another speaker at the microphone, they wear a dark suit.
00:01:20 Footage of another speaker at the microphone, reading from a stapled stack of papers. They wear a light suit and glasses. Book approaches the speaker and speaks into their ear, then walks back out of frame.
00:01:48 Footage of another speaker at the microphone, they wear a light suit. An individual in a dark dress walks towards the speaker, where Book also appears behind the speaker. The individual in the dress hands Book a Kentucky Fried Chicken bucket. Book inspects the bucket and the other individual puts a piece of paper in it, then speaks into Book's ear.
00:02:04 Footage of several individuals in the stage left wings speaking to each other, filmed from across the stage. The previous speaker continues to speak at the podium.
00:02:15 Footage goes black.
00:02:20 Footage of an individual's shadow.
00:02:21 Footage goes black.
00:02:47 Footage of another speaker at the podium, they wear a sleeveless blouse and slacks and read from a piece of paper.
00:03:06 Footage of two individuals standing directly in front of the curtain, with the previous speaker still at the podium. The chairs on the stage are now empty.
00:03:12 Footage of the raised trunk hatch of a car, then an individual walking towards the camera as the angle turns 90 degrees clockwise.
00:04:01 Footage of shoes and an individual on the street.
00:04:06 Footage ends.
Event Description
On August 28, 1970, Reverend John B. Book of the Southside Christian Church organized a rally against school desegregation busing at the Mosque (now the Altria Theater) in Richmond, Virginia. The rally lasted nearly three hours and included "religious and patriotic songs, flag-waving, and a number of standing ovations in support of antibusing sentiments." The Richmond Police Department told the Richmond Times-Dispatch they estimated 900 to 1,000 attendedees, but a speaker from the podium said there were 2,000 to 3,000 present. Speakers called for the impeachment of Governor Linwood Holton, the boycott of Richmond public schools, and the formation of private schools. A petition was circulated requesting a special session of the Virginia General Assembly to impeach Holton and any other elected official who "promotes busing of school children to meet arbitrary court ordered racial quotas." Book "criticized President Nixon, the federal courts, the proposed revision of the Virginia constitution and busing" and "reiterated his opposition to sex education." Book urged individuals to attend a protest against busing the following day, August 30, 1970, which would march from Monroe Park to the Virginia State Capitol. Other named speakers included J.R. Orgain Jr. of Alberta, Virginia, who offered to help Richmonders organize low cost private schools, as well as Charles McWilliams, a WXEX-TV news reporter. The Department of Health, Education, and Welfare (HEW) was also criticized at the rally (Richmond Times-Dispatch, August 29, 1970).
Runtime
00:04:33
Note
This footage is in black and white. The reel has the date April 13, 1962, which might indicate that is when the film was started but was not concluded until the second date, August 28, 1970. This may account for why this film is in black and white when most films from this year are in color.
Corporate Name Subject
Mosque Theatre (Organization : Richmond, Va.); Richmond Public Schools (Va.)
Topical Subject
Busing for school integration; School integration; Segregation in education; Demonstrations; Clergy; Guitar; White supremacy movements; White nationalism; Police; Police patrol--Surveillance operations; Electronic surveillance; Video surveillance
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Genre
black-and-white films (visual works)
Local Genre
moving image
Type
Moving Image
Digital Format
video/mp4
Language
eng
Rights Statement URL
Rights
This material is in the public domain in the United States and thus is free of any copyright restriction. Acknowledgement of Virginia Commonwealth University Libraries as a source is requested.
Collection
Richmond Police Department Surveillance Collection
Source
Anti-Busing Rally at Mosque Theater in Richmond, 1970 August 28
File Name
VCU_M571_009.mp4