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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
25 February 73 Richmond Prisoners Solidarity Committee at State Peninteniary [sic]
Date Created
1973-01-31
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of a picket organized by the Richmond Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PSC) at the Virginia State Penitentiary, likely on January 31, 1973. Picketers carry signs calling for support of incarcerated individuals, the firing of W.K. Cunningham, and the abolition of "C-Cell". This appears to be a group of majority white participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:09 Footage begins. Footage of the sidewalk, likely filmed while camera was rolling during transport.
00:00:11 Footage of a group of approximately a dozen individuals picketing outside of the Virginia State Penitentiary, filmed from the sidewalk in front of them with the penitentiary building to the right. Several individuals stand in the street and on the sidewalk with photography and film cameras. Two individuals carry a large red banner with black writing on two poles, though the text of the banner is not visible to the camera--it is held in the direction of the prison. Individuals carry signs which read: "Support the Peoples Investigation", "We Demand that you fire Cunningham! P.S.C." [referring to the Virginia State Corrections Director W.K. Cunningham, P.S.C. stands for Prisoners Solidarity Committee], "We Are United, Prisoners Solidarity Committee", "Free The C-Cell Prisoners! Prisoners Solidarity C.", "Abolish C-Cell", "Stop Racism Against Prisoners", "Medical Care for C-Cell! -PSC-", "PSC Demands Holton Slayton Meet The C-Cell Demands!!!" [Holton refers to Virginia Governor Linwood Holton, Slayton is Penitentiary Superintendent Addison E. Slayton Jr.] , "Visitation Not Isolation P.S.C.", "Stop The Racist Reprisals".
00:00:46 Multiple clips of the picket filmed from the street. Demonstrators appear to be chanting, and several pump their fists. New signs read: "All Prisoners Are Political Prisoners", "C-Cell, We're With You All The Way! Prisons Solidarity Com."
00:01:58 Multiple clips of picket filmed from the sidewalk in front of them. They continue to chant and carry signs.
00:02:52 Footage of two uniformed police officers and one individual in a suit and cap standing in front of a police car.
00:02:55 Footage of the sidewalk, likely filmed while camera was rolling during transport.
00:02:58 Footage ends.
Event Description
This reel is likely footage of a picket of the Virginia State Penitentiary on January 31, 1973, organized by the Richmond Prisoners Solidarity Committee (PSC). On January 31st, penitentiary officials answered a charge from ACLU lawyer Philip J. Hirschkop that they had violated an October 1971 federal court order by moving fourteen incarcerated individuals from the general prison population into a maximum security building without a hearing. Prison officials claimed the incarcerated individuals were moved due to an emergency. Ealier in the week, U.S. District Court Judge Robert R. Merhige Jr., who made the 1971 order, found prison officials in contempt of court and fined them $25,000. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported that the newspaper was made aware of the transfer of the fourteen individuals through letters smuggled out of prison and given to the newspaper by PSC. The PSC members picketing on January 31st called for the firing of Virginia State Corrections Director W.K. Cunningham and "unrestricted examination of the penitentiary for themselves and the press" (Richmond Times-Dispatch, February 1, 1973).
Runtime
00:03:11
Note
Although the reel is labeled February 25, 1973, this is likely the protest covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch which took place on January 31, 1973.
Personal Name Subject
Merhige, Robert R.
Corporate Name Subject
Prisoners Solidarity Committee
Topical Subject
Prisons; Prisoners and prisons; Prisons and race relations; Prison administration; Prison discipline; Prison reform; Demonstrations; Crowds; Signs and signboards; Police; Police patrol--Surveillance operations; Electronic surveillance; Video surveillance
City/Location
Richmond (Va.)
Genre
color 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
Richmond Prisoners Solidarity Committee Picket at Virginia State Penitentiary, 1973 January 31
File Name
VCU_M571_112.mp4
Disciplines
African American Studies | Cultural History | Film and Media Studies | Other Film and Media Studies | Political History | Public History | Social History | United States History | Women's History