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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
March at State Capitol from VA Union (#2) At Capitol
Date Created
1965-03-15
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of some 500 individuals gathering on the steps of the Virginia State Capitol in support of voting rights legislation. Towards the end of the footage, they appear to pray and sing. An object covers the top right corner of the frame throughout most of the footage. This appears to be a group of racially diverse participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:13 Footage begins. Zoomed in footage of approximately six individuals standing on a sidewalks with grass and benches behind them. This appears to be the grounds of the Virginia State Capitol.
00:00:18 Footage filmed from a distance of several dozen individuals standing on the same sidewalk, with a blue car parked in front of them.
00:00:20 Marchers enter the area, walking from the right of the frame, towards the individuals waiting. More cars are visible between those waiting and the marchers. It appears this footage was filmed from the steps of the Capitol building.
00:00:39 Footage of individuals climbing the steps of the Capitol building, filmed from the right side of the steps, with the camera aimed towards the sidewalk at the bottom of the steps. The camera pans back and forth.
00:00:47 Footage of individuals gathered at the top of the steps of the Capitol building, with the columns of the portico visible behind them. Individuals stand in several rows on the steps. Footage is filmed from the right of the gathering, with another building visible in the background. Some individuals hold signs, one reads "Remember Reeb".
00:00:52 Footage of a group of approximately a dozen individuals gathering in a huddle on the street below the Capitol steps, most hold paper in their hands. Two cars are visible parked behind them, and more individuals stand on the sidewalk behind the cars.
00:01:05 Footage filmed from a distance from the Capitol steps of more marchers walking from the right to left of frame.
00:01:09 Footage of individuals climbing the steps of the Capitol building, filmed from the right side of the steps, with the camera aimed towards the sidewalk at the bottom of the steps. An individual with a large photography camera stands at the bottom right of the stairs.
00:01:19 Footage of individuals climbing the Capitol steps, the camera pans to follow them as they join the rows of individuals standing at the top of the stairs.
00:01:32 Footage of individuals climbing the steps of the Capitol building, filmed from the right side of the steps, with the camera aimed towards the sidewalk at the bottom of the steps. Several of these individuals wear nun habits.
00:01:44 Footage of individuals gathered on the sidewalk below the steps of the Capitol. The camera pans left to rise, showing dozens of individuals, as well as individuals with photography and film cameras, likely journalists. Marchers continue to join the crowd.
00:02:14 Footage of individuals climbing the steps of the Capitol building, filmed from the right side of the steps, with the camera aimed towards the sidewalk at the bottom of the steps. An individual with a film camera sits on the side of the steps.
00:02:25 Footage of individuals from the march walking towards the Capitol steps, walking from the right to left of frame. More individuals stand on the sidewalk.
00:02:32 Footage of individuals climbing the steps of the Capitol building, filmed from the right side of the steps, with the camera aimed towards the sidewalk at the bottom of the steps. One individual holds a sign which reads "Concerned Seminarians For Selma".
00:03:02 Footage of the sidewalk below the steps, with individuals gathering while others pass through they join the crowd on the steps. Footage pans right across the crowd gathered on the sidewalk.
00:03:29 Footage of the sidewalk below the steps. Four individuals stand in a row with their heads bowed in prayer, some of the individuals at the bottom of the steps also have their heads bowed.
00:03:34 Footage of an individual holding a microphone over the crowd, with an individual operating a film camera to their right. The camera pans left over the crowd standing in rows on the Capitol steps.
00:03:36 Footage of the sidewalk below the steps. Four individuals stand in a row, with the individual gesturing in a way which suggests they are leading a song.
00:03:42 Footage of the crowd on the steps, filmed from their right. They appear to be singing. The camera pans right and shows the steps entirely filled with individuals.
00:03:54 Footage of the sidewalk below the steps. Four individuals stand in a row, with the individual gesturing in a way which suggests they are leading a song.
00:03:57 Footage of the crowd on the steps, filmed from their right. They appear to be singing.
00:04:00 Footage ends.
Event Description
On March 15, 1965, 700 individuals staged marches in four Virginia cities--Richmond, Farmville, Hopewell, and Norfolk--calling for equal voting rights and "sympathy for the Rev. James Reeb, the white Unitarian minister slain in the civil rights movement in Alabama last week" (Richmond Times-Dispatch, March 16, 1965). Reeb was a member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) who went to Selma, Alabama, to join marches for equal voting rights for Black Americans. On March 9, 1965, Reeb and two other ministers were attacked by white supremacists. He died of his injuries on March 11 (Wikipedia).
In Richmond, about 300 people, identified as "mostly students" by the Richmond Times-Dispatch, walked from Virginia Union University to the State Capitol, where there was a service of prayers and songs. The march was organized by VUU student C.J. Malloy and Union Theological Seminary student Dan West. Marchers were given handouts at VUU which instructed them to observe crosswalks, stay on the sidewalk, avoid loud talking and laughter, and asked men to wear coats and ties. The Times-Dispatch reported that there were about 30 to 40 white individuals in the group, with the majority of marchers being Black individuals. Another 200 individuals joined the marchers at the Capitol. There were some plainclothes officers at the Capitol.
Runtime
00:04:10
Corporate Name Subject
Virginia Union University (Richmond, Va.)
Topical Subject
Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights movements; Civil rights movements--United States; Crowds; Demonstrations; Student protesters; Students--Political activity; Youth movements; Suffrage; African Americans--Suffrage; Nuns; 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
Voting Rights March from in Richmond, Film Reel #02, 1965 March 15
File Name
VCU_M571_165.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