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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
Memorial for Martin Luther King held at State Capitol. 4-7-68
Date Created
1968-04-07
Reel Format
Super 8mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of a gathering at the Virginia State Capitol on April 7, 1968, in mourning of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on April 4. The majority of individuals wear dress clothes/church clothes. This appears to be a group of racially diverse participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:09 Footage begins. Footage of a corner of the Virginia State Capitol building filmed at an angle from above.
00:00:12 Footage of a crowd gathered on the capitol grounds, likely filmed from the top of the stairs of the capitol building, with a corner of the building's column visible in the right of frame.
00:00:21 Footage of the crowd filmed from above, zooming in on individuals in the crowd.
00:00:30 Multiple clips of the crowd, centered on an individual who appears to be in distress, crying out. Other individuals around them pat their shoulders and try to calm them.
00:01:08 Footage of the crowd, several individuals in clerical collars or nuns habits are visible.
00:01:14 Multiple clips of footage of the crowd appearing to disperse from the capitol building, filmed from above. Most individuals walk from the left to right of frame.
00:01:55 Footage focused on a group of eight individuals standing in a huddle speaking with one another. The camera zooms in on the group as other individuals disperse behind them.
00:02:08 Multiple clips filmed from the steps of the capitol building of individuals walking down the stairs and greeting one another.
00:02:19 Footage of individuals on the ground, one in the center waves towards the camera.
00:02:20 Zoomed in footage of four individuals speaking with one another as others disperse around them. The camera pans left to another group standing next to them, individuals shake hands.
00:02:32 Multiple clips of groups of individuals speaking with one another as the crowd disperses.
00:02:38 Footage of cars driving away from the camera on an unidentified street.
00:02:40 Footage filmed from a car of an individual leaning in front of the driver's side window of a car, speaking with the driver.
00:02:44 Two clips of footage filmed in front of the Richmond City Courthouse (known as the United States Post Office and Customhouse) on Main Street, individuals walk down the sidewalk while a uniformed officer wearing a helmet and carrying a baton directs foot traffic. These clips may have been filmed on April 8, 1968.
00:02:59 Footage ends.
Event Description
On April 7, 1968, over 3,000 people gathered at the Virginia State Capitol south portico to commemorate Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. following his assassination three days earlier on April 4th. The service began at 4PM, when the Sing Out South chorus sang "Freedom Isn't Free". Virginia State Conference Chairman of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) W. Lester Banks and opened the proceedings of prayers and eulogies. Richmond Mayor Morrill M. Crowe also addressed the crowd. Reverend E.E. Smith spoke as a stand-in for Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) president Reverend Curtis W. Harris. Another chorus present were the students from the St. Francis De Sales High School in Powhatan County. Several individuals carried palm fronds, with more distributed by a minister during the event. Other named speakers included Bishop John J. Russell of the Catholic Diocese of Richmond, Bishop Robert B. Hall of the Episcopal Diocese of Virginia, Dr. Theodore F. Adams of the First Baptist Church, Reverend E. William Judge of Third Street Bethel AME Church, Rabbi Saul Rubin of Beth Ahabah Temple, and Reverend James Carpenter of All Souls Presbyterian Church. State and capitol police patrolled the capitol grounds, as well as observing from the roof of the Hotel Richmond on 9th Street and Grace Street (Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 8, 1968).
Runtime
00:03:27
Personal Name Subject
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968
Topical Subject
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968--Assasination; Demonstrations; Crowds, Civil rights movements; Civil rights movements--United States; Civil rights demonstrations; Civil rights workers; Memorials; Nuns; Clergy; 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
Memorial for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. at Virginia State Capitol Film Reel #03, 1968 April 7
File Name
VCU_M571_083.mp4