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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
part of march from Va. Union to State Capital [sic] / Police Week, 1965, Show at school on Fendall by Cain, Police F.D.
Date Created
1965-03-15/1965-05-09/1965-05-15
Reel Format
8 mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of the March 16, 1965 voting rights march from Virginia Union University to the Virginia State Capitol, as well as a judo and K-9 demonstration by police officers during Richmond's Police Week beginning May 9, 1965. The voting rights march appears to be a group of racially diverse participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:16 Footage begins. Footage filmed from a distance of marchers on the street, a Firestone sign is visible on the corner, as well as cars on the street.
00:00:25 Footage filmed from a distance of a large crowd walking next to what appears to potentially be a Trailways Bus station. Cars drive by between the building and camera. A truck labeled "Old Mansion Coffee" drives by.
00:00:28 Two individuals stand behind a car, with cars to their left and behind them. A building is visible in the background, potentially the General Assembly Building. The Virginia Washington Monument is visible to their left.
00:00:31 Footage goes gray. There are two clips of furniture, likely filmed when camera was running while not being used.
00:00:50 Dark footage of two individuals in judo uniforms participating in a judo demonstration.
00:02:03 Footage of a uniformed police officer with a dog on a leash, which appears to be a German Shepherd, standing on a stage in an auditorium and speaking.
00:02:06 The officer in the previous clip wears a dog bite sleeve. A second uniformed police officer holds the dog's leash as it attacks the sleeve. A second clip of the same demonstration follows.
00:02:21 The first officer is visible instructing the dog, who sits and has a police hat on its head. The officer places sunglasses over the dog's eyes and a cigarette in the dog's mouth.
00:02:31 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.
Police Week in Richmond was held on May 9-15, 1965. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, members of the "juvenile, traffic, and patrol divisions, including K-9 and cadet forces" would be participating in the school programs scheduled for the week (Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 9, 1965). Writing on the reel states that this "show" took place at a school on Fendall, likely referring to J. E. B Stuart Elementary (renamed Barack Obama Elementary School in 2018) at 3101 Fendall Ave in Richmond, Virginia.
Runtime
00:02:43
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; Police; Judo; Police training; Police training--United States; Animals in police work; Police dogs; 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 #03, 1965 March 15 ; Richmond Police Week Film Reel #02, 1965 May 9-15
File Name
VCU_M571_092.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