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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
Kings [sic] Memorial
Date Created
1969-04-04
Reel Format
Super 8mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of the April 4, 1969 Memorial March for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in Richmond, Virginia. In this reel, individuals gather in Monroe Park preparing to march in the rain, and then march down what appears to be Broad Street.
Timestamp Description
00:00:10 Footage begins.
00:00:15 Blurred footage of an overhead office light.
00:00:18 Footage of individuals walking through Monroe Park, with three uniformed officers on horseback behind them. The officers wear rain capes over their uniforms, and a plastic covering on their hats. As the camera pans right, a large crowd is seen gathering preparing to march, likely on the Monroe Park corner of Franklin Street and Belvidere Street. Most individuals wear jackets or raincoats, some carry umbrellas, and others have their hair covered against the rain. Some carry signs, one visible sign reads: "King Memorial March Church Hill". It appears this footage was filmed from the porch of the Lindsey House.
00:00:29 The camera pans back to the left during the same clip.
00:00:37 Behind the three uniformed officers on horseback, four individuals hold a large banner at the front of the march which reads "Martin L. King Memorial March". One individual stands in front of them holding an unidentified flag on a flag pole.
00:00:42 The same crowd filmed from distance. The camera pans back and forth on the crowd, which extends into the center of Monroe Park.
00:00:52 Footage of the three mounted police officers crossing Belvidere Street at Franklin Street, with two flag bearers behind them--one holding an unidentified flag and another a United States of America flag, followed by the individuals holding the "Martin L. King Memorial March" banner, followed by dozens of individuals. An individual can be seen filming the crowd, and some children are also visible observing the march. Several individuals wear white armbands with "Marshal" written on them. Some of the visible signs individuals wear hung around their necks include: "We Will Be Free Some Day", "We Shall Live In Peace Some Day", "King Memorial March Church Hill", "I Have A Dream".
00:01:31 Footage filmed from a distance of the crowd continuing to cross Belvidere Street at Franklin Street.
00:01:55 Footage filmed across the street of the crowd walking with two police trikes at the front of the crowd, followed by two mounted police officers. A large Hess sign is visible, along with signs for Toyota, directional signs for highways, and a sign for the Richmond Petersburg Turnpike. This appears to be Broad Street. Individuals with "Marshal" armbands walk on the street side of the crowd.
00:02:14 The march filmed from the front, with the police trikes, a police car, mounted police officers, and then marchers walking towards and past the camera on what appears to be Broad Street. Visible business signs include: "Robbins Transmissions," "Richmond Typewriter Co. Inc., "Newell Furniture Co.". Several individuals in the crowd wear clerical collars. One individual carries a sign which reads: "There are two challenges to America: Racism and Poverty".
00:02:42 Zoomed in footage of the demonstrators marching focusing on individuals' faces.
00:03:49 Footage of the marchers filmed from the median on what appears to be Broad Street, with business signs visible to the right of the crowd.
00:03:59 Footage ends.
Event Description
On April 4, 1969, a year to the day after the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., a crowd gathered in Monroe Park around 3PM for a memorial march to the Virginia State Capitol. They were led by Reverend E. William Judge of Third Street Bethel AME Church. The Richmond Times-Dispatch reported the crowd walked "five abreast in a line a city block long". The event was sponsored by the Richmond Coalition for Peace, Freedom, and Justice, a coalition of 15 organizations co-chaired by Mrs. Robert Conklin* of the Women's International League and Harry Bradley of the Richmond Area Improvement Association. The march walked along Broad Street, with individuals joining the crowd as it passed. The RTD reported 400-500 arrived at Capitol Square. Named speakers includes Reverend Barry Hopkins of Sixth Mount Zion Baptist Church, and Rabbi Saul J. Rubin of the Rabbinic Association of Central Virginia (Richmond Times-Dispatch, April 5, 1969).
*Conklin's first name could not be found.
Runtime
00:03:37
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; Clergy; Mounted police; Police horses; Animals in police work; 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 March for Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. from Monroe Park to Virginia State Capitol Film Reel #03, 1969 April 4
File Name
VCU_M571_036.mp4