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Title on Reel (transcribed from original)
Black Panther meeting Monroe Park 4-29-70 / William & Mary students Induction Center 5-11-1970
Date Created
1970-04-30/1970-05-11
Reel Format
16mm
Reel Description
This reel contains footage of individuals gathered in Monroe Park for what was advertised as a Black Panther Party press conference on April 30, 1970. Individuals in the park stand in the shade and it is difficult to distinguish details. There is also footage of College of William & Mary students picketing the draft at the Richmond Parcel Post Building at 1102 E. Main St., which also served as the induction center during the Vietnam War, on May 11, 1970. The William and Mary students appear to be a group of majority white participants.
Timestamp Description
00:00:09 Footage begins. Footage turned 90 degrees clockwise filmed in Monroe Park of trees and Johnson Hall. It appears that the camera was running while it was not being operated.
00:00:19 Multiple clips of a small crowd of individuals standing in Monroe Park. Individuals are not distinguishable due to shadows from the trees above them.
00:01:02 One individual in the center wears a broad brimmed flat top hat, this is likely Blue Edwards. Another individual appears to hold up a two finger peace sign towards the camera.
00:01:05 Multiple clips of a small crowd of individuals standing in Monroe Park. Individuals are not distinguishable due to shadows from the trees above them.
00:01:11 Footage of individuals in front of the Richmond Parcel Post Building at 1102 E. Main St., which also served as the induction center during the Vietnam War. Approximately five individuals stand outside the center holding stacks of paper, another sits on the ground.
00:01:25 Multiple clips of the group walking in a picket circle outside of the induction center, holding their papers. Some look at the camera, another holds up a two finger peace sign towards the camera as a uniformed police or security officer waves a finger at them.
00:01:44 Multiple clips of the group speaking with the security officer in uniform. When the camera zooms out, a sign reading "Armed Forces Examining--Entrance Center" stands at the edge of the sidewalk. One of the individuals in the picket walks towards the camera while looking into it.
00:02:01 One member of the picket hands a piece of paper to someone entering the building, a uniformed officer and a phone booth is visible behind them.
00:02:06 Multiple clips of the group of picketers in front of the building, with uniformed officers visible.
00:02:25 Footage of an individual walking in front of the induction center with four black helium balloons and an orange poster board sign reading: "Over 41,000 Men Have Died In Asia, This Draft Office Is Now Sending More".
00:02:30 Footage of an individual walking in front of the induction center holding a blue poster board sign which reads "Men of Draft Age, We Have Info". They walk towards another individual holding a cardboard sign which reads "Blessed Are The Peace Makers".
00:02:33 Multiple clips of the picketers walking past the camera, several wave at the camera.
00:02:46 Footage of the picketers, one holds a sign which reads "William & Mary Students For Peace".
00:02:58 Zoomed out footage of the picketers, one individual waves at the camera and then curtsies towards the camera.
00:03:14 Footage goes black.
00:03:33 Several clips with black footage in between of a building at a 90 degree counterclockwise angle. It appears that the camera was running while it was not being operated.
00:03:57 Footage ends.
Event Description
On April 30, 1970, approximately fifty individuals gathered in Monroe Park for what had been advertised as a "public press conference" from members of the Washington, D.C. chapter of the Black Panther Party (BPP). However, the representatives were not able to attend, which was announced Blue Edwards and Daniel Hembree around 11:30AM, to a crowd that included a television camera crew. Edwards and Hembree led a group of about twenty people to Rhoads Hall across the street to wait for a 1PM scheduled discussion session. Edwards and Hembree intended to start a chapter of the United Committee to Combat Fascism in Richmond to "rally support for Panthers involved in trials in New York and New Haven". The 1PM discussion, attended by approximately 175 individuals, began with a film screening, after which Edwards and Hembree discussed coalition building between working class Black and white people. During the discussion, a Black student questioned the presence of white individuals at the session, and about 100 individuals left afterwards. A group of twenty-five gathered in Monroe Park again to continue the discussion (Richmond Times-Dispatch, May 1, 1970).
Further information about the William and Mary student picket at the Richmond induction center on May 11, 1970 could not be located at the time of collection description.
Runtime
00:04:08
Note
Although the reel is labeled April 29, 1970, this is likely the meeting covered by the Richmond Times-Dispatch which took place on April 30, 1970.
Corporate Name Subject
Black Panther Party; Virginia Commonwealth University; College of William & Mary
Topical Subject
Black power; Black power--United States; Black militant organizations; Vietnam War, 1961-1975; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Protest movements; Vietnam War, 1961-1975--Draft resisters; Anti-war demonstrations; Demonstrations; Crowds; United States--Armed Forces--Recruiting, enlistment, etc.; Draft; Draft resisters; Draft registration; Student movements; Student protesters; Students--Political activity; 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
Black Panther Party Meeting at Monroe Park Film Reel #02, 1970 April 30 ; William and Mary Students Protest at Richmond Injunction Center Film Reel, 1970 May 11
File Name
VCU_M571_118.mp4