Dateline St. Augustine; Part 1

Dateline St. Augustine, an on the spot coverage of the struggle for civil rights in America's oldest city. On Saturday March 21st members of the Massachusetts unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference left for St. Augustine, Florida. WGBH-FM reporters Leslie Darren and Arnold Shaw were at the Greyhound bus terminal in Boston to talk with these members of the SCLC. Here is the Reverend William England, chaplain of Boston University. [England] Confronted by the situation of repressive segregation and denial of human rights in the oldest city in the United States, St. Augustine, Florida, that's where we're going in response to a call on the part of the civil rights leadership of the city. When homes are burned because a family seeks an education for their children, when men are beaten because-- in public without having the protection of the law, then such a situation demands a movement which will seek to remedy the injustice

and extend justice to all citizens of a city. And this movement must be supported. And this is why we're going to St. Augustine, Florida. For us to fail to go to support the people of that city in their struggle would be a repudiation of our Christian faith. [Reporter] How many people are leaving today, is it you, Reverend Elmsworth and Reverend Munch, and how many students would you say? [England] Are leaving today, people have been leaving since yesterday evening for down there. [Reporter] Do you know how many left yesterday and how many will leave-- [England] Well I know I talked to St. Augustine last night and a couple of people had already arrived by then, there will be people arriving from-- there'll be some, a couple, at least three people at least arriving this evening and most of the people will be arriving tomorrow evening or Monday morning. [Reporter] So how many? [England] At present count there will be 28 people. [Reporter] Mostly the minsters and students? [England] University chaplains and students here and the students, yes. [Reporter] And the students came

in response to the chaplains, really. Are the chaplains at the schools--? [England] No, the Southern Christian Leadership Conference asked the student Christian movement in New England at its mid-winter meeting, Dr. Cox gave his speech. [Reporter] When will you start civil rights activity? When everyone gets there? [England] Once we get down there we shall go to, we shall go to work for the people in St. Augustine to do what they say. [Reporter] Probably Tuesday, would you say? [England] Sometime during the week we show. [Reporter] When do you plan to arrive there? [England] Tomorrow evening. [Reporter] Do you know what type of demonstrations you'll be participating in? [England] We don't know about the demonstrations at all. [Reporter] What do you anticipate to find down there actually? [England] Well a town that's very tightly segregated. Little or no

communication between the negro and white communities. And a negro community that very much wants their rights as American citizens. [Reporter] Is the amount of people, 28 people going down from Boston, what is the percentage in this of negro-white? [England] Well I'm not sure, see all 28 aren't going from Boston. 28 of us and this just includes this first week, the second week there will be a good number more people coming in, I think the second week there will be quite a few more from Boston. During the second week, as to the integration of the group going down, I just don't know. [Reporter] Is this being on a national nationally coordinated movement at this point? Are people expected to be there from California for instance, specifically for the demonstration? [England] No. This is-- the demonstration we were asked by the SCLC in St. Augustine via

the office in Atlanta and they asked specifically those of us in New England to come down. [Reporter] And you expect to be there about two weeks or so? [England] Yes we shall be there two weeks although some of us may particularly not be there all of two weeks. We shall be-- students and chaplains and people from the New England area will be in St. Augustine to support the Civil Rights Movement there for the next two weeks. [Reporter] What do you think the emotions will be of the people that live in St. Augustine? [England] Well I should suspect they should be rather unhappy. This is-- At least the white people, I see when we talk to another segment of the community, the negro community, they're of course very eager to see us. They're very happy about our coming. We're coming only because they asked us. [Reporter] How most positively do you think this will help the Negro movement at this point?

[England] Well. I think it will help the negro movement primarily as it consists of American citizens joining together and I should say you know helping the negro community, we're going down to do what they want us to do. What the civil rights people down there want us to, we have no program we're going to run from up here, we're going to do what they want us to do. And they want us, they think we're going to be helpful to them, so we're going to go down to help them out. [Reporter] As representatives of New England? [England] Well as American citizens, yes. [Host] One of the students joining the SCLC group was Yana Erskine of Gorham Maine State Teacher's College. [Reporter] And what motivates you to participate in this particular part of the negro mission? [Erskine] Well I was asked to participate, and I have a deep concern about the situation and I feel that I could actively participate in something like this. [Reporter] Who

actually did the asking? [Erskine] At the New England meeting of the SCM. Midwinter conference they asked us. Anybody who was available to come to St. Augustine. [Reporter] Are there any other people participating in this from your school? [Erskine] From my school, no, no there aren't. I was the only one who went to the information that was given out. The new program that they had for us. [singing of protest songs in the background] [Reporter] What do you expect to find there? [Erskine] In what way, the situation you mean? Well I should imagine it will be quite complex. [Reporter] Do you expect to demonstrate? [Erskine] I'll do whatever they ask me to do. [Reporter] Is this part of your Easter vacation or you're taking time off from school or what? [Erskine] No, I have permission from my dean. And the support of the community. [Reporter] What

positive reaction do you suppose the St. Augustine community will have from this? [Erskine] Oh I hope it is positive, in our sense of the word. [Reporter] You anticipate it being negative? [Erskine] I don't know, but it is a situation that is mixed with very high feelings. [Reporter] Do you know how long you'll be in St. Augustine? [Erskine] I expect about a week. Or so. [Reporter] Do you have any idea yet as to what the actual activities will be once you get there? [Erskine] No I don't, I have a general idea, that's all. [Reporter] Thank you very much. [singing protest song] [singing "We Shall Not Be Moved"] [singing]

[singing continues] You. [train announcer] [general train noise] [singing "We Shall Overcome"] [singing continues] [singing] Oh deep in my heart my Lord, I do believe, we shall overcome someday.

We shall overcome [singing ends] [Host] The Boston Freedom Choir sang, the bus pulled out of the greyhound terminal, and members of the Massachusetts unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference were on their way to St. Augustine, Florida. [protesters] What do you want? [response] Freedom! [protesters] When do you want it? [response] Now! [protesters] What do you want? [response] Freedom! [protesters] When do you want it? [response] Now! [Host] Earlier today there was a press conference held at St. Paul's Cathedral in Boston. Phyllis Ryan, press representative of the Massachusetts SCLC introduced Reverend Virgil Wood, president of the Massachusetts SCLC; Cantor James Breeden of the Massachusetts Freedom Movement; Harvey Cox, project director for the SCLC for St. Augustine; Mrs. Malcolm Peabody, mother of

the governor; the wives of two episcopal bishops of Massachusetts, Mrs. Burgess and Mrs. Camel; and the Reverend Warren McKenna of Holbrook, Massachusetts. [Wood] As president of the the Massachusetts unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, we are delighted to respond to the invitation, number one of the St. Augustine chapter of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference and its president Dr. Hayling, and of our national president Dr. Martin Luther King. We are of the conviction at this time that there is an increasing necessity for a broad participation by America's religious community in the nonviolent direct action effort of the freedom movement, and so we participate together at this time. [Breeden] Simply to say that this action indicates another step

in the increased consciousness of the connection between the Northern and Southern scenes, as far as concern for racial justice goes. These journeys from north to south and hopefully more frequently from south to north are certainly going to be increasing and an increasing element in the freedom movement as it progresses. [Cox] I would like to report on two days which I spent in St. Augustine, Florida as the guest of the St. Augustine unit of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, from which visit I returned just two weeks ago. It was at that time the invitation was extended to us to come to St. Augustine this spring to help out with the struggle for racial justice and equality in St. Augustine. The problem in St. Augustine is an acute one. Although the city of St. Augustine encourages people to come there and visit America's oldest city,

all of the public facilities, or virtually all of them, are barred to Negros: restaurant, hotels, and with one exception all eating places. Only a token beginning has been made in integrating the public schools and the family of the first Negro children to enter a public school there last spring last fall had their house burned down last fall. The Ku Klux Klan has been active in its retaliations against members of the Negro community. The hospital remains totally segregated. In short it is a town which has not even taken the first steps toward a democratic and inclusive community. It has not appointed a biracial committee, which is a normal practice in most southern communities. So we are accepting gladly the invitation of our brothers and sisters, the members of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference in St. Augustine to come and be with them during these two weeks to help them in whatever ways seem appropriate and necessary to advance this thing that we all believe in so strongly. [female speaker] It's a privilege to introduce to you

Mrs. Malcolm Peabody and Mrs. Donald Campbell and Mrs. John Burgess. All three are wives of episcopal bishops and Mrs. Peabody will make a statement to you. [Peabody] Well if one has Christian convictions and believes in the worth of every individual one feels deeply because of the indignities suffered by Negroes. So as a member of a Christian church and especially of the Episcopal Society for Cultural and Racial Unity, I'm glad of this opportunity to give my witness against injustice and discrimination. Be it well understood that the North is far from guiltless in these matters. The image of the United States suffers in the world at large because of our treatment of our Negro citizens. So as an American I am most anxious at that image be changed. [male speaker] Mrs. Peabody, what reaction did your son as governor have when he first heard you were going down to the south?

[Peabody] Well you know mothers don't ask sons' permissions to go and although I went round to see him on Friday he'd gone skiing. So I haven't seen him. [male speaker] Supposing he asked you not to go? Being concerned as a son, rather than a governor, would you-- regard his wishes? [Peabody] I'm sure he'd never do that because we all do what we believe in in our family. And he-- I've I've always been able to do, get my own way. [laughter] [male speaker] Are you prepared to go to jail, I believe you've been threatened with that, if something untowards happens? [Peabody] I've read that Mayor Shelly has said that peaceful picketing is not against the law and I don't think I'll be asked to do much more than that. I'm not

out to be a crusader and get myself into jail but if-- I don't think that in our democracy that they would really care to put three nice women in jail. [laughter] [male speaker] Mrs. Peabody, what do you plan to do in St. Augustine? [Peabody] So far I don't know, because we are to be met by Dr. Hayling. And we'll be there for three days. And I imagine we'll do what seems best at the moment, I think we play it by ear. I am very happy to have two other bishops' wives walking arm in arm with me down the street. [male speaker] How do they feel about going down? [Peabody] Well, you ask them. You want to ask Mrs. Campbell? [Campbell] I'm very very happy to go as a witness to my belief in in

democracy and in our being a Christian democracy. I think in our treatment of minority races in this country we are neither Christian nor fully democratic. And this is one small witness that a woman can make to help improve the situation. [Mrs. Burgess] I go because I believe in Jesus Christ and that one must bear witness even to the point of giving his life in whom he believes. [male speaker] Mrs. Peabody just one more, you mentioned in your statement that the north is not guiltless, we understand why you are going down to St. Augustine, perhaps you will comment to some extent on traditions in this area that you would like to see improve? [Peabody] I think that housing ought to be-- that the negroes ought to have a better chance at better housing.

I know that many people are working on this, that there are these fair housing groups outside the city and in the environs, and I think that's a mighty good thing. And Massachusetts has one of the best records in the country on civil rights. I'm very proud to belong to Massachusetts and I'm sure that-- I suppose that's one reason I've been brought up in Massachusetts without those ideas. Also I've lived in New York state and they have a very good, very good laws on anti-discrimination there too. [male speaker] Mrs. Peabody, do you, in going to participate in the demonstration in the south, would you say you similarly encourage negroes in Boston and the north to continue nonviolent demonstrations in the street against (inaudible)? [Peabody] Oh definitely, we don't have more-- if we don't demonstrate with nonviolence we're going to get into

violence. And let's all work together now to do what we can to resolve these questions in a peaceful way. [male speaker] Do you believe that demonstrations are the proper route? [Peabody] I'm interested to see how demonstrations have helped. Even-- isn't true in Williamston even there they've helped. I don't see what else they can do, can you-- have you any suggestions? [male speaker] Well I'm only here to ask questions. But there has been a feeling among people here in the Boston area that the negroes are trying to move too fast, trying to accomplish too much in too short a time. [Peabody] It's only been a hundred years you know since they've been freed. And have they got to wait a thousand? [male speaker] Do you believe a demonstration of the type of a school boycott, perhaps a question of legality is a proper type of demonstration? [Peabody] I have stayed on that for a while but when I saw all the

interest that was involved by that school boycott, I became convinced that was the thing to do, it made a lot of people think, it brought a lot of people in from the suburbs to see what was happening. It called attention to it, that's what they need, attention brought, and that's what this demonstration in Florida is going to do, just call attention to the facts. [male speaker] Mrs. Peabody when you return do you plan to take part in demonstrations in Boston? [Peabody] I haven't been asked, what I might do. Well I don't know, why not? [laughs] [female speaker] I'd like to introduce Rev. Warren McKenna, who is going down at the same time as Mrs. Peabody and Mrs. Campbell and Mrs. Burgess, he is a veteran of the demonstrations in Williamston, and there is a statement here from him, perhaps you would read that, Rev. McKenna, and answer any questions. [McKenna] St. Augustine

is a tourist city. And for many years St. Augustine has encouraged people to visit America's oldest city. And we are now preparing to do that. By accepting a special invitation to look beyond the city's historical sites to its continuing pattern of discrimination, hatred, and violence. We believe that St. Augustine belongs to all its citizens, as indeed to all Americans who have been asked to finance the celebration of its 400th year by a congressional appropriation of three hundred and fifty thousand dollars. Furthermore as Christians we recoil with dismay

when such conditions exist anywhere, but especially in a city named after a man born in North Africa. And one who bequeathed to the world an historic hope for the unity of all men in the City of God. We therefore believe it is our duty as Christians and American citizens to accept the invitation to witness and protest this city's persistent segregation and oppression of the Negro community. [Host] Earlier today WGBH FM received a phone report from T.F. Conley and Ted Mascott who are covering the events in St. Augustine. [Conley] This is T.F. Conley speaking from St. Augustine, Florida where producer Ted Mascott and I arrived Sunday morning very early, spent a rather interesting afternoon watching the busing of the shrimp boats, and speaking

with some of the people who are participating in the demonstrations which is beginning in the city tomorrow or perhaps the next day. As many of you know, a group of white leaders from Massachusetts and other parts of New England arrived here late last night to assist Dr. Robert Hayling, a local dentist, in his campaign to get equal rights for the Negro citizens of St. Augustine, Florida. Tomorrow night at 8 o'clock, Ted Mascott and I will bring you the first report, our half-hour report from St. Augustine describing the preparations that are going on here for this demonstration. I hope you'll be listening to us then, until then, T.F. Conley, from St. Augustine. [Host] Dateline St. Augustine returns tomorrow night at 8:00 with an on the spot report from T.F. Conley and Ted Mascott from

St. Augustine. This program is produced for WGBH FM by Leslie Darren. Because of this special series WGBH FM and affiliated member stations of the ERN will preempt regular 8 p.m. programming through Saturday, March 28 to bring you special on-the-spot coverage of the events in St. Augustine.