Collection:LPB

Genre: Documentary

Place Covered: Louisiana

Copyright Holder: Louisiana Educational Television Authority

Date Issued: 1982-08-18

Duration: 00:57:33

Subjects: African Americans | VOTER REGISTRATION | Civil Rights | Elections | National Association for the Advancement of Colored People | Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus

Contributors:

• Sexton, Sharon Elizabeth Producer
• Jeffers, Ben Interviewee
• Young, A.Z. Speaker
• Jemison, T.J. Speaker
• Brown, Frank Speaker
• Madison, Joe Speaker
• Hunter, Donald Interviewee
• Vincent, Charles Interviewee
• Iverson, Theo Interviewee
• Taylor, Joe Gray Interviewee
• Harris, Leonard Interviewee
• Haas, Edward Interviewee
• Hall, Clarence Interviewee
• Young, A.Z. Interviewee
• Stekler, Paul Interviewee
• Moore, Hilary McClinnis Interviewee
• Shepard, Lilly Interviewee
• Delpit, Joe Speaker
• Jones, Malcolm Speaker
• Thompson, August Speaker
• Richardson, Rupert Speaker
• Moore, Ronnie Speaker
• Jeffers, Ben Speaker
• Quebedeaux, Harold Speaker
• Turnley, Richard Speaker
• Fields, Cleo Speaker
• Francisco, Stella Speaker

This documentary from August 18, 1982, chronicles the 16-day, 246-mile Black voter registration march from Shreveport to Baton Rouge in June 1982 sponsored by the Louisiana NAACP and the Louisiana Legislative Black Caucus. It includes highlights of the speeches in Shreveport and Mansura by: A.Z. Young, civil rights activist; Reverend T.J. Jemison, civil rights activist; Frank Brown, Shreveport NAACP; Joe Madison, NAACP; State Representative Joe Delpit; Malcolm Jones; Father August Thompson; Rupert Richardson, president of the Louisiana NAACP; Reverend Ronnie Moore; Ben Jeffers, march organizer; Mansura Mayor Harold Quebedeaux; State Representative Richard Turnley; Cleo Fields, march participant; and Stella Francisco. This documentary also touches on: the high number of African American politicians in Louisiana during Reconstruction; the rise of white supremacy and segregation; the high poverty level in the Black community; the 350,000 unregistered Black voters in the state; and the community apathy encountered by the marchers. This program also includes interviews with: Ben Jeffers, march organizer; Donald Hunter, march pacer; Dr. Charles Vincent, historian; Theo Iverson; Dr. Joe Gray Taylor, historian; Leonard Harris of the Louisiana State Police; Dr. Edward Haas, historian; Clarence Hall; A.Z. Young, the organizer of the 1967 Bogalusa Civil Rights March to Baton Rouge; Paul Stekler, historian; Hilary McClinnis Moore; and Lilly Shepard. This program was preserved through the American Archive of Public Broadcasting’s Transcribe to Digitize Challenge, a partnership with George Blood LP.