1 00:00:00,240 --> 00:00:15,400 Speaker 1: Ridiculous History is a production of I Heart Radio. Ye, 2 00:00:26,960 --> 00:00:29,960 Speaker 1: welcome back to the show, Ridiculous Historians. Thank you, as 3 00:00:30,040 --> 00:00:33,240 Speaker 1: always so much for tuning in. Let's hear it for 4 00:00:33,360 --> 00:00:36,680 Speaker 1: some local Atlanta luminary. Starting with the one and only 5 00:00:36,920 --> 00:00:45,600 Speaker 1: super producer, Mr Max Williams. I'm also I'm also as 6 00:00:45,720 --> 00:00:49,440 Speaker 1: always over the moon to introduce you to my co host, 7 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:56,920 Speaker 1: the one and only Mr Noel Brown, who my goodness. Hey, 8 00:00:56,960 --> 00:00:59,440 Speaker 1: I'd like to apologize in advance. I am a little 9 00:00:59,520 --> 00:01:01,680 Speaker 1: under the web other so I might sound a little 10 00:01:01,720 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 1: snarf lee during this episode, but I will give him 11 00:01:04,400 --> 00:01:07,119 Speaker 1: my level best. There we go. Now, we also checked 12 00:01:07,120 --> 00:01:17,160 Speaker 1: our levels earlier. That's right. Wordplay we're doing. We're doing wordplay. 13 00:01:18,360 --> 00:01:23,119 Speaker 1: I'm I'm Ben. We're we're joined h posthumously by a 14 00:01:23,200 --> 00:01:26,240 Speaker 1: special guest today. Uh. You know, out of the four 15 00:01:26,280 --> 00:01:30,199 Speaker 1: of us, I have to admit, he's probably he's probably 16 00:01:30,280 --> 00:01:33,800 Speaker 1: the most famous of our Atlantic crew. Dr Martin Luther 17 00:01:33,959 --> 00:01:37,720 Speaker 1: King Jr. Is in the episode today. You know him, 18 00:01:37,840 --> 00:01:41,760 Speaker 1: and if you're a decent person, you love him. Uh. 19 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:45,839 Speaker 1: He's certainly the only one present here in spirit or otherwise. 20 00:01:45,880 --> 00:01:48,880 Speaker 1: Who's won a Nobel Prize. Yes for now, Now we 21 00:01:48,880 --> 00:01:51,720 Speaker 1: we dream big on this show. But just so far, 22 00:01:51,760 --> 00:01:56,000 Speaker 1: they're not giving out Nobel prizes for podcast one day, 23 00:01:56,040 --> 00:01:59,880 Speaker 1: one day, one day. Uh. They're also not giving out 24 00:02:00,040 --> 00:02:04,880 Speaker 1: Nobel prizes for soda. But if there was a prize 25 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:09,320 Speaker 1: for powerful soda companies, it is doubtlessly true that our 26 00:02:09,400 --> 00:02:15,359 Speaker 1: own hometown mega corporation, Coca Cola, would be winning that 27 00:02:15,520 --> 00:02:21,680 Speaker 1: hypothetical prize. Now you know, uh, guys, we have we 28 00:02:21,800 --> 00:02:24,639 Speaker 1: have all lived in the Atlanta area for for some 29 00:02:24,720 --> 00:02:29,080 Speaker 1: time now, and Coca Cola is ubiquitous here. Uh. You 30 00:02:29,240 --> 00:02:31,520 Speaker 1: just you can't spend a day in this city without 31 00:02:31,639 --> 00:02:36,480 Speaker 1: somehow running into something concerning Coca Cola. It looms large, 32 00:02:37,120 --> 00:02:40,880 Speaker 1: no question, both here in Atlanta and uh around the world. Really, 33 00:02:40,880 --> 00:02:44,400 Speaker 1: I mean, they basically invented Santa Claus and Polar Bears. Yeah, no, 34 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:48,760 Speaker 1: that's a true story. The Santa you think of when 35 00:02:48,840 --> 00:02:52,600 Speaker 1: you when you think of Christmas and what Santa looks like. 36 00:02:53,760 --> 00:02:56,720 Speaker 1: It's an invention of the Coca Cola company. They have 37 00:02:56,880 --> 00:03:02,400 Speaker 1: so much heffed economically, historically, socially, and yes, of course 38 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:06,040 Speaker 1: we want to say Coca Cola has, like any other 39 00:03:06,120 --> 00:03:10,239 Speaker 1: large company, had its share of warts, its share of controversies. 40 00:03:10,480 --> 00:03:14,520 Speaker 1: But this is a story about how they kind of 41 00:03:15,000 --> 00:03:19,360 Speaker 1: were the good guy. Uh, depending on well, you know, 42 00:03:19,639 --> 00:03:23,040 Speaker 1: we can talk about their motivations. Yeah. You know, it's 43 00:03:23,040 --> 00:03:25,840 Speaker 1: always hard to tell with large corporations whether something is 44 00:03:25,880 --> 00:03:28,800 Speaker 1: a pr move or a genuine act of of of 45 00:03:28,880 --> 00:03:32,400 Speaker 1: kindness and and philanthropy. Um. But let's let's get back 46 00:03:32,440 --> 00:03:34,680 Speaker 1: to that in the second. First talk about the thing 47 00:03:34,720 --> 00:03:37,640 Speaker 1: we mentioned that that you Max or I do not 48 00:03:37,880 --> 00:03:40,920 Speaker 1: have a Nobel Prize. Uh. This is an a war 49 00:03:41,000 --> 00:03:44,600 Speaker 1: that was first bestowed in nineteen o one. The Nobel 50 00:03:44,720 --> 00:03:49,120 Speaker 1: Prize has five different disciplines or fields that it sort 51 00:03:49,160 --> 00:03:54,400 Speaker 1: of encompasses, physics, chemistry, medicine, physiology, literature, and of course 52 00:03:54,440 --> 00:03:58,720 Speaker 1: the big one peace peace peace out. Yeah uh. And 53 00:03:58,880 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: weirdly enough, the peace in recent years has become one 54 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:07,640 Speaker 1: of the more controversial prizes. And sometimes you'll hear folks say, well, 55 00:04:07,720 --> 00:04:11,640 Speaker 1: this person is just getting the Peace Prize because it's 56 00:04:11,680 --> 00:04:15,040 Speaker 1: like a political statement or it's a diplomatic thing. But 57 00:04:15,280 --> 00:04:18,200 Speaker 1: if you look at if you look at the roster 58 00:04:18,560 --> 00:04:22,440 Speaker 1: of prize winners over the more than a century now, 59 00:04:22,720 --> 00:04:26,240 Speaker 1: then you see that there's some heavy hitters. These are 60 00:04:26,520 --> 00:04:28,720 Speaker 1: really Max I like the way you put it before 61 00:04:28,760 --> 00:04:30,960 Speaker 1: off air, These are the who's who of the past 62 00:04:31,040 --> 00:04:35,320 Speaker 1: hundreds something years. You're Albert Einstein's, your Marie Carries your 63 00:04:35,400 --> 00:04:38,200 Speaker 1: mother Teresa's. I'm not the biggest fan of Mother Teresa, 64 00:04:38,240 --> 00:04:40,479 Speaker 1: but she did get the prize. Just gonna throw that 65 00:04:40,560 --> 00:04:45,360 Speaker 1: hot take in there, so, uh, you know, of course 66 00:04:46,120 --> 00:04:49,599 Speaker 1: Martin Luther King Jr. Also gets the Nobel Prize. He 67 00:04:49,720 --> 00:04:54,560 Speaker 1: gets it in nineteen sixty four, and this makes him 68 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:57,400 Speaker 1: the very first person from the state of Georgia to 69 00:04:57,480 --> 00:05:00,920 Speaker 1: win the award. So that's a big deal, right. Oh yeah. 70 00:05:00,960 --> 00:05:03,520 Speaker 1: I mean he's one of those you know, historical figures 71 00:05:03,560 --> 00:05:07,640 Speaker 1: that you always just kind of assume was very old. Yes, 72 00:05:07,800 --> 00:05:10,760 Speaker 1: because we all encountered him, like, you know, as small 73 00:05:10,839 --> 00:05:14,400 Speaker 1: children and two small children. Anyone that you know has 74 00:05:14,440 --> 00:05:16,840 Speaker 1: that sort of stature seems old. But he was in 75 00:05:16,880 --> 00:05:19,560 Speaker 1: fact the youngest person at the time to ever be 76 00:05:19,640 --> 00:05:22,560 Speaker 1: awarded the Nobel Peace Prize. And I believe he was 77 00:05:22,560 --> 00:05:25,279 Speaker 1: only in his thirties when he was assassinated. Correct. The 78 00:05:25,400 --> 00:05:27,880 Speaker 1: thing about yeah, I think about I love this point, 79 00:05:27,920 --> 00:05:31,040 Speaker 1: your Brenham. The thing about Martin Luther King changing the 80 00:05:31,080 --> 00:05:35,680 Speaker 1: world at such a young age is that when I 81 00:05:35,760 --> 00:05:40,279 Speaker 1: hear about these guys, man, I recall vividly the multiple 82 00:05:40,360 --> 00:05:42,400 Speaker 1: times I have fallen asleep trying to put on a 83 00:05:42,440 --> 00:05:46,240 Speaker 1: pair of pants. Some people just have more drive. Yeah, 84 00:05:46,279 --> 00:05:49,040 Speaker 1: Martin Luther King, to answer your question, was only thirty 85 00:05:49,120 --> 00:05:52,320 Speaker 1: nine when he was assassinated in Memphis on April fourth, 86 00:05:52,560 --> 00:05:56,080 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight. And there's a weird bit of historical 87 00:05:56,160 --> 00:06:00,040 Speaker 1: conspiracy here. I would call it because color television and 88 00:06:00,240 --> 00:06:03,360 Speaker 1: color film was a thing at this time. But a 89 00:06:03,520 --> 00:06:08,000 Speaker 1: lot of uh, the clips you'll see of Dr King 90 00:06:08,440 --> 00:06:11,359 Speaker 1: are aired in black and white, and I think that 91 00:06:11,560 --> 00:06:15,280 Speaker 1: lends itself to the tendency we're talking about, where you 92 00:06:15,279 --> 00:06:19,320 Speaker 1: you feel like these things happen uh much further in 93 00:06:19,360 --> 00:06:22,039 Speaker 1: the past, or the people were much older, But that's 94 00:06:22,080 --> 00:06:24,479 Speaker 1: not really the case, you know. Yeah, it's a good point. 95 00:06:24,480 --> 00:06:27,719 Speaker 1: I mean, so many rock stars who died at seven, 96 00:06:28,200 --> 00:06:30,840 Speaker 1: you know, you think of them as being eternally you know, 97 00:06:31,040 --> 00:06:33,400 Speaker 1: the same age I guess too, which is I guess 98 00:06:33,440 --> 00:06:36,240 Speaker 1: the thing that comes along with being I guess immortalized 99 00:06:36,240 --> 00:06:39,680 Speaker 1: by an early demise. But we all know Martin Luther 100 00:06:39,800 --> 00:06:43,280 Speaker 1: King's whole thing, his his dream, uh, the idea that 101 00:06:43,320 --> 00:06:46,000 Speaker 1: everyone who is a citizen of the United States could 102 00:06:46,000 --> 00:06:51,320 Speaker 1: be judged by their accomplishments and their character and their morality, etcetera, 103 00:06:51,360 --> 00:06:54,279 Speaker 1: and not by the color of their skin. And in 104 00:06:54,400 --> 00:06:57,839 Speaker 1: nineteen sixty eight, as we mentioned, he was murdered by 105 00:06:58,400 --> 00:07:02,440 Speaker 1: UH a white supremacy UH at the very least, a 106 00:07:02,600 --> 00:07:06,520 Speaker 1: very verily racist white man. And just four years prior 107 00:07:06,560 --> 00:07:09,840 Speaker 1: to that is when he received that the prestigious Nobel 108 00:07:09,920 --> 00:07:14,480 Speaker 1: Peace Prize um specifically for his ability to organize folks 109 00:07:14,600 --> 00:07:21,480 Speaker 1: around a very you know, universally adopted a cause using 110 00:07:21,480 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: non violence, sort of following in the steps of Gandhi. Yeah, yeah, 111 00:07:26,440 --> 00:07:30,240 Speaker 1: Gandhi also is a whole other bag of badgers. I 112 00:07:30,320 --> 00:07:32,200 Speaker 1: don't want to I don't want to dunk on him 113 00:07:32,240 --> 00:07:34,680 Speaker 1: unfairly because he did change the world. But there's more 114 00:07:34,720 --> 00:07:37,960 Speaker 1: to his story than you hear in your history textbooks. 115 00:07:38,440 --> 00:07:41,360 Speaker 1: But Martin Luther King knew a good idea when he 116 00:07:41,400 --> 00:07:45,560 Speaker 1: saw it right, and so he takes up this philosophy, 117 00:07:45,640 --> 00:07:50,480 Speaker 1: this radical non violence philosophy, and in nineteen fifty five 118 00:07:50,680 --> 00:07:55,400 Speaker 1: he begins what would become a nationwide and then worldwide struggle. 119 00:07:55,840 --> 00:08:01,680 Speaker 1: UH two combat racial discrimination, as struggle that continues today. 120 00:08:01,760 --> 00:08:04,920 Speaker 1: And one of his primary things in the US was 121 00:08:05,000 --> 00:08:09,160 Speaker 1: getting Uncle Sam to say, hey, it should be illegal 122 00:08:09,320 --> 00:08:13,320 Speaker 1: to have all this racial discrimination in the southern part 123 00:08:13,480 --> 00:08:17,200 Speaker 1: of the country. Now, the uh, the folks who were 124 00:08:17,360 --> 00:08:22,440 Speaker 1: very pro racial discrimination, the supremacists, the racist of the time, 125 00:08:22,800 --> 00:08:30,160 Speaker 1: they responded to these non violent initiatives with you guessed it, folks, violence, yes, uh. 126 00:08:30,200 --> 00:08:33,960 Speaker 1: And in nineteen sixty three, King organized two hundred and 127 00:08:33,960 --> 00:08:39,520 Speaker 1: fifty thousand demonstrators who marched on the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, 128 00:08:39,600 --> 00:08:42,680 Speaker 1: D C. And that is where he gave his you 129 00:08:42,720 --> 00:08:46,240 Speaker 1: know most iconic I have a dream speech, um. And 130 00:08:46,320 --> 00:08:49,560 Speaker 1: it is you know, for all intents and purposes, the 131 00:08:49,640 --> 00:08:53,440 Speaker 1: high water mark moment that many historians will point to. 132 00:08:53,960 --> 00:08:57,440 Speaker 1: That lad to President Lyndon Johnson passing a law that 133 00:08:57,520 --> 00:09:01,440 Speaker 1: prohibited all forms of racial discrimin nation. But as we know, 134 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:05,240 Speaker 1: uh law, No, you can't change the hearts and minds 135 00:09:05,240 --> 00:09:07,240 Speaker 1: of a lot of people with the stroke of a pen. 136 00:09:07,800 --> 00:09:10,880 Speaker 1: That's right. And you know, if we could, guys, just 137 00:09:10,920 --> 00:09:13,240 Speaker 1: because I I love hearing in personally, can we play 138 00:09:13,240 --> 00:09:16,719 Speaker 1: a little clip of the of the speech I have 139 00:09:16,760 --> 00:09:23,719 Speaker 1: a dream. But one day this nation will arise up 140 00:09:25,440 --> 00:09:29,160 Speaker 1: live out the true meaning of its screen. We had 141 00:09:29,200 --> 00:09:33,280 Speaker 1: all these truths to be self evident, that all men 142 00:09:33,400 --> 00:09:45,080 Speaker 1: are creative, epic, epic and sincere and and you know, inspiring. 143 00:09:45,200 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: But I wanted to show that good side, No, because 144 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:52,280 Speaker 1: I appreciate your points so much. The US is not 145 00:09:52,440 --> 00:09:56,640 Speaker 1: a monolith. The government's not a monolith. There's no demographic 146 00:09:56,920 --> 00:10:00,720 Speaker 1: that always moves in step with itself. So it's sadly 147 00:10:00,840 --> 00:10:05,360 Speaker 1: can't be surprising for us to say. Even a lot 148 00:10:05,400 --> 00:10:08,280 Speaker 1: of people in the government were not fans of King's work. 149 00:10:08,320 --> 00:10:10,640 Speaker 1: They saw almost as a threat to the status quo. 150 00:10:10,920 --> 00:10:15,720 Speaker 1: Most particularly the head of the FBI, John Edgar Hoover, 151 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:23,000 Speaker 1: had keen under intense surveillance purportedly on suspicions of communism. 152 00:10:23,200 --> 00:10:24,839 Speaker 1: That's where he really got in trouble, by the way, 153 00:10:24,840 --> 00:10:27,480 Speaker 1: when he started talking about what the powers that be 154 00:10:27,640 --> 00:10:31,520 Speaker 1: saws socialism and we stood up against Vietnam, and they 155 00:10:31,559 --> 00:10:34,120 Speaker 1: were like, nope, nope, he's a red well yeah, and 156 00:10:34,200 --> 00:10:37,520 Speaker 1: like you know, President Johnson obviously, being the kind of 157 00:10:37,640 --> 00:10:41,120 Speaker 1: forward facing figurehead of the government, really had no choice 158 00:10:41,120 --> 00:10:43,839 Speaker 1: but to respond to the kind of like groundswell of 159 00:10:43,920 --> 00:10:47,760 Speaker 1: support that King you know, was was was getting. But 160 00:10:47,880 --> 00:10:52,000 Speaker 1: someone like j Edgar Hoover, who operates largely behind the scenes, 161 00:10:52,720 --> 00:10:56,480 Speaker 1: uh and in much more clandestine circles. Uh. He wasn't 162 00:10:56,480 --> 00:11:00,840 Speaker 1: about this at all, and you know, considered King to be, 163 00:11:01,080 --> 00:11:04,160 Speaker 1: you know, something of a of a rabble rouser and agitator, 164 00:11:04,280 --> 00:11:05,880 Speaker 1: you know, and he ended up on the kinds of 165 00:11:05,920 --> 00:11:09,800 Speaker 1: lists that you know, folks like uh Stokely Carmichael or 166 00:11:09,880 --> 00:11:12,280 Speaker 1: John Lennon or a lot of these, you know, kind 167 00:11:12,280 --> 00:11:24,000 Speaker 1: of like divisive political figures end up on. This was 168 00:11:24,080 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 1: all happening in the US. It was all happening kind 169 00:11:27,920 --> 00:11:33,760 Speaker 1: of roughly concurrently with King's ascendants on the international stage. 170 00:11:33,880 --> 00:11:38,720 Speaker 1: So over in Oslo in nineteen sixty four, when Dr 171 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:44,199 Speaker 1: King gets the Nobel Prize, the Nobel Committee chairman said 172 00:11:45,840 --> 00:11:48,839 Speaker 1: King referring to King, he said, he is the first 173 00:11:48,840 --> 00:11:51,320 Speaker 1: to make the message of brotherly love a reality in 174 00:11:51,360 --> 00:11:53,360 Speaker 1: the course of his struggle. And he just brought this 175 00:11:53,480 --> 00:11:57,720 Speaker 1: message to all men, to all nations and races. And 176 00:11:58,240 --> 00:12:01,400 Speaker 1: you know, you get money when you win the Nobel Prize, yeah, 177 00:12:01,480 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: like you know when you get the medal, but you 178 00:12:03,120 --> 00:12:07,520 Speaker 1: also get some scratch and Dr King donated the entirety 179 00:12:07,520 --> 00:12:10,079 Speaker 1: of his prize money, which was around fifty four thousand 180 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,800 Speaker 1: dollars to civil rights organizations. And I have immense respect 181 00:12:13,800 --> 00:12:15,600 Speaker 1: for that. He didn't take the money and run. He 182 00:12:15,640 --> 00:12:19,040 Speaker 1: continued the struggle. Oh no, I mean he has always 183 00:12:19,040 --> 00:12:21,360 Speaker 1: put his money where his mouth was. So King of 184 00:12:21,360 --> 00:12:24,000 Speaker 1: course went to Oslo, Norway, to to be honored and 185 00:12:24,040 --> 00:12:27,120 Speaker 1: to receive this award from the Nobel Committee, and then 186 00:12:27,120 --> 00:12:30,640 Speaker 1: he came back to the States where he was honored 187 00:12:30,880 --> 00:12:33,800 Speaker 1: UM in New York he got like, I guess you know, 188 00:12:33,840 --> 00:12:35,440 Speaker 1: the Key to the City kind of situation in the 189 00:12:35,480 --> 00:12:40,600 Speaker 1: city's Medallion of Honor, and eight thousand people turned up 190 00:12:40,760 --> 00:12:44,000 Speaker 1: um at a venue in Harlem to see him receive 191 00:12:44,080 --> 00:12:48,000 Speaker 1: this this honor, and that included Governor Nelson Rockefeller. You 192 00:12:48,080 --> 00:12:51,360 Speaker 1: might have heard of the Rockefeller of the Rockefeller Rockefellers, 193 00:12:51,559 --> 00:12:54,920 Speaker 1: inventors of oyster Rockefeller as well. Uh. I think that's 194 00:12:54,920 --> 00:12:57,480 Speaker 1: their big win. That's their version of the Nobel Prize. 195 00:12:57,520 --> 00:12:59,880 Speaker 1: Is that the one with like like spinach janitors? Some 196 00:13:00,040 --> 00:13:03,200 Speaker 1: day I think it is. Now I'm gonna come claim 197 00:13:03,240 --> 00:13:06,320 Speaker 1: with you guys. I don't eat oyster rocket feller every day, 198 00:13:06,520 --> 00:13:12,200 Speaker 1: so I don't have the recipe the swells. No, it 199 00:13:12,320 --> 00:13:14,400 Speaker 1: is the spinach one. I think I like the one 200 00:13:14,440 --> 00:13:18,160 Speaker 1: with um with more parmesan in it. And then oh 201 00:13:18,320 --> 00:13:22,520 Speaker 1: and fishmonger here in Atlanta just one. Some pretty prestigious 202 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,280 Speaker 1: national shout outs for their chef set oysters which have 203 00:13:26,440 --> 00:13:29,920 Speaker 1: Kiwi in them. I have not enjoyed those, but I 204 00:13:29,920 --> 00:13:31,440 Speaker 1: did go for the first time the other day and 205 00:13:31,480 --> 00:13:35,520 Speaker 1: had like a open face crab tostada. Think it was 206 00:13:35,520 --> 00:13:39,560 Speaker 1: absolutely delightful. Oh, it's great. It's great. Also full disclosure, Um, 207 00:13:39,600 --> 00:13:41,920 Speaker 1: I know the chefs, they're not paying us to say this. 208 00:13:41,960 --> 00:13:43,960 Speaker 1: It is good. It is good. Next time you're in town. 209 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,559 Speaker 1: But if you were if you were living in Atlanta 210 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:50,760 Speaker 1: in nineteen sixty four and you were one of the 211 00:13:51,200 --> 00:13:54,320 Speaker 1: powerful people in this city, the city has always had 212 00:13:54,840 --> 00:13:57,280 Speaker 1: kind of a small in group of people who run 213 00:13:57,360 --> 00:13:59,760 Speaker 1: things behind the scenes. Yeah, I think we were heard 214 00:13:59,760 --> 00:14:02,880 Speaker 1: of them. Old money, yeah, and old money in the 215 00:14:02,920 --> 00:14:04,960 Speaker 1: South is not the same thing as old money and 216 00:14:05,040 --> 00:14:09,480 Speaker 1: say Rhode Islands, but still it's it's It may not 217 00:14:09,559 --> 00:14:13,320 Speaker 1: be elderly money, especially after the Civil War and reconstruction, 218 00:14:13,559 --> 00:14:17,200 Speaker 1: but there are kingmakers, but it's also money that's tied 219 00:14:17,240 --> 00:14:21,120 Speaker 1: to the Civil War very very much. And those kinds 220 00:14:21,160 --> 00:14:26,200 Speaker 1: of attitudes that seemed to pass generationally. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah. 221 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:29,600 Speaker 1: They like their money and they often like their older attitudes. 222 00:14:29,720 --> 00:14:34,240 Speaker 1: So alright, you are Atlanta. You see this huge to 223 00:14:34,360 --> 00:14:38,640 Speaker 1: do in Oslo, You see this big shebang in New York, 224 00:14:38,760 --> 00:14:42,000 Speaker 1: and you say, hey, this could be great pr for Atlanta. 225 00:14:42,160 --> 00:14:44,560 Speaker 1: You know, we're we're coming up as a city. Uh 226 00:14:44,680 --> 00:14:48,880 Speaker 1: So let's throw a party for Dr King, for the 227 00:14:49,040 --> 00:14:52,880 Speaker 1: Nobel Prize winning Dr Martin Luther King, Jr. They say, 228 00:14:52,880 --> 00:14:56,720 Speaker 1: we're gonna have um an integrated banquet. People of all 229 00:14:56,840 --> 00:15:00,800 Speaker 1: races will come. We're gonna send official in vitations to 230 00:15:01,040 --> 00:15:03,640 Speaker 1: all of those leaders we talked about, all those titans 231 00:15:03,640 --> 00:15:08,040 Speaker 1: of industry, the politicians, the old money, the tastemakers, the 232 00:15:08,080 --> 00:15:13,080 Speaker 1: mayor signing these invites by hands. Religious leaders from every 233 00:15:13,120 --> 00:15:17,160 Speaker 1: faith or denomination you can imagine. Uh, they're signing stuff. 234 00:15:17,360 --> 00:15:21,480 Speaker 1: University president is co signing it. The publisher of the 235 00:15:21,520 --> 00:15:27,520 Speaker 1: a j C Is signing off, and womp wamp. Almost 236 00:15:27,680 --> 00:15:32,800 Speaker 1: no one responds. Because it turns out that while the 237 00:15:33,320 --> 00:15:38,280 Speaker 1: city's black community and progressive community is rightly incredibly excited 238 00:15:38,320 --> 00:15:42,720 Speaker 1: about this, the majority of the city's power structure, which 239 00:15:42,760 --> 00:15:52,000 Speaker 1: is also majority white, is extremely unimpressed. Mr hooman Toalmadge, politician, 240 00:15:52,520 --> 00:15:57,400 Speaker 1: former governor of Georgia. I am send it a hooman Toalmidge. 241 00:15:57,720 --> 00:16:01,360 Speaker 1: He took he took issue this whole uh, this whole 242 00:16:01,400 --> 00:16:06,160 Speaker 1: idea for this sware. And as the Coca Cola company 243 00:16:06,200 --> 00:16:09,120 Speaker 1: actually on the history on their website puts it, he 244 00:16:09,400 --> 00:16:13,960 Speaker 1: wondered aloud, why the committee gave a peace prize to 245 00:16:14,040 --> 00:16:19,280 Speaker 1: a person who promoted lawbreaking? Yeah, yeah, now we'll give 246 00:16:19,320 --> 00:16:24,600 Speaker 1: it a rabble browser grand swale. That doesn't seem particularly 247 00:16:24,600 --> 00:16:28,600 Speaker 1: antebellum to me. As you is is you ain't my constituency? 248 00:16:28,800 --> 00:16:32,600 Speaker 1: Just so and uh. There's this great book by a 249 00:16:32,600 --> 00:16:36,800 Speaker 1: guy named Frederick Allen. The titles long, but it's worth 250 00:16:36,840 --> 00:16:40,320 Speaker 1: the read. Atlanta Rising, The invention of an international city 251 00:16:40,360 --> 00:16:45,720 Speaker 1: and secret Formula. How brilliant marketing and relentless salesmanship made 252 00:16:45,720 --> 00:16:48,240 Speaker 1: Coca Cola the best known product in the world. I 253 00:16:48,240 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: think that's the entire cover. It's just that sentence. Good lord. 254 00:16:52,520 --> 00:16:56,280 Speaker 1: I pity that type center graphic designer that had to 255 00:16:56,640 --> 00:16:59,120 Speaker 1: scram all that in there. Oh yeah, there's a quote 256 00:16:59,120 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 1: from that book saying, if you had been waiting for 257 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:05,240 Speaker 1: the white community in Atlanta to accept civil rights. He 258 00:17:05,280 --> 00:17:07,879 Speaker 1: would have waited as long as anywhere in the South, 259 00:17:08,480 --> 00:17:11,320 Speaker 1: and Alan points out that a lot of this power 260 00:17:11,359 --> 00:17:15,480 Speaker 1: structure thought this celebration would be just one more step 261 00:17:15,480 --> 00:17:18,399 Speaker 1: in a process that would quote deprive them of the 262 00:17:18,480 --> 00:17:21,520 Speaker 1: fruits of white supremacy and the Jim Crow laws they'd 263 00:17:21,600 --> 00:17:24,400 Speaker 1: enjoyed for more than half a century. I mean, that's 264 00:17:24,760 --> 00:17:28,280 Speaker 1: pretty blunt, but it's also, as we'll see, pretty true. 265 00:17:28,960 --> 00:17:31,800 Speaker 1: The fruits of white supremacy are like something really bland, 266 00:17:31,880 --> 00:17:36,000 Speaker 1: like like melon, flavorless melon. I always feel, you know, 267 00:17:36,080 --> 00:17:39,320 Speaker 1: I love I know some people love melon. I've the 268 00:17:39,320 --> 00:17:42,119 Speaker 1: most expensive melon I ever ate was in Japan and 269 00:17:42,200 --> 00:17:45,680 Speaker 1: people were absolutely out of their out of their minds 270 00:17:45,720 --> 00:17:48,480 Speaker 1: for it. But I always whenever he got like a 271 00:17:48,520 --> 00:17:51,200 Speaker 1: fruit cup or something as a kid, I always judged 272 00:17:51,240 --> 00:17:55,639 Speaker 1: it by the melon ratio or like cantaloupe. Yeah, I 273 00:17:55,640 --> 00:17:58,359 Speaker 1: guess when I say melon, I'm specifically referring to cantaloupe. 274 00:17:58,880 --> 00:18:02,240 Speaker 1: It's just you know, landest, weirdest of fruits. What do 275 00:18:02,240 --> 00:18:05,680 Speaker 1: you guys take on honeydew? Is is it the same thing? 276 00:18:05,920 --> 00:18:09,359 Speaker 1: It's a little more pale green kind of as a sweeter. 277 00:18:09,560 --> 00:18:11,760 Speaker 1: I don't know. I just don't like the smell of 278 00:18:11,800 --> 00:18:14,720 Speaker 1: a melon. It weirds me out. There's a whole thing 279 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:17,000 Speaker 1: on the show a BoJack Horseman about just like how 280 00:18:17,080 --> 00:18:20,160 Speaker 1: much honeydew sucks? Oh yeah, and I love that joke. 281 00:18:20,280 --> 00:18:21,800 Speaker 1: So I always like to ask people with their opinion 282 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:23,760 Speaker 1: on honeydew? Is I mean? I just kind of think 283 00:18:23,760 --> 00:18:25,439 Speaker 1: it's like, you know, candle Up gets invited to a 284 00:18:25,440 --> 00:18:28,280 Speaker 1: party and it brings along his dumbass friend honeyd Okay, 285 00:18:28,440 --> 00:18:30,960 Speaker 1: I I respect that. I don't really you know, I 286 00:18:31,440 --> 00:18:34,080 Speaker 1: don't have a horse in the in the honeydew fight. 287 00:18:34,160 --> 00:18:37,040 Speaker 1: I guess I like the name. I wouldn't get angry 288 00:18:37,040 --> 00:18:39,640 Speaker 1: at someone like the next time we get together if 289 00:18:39,680 --> 00:18:41,800 Speaker 1: someone says, hey, would you like some honey dude, I 290 00:18:41,840 --> 00:18:45,640 Speaker 1: think I'll just say no. I won't be like swinging 291 00:18:45,840 --> 00:18:49,000 Speaker 1: on them. You ever heard an old Southern lady referred 292 00:18:49,000 --> 00:18:53,040 Speaker 1: to her handyman as her honeydew? Uh No, But those 293 00:18:53,040 --> 00:18:57,640 Speaker 1: people are having an affair, it seems so. So this 294 00:18:57,720 --> 00:19:02,040 Speaker 1: is ah, this is the environment in which this is 295 00:19:02,080 --> 00:19:06,760 Speaker 1: taking place. And as you know, with any powerful entity, 296 00:19:06,800 --> 00:19:11,000 Speaker 1: appearance is key. Right. You want to seem like you 297 00:19:11,080 --> 00:19:14,440 Speaker 1: are liked, You wanted to seem like you are representative 298 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:18,440 Speaker 1: of the attitudes of all the people that are within 299 00:19:18,480 --> 00:19:21,399 Speaker 1: your sphere of influence, because otherwise why would you be 300 00:19:21,440 --> 00:19:25,119 Speaker 1: in charge? So Alan says, you know, this is where 301 00:19:25,520 --> 00:19:29,639 Speaker 1: two very different organization styles come to a head. The 302 00:19:29,760 --> 00:19:35,080 Speaker 1: civil rights movement has made itself based on grassroots, bottom 303 00:19:35,200 --> 00:19:41,280 Speaker 1: up actions from the community, but the power structure has 304 00:19:41,520 --> 00:19:46,880 Speaker 1: completely opposite approach, its top down. And so when these 305 00:19:46,920 --> 00:19:51,119 Speaker 1: folks are organizing this, people of all faiths, people of 306 00:19:51,160 --> 00:19:55,400 Speaker 1: all demographics, dinner at this place called the Dinkler Plaza Hotel, 307 00:19:55,920 --> 00:19:58,960 Speaker 1: which despite the name, was quite classy. It's just don't 308 00:19:58,960 --> 00:20:00,879 Speaker 1: think that exists anymore. I haven't heard of the Tinkler 309 00:20:00,920 --> 00:20:04,760 Speaker 1: Plus hotel. It also just, in my opinion, doesn't sound 310 00:20:04,840 --> 00:20:09,080 Speaker 1: like the most impressive name, Like what's that Is it 311 00:20:09,280 --> 00:20:12,400 Speaker 1: the department store that's supposed to be sort of fancy 312 00:20:12,480 --> 00:20:16,400 Speaker 1: that has an unfortunate name. It's not Dillard's, that's the one. 313 00:20:16,720 --> 00:20:19,640 Speaker 1: Dillard's doesn't sound like those clothes should cost as much 314 00:20:19,640 --> 00:20:22,000 Speaker 1: as they do. I know, it just makes me think 315 00:20:22,000 --> 00:20:24,679 Speaker 1: of like a Dullard, you know, yeah, is kind of boring. 316 00:20:25,359 --> 00:20:31,960 Speaker 1: Only where by beige there and the and it all, Uh, 317 00:20:32,119 --> 00:20:35,960 Speaker 1: it all matches the honeydew right. So so okay, so 318 00:20:36,160 --> 00:20:40,120 Speaker 1: our mayor one of our main characters here, Ivan Alan Jr. 319 00:20:40,160 --> 00:20:43,600 Speaker 1: He's another junior. He says, all right, I'm gonna drum 320 00:20:43,680 --> 00:20:47,080 Speaker 1: up some support from the city's business community. I'm mayor 321 00:20:47,080 --> 00:20:50,720 Speaker 1: of Atlanta. I got connects. My rolodex is deep. But 322 00:20:52,080 --> 00:20:54,760 Speaker 1: he also notices that a lot of the people who 323 00:20:54,800 --> 00:20:58,399 Speaker 1: are ignoring these invitations are not responding or outright saying 324 00:20:58,480 --> 00:21:04,080 Speaker 1: ha ha, no way. They're largely white leaders. And one 325 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,920 Speaker 1: guy whose name is still kind of an open secret, 326 00:21:07,960 --> 00:21:12,080 Speaker 1: but he's always reported as an unnamed banker, he allegedly 327 00:21:12,280 --> 00:21:17,280 Speaker 1: starts phoning everyone he knows in town, urging them not 328 00:21:17,440 --> 00:21:20,359 Speaker 1: to go. And then The New York Times, a paper 329 00:21:20,400 --> 00:21:24,119 Speaker 1: of note, still probably high off their own celebration of 330 00:21:24,240 --> 00:21:28,480 Speaker 1: Dr King, they published a story that makes this national news, 331 00:21:28,600 --> 00:21:34,200 Speaker 1: and the headline says, tribute to Dr King disputed in Atlanta. Well, 332 00:21:34,240 --> 00:21:37,359 Speaker 1: we have to assume too that a businessman of this 333 00:21:37,600 --> 00:21:41,920 Speaker 1: type of banker isn't just discouraging people from going. He's 334 00:21:41,960 --> 00:21:45,439 Speaker 1: probably got a little juice and saying, if you go 335 00:21:45,520 --> 00:21:47,199 Speaker 1: to this thing, and I know that you go to 336 00:21:47,240 --> 00:21:49,640 Speaker 1: this thing, then I may or may not be able 337 00:21:49,680 --> 00:21:53,479 Speaker 1: to continue doing business with you. That's where the rubber 338 00:21:53,560 --> 00:21:56,560 Speaker 1: hits the road here. In December sixty four, the Atlanta 339 00:21:56,640 --> 00:22:00,440 Speaker 1: Constitution said there were some strong feelings about the matter 340 00:22:00,520 --> 00:22:04,560 Speaker 1: regarding the banquet, and Atlanta leaders had mixed feelings and 341 00:22:04,640 --> 00:22:09,200 Speaker 1: perhaps some reluctance in sponsoring the banquet, and they said 342 00:22:09,280 --> 00:22:12,639 Speaker 1: there was some behind the scenes controversy. So reporters were 343 00:22:13,200 --> 00:22:16,560 Speaker 1: noting this and they said one of the big things 344 00:22:16,600 --> 00:22:20,560 Speaker 1: about it was the points Talmage raised that you mentioned earlier, 345 00:22:20,840 --> 00:22:24,639 Speaker 1: the idea that King was a lawbreaker because he participated 346 00:22:24,760 --> 00:22:29,879 Speaker 1: in a strike against another Atlantic company, Scripto Incorporated. And 347 00:22:29,960 --> 00:22:33,320 Speaker 1: this led a lad to a bad uh, a bad 348 00:22:33,359 --> 00:22:38,200 Speaker 1: association with King amongst the titans of industry. Jim Buris 349 00:22:38,200 --> 00:22:41,040 Speaker 1: over at MPR reported about this. He was talking with 350 00:22:41,480 --> 00:22:45,440 Speaker 1: one of the king's descendants, King the Third, and he 351 00:22:45,520 --> 00:22:48,719 Speaker 1: said Atlanta was trying to move slow, and you know, 352 00:22:49,160 --> 00:22:54,240 Speaker 1: King the Third, King three had a very um, I think, 353 00:22:54,240 --> 00:22:58,640 Speaker 1: a very good retrospective look at this, right, He had 354 00:22:58,680 --> 00:23:01,119 Speaker 1: this to say, uh quote, they were not going to 355 00:23:01,160 --> 00:23:04,080 Speaker 1: show up. And again it was fear. We were still 356 00:23:04,080 --> 00:23:06,400 Speaker 1: a divided nation. We were just getting ready to get 357 00:23:06,400 --> 00:23:10,280 Speaker 1: a Civil Rights Act. Birmingham in the sixte had been explosive. 358 00:23:10,680 --> 00:23:13,159 Speaker 1: The churches have been bombed in sixty three, and people 359 00:23:13,200 --> 00:23:17,280 Speaker 1: were just nervous and afraid. Yeah, and that's uh. And 360 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:23,119 Speaker 1: anxiety and fear are communicable diseases. Right. So as the 361 00:23:23,200 --> 00:23:27,280 Speaker 1: days take by, the mayor himself is getting worried. He's saying, 362 00:23:27,320 --> 00:23:31,400 Speaker 1: oh my gosh, it's looking more and more like our 363 00:23:31,520 --> 00:23:35,000 Speaker 1: big party that we wanted to make international news is 364 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:38,000 Speaker 1: going to be abandoned. It's gonna be crickets in the audience. 365 00:23:38,400 --> 00:23:42,160 Speaker 1: So he said, this is gonna make my city look terrible, 366 00:23:42,600 --> 00:23:47,160 Speaker 1: not just now but forever. And more importantly, this can 367 00:23:47,200 --> 00:23:50,080 Speaker 1: turn back the clock on all the progress we've been 368 00:23:50,119 --> 00:23:52,919 Speaker 1: trying to make in racial relations. I'm sure he's like, 369 00:23:52,960 --> 00:23:55,600 Speaker 1: I need help. I've got to do something. So he 370 00:23:55,680 --> 00:24:00,520 Speaker 1: goes back to his deep mayoral rolodex, and he knows 371 00:24:00,560 --> 00:24:04,719 Speaker 1: there's one guy he can call, a man who doesn't 372 00:24:04,840 --> 00:24:08,960 Speaker 1: have an official position but used to be the president 373 00:24:09,119 --> 00:24:13,040 Speaker 1: of Coca Cola. Now that he's no longer the president, 374 00:24:13,320 --> 00:24:16,320 Speaker 1: he spends his days on the each Away plantation in 375 00:24:16,400 --> 00:24:27,600 Speaker 1: southwest Georgia. His name Robert Woodroffe, isn't it Funny how 376 00:24:27,640 --> 00:24:31,640 Speaker 1: you can often tell if a historical you know, high 377 00:24:31,720 --> 00:24:35,840 Speaker 1: muckety muck was progressive or not based on whether they 378 00:24:36,040 --> 00:24:39,960 Speaker 1: their name is attached to like museums and arts centers 379 00:24:40,000 --> 00:24:42,200 Speaker 1: and things like that. We have the Woodroffe Arts Center 380 00:24:42,560 --> 00:24:46,439 Speaker 1: here in Atlanta. You have the Maddox Bridge up in 381 00:24:46,960 --> 00:24:49,880 Speaker 1: uh two eighty five, which I make sure to spit 382 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:52,879 Speaker 1: on every time I drive a bridge. Usually racists just 383 00:24:52,920 --> 00:24:57,200 Speaker 1: get bridges or overpasses, you know, or stone mountain or 384 00:24:57,280 --> 00:25:01,760 Speaker 1: weird self aggrandizing statues. Yeah so, uh so this guy 385 00:25:02,000 --> 00:25:06,040 Speaker 1: would drow he is this to me, this feels like 386 00:25:06,080 --> 00:25:09,960 Speaker 1: a very Southern thing, although it happens all around the world. Uh. 387 00:25:10,000 --> 00:25:13,600 Speaker 1: He became president of Coca Cola in nine and he 388 00:25:13,680 --> 00:25:17,640 Speaker 1: was a big part of Coca Cola's growth during his 389 00:25:17,720 --> 00:25:22,359 Speaker 1: time as president. And if you we fast forwarded several decades, right, 390 00:25:22,359 --> 00:25:25,919 Speaker 1: it's nineteen sixty four, he's no longer officially in power, 391 00:25:26,359 --> 00:25:29,840 Speaker 1: but what he says goes put bluntly. He is the 392 00:25:29,880 --> 00:25:34,080 Speaker 1: most powerful dude in town. And uh he is not 393 00:25:34,359 --> 00:25:40,080 Speaker 1: necessarily the most progressive guy, because I remember he's from 394 00:25:40,119 --> 00:25:45,199 Speaker 1: the twenties. Well, you know, progressives a relative term in 395 00:25:45,240 --> 00:25:47,520 Speaker 1: this in this day and age that we're discussing here. 396 00:25:47,800 --> 00:25:52,200 Speaker 1: So that being said, he was relatively progressive for the time, 397 00:25:52,880 --> 00:25:57,240 Speaker 1: and he was concerned with you know, image, of course, 398 00:25:57,400 --> 00:26:01,480 Speaker 1: and he was concerned with how his city would come across. 399 00:26:01,840 --> 00:26:06,359 Speaker 1: He recognized Dr King's influence and this movement as a 400 00:26:06,440 --> 00:26:09,080 Speaker 1: very real thing, and he the very least didn't want 401 00:26:09,080 --> 00:26:10,960 Speaker 1: to be on the wrong side of history and didn't 402 00:26:10,960 --> 00:26:13,720 Speaker 1: when Atlanta to be on the wrong side of history. Yeah, 403 00:26:13,840 --> 00:26:19,760 Speaker 1: and the mayor is over at his plantation and he's saying, look, Woody, uh, 404 00:26:19,920 --> 00:26:22,520 Speaker 1: we have a huge problem. We're not selling any tickets 405 00:26:22,560 --> 00:26:27,080 Speaker 1: at dinner. It's gonna be a massive embarrassment. And also, 406 00:26:27,760 --> 00:26:31,440 Speaker 1: we just spent so much money on this national ad 407 00:26:31,560 --> 00:26:35,840 Speaker 1: campaign call calling Atlanta a city too busy to hate. 408 00:26:36,240 --> 00:26:38,760 Speaker 1: This is not a good look for us. And so 409 00:26:39,480 --> 00:26:42,400 Speaker 1: old Woody by the way, he had just fallen off 410 00:26:42,440 --> 00:26:45,880 Speaker 1: a horse, so he's laid up recovering and he goes, 411 00:26:45,920 --> 00:26:48,960 Speaker 1: you know, I agree with you. Let me make some 412 00:26:49,119 --> 00:26:53,160 Speaker 1: fogel calls. He probably said, let me make some telephone calls, 413 00:26:53,200 --> 00:26:56,840 Speaker 1: and they get the current president of Coca Cola. There's 414 00:26:56,840 --> 00:27:00,760 Speaker 1: also the CEO, a guy named Paul Austin to get 415 00:27:00,800 --> 00:27:06,000 Speaker 1: all of the business cabal together at the elite Piedmont 416 00:27:06,160 --> 00:27:09,080 Speaker 1: Driving Club, which is familiar to our palle Matt Frederick. 417 00:27:09,440 --> 00:27:14,280 Speaker 1: Oh yeah, she crabs super I'll never forget, but yeah, 418 00:27:14,320 --> 00:27:19,439 Speaker 1: this guy Austin was from Lagrange, Georgia, UM, and he 419 00:27:19,560 --> 00:27:22,720 Speaker 1: actually had spent quite a bit of time living and 420 00:27:22,760 --> 00:27:27,199 Speaker 1: working in South Africa fourteen years actually, so he was 421 00:27:27,280 --> 00:27:31,159 Speaker 1: there in the thick of apartheid UM and UH and 422 00:27:31,280 --> 00:27:35,320 Speaker 1: all of the awful racist uh implications that were wrapped 423 00:27:35,400 --> 00:27:39,639 Speaker 1: up in that. So he he understood these things again 424 00:27:40,080 --> 00:27:43,600 Speaker 1: at the very least had a negative impact on the economy, 425 00:27:43,960 --> 00:27:47,320 Speaker 1: right right, he could he could at least think of 426 00:27:47,359 --> 00:27:54,040 Speaker 1: that stuff in economic quantitative terms. So he said, I 427 00:27:54,080 --> 00:27:58,160 Speaker 1: don't want this to happen in Atlanta. So he gets 428 00:27:58,160 --> 00:28:02,280 Speaker 1: these guys together in private, and he is probably driven 429 00:28:02,320 --> 00:28:05,760 Speaker 1: in part not just by Woody and the mayor, but 430 00:28:06,359 --> 00:28:09,000 Speaker 1: by that New York Times article that was a front 431 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:12,080 Speaker 1: page article that made him feel terrible, so he wanted 432 00:28:12,119 --> 00:28:15,600 Speaker 1: to flex muscle. He and his team are talking these 433 00:28:15,600 --> 00:28:18,320 Speaker 1: business leads at the Driving Club, and at first they're 434 00:28:18,320 --> 00:28:22,399 Speaker 1: phrasing things in terms of like unity, right, warm and 435 00:28:22,520 --> 00:28:27,399 Speaker 1: fuzzy building a better tomorrow. But in case that didn't work, 436 00:28:27,720 --> 00:28:31,240 Speaker 1: they also brought Coca Cola is huge economic weight to 437 00:28:31,240 --> 00:28:34,680 Speaker 1: the table. He said, some high test stuff. UM. One 438 00:28:34,680 --> 00:28:36,159 Speaker 1: of the quotes he had, we have a couple of 439 00:28:36,240 --> 00:28:38,640 Speaker 1: people were calling this night. One of the quotes he 440 00:28:38,720 --> 00:28:42,000 Speaker 1: said was, it's embarrassing for Coca Cola to be located 441 00:28:42,040 --> 00:28:45,320 Speaker 1: in a city that refuses to honor its Nobel Prize winner. 442 00:28:46,400 --> 00:28:50,080 Speaker 1: We are on on international business. The Coca Cola Company does 443 00:28:50,120 --> 00:28:54,600 Speaker 1: not need Atlanta. You all need to decide whether Atlanta 444 00:28:54,840 --> 00:29:01,440 Speaker 1: needs the Coca Cola company. Shots fired. You know, it's interesting. 445 00:29:01,480 --> 00:29:03,920 Speaker 1: I mean this is actually kind of come around again 446 00:29:04,320 --> 00:29:07,480 Speaker 1: recently in the last handful of years, when um, there 447 00:29:07,560 --> 00:29:12,200 Speaker 1: was that Heartbeat bill situation and you know a lot 448 00:29:12,240 --> 00:29:14,640 Speaker 1: of the film production companies threatened to leave. Is now 449 00:29:14,640 --> 00:29:16,320 Speaker 1: a big, you know, big business here in Atlanta as 450 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:19,840 Speaker 1: film but also I think Delta I was talking about 451 00:29:19,880 --> 00:29:21,520 Speaker 1: moving or that there was a lot of you know, 452 00:29:21,960 --> 00:29:26,280 Speaker 1: big corporations and industries based in Atlanta that did just this. 453 00:29:26,400 --> 00:29:29,640 Speaker 1: You know, UM collectively kind of threw their weight around, 454 00:29:29,880 --> 00:29:34,480 Speaker 1: uh in order to enact positive change. Yeah, a hundred percent. 455 00:29:34,720 --> 00:29:38,080 Speaker 1: And this is this is something that companies of that 456 00:29:38,160 --> 00:29:42,920 Speaker 1: size can do so. King the third would later recall 457 00:29:43,160 --> 00:29:45,160 Speaker 1: I think he was speaking when Jim Burris still he said, 458 00:29:45,560 --> 00:29:48,120 Speaker 1: And you know what happened after that? The business leaders 459 00:29:48,360 --> 00:29:53,000 Speaker 1: showed up. They pretty much strong armed a lot of 460 00:29:53,120 --> 00:29:56,160 Speaker 1: members of the Atlanta business community to respond to the 461 00:29:56,200 --> 00:30:01,040 Speaker 1: invite to buy their tickets. Former un and ascador Andrew 462 00:30:01,120 --> 00:30:05,320 Speaker 1: Young said, he just hammered them. He said, Austin was like, look, 463 00:30:05,320 --> 00:30:06,920 Speaker 1: we're not going to stay in a city that's going 464 00:30:06,960 --> 00:30:10,280 Speaker 1: to have this kind of reaction, and so think about it. 465 00:30:10,720 --> 00:30:13,280 Speaker 1: You choose how you want to go, because Coca Cola 466 00:30:13,360 --> 00:30:16,360 Speaker 1: is gonna be fine, gentlemen, what about your city? What 467 00:30:16,440 --> 00:30:20,560 Speaker 1: about your businesses? I yield my time and they decided, 468 00:30:21,120 --> 00:30:24,720 Speaker 1: yeah they did, and consequently, uh, the event sold out 469 00:30:24,880 --> 00:30:28,040 Speaker 1: like like hot cakes. Um. And also this of course 470 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,400 Speaker 1: raised the profile of the event as as a news item, 471 00:30:31,520 --> 00:30:33,520 Speaker 1: you know, and just had a lot of eyes on 472 00:30:33,520 --> 00:30:36,280 Speaker 1: it because of all this controversy and the fact that 473 00:30:36,320 --> 00:30:40,520 Speaker 1: these uh, this business was able to make the kind 474 00:30:40,560 --> 00:30:45,960 Speaker 1: of business community cave. Yeah this. You know, it's funny 475 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:48,640 Speaker 1: you said that, because now that I think about it, 476 00:30:48,720 --> 00:30:51,040 Speaker 1: I have never in my life been to a place 477 00:30:51,080 --> 00:30:53,680 Speaker 1: that is sold out of hot cakes. I don't think 478 00:30:53,680 --> 00:30:55,200 Speaker 1: I even know what a hot cake is. It's like 479 00:30:55,200 --> 00:30:57,360 Speaker 1: a biscuit, right, I thought it was like a pancake, 480 00:30:58,200 --> 00:31:00,600 Speaker 1: a cake, like a mini pancake. Well, elis, if you've 481 00:31:00,640 --> 00:31:05,560 Speaker 1: ever seen something selling like hotcakes or if they've sold out, well, 482 00:31:05,840 --> 00:31:07,920 Speaker 1: we always assume was a good thing. Anyway. Yeah, so 483 00:31:07,920 --> 00:31:11,440 Speaker 1: they're sold out, and uh, we're getting a lot of 484 00:31:11,440 --> 00:31:14,920 Speaker 1: this stuff from another author, Mark Pendergrass, who wrote of 485 00:31:15,040 --> 00:31:20,560 Speaker 1: God Country and Coca Cola much pathier title. Yes, yeah, yeah, brevity. 486 00:31:20,760 --> 00:31:23,400 Speaker 1: That's my favorite way to revise the quote. Brevity is 487 00:31:23,440 --> 00:31:27,960 Speaker 1: the soul of wit. Just say brevity. It's implied, it's impressed. 488 00:31:29,240 --> 00:31:34,800 Speaker 1: So over one thousand five people are going and this 489 00:31:34,920 --> 00:31:36,880 Speaker 1: is not as big as the eight thousand people in 490 00:31:36,880 --> 00:31:40,480 Speaker 1: New York, but that's still huge for Atlanta. And one 491 00:31:40,520 --> 00:31:42,800 Speaker 1: thing it was funny is there were a lot of 492 00:31:42,880 --> 00:31:48,360 Speaker 1: police that were assigned to hold the perimeter of din 493 00:31:48,440 --> 00:31:53,080 Speaker 1: Clar Plaza because the power structure was very concerned that 494 00:31:53,120 --> 00:31:55,760 Speaker 1: there would be massive protests. You know, they wanted to 495 00:31:55,800 --> 00:32:00,000 Speaker 1: paint these protesters as violent, even though they were obvious 496 00:32:00,040 --> 00:32:03,600 Speaker 1: as lee not violent. The police had nothing to do. 497 00:32:04,800 --> 00:32:07,080 Speaker 1: I mean, you know, it's still a class system, so 498 00:32:07,120 --> 00:32:10,080 Speaker 1: they weren't allowed to walk in and get some snacks. 499 00:32:10,120 --> 00:32:13,800 Speaker 1: But there was no discord. There's no huge descent. And 500 00:32:13,880 --> 00:32:18,720 Speaker 1: Pendergrass points out something important here, mission critical. He says, 501 00:32:18,840 --> 00:32:22,200 Speaker 1: if Robert Woodruff, who could run the town of Atlanta, 502 00:32:22,280 --> 00:32:23,960 Speaker 1: if he had not let it be known that the 503 00:32:24,000 --> 00:32:28,360 Speaker 1: white business community was going to honor Dr King at 504 00:32:28,360 --> 00:32:31,200 Speaker 1: this dinner, it would not have happened. If he hadn't 505 00:32:31,200 --> 00:32:36,080 Speaker 1: pulled that card. This would history would have gone very differently. Yeah, 506 00:32:36,120 --> 00:32:39,880 Speaker 1: and King, you know, he didn't gloat or anything, or 507 00:32:40,200 --> 00:32:43,600 Speaker 1: or even let on to any of this controversy at all. Um. 508 00:32:43,720 --> 00:32:46,360 Speaker 1: I don't know if he commented on it. I bet 509 00:32:46,400 --> 00:32:48,959 Speaker 1: he probably did to some degree prior to the speech. 510 00:32:49,000 --> 00:32:51,160 Speaker 1: But once it was all said and done, he got 511 00:32:51,160 --> 00:32:54,160 Speaker 1: out there and and made his speed saying, quote, this 512 00:32:54,320 --> 00:32:58,000 Speaker 1: marvelous hometown, welcome, and honor will remain dear to me 513 00:32:58,320 --> 00:33:01,040 Speaker 1: as long as the chords of memory he shall Lengthen 514 00:33:01,560 --> 00:33:05,680 Speaker 1: what a class act. Yeah. Yeah, and just by comparison here, 515 00:33:05,920 --> 00:33:09,280 Speaker 1: let's let's this is I think are great for us 516 00:33:09,360 --> 00:33:13,680 Speaker 1: to wrap up on. So the event goes on. Former 517 00:33:13,720 --> 00:33:16,720 Speaker 1: Ambassador Young recalls this. He said, the event goes on 518 00:33:17,040 --> 00:33:19,960 Speaker 1: like there have never been a controversy at all. And 519 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,240 Speaker 1: the same people who are trying to shut the whole 520 00:33:23,280 --> 00:33:27,120 Speaker 1: thing down, the same people who a few of whom 521 00:33:27,400 --> 00:33:32,480 Speaker 1: definitely hated Dr King, they stood up and saying we 522 00:33:32,600 --> 00:33:38,160 Speaker 1: shall overcome. At the end, they knew where their breath. Yeah, 523 00:33:38,400 --> 00:33:41,360 Speaker 1: you gotta love it, you gotta love it. So okay, 524 00:33:41,400 --> 00:33:44,160 Speaker 1: this teaches us, I think a lot of stuff, not 525 00:33:44,240 --> 00:33:49,440 Speaker 1: to moralize, but it shows us that, you know, you 526 00:33:49,600 --> 00:33:54,400 Speaker 1: can use money for power, right, And these guys, I 527 00:33:54,440 --> 00:33:56,760 Speaker 1: would say, based on what we've learned today, I would 528 00:33:56,760 --> 00:33:59,440 Speaker 1: say a lot of the members of that community, that 529 00:33:59,480 --> 00:34:02,640 Speaker 1: power ructure, I would say they were just doing this 530 00:34:02,800 --> 00:34:06,560 Speaker 1: because they felt their economic future was at stake, right, 531 00:34:06,680 --> 00:34:10,719 Speaker 1: or their political future. But still they that was enough 532 00:34:10,760 --> 00:34:13,000 Speaker 1: to make them do the right thing, even if your 533 00:34:13,040 --> 00:34:20,520 Speaker 1: motivations were intent. Is is important, certainly, but also so 534 00:34:20,680 --> 00:34:24,880 Speaker 1: is getting things done and laying the groundwork for hopefully 535 00:34:24,920 --> 00:34:28,600 Speaker 1: others to at least read the tea leaves correctly. You know, 536 00:34:28,719 --> 00:34:31,680 Speaker 1: this thing wasn't going away, you know, the idea of 537 00:34:31,719 --> 00:34:35,080 Speaker 1: the fruits of white supremacy, I mean that was gonna 538 00:34:35,120 --> 00:34:40,200 Speaker 1: be relegated to the shadows um pretty quickly. Yeah, well 539 00:34:40,280 --> 00:34:45,120 Speaker 1: that's I mean, that's the hope here and again. Coca 540 00:34:45,160 --> 00:34:49,400 Speaker 1: Cola has a lot of its own war stories across 541 00:34:49,480 --> 00:34:53,200 Speaker 1: the planet. Is a huge company. It moves billions of 542 00:34:53,280 --> 00:34:57,200 Speaker 1: dollars of all kinds of things, and it owns more 543 00:34:57,239 --> 00:35:00,080 Speaker 1: brands than you might think it does. A lot of 544 00:35:00,120 --> 00:35:03,359 Speaker 1: is ultimately owned by Coke. But in this case, it 545 00:35:03,400 --> 00:35:07,640 Speaker 1: looks like Woody and his pal Austin did the right thing, 546 00:35:07,719 --> 00:35:11,040 Speaker 1: and so did the mayor. And I think, uh, you know, no, 547 00:35:11,280 --> 00:35:12,960 Speaker 1: as we get towards the end of the year, man, 548 00:35:13,160 --> 00:35:16,080 Speaker 1: I think this is kind of a a good story. 549 00:35:16,239 --> 00:35:18,319 Speaker 1: I like wholesome stuff at the end of the year 550 00:35:18,480 --> 00:35:20,640 Speaker 1: for sure. And you know, I mean it's easy to 551 00:35:21,280 --> 00:35:24,160 Speaker 1: kind of you know, look askance at these giant corporations 552 00:35:24,200 --> 00:35:25,880 Speaker 1: and then realize that at the end of the day, 553 00:35:25,920 --> 00:35:28,760 Speaker 1: a lot of these big decisions are based around money. 554 00:35:28,760 --> 00:35:32,239 Speaker 1: But it is nice to see when those decisions go 555 00:35:32,360 --> 00:35:35,759 Speaker 1: the right direction, you know, um as opposed to you know, 556 00:35:36,160 --> 00:35:40,919 Speaker 1: being like completely evil, right right, be too complete can 557 00:35:40,920 --> 00:35:45,640 Speaker 1: glomco about stuff. So here's where we're gonna please tune 558 00:35:45,719 --> 00:35:49,480 Speaker 1: in for our upcoming episodes. We've got some got some 559 00:35:49,520 --> 00:35:54,440 Speaker 1: really cool stuff. On the way organized crime We've got 560 00:35:54,640 --> 00:35:56,760 Speaker 1: oh gosh, I don't even want to spoil all of them, 561 00:35:56,840 --> 00:35:59,759 Speaker 1: but in the meantime, do check out our peer podcast 562 00:35:59,800 --> 00:36:04,880 Speaker 1: were Diculous Crime, Ridiculous News and Ridiculous Romance. Thanks as 563 00:36:04,880 --> 00:36:07,640 Speaker 1: always the super producer Max Williams, Thanks for our research 564 00:36:07,680 --> 00:36:11,440 Speaker 1: associate Jeff Bartlett. Huge thanks to Christopher Hastiotes here in 565 00:36:11,480 --> 00:36:14,680 Speaker 1: spirit Alex Williams, who compose this theme. I think we've 566 00:36:14,760 --> 00:36:19,800 Speaker 1: got a scheduled Quister crash coming up and the Natus 567 00:36:19,880 --> 00:36:23,719 Speaker 1: in future. Yes, yes, no, we did. We did reach 568 00:36:23,760 --> 00:36:26,799 Speaker 1: out on the other side. So folks, here's what it's like. Uh. 569 00:36:26,920 --> 00:36:29,759 Speaker 1: Picture picture the three of us with one of those 570 00:36:29,760 --> 00:36:32,319 Speaker 1: red telephones kind of like in the Cold War with 571 00:36:32,400 --> 00:36:34,200 Speaker 1: the U S and the U S s R. Yeah, 572 00:36:34,320 --> 00:36:35,960 Speaker 1: or the Bath phone or the Bath vhone. So we 573 00:36:36,040 --> 00:36:38,680 Speaker 1: picked up, we picked up the phone, we said the 574 00:36:38,680 --> 00:36:41,319 Speaker 1: code words, and we are a go to have the 575 00:36:41,400 --> 00:36:45,720 Speaker 1: one and only Quister return. Tune in for that. Tune 576 00:36:45,760 --> 00:36:49,959 Speaker 1: in for what he himself has described with great enthusiasm 577 00:36:50,120 --> 00:36:52,799 Speaker 1: for some reason, as the cringe eest segment in all 578 00:36:52,840 --> 00:37:03,200 Speaker 1: of podcastings. We will see you next time. Phones for 579 00:37:03,280 --> 00:37:06,000 Speaker 1: more podcasts from my heart Radio, visit the iHeart Radio app, 580 00:37:06,040 --> 00:37:09,120 Speaker 1: Apple podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows.