1 00:00:04,559 --> 00:00:05,760 Speaker 1: Coming up on the A Building. 2 00:00:06,440 --> 00:00:09,360 Speaker 2: I saw somebody running toward the administration builder talking about 3 00:00:09,400 --> 00:00:11,880 Speaker 2: there with the lock in that happened to be of 4 00:00:12,000 --> 00:00:13,000 Speaker 2: Saram Jackson. 5 00:00:13,200 --> 00:00:15,280 Speaker 3: Sent Tron died of a heroin overdose, with a lot 6 00:00:15,320 --> 00:00:17,799 Speaker 3: of my buddies in the house when it happened, and 7 00:00:17,840 --> 00:00:19,640 Speaker 3: Moreouse covered all of these things up. 8 00:00:24,360 --> 00:00:27,720 Speaker 1: The A Building, Episode four, Unrest on Campus. 9 00:00:38,280 --> 00:00:43,519 Speaker 4: In the heist, the take is always clear, money, jewelry, gold. 10 00:00:44,720 --> 00:00:48,000 Speaker 5: This may have gone too far, Sam, that's Daddy King. 11 00:00:48,040 --> 00:00:50,640 Speaker 4: We've locked in here and he's not doing too well. 12 00:00:50,800 --> 00:00:52,160 Speaker 6: There is no too far. 13 00:00:52,920 --> 00:00:53,520 Speaker 1: We're here. 14 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:54,960 Speaker 6: We need action. 15 00:00:55,120 --> 00:01:02,440 Speaker 7: Now, everybody, please, you can't expect us to give in 16 00:01:02,480 --> 00:01:04,360 Speaker 7: to your demands by force. 17 00:01:05,840 --> 00:01:09,760 Speaker 1: Once the students had taken over the boardroom, tension ran high. 18 00:01:10,160 --> 00:01:12,480 Speaker 1: Negotiations were falling apart. 19 00:01:12,600 --> 00:01:16,880 Speaker 4: One of the board members fell, silence struck the boardroom, 20 00:01:17,640 --> 00:01:21,360 Speaker 4: reality sank in. The students were locked in with dick chains, 21 00:01:21,400 --> 00:01:24,120 Speaker 4: and one of the board members was having a medical emergency. 22 00:01:24,560 --> 00:01:28,399 Speaker 1: That board member was Martin Luther King Senior. 23 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:32,240 Speaker 4: We'll go to this moment a little later, but for now, 24 00:01:32,760 --> 00:01:35,800 Speaker 4: let's flash forward to the twenty first century. Let's go 25 00:01:35,880 --> 00:01:39,400 Speaker 4: to a time of twenty four hour news and social media. 26 00:01:39,920 --> 00:01:41,319 Speaker 4: Let's go to Howard University. 27 00:01:41,840 --> 00:01:44,520 Speaker 8: Well, students who took over the Blackbird Center at Howard 28 00:01:44,600 --> 00:01:47,480 Speaker 8: University last week are still fighting for answers tonight. 29 00:01:47,640 --> 00:01:51,000 Speaker 9: Our university students sit in continues into day five today. 30 00:01:51,280 --> 00:01:54,560 Speaker 4: In twenty twenty one, some students begin to share photos 31 00:01:54,600 --> 00:02:00,279 Speaker 4: of poorlythic conditions on campus, mold, rodents, and several other issues. 32 00:02:00,280 --> 00:02:03,880 Speaker 1: That would create a campus wide firestorm that would make 33 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:05,240 Speaker 1: international news. 34 00:02:05,840 --> 00:02:08,359 Speaker 10: Do we understand that it is not a normal college 35 00:02:08,360 --> 00:02:12,480 Speaker 10: experience to be living with molds and having resperratory issues 36 00:02:12,520 --> 00:02:17,960 Speaker 10: and safety hazards in our living spaces? Stories with videos 37 00:02:18,040 --> 00:02:20,079 Speaker 10: like this one just an example of. 38 00:02:20,040 --> 00:02:23,079 Speaker 6: What students have been living in at Howard University. 39 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:26,080 Speaker 10: There was a cracks pipe that had been there since 40 00:02:26,200 --> 00:02:28,720 Speaker 10: my mom went to school here and living in these dorms. 41 00:02:29,760 --> 00:02:33,200 Speaker 4: Howard holds a very unique position in higher education. Over 42 00:02:33,240 --> 00:02:36,280 Speaker 4: the years, Howard has been a major center for black 43 00:02:36,320 --> 00:02:42,040 Speaker 4: intellectual and cultural life, producing influential alumnis such as Thurgood Marshall, 44 00:02:42,440 --> 00:02:46,720 Speaker 4: the first Black Subpene Court justice, and Vice president Kamala Harris. 45 00:02:47,400 --> 00:02:52,480 Speaker 4: The university has excelled in law, medicine, business, and the arts. 46 00:02:53,080 --> 00:02:57,960 Speaker 4: Contributing significantly to the civil rights movement and social justice. Today, 47 00:02:58,520 --> 00:03:01,320 Speaker 4: it remains one of the most pristige this HBC used 48 00:03:01,360 --> 00:03:05,920 Speaker 4: in the US, maintaining a strong reputation for academic excellence 49 00:03:06,160 --> 00:03:08,280 Speaker 4: and leadership in diversity. 50 00:03:08,800 --> 00:03:12,120 Speaker 1: In the age of social media. The images went viral 51 00:03:12,720 --> 00:03:16,360 Speaker 1: and the students demanded improvements to their living conditions. These 52 00:03:16,400 --> 00:03:20,280 Speaker 1: protests were a sore spot for an institution very aware 53 00:03:20,400 --> 00:03:21,760 Speaker 1: of its public image. 54 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:25,920 Speaker 4: Unlike the student uprising at Moorhouse in nineteen sixty nine, 55 00:03:26,160 --> 00:03:29,720 Speaker 4: Howard was led by a young president, an alumni, a 56 00:03:29,800 --> 00:03:33,480 Speaker 4: leader aware of new technology and the waves of social media. 57 00:03:34,040 --> 00:03:37,920 Speaker 4: Wayne Frederick served Howard University as president from twenty fourteen 58 00:03:38,160 --> 00:03:42,520 Speaker 4: to twenty twenty three. His MS, NBA, and medical degree 59 00:03:42,680 --> 00:03:46,400 Speaker 4: were all earned at Howard. He knows the school inside 60 00:03:46,440 --> 00:03:49,320 Speaker 4: and out. At the time of these protests in twenty 61 00:03:49,360 --> 00:03:52,320 Speaker 4: twenty one, he was only forty nine years old. 62 00:03:52,760 --> 00:03:56,600 Speaker 1: Despite this, his initial reaction felt a little old school. 63 00:03:57,080 --> 00:03:59,440 Speaker 1: He released the statement in response to the sit in 64 00:03:59,480 --> 00:04:02,040 Speaker 1: protest at Blackburn Center on campus. 65 00:04:02,400 --> 00:04:05,960 Speaker 5: He writes, there may be areas where we agree to disagree. 66 00:04:06,400 --> 00:04:11,240 Speaker 5: That's the nature of a vibrant community. However, Howard university's 67 00:04:11,280 --> 00:04:14,320 Speaker 5: proud tradition of student protest has never been and can 68 00:04:14,400 --> 00:04:17,919 Speaker 5: never be invoked as a justification for tactics that harm 69 00:04:17,960 --> 00:04:21,560 Speaker 5: our students. The current occupation of the Armour J. Blackburn 70 00:04:21,640 --> 00:04:25,080 Speaker 5: Center is a departure from past norms. There is a 71 00:04:25,160 --> 00:04:29,400 Speaker 5: distinct difference between peaceful protest and freedom of expression and 72 00:04:29,760 --> 00:04:33,479 Speaker 5: the occupation of a university building that impedes operations and 73 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:35,240 Speaker 5: access to essential services. 74 00:04:36,440 --> 00:04:39,840 Speaker 4: The students responded in kind to the president's letter. They 75 00:04:39,839 --> 00:04:44,840 Speaker 4: felt unheard or even worse chastised. Like the logne the 76 00:04:44,880 --> 00:04:48,240 Speaker 4: Moorhouse in nineteen sixty nine, the students at Howard needed 77 00:04:48,279 --> 00:04:51,719 Speaker 4: another way to draw attention. The students pitch tends outside 78 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:55,160 Speaker 4: the dorms, a bold, visual and symbolic gesture. 79 00:04:55,600 --> 00:04:57,559 Speaker 11: So, as we said from the beginning, we're not leaving 80 00:04:57,640 --> 00:05:01,119 Speaker 11: until our for demands are met. There's no comprom They're easy. 81 00:05:01,160 --> 00:05:03,760 Speaker 11: You know, no school wants to be protested against. But 82 00:05:04,080 --> 00:05:05,640 Speaker 11: it's not like we're out here because we want hot 83 00:05:05,640 --> 00:05:08,560 Speaker 11: tubs in our dormitories. It's because we want double commisions. 84 00:05:08,800 --> 00:05:10,520 Speaker 10: We are going to be calling for the resignation of 85 00:05:10,680 --> 00:05:11,679 Speaker 10: Wayne Ai frederation. 86 00:05:13,480 --> 00:05:16,560 Speaker 4: These images would draw even more attention to the university. 87 00:05:16,760 --> 00:05:20,800 Speaker 1: President Frederick's attempt to keep the issues in house would backfire, 88 00:05:21,080 --> 00:05:24,640 Speaker 1: and this protest would grow into a national story. Similar 89 00:05:24,680 --> 00:05:27,480 Speaker 1: stories in the national media would travel about the lock 90 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,799 Speaker 1: in at Moorhouse in nineteen sixty nine. A consistent word 91 00:05:30,839 --> 00:05:33,120 Speaker 1: would fill the headlines militant. 92 00:05:34,480 --> 00:05:35,360 Speaker 4: What else is there? 93 00:05:35,640 --> 00:05:38,360 Speaker 6: What else is there? Why are you talking like that? 94 00:05:38,720 --> 00:05:39,719 Speaker 1: We didn't do this? 95 00:05:40,760 --> 00:05:45,400 Speaker 5: They did this. Malcolm is dead, Martin is dead. 96 00:05:45,480 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 6: What are we doing? 97 00:05:47,160 --> 00:05:48,640 Speaker 5: What risk are we taking? 98 00:05:49,480 --> 00:05:51,279 Speaker 4: Think about the shoulders we stand on. 99 00:05:51,480 --> 00:05:53,800 Speaker 6: Listen, I understand all that. 100 00:05:54,000 --> 00:05:58,360 Speaker 1: Okay, we're talking about the trustees. We're talking about losing everything. 101 00:05:59,000 --> 00:05:59,960 Speaker 4: You're about to graduate. 102 00:06:00,600 --> 00:06:01,880 Speaker 6: You ready to give up all that? 103 00:06:02,760 --> 00:06:08,200 Speaker 5: Listen to yourself, lose everything more than Malcolm, more than 104 00:06:08,279 --> 00:06:08,800 Speaker 5: doctor King. 105 00:06:09,720 --> 00:06:12,719 Speaker 1: What did they lose? What did their families lose? 106 00:06:13,839 --> 00:06:14,760 Speaker 6: Atlanta is going to. 107 00:06:14,760 --> 00:06:15,560 Speaker 4: Get left behind? 108 00:06:15,960 --> 00:06:19,000 Speaker 5: But the world, the world is going to keep moving 109 00:06:19,520 --> 00:06:20,720 Speaker 5: faster and faster. 110 00:06:21,920 --> 00:06:25,359 Speaker 1: Which side you want to be on, doctor King? Huh? 111 00:06:25,440 --> 00:06:29,120 Speaker 1: But you want to lock up his daddy. Here's doctor 112 00:06:29,160 --> 00:06:32,560 Speaker 1: Cornell West on the legacy of doctor Martin Luther King, Jr. 113 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:36,840 Speaker 1: Taken from a c SPAN interview with Khalil Gibrad Muhammad. 114 00:06:36,680 --> 00:06:39,840 Speaker 12: He's one of the great moments in the tradition of 115 00:06:39,920 --> 00:06:42,320 Speaker 12: a grand people who, in the face of terror and 116 00:06:42,360 --> 00:06:45,400 Speaker 12: trauma and stigma, was able to generate levels of love 117 00:06:45,480 --> 00:06:50,119 Speaker 12: and vision and unbelievable high quality service to the least 118 00:06:50,120 --> 00:06:53,000 Speaker 12: of these. He is a Christian minister first and foremost. 119 00:06:53,040 --> 00:06:54,000 Speaker 4: That is his calling. 120 00:06:54,440 --> 00:06:57,560 Speaker 12: You and I know that Brother Martin gets deodorized every January. 121 00:06:57,680 --> 00:07:03,160 Speaker 12: He gets sanitized and staillized every classified. Yeah, they said 122 00:07:03,200 --> 00:07:07,320 Speaker 12: to classify the old man with a smile, toys in 123 00:07:07,400 --> 00:07:10,240 Speaker 12: his bag, handing out gifts. Everybody got a smile on 124 00:07:10,320 --> 00:07:12,560 Speaker 12: their face. And the FBI is saying he's the most 125 00:07:12,640 --> 00:07:14,240 Speaker 12: dangerous man in America. 126 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:18,880 Speaker 4: In the wake of m OK's assassination, this black leader 127 00:07:18,880 --> 00:07:21,400 Speaker 4: who's viewed by the FBI as the most dangerous man 128 00:07:21,440 --> 00:07:24,880 Speaker 4: in America. The More House students were planning their own response. 129 00:07:25,920 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 6: The more House board meets after the Spellman one. 130 00:07:28,480 --> 00:07:29,480 Speaker 1: We have to take that one over. 131 00:07:29,880 --> 00:07:31,600 Speaker 3: We'll lock them in and we won't let them out 132 00:07:31,880 --> 00:07:33,320 Speaker 3: until our demands are met. 133 00:07:33,720 --> 00:07:36,360 Speaker 1: I'll talk to Sam and the guys. They're down with it. 134 00:07:36,480 --> 00:07:37,440 Speaker 5: Sam is down. 135 00:07:38,040 --> 00:07:39,880 Speaker 4: Where is he He's coming. 136 00:07:40,400 --> 00:07:43,040 Speaker 6: He's getting the brothers together from Moe Brown. Why do 137 00:07:43,080 --> 00:07:44,920 Speaker 6: you ask no reason? 138 00:07:53,840 --> 00:07:56,640 Speaker 1: Welcome back to the A building. Here's former More House 139 00:07:56,680 --> 00:08:00,000 Speaker 1: alum and civil rights activist James Early on his own 140 00:08:00,040 --> 00:08:03,160 Speaker 1: experience of the Locke In and his relationship with Samuel L. 141 00:08:03,240 --> 00:08:07,360 Speaker 4: Jackson. So take us like this from your point of 142 00:08:07,440 --> 00:08:11,240 Speaker 4: view into the events of the of the lock in. 143 00:08:11,320 --> 00:08:14,360 Speaker 4: So first quick question, did you did you know or 144 00:08:14,400 --> 00:08:16,400 Speaker 4: do you know at that time? Did you know Sam 145 00:08:16,480 --> 00:08:17,680 Speaker 4: Jackson personally? 146 00:08:17,880 --> 00:08:18,080 Speaker 8: Oh? 147 00:08:18,280 --> 00:08:22,040 Speaker 3: Yeah, so yeah, Sam, Sam is I think a year 148 00:08:22,080 --> 00:08:22,520 Speaker 3: behind me. 149 00:08:22,880 --> 00:08:25,080 Speaker 6: Okay, this is a subjective read on my let me 150 00:08:25,320 --> 00:08:26,360 Speaker 6: let me Understroy that. 151 00:08:28,200 --> 00:08:32,800 Speaker 3: I haven't seen Sam probably in thirty years, but I'm 152 00:08:32,840 --> 00:08:37,079 Speaker 3: in touch with his major running buddy. So they were 153 00:08:37,080 --> 00:08:42,000 Speaker 3: a year behind me. He and Clark White, doctor Clark White. 154 00:08:42,480 --> 00:08:43,920 Speaker 1: Refa marijuana had hit. 155 00:08:44,120 --> 00:08:45,440 Speaker 6: So you know we rather we were. 156 00:08:45,440 --> 00:08:50,200 Speaker 3: We ran the streets trying to find REFA and and drinking. 157 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,920 Speaker 1: Wine, hanging out on that corner. That's how I know Sam. 158 00:08:53,160 --> 00:08:53,760 Speaker 1: You know we were. 159 00:08:54,080 --> 00:08:59,560 Speaker 3: We were not thuggish, We were just not fully status quo. 160 00:09:00,360 --> 00:09:03,840 Speaker 3: His wife was actually trained as a youngster in the 161 00:09:03,960 --> 00:09:09,240 Speaker 3: arts by Brandis Johnson Wagan, And so I know Sam 162 00:09:09,440 --> 00:09:13,439 Speaker 3: from that context. After the takeover, I think during that 163 00:09:13,600 --> 00:09:18,079 Speaker 3: summer we hung out at the. 164 00:09:16,880 --> 00:09:20,640 Speaker 1: Rat Brown Center. You were telling a story about cars, though, 165 00:09:20,679 --> 00:09:21,840 Speaker 1: is there's something well. 166 00:09:21,720 --> 00:09:24,200 Speaker 6: Sam, let's see Clark White Grizznoid. 167 00:09:24,280 --> 00:09:28,160 Speaker 3: He had a Volkswagen, as I remember, you know, we 168 00:09:28,160 --> 00:09:32,400 Speaker 3: could probably get ten twelve guys to a Volkswagen trying 169 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,960 Speaker 3: to find that reefer, trying to pick up some spell 170 00:09:35,000 --> 00:09:38,559 Speaker 3: mcgirls to go to a house party. You know, some 171 00:09:38,640 --> 00:09:42,800 Speaker 3: guys were get together and rent an apartment, find mattresses, 172 00:09:43,400 --> 00:09:47,240 Speaker 3: take rugs out of the cafeteria and put them on 173 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:52,760 Speaker 3: the floor. No electricity running sometimes probably no running water. 174 00:09:52,800 --> 00:09:55,480 Speaker 3: We would throw these house parties and whatnot. And so 175 00:09:55,600 --> 00:09:58,400 Speaker 3: I know Sam in that context. And so my only 176 00:09:58,480 --> 00:10:02,559 Speaker 3: engagement with him posts more has really been when he 177 00:10:02,640 --> 00:10:04,760 Speaker 3: hits me up maybe three or four times a year. 178 00:10:05,000 --> 00:10:06,280 Speaker 1: I do a lot on Facebook. 179 00:10:06,360 --> 00:10:09,840 Speaker 3: So he makes a note and he always refers to 180 00:10:09,880 --> 00:10:14,040 Speaker 3: me by my meddle name as Counts. So that's you know, 181 00:10:14,080 --> 00:10:18,400 Speaker 3: Sam went through a deep period of drugs and rehabilitation, 182 00:10:19,200 --> 00:10:19,959 Speaker 3: and I. 183 00:10:19,720 --> 00:10:22,480 Speaker 6: Suspect I don't know this that you know. 184 00:10:22,559 --> 00:10:27,160 Speaker 3: Part of the rehabilitation process is I understand it from drugs, 185 00:10:27,200 --> 00:10:29,280 Speaker 3: is you don't really want to engage with people you 186 00:10:29,360 --> 00:10:31,680 Speaker 3: used to do drugs with and Sam I think has 187 00:10:31,679 --> 00:10:34,400 Speaker 3: a he has a work addiction. You know this guy, 188 00:10:34,960 --> 00:10:38,600 Speaker 3: he is never not working, Yeah, always, I mean he 189 00:10:38,800 --> 00:10:41,920 Speaker 3: is never now And you say, wow, does he do that? 190 00:10:42,320 --> 00:10:45,600 Speaker 3: I mean he has something that that interior motive and 191 00:10:45,679 --> 00:10:47,840 Speaker 3: I think it's probably to fill his life. 192 00:10:48,800 --> 00:10:49,560 Speaker 1: So in that. 193 00:10:49,440 --> 00:10:54,880 Speaker 3: Period, then heroin hits, and fortunately the first time I 194 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:58,120 Speaker 3: did it it was a dud. And fortunately the second 195 00:10:58,120 --> 00:11:01,080 Speaker 3: time I did it, I realized, Wow, this high is 196 00:11:01,120 --> 00:11:04,920 Speaker 3: something that is so exhilarating that I think I want 197 00:11:04,920 --> 00:11:08,120 Speaker 3: to go as fast as I can in the opposite direction. 198 00:11:08,480 --> 00:11:14,120 Speaker 6: So, you know, I was lucky because Centron. 199 00:11:13,760 --> 00:11:15,520 Speaker 3: Died of a heroin overdose with a lot of my 200 00:11:15,559 --> 00:11:19,160 Speaker 3: buddies in the house when it happened. Somebody took his 201 00:11:19,200 --> 00:11:22,720 Speaker 3: shoes and morehouse covered all of these things up, you know. 202 00:11:24,160 --> 00:11:27,920 Speaker 3: But again, these are indicators of a changing society and 203 00:11:28,000 --> 00:11:31,320 Speaker 3: more House as an institution, as a very Valian institution. 204 00:11:31,480 --> 00:11:35,520 Speaker 3: I don't any way want to undermine the significance. 205 00:11:34,880 --> 00:11:37,440 Speaker 1: And the products, but they were status quo oriented. 206 00:11:37,520 --> 00:11:41,520 Speaker 9: So so tell us like how you first hear about 207 00:11:41,559 --> 00:11:45,480 Speaker 9: the lock in, how you end up in there, and 208 00:11:45,720 --> 00:11:47,520 Speaker 9: what happens when you get in there? 209 00:11:48,559 --> 00:11:50,199 Speaker 1: So I don't know. 210 00:11:50,160 --> 00:11:54,439 Speaker 6: Who mentioned it to me the evening before the takeover. 211 00:11:54,480 --> 00:11:56,960 Speaker 3: I'm not even sure I knew that there was a 212 00:11:57,000 --> 00:12:00,800 Speaker 3: Board of trustees meeting. Somebody says, you know, there's a 213 00:12:00,840 --> 00:12:02,680 Speaker 3: meeting tonight and we're going to go to the board 214 00:12:02,720 --> 00:12:05,199 Speaker 3: and trust see tomorrow. I don't know how they framed it. 215 00:12:05,320 --> 00:12:07,040 Speaker 3: I don't think the word like we're going to go 216 00:12:07,080 --> 00:12:10,360 Speaker 3: take over was there. And the meeting was over at Spelman, 217 00:12:11,559 --> 00:12:15,440 Speaker 3: and I always made my evening rounds at Spelman. You know, 218 00:12:15,480 --> 00:12:17,960 Speaker 3: I had several dormitories I needed to visit. Then I 219 00:12:18,000 --> 00:12:21,280 Speaker 3: had my main squeeze that I needed to finally end up. 220 00:12:21,400 --> 00:12:24,160 Speaker 3: So I went over to the meeting. I left the meeting, 221 00:12:24,200 --> 00:12:27,280 Speaker 3: I know, probably after thirty minutes, and made my rounds. 222 00:12:27,880 --> 00:12:31,160 Speaker 3: The next day I hear, you know, I'm not even 223 00:12:31,360 --> 00:12:34,960 Speaker 3: anticipating or looking forward to this. The next day I 224 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:37,760 Speaker 3: hear me and they have taken old administration building and 225 00:12:37,840 --> 00:12:39,240 Speaker 3: locked the doors. 226 00:12:39,800 --> 00:12:44,160 Speaker 1: Another former more housealone, Aaron Stephen Brown, recalls how he 227 00:12:44,160 --> 00:12:45,280 Speaker 1: heard about the lock in. 228 00:12:45,840 --> 00:12:48,760 Speaker 2: All of a sudden one day, standing out on the 229 00:12:48,800 --> 00:12:54,440 Speaker 2: campus talking to doctor Whalem Wendle Whalem, I saw somebody 230 00:12:54,559 --> 00:12:57,520 Speaker 2: run by me, running toward the Administration building talking about 231 00:12:57,520 --> 00:13:00,319 Speaker 2: there at the lock in that happened to be a 232 00:13:00,480 --> 00:13:04,280 Speaker 2: Sam Jackson. He was running saying they were lucking in 233 00:13:06,040 --> 00:13:09,200 Speaker 2: people at the Administratives and building. Come on, come on. 234 00:13:09,440 --> 00:13:13,880 Speaker 2: And I had just gotten there shortly, so I wasn't 235 00:13:13,920 --> 00:13:16,959 Speaker 2: taking any chances of getting involved in something that might 236 00:13:17,000 --> 00:13:18,439 Speaker 2: have me kicked out before I got there. 237 00:13:18,480 --> 00:13:18,680 Speaker 4: Good. 238 00:13:19,000 --> 00:13:22,160 Speaker 2: I watched as some people followed and they went down 239 00:13:22,200 --> 00:13:25,520 Speaker 2: to the Administration building and there was that lock in. 240 00:13:26,040 --> 00:13:30,800 Speaker 2: I did know though, that the senior doctor King was 241 00:13:30,840 --> 00:13:34,080 Speaker 2: one of those I was locked in and he wasn't 242 00:13:34,160 --> 00:13:38,679 Speaker 2: having it. He was telling them, you could do what 243 00:13:38,720 --> 00:13:41,319 Speaker 2: you want to, but you're not locking me in. And 244 00:13:42,200 --> 00:13:45,920 Speaker 2: they respected that because out of everybody else, they let 245 00:13:45,960 --> 00:13:46,200 Speaker 2: him go. 246 00:13:46,720 --> 00:13:48,439 Speaker 4: And now back to James Early. 247 00:13:49,000 --> 00:13:54,000 Speaker 3: So my interior evolving self hits another level that I 248 00:13:54,080 --> 00:13:54,800 Speaker 3: had not planned. 249 00:13:54,880 --> 00:13:55,160 Speaker 1: The hit. 250 00:13:55,240 --> 00:13:59,040 Speaker 3: I wesht over, climbed up a tree on that south 251 00:13:59,120 --> 00:14:03,520 Speaker 3: side of the a build, that side that faces the library, 252 00:14:03,760 --> 00:14:05,800 Speaker 3: and there was a tree that ran right up the 253 00:14:05,840 --> 00:14:08,160 Speaker 3: side of the building. I climbed the tree into the 254 00:14:08,160 --> 00:14:10,160 Speaker 3: second floor because the doors had been locked. 255 00:14:10,200 --> 00:14:11,720 Speaker 1: I go in. I'm in the hallway. 256 00:14:11,760 --> 00:14:15,040 Speaker 3: The hallways packed Abdullah Khalai Matt and a few other 257 00:14:15,080 --> 00:14:18,520 Speaker 3: students were inside the conference room with the board. 258 00:14:18,520 --> 00:14:26,240 Speaker 1: And I go in the room. 259 00:14:26,400 --> 00:14:27,800 Speaker 4: Welcome back to the A building. 260 00:14:28,120 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: Here's former More House alum and civil rights activist James Early. 261 00:14:31,840 --> 00:14:35,360 Speaker 3: And I go in the room and Abdullah is running 262 00:14:35,360 --> 00:14:39,920 Speaker 3: Adula Klai Mott, who is a great agitational artor who 263 00:14:39,960 --> 00:14:42,520 Speaker 3: knows a lot of global. 264 00:14:42,280 --> 00:14:48,000 Speaker 6: History and jazz music and all of that, and he. 265 00:14:48,040 --> 00:14:49,320 Speaker 1: Was really browbeating them. 266 00:14:49,360 --> 00:14:52,680 Speaker 3: I can't remember the particulars, but they were like, you know, 267 00:14:52,720 --> 00:14:55,760 Speaker 3: they were like shocked. I remember Daddy King saying, I 268 00:14:55,760 --> 00:14:57,360 Speaker 3: got to get out of here. I have a heart condition, 269 00:14:57,480 --> 00:14:59,680 Speaker 3: and so they ushered him right away. And I remember 270 00:14:59,720 --> 00:15:02,720 Speaker 3: doctor may is just sitting very very quietly. I remember Gloucester, 271 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:06,040 Speaker 3: you know, it had a just unsettling look on his face. 272 00:15:06,080 --> 00:15:08,240 Speaker 3: I mean it was it was like shocking to them. 273 00:15:08,400 --> 00:15:11,560 Speaker 3: And I'm trying to remember the Merrill Lynch guy. I 274 00:15:12,080 --> 00:15:14,320 Speaker 3: used to know his name. He was on the board. 275 00:15:14,440 --> 00:15:16,440 Speaker 3: He may have been chairman of the president of Merrill 276 00:15:16,480 --> 00:15:19,160 Speaker 3: Lynch at that time. The man James Early is referring 277 00:15:19,200 --> 00:15:23,280 Speaker 3: to here is Charles E. Merrill, co founder of Merrill Lynch. 278 00:15:23,640 --> 00:15:25,160 Speaker 1: He was a big donor to Morehouse. 279 00:15:25,480 --> 00:15:29,080 Speaker 3: Judge Tuttle from the fifth District Court was was on 280 00:15:29,120 --> 00:15:31,600 Speaker 3: that board, Daddy King. 281 00:15:31,960 --> 00:15:35,320 Speaker 1: So there was some real heavy hitters, oh, heavy heavy 282 00:15:35,360 --> 00:15:39,280 Speaker 1: hitters right right, and Abdull I. 283 00:15:39,200 --> 00:15:41,520 Speaker 3: Mean he was beating them to death with rhetoric, and 284 00:15:42,880 --> 00:15:46,520 Speaker 3: you can imagine it was just shocking. I mean, these 285 00:15:46,920 --> 00:15:50,920 Speaker 3: principles in the black community and their white alliances and 286 00:15:50,960 --> 00:15:54,680 Speaker 3: their donors, and no one had ever propped up in 287 00:15:55,040 --> 00:15:58,520 Speaker 3: seen anything like this. And you get then you got 288 00:15:58,560 --> 00:16:03,040 Speaker 3: these students out in the hallway. He's really bombarding this room. 289 00:16:03,520 --> 00:16:07,320 Speaker 3: And I remember that the guy from Merrill Lynch very 290 00:16:07,400 --> 00:16:10,120 Speaker 3: quietly at the end of the first day, I don't know, 291 00:16:10,160 --> 00:16:12,480 Speaker 3: around six thirty seven o'clock in the evening, he takes 292 00:16:12,480 --> 00:16:14,680 Speaker 3: off his suit jacket. He fows it up and puts 293 00:16:14,720 --> 00:16:16,640 Speaker 3: it under the conference table and then gets under the. 294 00:16:16,560 --> 00:16:19,680 Speaker 6: Table and then goes asleep. And the next morning it's 295 00:16:19,720 --> 00:16:20,640 Speaker 6: so surreal. 296 00:16:21,880 --> 00:16:25,200 Speaker 3: I know, it was you know again in the moment, 297 00:16:26,280 --> 00:16:30,400 Speaker 3: you know, I'm twenty one years old. 298 00:16:30,280 --> 00:16:32,760 Speaker 6: You know it was our hearts beating, all right, this. 299 00:16:33,560 --> 00:16:36,880 Speaker 4: Is kind of an open wound was happening. 300 00:16:36,880 --> 00:16:40,560 Speaker 3: And this contextual change going on in society, and I 301 00:16:40,560 --> 00:16:43,000 Speaker 3: think like a lot of young people are certainly trends 302 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:47,440 Speaker 3: of young people. My anti establishment kind of sentiment. It 303 00:16:47,520 --> 00:16:51,480 Speaker 3: was not like any real formed ideology. It was that 304 00:16:51,600 --> 00:16:52,280 Speaker 3: I didn't fit. 305 00:16:52,560 --> 00:16:55,480 Speaker 6: But the next morning, this guy from Meryl gets up. 306 00:16:55,520 --> 00:16:58,560 Speaker 6: At some point he announces he would. 307 00:16:58,280 --> 00:17:01,600 Speaker 3: Give ten thousand dollars for extudiast department when you went 308 00:17:01,640 --> 00:17:03,880 Speaker 3: in there, because you were a senior. 309 00:17:04,040 --> 00:17:10,679 Speaker 4: Correct. Yeah, so we're talking weeks away from graduation. So 310 00:17:10,720 --> 00:17:14,240 Speaker 4: are you thinking to yourself, Okay, what's the ramification? 311 00:17:14,359 --> 00:17:16,280 Speaker 1: Like, Am I gotta get in trouble for this? No? 312 00:17:16,280 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 6: No, no, because I think it was a crowd mentality. 313 00:17:20,400 --> 00:17:23,920 Speaker 3: You know, we're caught up in the wow that they've 314 00:17:23,920 --> 00:17:27,320 Speaker 3: taken over the administration building and you know, some of 315 00:17:27,359 --> 00:17:30,520 Speaker 3: our pizza in there, so let me you know. And 316 00:17:31,680 --> 00:17:34,600 Speaker 3: you know, there were guys making long distance phone calls. 317 00:17:34,840 --> 00:17:38,879 Speaker 3: So it was not a very disciplined organized grouping. On 318 00:17:38,920 --> 00:17:43,880 Speaker 3: that second day, some agreements were written up, I think 319 00:17:43,880 --> 00:17:48,640 Speaker 3: about black studies, and and then this term of exoneration. 320 00:17:49,000 --> 00:17:51,240 Speaker 3: There's another term. It says escaping me. Now I never 321 00:17:51,280 --> 00:17:55,399 Speaker 3: heard the term, so that had never they say that 322 00:17:55,440 --> 00:17:57,160 Speaker 3: they weren't going to punish you. 323 00:17:57,280 --> 00:17:59,400 Speaker 6: No, no, no, no, they didn't say anything. 324 00:18:00,600 --> 00:18:03,639 Speaker 3: It may have been Abdullah came up, Okay, wow, this 325 00:18:03,720 --> 00:18:04,640 Speaker 3: is going to be now. 326 00:18:05,520 --> 00:18:07,840 Speaker 6: Our response to this a punitive response. 327 00:18:07,880 --> 00:18:10,480 Speaker 3: And so this term of impunity or whatever, I forget 328 00:18:10,520 --> 00:18:13,720 Speaker 3: the term we put into the written document. I think 329 00:18:13,760 --> 00:18:16,720 Speaker 3: I sent you a copy of my letter of my suspension. 330 00:18:17,480 --> 00:18:21,040 Speaker 5: Dear mister Early, as a result of your participation in 331 00:18:21,080 --> 00:18:23,240 Speaker 5: the lock in of members of the trustee boards of 332 00:18:23,280 --> 00:18:27,520 Speaker 5: Morehouse College and Atlanta University, along with representatives of the 333 00:18:27,560 --> 00:18:32,199 Speaker 5: Morehouse College Student Government Association on April eighteenth, nineteen nineteen 334 00:18:32,280 --> 00:18:35,960 Speaker 5: sixty nine, the Advisory Committee has taken the following action. 335 00:18:36,560 --> 00:18:40,840 Speaker 5: You are hereby suspended from Morehouse College effective May thirty, 336 00:18:40,960 --> 00:18:45,000 Speaker 5: nineteen sixty nine through May thirty, nineteen seventy. You will 337 00:18:45,000 --> 00:18:48,199 Speaker 5: not be eligible for graduation from Morehouse College until the 338 00:18:48,240 --> 00:18:51,919 Speaker 5: period of your suspension has expired. The members of the 339 00:18:51,960 --> 00:18:56,560 Speaker 5: Advisory Committee sincerely regret that the seriousness of your offense 340 00:18:56,840 --> 00:19:00,000 Speaker 5: made it necessary to take this action, and we trust 341 00:19:00,320 --> 00:19:03,440 Speaker 5: that this action will have a positive influence upon your 342 00:19:03,480 --> 00:19:07,879 Speaker 5: life and will help you build a better future. Sincerely, yours, 343 00:19:08,440 --> 00:19:12,720 Speaker 5: Edward B. William's, Chairman the Advisory Committee, and so. 344 00:19:12,840 --> 00:19:15,560 Speaker 6: The others may have letters, they will all say the 345 00:19:15,600 --> 00:19:15,960 Speaker 6: same thing. 346 00:19:16,000 --> 00:19:17,679 Speaker 1: I suspect we were brought. 347 00:19:17,440 --> 00:19:21,400 Speaker 3: In for punitive evaluation, and I think we were brought 348 00:19:21,400 --> 00:19:23,320 Speaker 3: in in different groups. I don't remember who was in 349 00:19:23,359 --> 00:19:26,280 Speaker 3: there with me, but I do remember Sam William saying 350 00:19:26,320 --> 00:19:29,120 Speaker 3: something to the effect about me, you have to take 351 00:19:29,160 --> 00:19:30,360 Speaker 3: this guy kind of seriously. 352 00:19:30,400 --> 00:19:31,399 Speaker 1: He didn't elaborate. 353 00:19:31,920 --> 00:19:34,080 Speaker 3: I don't know if that was the saving grace of 354 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:38,560 Speaker 3: that my degree was only suspended for a year, rather 355 00:19:38,640 --> 00:19:41,600 Speaker 3: than I don't know, taking a more drastic measure of 356 00:19:41,600 --> 00:19:44,280 Speaker 3: not conferring a degree on me. One other thing that 357 00:19:44,359 --> 00:19:47,200 Speaker 3: happened to me in the context of this directly tied 358 00:19:47,200 --> 00:19:47,920 Speaker 3: to the takeover. 359 00:19:48,160 --> 00:19:50,480 Speaker 6: My favorite teacher contacted me. 360 00:19:50,840 --> 00:19:53,479 Speaker 3: She says, I have been told that you have to 361 00:19:53,520 --> 00:19:55,920 Speaker 3: take a comprehensive exam. 362 00:19:56,480 --> 00:20:00,280 Speaker 1: I'd never heard of this. She was crying. Oh and 363 00:20:00,359 --> 00:20:01,040 Speaker 1: she she's. 364 00:20:00,800 --> 00:20:04,120 Speaker 6: A tiny, little serious Cuban scholar. 365 00:20:04,880 --> 00:20:10,399 Speaker 3: She was she was torn, and so I went in 366 00:20:10,400 --> 00:20:11,720 Speaker 3: in a drug stupor. 367 00:20:12,040 --> 00:20:15,040 Speaker 6: And she gave me this comprehensive exam. It took like 368 00:20:15,200 --> 00:20:16,320 Speaker 6: three hours or so. 369 00:20:16,440 --> 00:20:18,680 Speaker 3: As I recall, I was never told I needed I 370 00:20:18,680 --> 00:20:20,359 Speaker 3: would have to take a comprehensive exam. 371 00:20:20,480 --> 00:20:21,800 Speaker 1: And the way she called me. 372 00:20:21,840 --> 00:20:23,320 Speaker 6: It suggested that neither did she. 373 00:20:23,359 --> 00:20:26,879 Speaker 1: Know that, but somehow they had. Anyway, how'd you do 374 00:20:26,960 --> 00:20:27,480 Speaker 1: on the exam? 375 00:20:27,720 --> 00:20:30,040 Speaker 6: I probably didn't do very well on the exam, would 376 00:20:30,040 --> 00:20:30,560 Speaker 6: be my guest. 377 00:20:30,680 --> 00:20:32,320 Speaker 3: But I don't think it was I don't think it 378 00:20:32,359 --> 00:20:35,840 Speaker 3: was probably even a question of how that was to 379 00:20:35,880 --> 00:20:36,720 Speaker 3: be evaluated. 380 00:20:36,760 --> 00:20:37,359 Speaker 1: I think it was. 381 00:20:37,760 --> 00:20:41,679 Speaker 3: I suspect it was a kind of punitive, and I 382 00:20:41,680 --> 00:20:44,280 Speaker 3: think I probably told you all I can tell you 383 00:20:44,400 --> 00:20:48,439 Speaker 3: about what happened inside and what I'm aware of what 384 00:20:48,600 --> 00:20:53,520 Speaker 3: happened afterwards. I heard that students were banned, that letters 385 00:20:53,560 --> 00:20:57,320 Speaker 3: were sent out to Black College's banning students from transferring 386 00:20:57,720 --> 00:20:58,680 Speaker 3: from transferring. 387 00:20:58,840 --> 00:21:00,560 Speaker 1: Yeah, yeah, And I don't know. 388 00:21:00,600 --> 00:21:03,520 Speaker 3: In the case of Sam, I think they went back 389 00:21:03,560 --> 00:21:04,480 Speaker 3: to Morehouse. 390 00:21:04,119 --> 00:21:07,560 Speaker 1: Maybe two years later. Years later, Yeah, he went back 391 00:21:07,600 --> 00:21:10,919 Speaker 1: to Morehouse. It was, And because what happened to the 392 00:21:10,920 --> 00:21:14,439 Speaker 1: students who were expelled was that they then had to 393 00:21:14,680 --> 00:21:17,240 Speaker 1: just reapply and they were admitted back to the institution. 394 00:21:17,400 --> 00:21:20,080 Speaker 1: So some it was a year, some it was two years. Yeah. 395 00:21:20,160 --> 00:21:20,360 Speaker 7: Yeah. 396 00:21:20,440 --> 00:21:22,960 Speaker 6: And because then I go off to the ends. 397 00:21:22,960 --> 00:21:26,040 Speaker 3: Of the Black World and and to that arena, and 398 00:21:26,080 --> 00:21:31,280 Speaker 3: then you know, off to Howard and I'm on another trajectory, 399 00:21:31,320 --> 00:21:34,320 Speaker 3: but that trajectory is of my personal and professional life 400 00:21:34,960 --> 00:21:38,679 Speaker 3: is tied directly to the takeover. And then Vincent Harding, 401 00:21:38,760 --> 00:21:41,480 Speaker 3: hearing that I needed a job, he sent a message 402 00:21:41,480 --> 00:21:42,679 Speaker 3: to me saying, come see me. 403 00:21:42,720 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 6: I have a job for you at the Martin Luther 404 00:21:44,160 --> 00:21:47,960 Speaker 6: King documentation project. And I got around these black intellectuals. 405 00:21:48,040 --> 00:21:49,320 Speaker 6: So there is a tie. 406 00:21:49,400 --> 00:21:51,280 Speaker 1: But I you know, I'm not really. 407 00:21:51,040 --> 00:21:54,680 Speaker 3: A part of the the Moorhouse community per se. 408 00:21:55,880 --> 00:21:58,520 Speaker 1: Just as James Early described the change in his life 409 00:21:58,560 --> 00:22:01,960 Speaker 1: through this protest, many students down the years have had 410 00:22:01,960 --> 00:22:05,520 Speaker 1: the same experience standing up for something worth fighting for. 411 00:22:06,240 --> 00:22:09,320 Speaker 4: In twenty fifteen, the University of Missouri found itself at 412 00:22:09,320 --> 00:22:12,800 Speaker 4: the center of a racial controversy. The protests were fueled 413 00:22:12,840 --> 00:22:17,960 Speaker 4: by incidents on campus in funeral dissatisfaction with the university's response. 414 00:22:18,040 --> 00:22:22,719 Speaker 1: Black students reported multiple racist incidents on campus, including racial 415 00:22:22,760 --> 00:22:26,159 Speaker 1: slurs and cyberbullying. This would lead to the creation of 416 00:22:26,240 --> 00:22:31,000 Speaker 1: Concerned Student nineteen fifty, a student activist group named after 417 00:22:31,119 --> 00:22:35,280 Speaker 1: the year Massoo first admitted black students. They demanded university 418 00:22:35,400 --> 00:22:37,760 Speaker 1: leadership take action against racism. 419 00:22:38,520 --> 00:22:40,919 Speaker 4: The campus issues would reach a fever pick from the 420 00:22:41,080 --> 00:22:44,679 Speaker 4: entire football team announced they would not practice or play 421 00:22:45,119 --> 00:22:47,840 Speaker 4: until president Timothy Wolfe resigned from this post. 422 00:22:48,480 --> 00:22:51,920 Speaker 3: Thirty African American football players at the University of Missouri 423 00:22:51,960 --> 00:22:54,680 Speaker 3: say they're on strike and they won't play again until 424 00:22:54,680 --> 00:22:58,280 Speaker 3: the university's president, Tim Wolfe resigns or is removed. 425 00:22:58,520 --> 00:23:00,880 Speaker 13: The move thrust Any into the national spotlight. 426 00:23:00,920 --> 00:23:04,720 Speaker 8: This morning's Board of Curators meetings started with wolf at 427 00:23:04,720 --> 00:23:08,520 Speaker 8: the podium, collet it quits. He used my resignation to 428 00:23:08,640 --> 00:23:13,800 Speaker 8: heal and start talking again, to make the change is necessary, 429 00:23:14,400 --> 00:23:17,480 Speaker 8: and let's focus on changing what we can change today 430 00:23:18,400 --> 00:23:19,240 Speaker 8: and in the future. 431 00:23:19,440 --> 00:23:23,479 Speaker 14: President of the university lost his job. That's certainly not 432 00:23:23,880 --> 00:23:27,399 Speaker 14: a cause for celebration. It's sad that it had to 433 00:23:27,400 --> 00:23:31,320 Speaker 14: come to this, but it was necessary. He had to go, 434 00:23:32,200 --> 00:23:35,040 Speaker 14: and he had to go, ladies and gentlemen, because as 435 00:23:35,080 --> 00:23:41,040 Speaker 14: the president of a university, of an institution for higher learning, 436 00:23:42,280 --> 00:23:46,920 Speaker 14: there were problems that obviously existed at this university, and 437 00:23:47,880 --> 00:23:51,919 Speaker 14: you exercised the dereliction of duty because you weren't on 438 00:23:52,040 --> 00:23:54,240 Speaker 14: top of these issues, and when it was brought to 439 00:23:54,320 --> 00:23:58,800 Speaker 14: your attention, you appeared to be so lackadaisical about it. 440 00:23:58,840 --> 00:24:00,919 Speaker 14: In the minds of those who had brought it to 441 00:24:00,960 --> 00:24:05,040 Speaker 14: your attention than an individual by the name of Jonathan 442 00:24:05,080 --> 00:24:10,600 Speaker 14: Butler decided that he would protest by refusing to eat 443 00:24:10,920 --> 00:24:13,680 Speaker 14: until you were dismissed. 444 00:24:13,600 --> 00:24:15,439 Speaker 1: Or you exited your post. 445 00:24:16,080 --> 00:24:19,880 Speaker 14: That a university football team with at least thirty two 446 00:24:19,880 --> 00:24:26,000 Speaker 14: African Americans decided, with the support of their coaches, to 447 00:24:26,200 --> 00:24:30,640 Speaker 14: protest and join this group Concerned Student nineteen fifty. 448 00:24:31,920 --> 00:24:36,080 Speaker 4: This brought international attention to Columbia, Missouri. The protest became 449 00:24:36,560 --> 00:24:40,480 Speaker 4: much bigger than a single moment back in nineteen sixty nine. 450 00:24:40,840 --> 00:24:44,640 Speaker 4: The students of Morehouse and Spelman felt exactly the same way. 451 00:24:45,600 --> 00:24:47,760 Speaker 15: Right now, as a student body president, I am meeting 452 00:24:47,800 --> 00:24:53,800 Speaker 15: with students. We are discussing what in fact, trying to 453 00:24:53,840 --> 00:24:59,000 Speaker 15: take the situation out of the confused state. We're trying 454 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:02,280 Speaker 15: to discover what an fact all the things that we want. 455 00:25:03,400 --> 00:25:05,679 Speaker 15: There was a lot of mixed feeling going on, you know, 456 00:25:05,720 --> 00:25:08,840 Speaker 15: in fact, there were many students who desired change, who 457 00:25:08,920 --> 00:25:12,840 Speaker 15: didn't felt that the right way was being used to 458 00:25:12,880 --> 00:25:16,000 Speaker 15: get these changes, et cetera. Were right now sitting down 459 00:25:16,040 --> 00:25:18,880 Speaker 15: and we're talking. We're talking about some of the things 460 00:25:18,880 --> 00:25:19,400 Speaker 15: that we want. 461 00:25:20,880 --> 00:25:24,080 Speaker 4: The board members are now trapped in the room. Patience 462 00:25:24,160 --> 00:25:27,919 Speaker 4: is weren't things the students weren't answers, But what are 463 00:25:27,960 --> 00:25:29,640 Speaker 4: their demands? 464 00:25:30,480 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 5: We need to be unified as one school. They don't 465 00:25:34,200 --> 00:25:36,320 Speaker 5: even have black studies at Morehouse. 466 00:25:36,560 --> 00:25:45,719 Speaker 7: Listen, listen, please, we can work together. I understand what 467 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:50,760 Speaker 7: you're trying to say. These demands you learn these ideas 468 00:25:50,760 --> 00:25:56,560 Speaker 7: from my son Martin. They're not unreasonable, but we can't 469 00:25:56,600 --> 00:25:59,680 Speaker 7: give in to them. This is not the way to 470 00:25:59,720 --> 00:26:02,840 Speaker 7: handle this. There is another way. 471 00:26:04,040 --> 00:26:07,040 Speaker 4: The moment would extend far beyond the students in the boardroom. 472 00:26:07,720 --> 00:26:11,640 Speaker 4: Hundreds of students assembled outside of Harkness Hall to show solidarity, 473 00:26:12,240 --> 00:26:13,960 Speaker 4: and the moment would continue to grow. 474 00:26:14,800 --> 00:26:18,680 Speaker 1: MLKA University was tagged all over campus with white graffiti. 475 00:26:19,280 --> 00:26:24,520 Speaker 1: They called themselves the Concerned Students. This simple label would 476 00:26:24,520 --> 00:26:27,600 Speaker 1: be a far cry from the militant label that would 477 00:26:27,640 --> 00:26:30,280 Speaker 1: be plastered on headlines all over the country. 478 00:26:30,960 --> 00:26:34,280 Speaker 4: These board meetings were generally pretty standard for Morehouse President 479 00:26:34,359 --> 00:26:37,639 Speaker 4: Hugh Gloucester. He was only two years since his twenty 480 00:26:37,680 --> 00:26:40,679 Speaker 4: years of service as president during the lock in. He 481 00:26:40,760 --> 00:26:43,000 Speaker 4: was the seventh president in the history of Morehouse College 482 00:26:43,320 --> 00:26:46,399 Speaker 4: and would be responsible for establishing the Morehouse School of 483 00:26:46,440 --> 00:26:50,320 Speaker 4: Medicine but in this day, at this moment, he was 484 00:26:50,400 --> 00:26:51,520 Speaker 4: offering his resignation. 485 00:26:52,440 --> 00:26:56,080 Speaker 5: Doctor Gloucester submitted his resignation as president of Morehouse College, 486 00:26:56,240 --> 00:26:58,280 Speaker 5: effective on a day to be agreed upon by the 487 00:26:58,320 --> 00:27:01,520 Speaker 5: board in himself, because he would not participate in a 488 00:27:01,560 --> 00:27:04,080 Speaker 5: meeting in which members of the Board of Trustees are 489 00:27:04,119 --> 00:27:07,199 Speaker 5: confined in this conference room by force and I was 490 00:27:07,200 --> 00:27:10,840 Speaker 5: subjected to insult and intimidation. He said that he would 491 00:27:10,880 --> 00:27:14,000 Speaker 5: not sign any document or vote on any motion presented 492 00:27:14,040 --> 00:27:16,080 Speaker 5: in such a meeting, and that he would not be 493 00:27:16,119 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 5: a party to concessions made under duress. After reading his 494 00:27:20,080 --> 00:27:23,520 Speaker 5: letter to the board, Doctor Gloucester went on the balcony 495 00:27:23,560 --> 00:27:26,200 Speaker 5: and read it to Morehouse students, who once more were 496 00:27:26,200 --> 00:27:28,480 Speaker 5: dissuaded from entering the building by force. 497 00:27:29,440 --> 00:27:33,240 Speaker 4: In this moment, in nineteen sixty nine, Atlanta had become 498 00:27:33,240 --> 00:27:36,760 Speaker 4: the epicenter of a cultural shift. The impact of this 499 00:27:36,880 --> 00:27:40,240 Speaker 4: locking will be felt for decades. More House was more 500 00:27:40,280 --> 00:27:44,639 Speaker 4: than a stage. It was a battlefield, a battlefield of ideas. 501 00:27:48,520 --> 00:27:52,760 Speaker 4: You should get some sleep. Sleep feels like I haven't 502 00:27:52,800 --> 00:27:53,840 Speaker 4: slept in ages. 503 00:27:54,480 --> 00:27:59,320 Speaker 6: Well, everything changes tomorrow. 504 00:27:59,840 --> 00:28:00,479 Speaker 4: You scared? 505 00:28:02,200 --> 00:28:02,680 Speaker 1: Terrified? 506 00:28:04,040 --> 00:28:10,639 Speaker 4: You? Okay? Good? Glad I ain't the only one no 507 00:28:10,800 --> 00:28:11,960 Speaker 4: turning back now. 508 00:28:13,600 --> 00:28:14,000 Speaker 1: You're not. 509 00:28:16,720 --> 00:28:20,679 Speaker 4: Been singing Yeah the old Morehouse. 510 00:28:22,720 --> 00:28:24,600 Speaker 1: I hope I feel that way tomorrow night. 511 00:28:25,400 --> 00:28:31,560 Speaker 5: Spellman Morehouse will feel this way forever, no matter what 512 00:28:31,640 --> 00:28:33,000 Speaker 5: happens tomorrow. 513 00:28:38,200 --> 00:28:40,080 Speaker 4: Next time on the A Building. 514 00:28:40,640 --> 00:28:42,640 Speaker 6: We have broken the status, but we've changed. 515 00:28:42,680 --> 00:28:45,920 Speaker 13: So that's one of the reasons why our winds, our 516 00:28:46,000 --> 00:28:50,880 Speaker 13: protests have created this atmosphere right now, to take away 517 00:28:50,920 --> 00:28:53,720 Speaker 13: our history, to take away everything from us, because we've 518 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:54,720 Speaker 13: won too much. 519 00:28:54,480 --> 00:28:55,200 Speaker 6: In the eyes. 520 00:28:55,560 --> 00:28:59,920 Speaker 14: I really hope that we can still address social ills together. 521 00:29:00,440 --> 00:29:04,200 Speaker 1: The A Building is produced by Imagine Audio for iHeart Podcasts. 522 00:29:04,640 --> 00:29:07,680 Speaker 1: It is written and hosted by me Hans Charles and 523 00:29:07,800 --> 00:29:09,600 Speaker 1: my co host menelec La Mumba. 524 00:29:10,400 --> 00:29:13,400 Speaker 4: It is executive produced by Karl Welker and Nathan Klope, 525 00:29:13,800 --> 00:29:16,240 Speaker 4: me Mandelich, Wlamomba, and Hans Charles. 526 00:29:16,400 --> 00:29:21,200 Speaker 1: Executive producers at iHeart Podcasts are Katrina Norville and Nikki Torre. 527 00:29:21,720 --> 00:29:23,520 Speaker 1: Marketing lead is David Wasserman. 528 00:29:24,080 --> 00:29:27,360 Speaker 4: It is produced, directed, and edited by Timothy Fernarra with 529 00:29:27,520 --> 00:29:31,720 Speaker 4: producer John Asanti, Sound design and music by Alloy. 530 00:29:31,520 --> 00:29:35,920 Speaker 1: Tracks, and special thanks to April Ryan, Doctor, Elia Davis, 531 00:29:36,160 --> 00:29:40,080 Speaker 1: Kim Feci Ada Bobby know and James Early. If you 532 00:29:40,200 --> 00:29:43,200 Speaker 1: enjoyed this episode, be sure to rate and review the 533 00:29:43,200 --> 00:29:46,920 Speaker 1: A Building on Apple podcast or wherever you get your podcasts.