Birmingham: Testament of Nonviolence; Part 2; The Klan, Two Bombs, and a Riot

it is as common as from foreign oil as a sin but there's a play along that look and you know they're actually in this hour you know on common is that hasn't played a gay citizens and believers in the Christian

religion. (America- voice from the crowd) We realize that the prospect was set forth by our forefathers cannot succeed and stand up to the test by buying down to any concessions or demands from any of the atheists, so-called ministers of the Nigger race or any other group here in Birmingham. (Loud cheers) The Imperial Wizard of the klu klux klan by name Robert Shelton. Just on the outskirts of Birmingham, near suburban Bessemer, the klan is staging a mass rally and cross burning. The sweltering Saturday night May 11th. This open kkk meeting, the first held in this part of Alabama in eight months, follows a family picnic and barbecue. Two fiery crosses, ritualistically set ablaze by robed and hooded Klansmen illuminate this field

and the faces of several thousand men women and children assembled here. KKK security guards are spotted through the crowd, ready to deal with troublemakers. Their uniforms are white with blood red ties and matching shoulder braids. They wear white crash helmets embellished on either side with the stars and bars. They wear jump boots and holstered pistols. Ranking klansman from neighboring states have come to this cross burning rally which was recorded in its entirety exclusively by WRVR, the FM station of the Riverside Church in the city of New York. (Cheering, one more time) I thought we had some real rebels out there. That wasn't no rebel yell. Lets stand back and yell for the white people of Alabama. Stand back there and yell. Let's go. (Loud Cheers) That's sounds better Now you'll hear more of what these klan leaders said to the crowd assembled on the outskirts of

Birmingham just hours before bombs explode and rioting breaks out oh yeah (Contains much more audio than transcript) has much more content)(our trials and tribulations. We ourselves have had preachers, I've heard preachers stand in the pulpit are the chosen people and say, Do not be deceived,The whole Jewish nation are God's How can you escape seeing the

You say that Abraham was (unintelligible) We are facing the greatest darkness our nation has ever faced and it shall take nothing but the power of God along with some of our good steel backed men who is able to shoulder the load and are willing to fight the battle for the Lord Jesus. Tonight we as God fearing men and women ought to turn Alabama upside down for God who were born free. Why, looking to God tonight, I see dear

to go down this road to fight this battle to a bitter end. I said bitter end. I'd like to change that unintelligible to a glorious victory because we are more than conquerors through him who leads us tonight. And there is nothing else we know to do to be led by the spirit of God and if you know how to pray, you pray that prayer with me, God of I fight for the right until Jesus comes because its not long, the signs are showing up. Signs along the road so at this time we want turn the service back to the master of ceremony. May God richly bless each one of you who are standing for a white democracy the grandest country under the sun, even

though the devil is Reagen. Thank you and God bless you. (Clapping) Thank you, Brother Kegel, certainly that was was an inspiring message. I'd like to send a little message out to all the ladies out there. There's a lot of good white people out here that don't have robes on We certainly need to robe up. Robe up for the white man. but I wonder how ladies can sit there across that breakfast table in the morning and ask your husband What are you doing in this fight. Don't you love our children? Do you want to see them mongrelized? Do you want to see them go to an integrated school? Do you want Satan(?) Let us all search our souls tonight before we leave here and just ask each other that question, What am I doing to help this fight? Whatever have I ever done? Have I done enough? or could I do more? Those are important questions. We have a another good speaker here from Georgia and certainly we appreciate Georgia. You might

think Georgia is integrated,but I'm going to let you know right now we have some good Klansmen in Georgia and we appreciate them driving this distance to be with us tonight. At this time I'd like to introduce the the Grand Dragonc of Georgia, Calvin Craig Thank you ladies and gentlemen. It is a pleasure to be here in Alabama tonight. It is regretful that you're having the troubles over here that we have had for the last two years in Georgia I understand that Martin Luther King will return to Georgia this week I assure you that he will be met with force as he was met the last time he was in Albany, Georgia (clapping) Ladies and gentlemen, If this great organization, the knights of the Klu Klux Klan if any of its members were arrested in any municipality

and if we were to create any disturbance in the downtown area demanding their release and all charges dropped the federal government would be down here with a militia to put us further into jail I personally think that Martin Luther King along with the Attorney General of the United States States has done more to create unrest and create this country in a state of Communism than Castro is doing in Cuba Just a week or so ago there was a white integrationist that was slain up here in north Alabama You heard many radio commentators talking about, evidently there was a hoodlum of some nature slaying this white man who was coming into Alabama to create trouble and was going into Mississippi. I met a newscaster

who said, Have you read about or how many preachers have you heard preach about the little white boy who was in his own city of Augusta, Georgia that was slain by the negroes in one of their demonstrations They don't talk about it because he was a white boy Ladies and gentlemen, I tell you what we need in this country. We need to go back to the old time religion time and the old time klan time Just a few years ago, twenty years ago in the state of Alabama here Martin Luther King wouldn't even have run through this state hollering integration as wouldn't have got twenty I wonder if he would have crossed the state line I say to you people of Alabama, the people of Georgia sympathize

with you and your struggles. But I assure you, the struggle may be long the victory will be won at the end, but let's be determined we shall win that victory and keep up the good fight over here, because we support you in Georgia. Ladies and gentlemen, I give praise to your good governor over hereg we haven't had one in Georgia now for a number of years I'll tell you a little something they're fixing to have in Atlanta. They're going to have a Cleopatra program at the Atlanta University, which is the negro college Cleopatra is going to be played by a negro girl. I say girl. I can call her something else, but I 'm going to call her girl. This boy who is playing opposite her is a white boy and ends up in a kiss That's what's going on in this country today. Its going on both in Georgia and other southeastern states

Ladies and gentlemen. We might ask your support to come to Albany, Georgia in the next two or three weeks If Martin Luther King goes down there and creates unrest like he did several months ago, we will go in there and meet force with force if it is necessary I say this ladies and gentlemen, you have civil rights, just as much as any negro in these United States You have as much civil rights as any communist walking the streets in the United States, but the federal government and some local governments will do all in their power to suppress the freedom of the white people in this country. I said before this struggle is over there possibly will be blood shed

You see up here in Nashville, Tennessee only yesterday when the negroes locked arms and protested the opening of this man's restaurant up there because he would not serve the negro people I say this, ladies and gentlemen, if any man, be he black or white, attempts to put me out of business then I'll do all in my power if it be necessary to remove him one way or the other, if it is by hand or by ???. Thank you ladies and gentlemen. clapping Thank you, your lordship. You see, I told you we had some good people in Georgia. At this time I'd like to introduce to you some of the grand dragons of

??? state andt I believe here is the grand dragon of Tennessee. I think he just wants to say a word of welcome. Thank you very much. I juast have a few words I want to say. I won't take much of your time. I know y'all are tired of standing up there We are all in sympathy of you people here in Alabama. We admire are you and if in a town in the future we can get it is to use them as a volunteer all went to a church mouse the

pope holiday a parachute right yeah is the best thing there is that they say no and there is a trap in may by a long shot of the man the main phenomenon talk invited by

policemen sitting at hhs a city like flint wheel mississippi on top to bottom oh yeah in capote you think i think it is thank you

today after that thank you well yeah now

our po we sent a wish to fight all the grant writing for the government is that they didn't they were of those of the pledges about what does cause we didn't have any doubt about it the planet is now good rhymes but it was big and that one is one is that i get a roll and sixties tax crowd is that you've probably heard mentioned damage haven't and again and that is not that is not been marked by the rebels it's not all market but what it is now

did you really this is yours now this is a light challenge on now for years years so they were not labeling and i'm so the stage on the united states and all other space a lot lately oration

it is lang oh you know this is something that all of us you know real like hgh right as meg if you like oh it's not all of it is not new israel now its impact in the backdrop a proud rebel at all that white metal ladders lay of by the end it was businesses

to be all right man and the legislature we place at the university of alabama and enter into a new segment that we're here and we have to support them down weapons as they definitely was an aha moment that you have a cellar caller the

pope as we loved had gotten riot this time i want to know the farther and that's progress arabian or big bang an album or will be shipped it very shortly follow this hour we're grateful grateful that we're white people and have one thing in common and that is very dry in this hour a part of their minute planes it could be told discussed and sad about things that happen when all that when the elevator jersey want our passengers of bridges in our focus turned their back on the bible a bridge or selfish gain the bible has many i mean all of this all

these things get out of all they are over there follows we pray as long as we got this we just want to be european that's right a man and a father or weakness regular strength has that we might realize that we meet with a mentor that's got the lives and their spy loyal ally but their vote got a blackberry politicians in the state they might have easy jobs problem and as the father of these are not that was you god marty's son jesus your

people what's up for years outlined as we don't do that now we just prayed that people strapped to understand as rudolph and always a possible and we are what's the message do is wait that's now that means the number you have traveled the farthest they are sent back to their own protect them and their family and what joe's land and bones to it our games they're illegal gains of the brain at this hour you extract that people might know you've got a supreme got inspired directors all kinds of wrong or are the prices may look do you say that task is you never want it to drive careful on you a

home playoff loss and take your jam getting out recently those he adds that this was next year i mean we know i know my little the first explosions an hour and minutes before midnight in the inn's the sections six miles from downtown birmingham lasted a newer one story brick home of the reverend at king rather of the reverend martin luther king jr you know

you mean you been close to midnight and gaston motel thirty eight new direct action integration campaign was my couch herb that's bad

gradually the violence in downtown birmingham go

after midnight bombing at the gaston motel thousands of anger negroes surged into the streets the storefronts ms maisch cars overturned rocks and stones rained down on city police and sheriff's deputies driving them back from the immediate area and he's really into the arab spring in pain you leave you lose

i mean i was you know now tell me about how the nineteen ninety three see what about come out and voted and the only one of our listeners about what animal has been about a downer winner

is illegal why now right now mr londono morning in almost eight years thank you

i mean the violence erupted the next night following friday's announcement of a limited integration agreement between leaders of the birmingham movement and a committee representing the city's important business and financial interests with the agreement in the termination of the massive demonstrations campaign ago on april four this is albert now but not a demonstration so lulu and it was this because as delhi in alabama more than a manager they need to lose those million and they said oh we don't want a donald lau of

what these what will be an epic event you turn right oh we wanted to know why somebody you know and that's you know that yet it may have been going to tonight tonight we hear what the story was you know be some balance to see what i mean there was a rocket landed within two things i want to leave the food why should we now vallas the nearby dust and that was almost this is jonathan in that way about him the bad news

we will be on it was really in the for i don't know what they learned on a yellow the main get out the warning the note that oh they don't know well i hated it there's a second the store is a large as marlin and then you know for that is as someone is or i heard some of the

store now we hate that you hope is the violence that is what men start playing it a lot we do grocery store the thing

that is right across from st james the flames are shooting up from this small corner grocery store just across the street at it we probably did it as a sample right we ate that i hear sirens as bell the pope

thank you now right across the street was another small grocery in my day harper lee's grocery might take into yemen is not being vandalized a moment ago this is the proof these

laws oh yeah it was thank you

they don't believe that as bell i'm thinking and

pretty badly dustin you didn't leave this family beyond la and on slavery plane is being investigated to a population that can be of investigative and while ago you know all we want is a state so this is there are really became his house was bombed tonight with details about the wall yes

but you know we really going to get into the settlements to because it's a great events argentina to go in the streets with a megaphone urging the people all of the advice of leadership and laid down the stone lying on quality is this is this being followed and some areas years and i know that area are able to hear the nightclubs and of calls since it difficult to hold the

temperament of the immigrant people and this thing starts a long time so many we do all that we can look at a number of us by a moderate improvement of the middle is not a violent person as much as we found has been set state employees remind us the crowd of national intelligence estimate the natural maybe three that way about seventy five percent of this grant i think they've

just announced that the police are withdrawing from this area and that the local civil defense unit is taking over it was this an agreement an attempt to calm the temperature that it smells this system this is the plan

when you do this the human being that doesn't make us less human you are any of you have the man simply because he's said it was before me a minute and put me in jail so you put in jail there was no nothing well because he sees that i am color you and told you you had to use a phone a lot i mean that you know i think it is an emergency now

oh yeah oh yeah what do you

need you can do it following the rally a half hour before the first bomb explosion as seen through wizard brings candid interview whether he believed violence in birmingham a likely possibility using with schoenberg the situation in birmingham is

going to have to produce flowers for the summers of the brethren state is developing a new suit for the water and the people of birmingham in the eighties know i have to stop somewhere thank you big man you know there's no launch on preserving all or not ryan have done more than anyone are still association and more than any chamber of commerce is a young businessman li i'm going out and preserve and on oh man

that's right by force flight on sunday may twelve mother's day nineteen sixty three the orgy of violence in birmingham finally had ended birmingham's police commissioner eugene bull connor but full blame for the eruption of violence on the negro integration is a movement led by the reverend martin luther king jr here was one of his now famous candid statements is commissioner bull connor and you can be a baby in the woods it down and i just got in so you guys run up and you get this and my daddy had to party

party and it is right here they live in a shakedown the news is bad the reverend it came at sunday night's mass meeting held at the new program church speaks of the bombings and the violent which will allow equal to see to this the whole bunch of no one of the more with the barnes mr this tuesday tonight

the station the gaston motel about food and while they can not come out and we can go again and this is wrong but the state troopers mr ahmed this is it we examine the same sort of thing we've lost a victory that we've come so close then a grandma scam led income talks unless it's even

anticipated the risers the patrol sand farther from given day no matter what they do little if they are willing to fight over we believe that what we are going to write another name follow us the reverend td whose home was bombed thus far no evidence has been presented to a complex plan to birmingham bombings which followed that cross burning and mass rally the reverend martin luther king jr president of the southern christian leadership conference speaking at monday night's mass meeting at the sixth avenue baptist church

reflects on the events of saturday night and sunday morning and reaffirms his faith in nonviolent resistance it's been she's white the

political right and that someone was commuted it was a small mobile calls or cars to lead a dj i'm on a play it's been the peak this is my community in a few minutes

so you know i used to date is it you have for wor be artists who see the actuality recordings covering the ku klux klan meeting on the outskirts of birmingham and the wave of violence that followed among the voices heard on this program were those of

john sheldon imperial wizard of the ku klux klan police commissioner to eugene bull connor the reverend at king and the reverend martin luther king this program was produced by wypr the fm station of the riverside church in the city of new york for the educational radio network and the national association of educational broadcasters reporting from birmingham jack summerfield and walter nixon this is the educational radio network it's been fb