The fierce urgency of now and then. On May 24, 1963, concerned about the potential for
race-related riots nationwide after Birmingham, Attorney General
Robert Kennedy met with group of prominent black intellectuals and artists, such as
Kenneth Clark,
Clarence B. Jones, and
Harry Belafonte, in a meeting organized by
James Baldwin (YouTube 7:07... and also
6:27 and
6:28, if you're interested.) The tone of this emotionally wrenching meeting, however, would be greatly influenced by the presence of fifteen-year-old
Jerome Smith, a nonviolent
CORE volunteer who was being treated in New York for jaw and head injuries sustained after a brutal beating by segregationists in Mississippi.
[more inside]
posted by markkraft
on Nov 3, 2008 -
12 comments
