Boycott

---

[bus tires hissing,

door closing] [applause] Martin: There comes a time

when time itself is ready for a change. all: Yes. Martin: And that time has come

in Montgomery. ["Sweet Home Alabama"] [upbeat rock music] all: Ooh, hoo, hoo man: Big wheels

keep on turnin' Carry me home

to see my kin Singin' songs

about the Southland I miss ole 'Bamy once again And I think it's a sin,

yes children:
Keep the faith man: We got

to keep the faith Keep the faith We're gonna keep the faith Keep the faith Keep the faith,

kee-kee-kee-keep Yeah In Birmingham,

they love the governor all: Whoo, hoo, hoo man: Now we all did

what we could do Now Watergate

does not bother me Does your conscience

bother you? Now, tell the truth all: Sweet home Alabama Where the skies

are always blue Sweet home Alabama Sweet home - I got the right

to sit here! Leave me alone!

Leave me alone! all: Alabama [tense music] [dramatic music] [yelling] man: Gonna need that seat. Need that seat. Go on, move back

to the colored section. Move. - No. [all talking at once] I am sitting

in no man's land. It's not white.

It's not colored. Anybody can sit here. - By my discretion,

and I am telling you to move. I got to enforce

the segregation laws. [echoing] It's my duty. A white person

wants this seat. woman: [echoing]

She's the one. [tense music] - You go on. You do what you got to do. [dramatic percussive music] people: [echoing]

She's the one. She's the one.

She's the one. [Nat King Cole's

"Walkin' My Baby Back Home"] [relaxed jazz music] - Come on, baby. Nat King Cole:

Gee, it's great After bein' out late Walkin' my baby back home Arm in arm

over meadow and farm Walkin' my baby back home We go 'long

harmonizing a song Or I'm recitin'

a poem Owls go by,

and they give me the eye Walkin' my baby back home We stop for a while She gives me a smile And snuggles her head

on my chest [baby crying] We start in to pet And that's when I get Her talcum

all over my vest After I kinda

straighten my tie She has to borrow my comb - Mr. Parks,

we have a real chance here to challenge

the bus segregation law. - Your wife is smart.

She's educated. - You and Mrs. Parks are so

well-respected in the community. woman: Why, she's been

the secretary of the Montgomery NAACP

for the past ten years. - She'd be most impressive

to a white jury. - We've been down

this road before, and Rosa is

the perfect plaintiff. - Raymond, you have struggled

with us all these years. Now here's a chance

for some good to finally come of it all. - Ain't no good gonna come

out of this situation. Now, you mark my words. - Please excuse us,

just for a moment. Please excuse us. Raymond, I'm asking you

to support me. - You're asking, or is your mind made up? - Both things. - If they ever find out

we using state property... - I know.

- To run off these leaflets... - We will both be fired. This is our best opportunity

to start a boycott, and we're gonna do it. - You discussed this

with Mr. Nixon? - Well,

not in as many words. - Then we don't even know

for sure if there is gonna be

a bus boycott on Monday. - Oh, now,

there will be a boycott. You can count on that. - Coretta, honey, give me

that baby so you can eat. - Are you sure,

Juanita? - See, the problem is,

brother, you've been working

a little too hard. - Come here, you're so precious.

Abernathy:
It's a sermon. It's not some

doctoral dissertation. [chuckles] Let me demonstrate this

for you. What you do, you get up

in front of the pulpit, you get a nice look around,

see all the people, fill your lungs

with a whole mess of air, turn yourself heavenward and--

and let that Spirit fill you, and then...

[hums] [laughter]

- Wow, wow. - And whatever come flyin' out,

that's what you say! - No, no, no,

not at my church, not at Dexter Baptist. Folks over there

don't go in for a whole lot of hootin' and hollerin'. - Mm-mm, folks at Dexter Baptist

are kind of fancy. Now, at Ralph's church-- - They're downright noisy and rude sometimes. You can't get through

half of your sermon without them causing a ruckus. - That fellow who shines shoes

over at the barbershop is a member of your church,

I think, Ralph. He said, uh, "Reverend King,

you just should've heard "Reverend Abernathy last Sunday. "He just preached

his you-know-what off. He--he was just--oh,

just amazing out there." I said, "Well, what did

Reverend Abernathy say?" And he said, "I don't

recall what he said, but, brother, we laughed." [laughter] Nixon:

What about the ministers? - Oh, Brother Ed,

you know our ministers. They're well-fed,

comfortable men with good shoes. Ain't one of them

ever even been on a bus. Boycott, sir. - We got two days

to tell every Negro in Montgomery to stay

off of the buses. One of them's a Sunday. I don't see how we can do that

without the ministers. - Well--

hey, hey, young man. Now, take this home here. Nobody rides the buses Monday. Got that?

- Bus boycott on Monday. We can't succeed unless

we have their support. [phone ringing] - Hello, E.D. Well, that's very interesting. Boycotts work, Coretta. It worked in Baton Rouge, and Rosa Parks' trial

is on Monday. People want to call

attention to it. - Now, why are they having

the meeting at your church? - E.D. asked. He thought it'd be

neutral ground. - Neutral ground? - And we have

a nicer meeting room. - Martin,

you're a new pastor and a new father. And we agreed

that you wouldn't take on too many

responsibilities. - But as a pastor,

this is part of what I do. It's just a meeting. - Uh-huh. - Where were we?

Where were we? We were talking about-- - I thought we came here

to talk about boycotts. [all talking at once] - We only have two days

to get everyone-- - So what I think we ought to-- I'd like to make

a motion, all right? [gavel pounds]

- Ah. The motion is denied. - I didn't make the motion yet.

- Well, you were fixin' to. man: See, that's what happen.

- All right. - Welcome to Montgomery,

brother. - I'd like to make

a motion that we elect ourselves a board. Get our--

- Denied. - But, now, Reverend,

I mean, point of order here. Banyon: Denied.

- Oh, come on, now. - Sister Robinson,

I know how to run a boycott. - He sure does. He's about to start one

right now. Folks gonna boycott

the boycott. man: I have a question. How are folks

supposed to get to work? man: Oh, good Lord, this is

no time for questions, man. This is a time for action. man: Well, that's--

that's a legitimate question. That's a legitimate question. - I just want to say, we gonna

need a leader eventually, and since I have the largest

congregation here... - We're not ready

for nothing like that. [all talking at once] man: That's why I say

I nominate my church... - I'd like to leave too,

brother, but it's my church. - Brothers and sisters,

brother--can--can we simplify-- brothers and sisters,

please, can I get your attention

for a minute? [people shushing,

man speaks indistinctly] Now, look,

can we just simply agree for a one-day boycott

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes