Boycott Page #3

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[applause] - There comes a time,

my friends, when people get tired

of being thrown across the abyss of humiliation, where they experience

the bleakness of nagging despair. There comes a time

when people get tired of being pushed out

of the glittering sunlight of life's July

and left standing amidst the piercing chill

of an alpine November. We're here--we're here

because we're tired now. all: Yes. - And we're not wrong

in what we're doing. [people murmuring

unintelligibly] If we are wrong,

the Supreme Court of this nation is wrong. [cheers and applause] If we are wrong,

the Constitution of the United States is wrong. If we are wrong,

God Almighty is wrong. If we are wrong,

Jesus of Nazareth was merely a utopian dreamer

and never came down to Earth. [unintelligible chatter,

applause] If we are wrong,

justice is a lie. And we are determined

to work together here in Montgomery,

to work and to fight until justice

rolls down like water and righteousness

like a mighty stream! [cheers and applause] - Ain't nothing wrong

with wanting what's right. People around here been

wanting what's right all along. - I have here a resolution drafted by attorney Fred Gray for your consideration. And it reads, "Be it resolved that the members "of the Montgomery

Improvement Association "will continue the boycott "indefinitely until such time as a fair

and just agreement is reached." Now, all those in favor,

please signify by standing up. God be praised. - Our Negroes did not

stay off the buses by choice. We have proof that Negro

goon squads are intimidating coloreds that would otherwise

go right on ridin'. I intend to make sure that law

and order are maintained, and coloreds that want

to go on riding our buses will not be constrained

by outside agitators or unlawful elements. man: Said hey, little lady,

maybe, baby, maybe, baby You can come out tonight

woman:
Ba-bow man: I said hey, little lady,

maybe, baby, maybe, baby It could be so right

woman:
Ba-ba, boo-dah-bow - Come on now, come on.

Martin:
Denied! [laughter] - We--we--we got people

out here who've been-- who've been walking

for three days, and we can't even

get ourselves together to make up a list of demands. - Look, now,

we should ask for the deal they got down in Mobile. There's a precedent for it. - First come,

first serve seating. - The city council would have

to give us that at least. Write this down now. Negroes from back to front, white folks

from front to back. - Plus courtesy and respect

for the Negro passengers from the drivers. Nixon: When hell freeze over. Pardon me, reverends.

- Can we agree? - Now, we need to add

that we want Negro bus drivers to service Negro routes. - Robinson, they're never

gonna agree to that. - Well, we can ask.

There's no harm in asking. - If we can't agree

amongst ourselves, we gonna waste this opportunity. - They have Negro bus drivers

in other cities. - Miss Robinson,

you know this is Montgomery, and they are never gonna

grant us that demand. - Maybe that's why

we should ask for it then. - So they can reject it. - Reverend King. - Look, now,

we've emptied their buses for three days. Not a single Negro

has broken the boycott. So they know they have

to accept some changes, but now, at the same time...

[phone rings] They have to save face. So we offer them

an unreasonable provision so they can reject it. - It's not unreasonable. - It is to them,

understand? - It's just, we have to be

willing to give up something. - Give up something? We hardly ask them for anything

in the first place. - It's a foothold until we can

appeal Mrs. Parks' conviction. - Martin. Martin: Excuse me. - Could you please

not do that? - Oh, Fred, come on.

- Please. Nixon:
Oh, Fred... - Don't ever call

this house again. [melancholy music] - Who was that? - Nobody. - Well, what did he say? - Nothing I care to repeat. They're just words, Coretta. I've heard them before,

and so have you. - Martin,

this isn't Atlanta. This is Montgomery. And you do not take those words

lightly around here. - This will all

be over soon. The mayor convened

a special meeting tomorrow with the city council. He'll compromise. They have to. man: Let me respond

to your demand. Part one,

first come, first serve seating. Now, we at the Montgomery

city line are subject to the law of the state

of Alabama, which, as we all know, requires

segregation of the races. Gray: Look. Uh, if I may? The Alabama segregation

statute states, "City authorities

may require segregation," not "must." - Point two, courtesy

and respect from the drivers. Now, as far as we know,

our drivers are hard-working,

courteous. - Drivers are abusive. They physically throw

Negro women off of the buses for sitting

in an empty white section. - That is gossip. - I've seen it

with my own eyes. The buses stop at every corner

in the white neighborhoods and every other corner

in the colored neighborhoods. - Well, I won't say there

isn't room for improvement. Point three,

hiring Negro drivers. We won't tell the bus company

who to hire, and we certainly won't stand for first come,

first serve system. - They've done it in Mobile. man: Even if we wanted to,

we can't. Uh, that would require

the abolition of segregation. - Which is a law. Is that what you're asking for? - And other cities

throughout the South? - You're not answering

our question, Mr. King. Are you and your people

calling for the abolition of the segregation laws? - No, what we're arguing for

is a more humane system. [phones ringing]

- I've got something to say. Uh, most of y'all know

most of my life I've been fighting

to kill Jim Crow, whether it's through the union

or the NAACP, and I'ma tell you one thing: the NAACP will never support

what we doing down here. - I do not agree. - Reverend King, the NAACP will

never support an organization that's only asking for

a more humane system, never! - Now, obviously,

I have a great deal of respect for the NAACP,

but this is the Montgomery

Improvement Association, and the Montgomery

Improvement Association has done more in four days

for Negroes in this city than the NAACP

has done in ten years. Now, I don't mean

to be harsh in this, E.D., but, uh, we need to move

beyond this now. This is a--

this is a... We share the same goals. We have the same aspirations. We just have different ways

of going about it. That's all. - The chicken's almost ready. - There's a minimum fare

ordinance. Taxis must charge

a minimum of 45. - That's bullshit! How am I supposed to see? Peoples can't pay 45

for no taxi. - People can't pay 45

for a taxi. The drivers were

charging a dime, same as the buses. - Which is why they want

to raise the minimum fare. - But if the drivers charge

less than 45, they liable to lose their

license and they livelihood. - I hope this don't make

Miss King jealous, Reverend. [both giggle] - People aren't gonna

give up their cars. - Yes, they will. - They're too important

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