Selma Page #6

This is Alabama.

They can keep their asses

in Washington, D.C.

You don't tell us how to live our lives.

This is an example of what

you might deal with out there.

What you might experience.

Here we go. Let's show them.

We don't want your kind here.

Go to the bottom of the river, black boy.

We're going to put you down

in Alabama River!

He's not even here.

How's it gonna do more for him?

Well, why ain't he here, then, man?

Are you listening to yourself?

First, it's gonna do more for him.

Now, it's why he ain't here?

Do you want him here,

or do you not want him here?

Honestly, I don't give a rat's ass

about that man. That's your hero.

Let's take these bastards

and stick them down into Alabama River

and never see them again.

James, you are so off-base with this.

All this nonsense.

This ain't what SNCC is about.

Don't make me out to be

the bad guy here, John.

I'm not!

You're the one playing me small.

Don't demonize me...

You're mad because they called him in.

We were here first.

And they called him in.

I get it. I understand that.

But if we are really

and truly for the people,

and the people of Selma chose him,

well, then the people have spoken.

And if they want to march,

then I'm marching with them.

Then, brother,

you're marching as John Lewis.

Not as part of SNCC.

It's been voted on and decided.

For this march, you're on your own

with De Lawd and his disciples.

Short man wins. Short man wins.

Short man wins.

All right.

All right. Who got it?

It's on you, Hosea.

You ready, young blood? You ready?

- All right. Let's do this.

- All right.

About 525 Negroes

had left Brown's Chapel

and walked six blocks to cross

Pettus Bridge

and the Alabama River.

There were young and old,

and they carried

an assortment of packs,

bed rolls and lunch sacks.

The troopers were waiting

300 yards beyond the end of the bridge.

Behind the troopers

were dozens of possemen,

15 of them on horses,

and perhaps 100 white spectators.

Can you swim?

Not many swimming pools for black folk

where I come from.

Yeah.

Andy, it's Bayard. Everybody there?

Yes.

Turn on CBS right now, Andy.

Right now. You have a TV there?

- Yes. Now?

- Right now!

Turn on the television set.

We interrupt this program to bring you

a special bulletin from CBS News.

Give 'em two minutes. Stand right there.

We're ready.

This is an unlawful assembly.

You have two minutes to disperse.

Go home or go to your church.

This march will not continue.

Two minutes.

May I have a word with the Major?

There's no word to be had.

Major Cloud, may we speak with you?

Troopers, advance!

Seventy million people

are watching this.

The first 10 or 20 Negroes

were swept to the ground screaming,

arms and legs flying,

packs and bags went skittering

across the grassy divider.

Those still on their feet retreated.

A cheer went up

from the white spectators

lining the south side of the highway.

Come on. You gotta come on.

Please, don't...

The troopers continued pushing,

using both the force of their bodies

and the prodding of their nightsticks.

Suddenly, there was a sharp sound,

like a gunshot,

and a gray cloud spewed over

the troopers and the Negroes.

But before the cloud hid it all,

there were several seconds

of unobstructed view.

Fifteen or 20 nightsticks

could be seen through the gas,

flailing at the heads of the marchers.

The Negroes cried out

as they crowded together for protection,

and the whites on the sidelines

whooped and cheered.

From the hospital

came reports of victims

suffering fractures of ribs,

heads, arms and legs.

And Negro leader John Lewis,

despite injury from

a possible skull fracture,

led the marchers back to the chapel

after the encounter with officers.

Help!

Help!

He said,

"I don't see how President Johnson

"can send troops to Vietnam

"and can't send troops

to Selma, Alabama."

To which the Negroes present

roared their approval.

Gerry! Gerry, come with us!

Come with us!

We need your gun, man!

I can't walk!

Come with us. We know you got

them guns in the shed, Gerry.

Hey, hey, hey, what you need guns for?

The Bible says,

"An eye for an eye," Reverend.

- Yeah?

- I'm sick of this sh*t!

How many guns

you think they got down there?

That's an entire army down there.

What you got? A couple of .32s? A .38?

Maybe a couple of old scatterguns?

What?

I got enough to kill a couple

of them crackers, that's what I got!

And how many of us you think

they gonna kill in retaliation?

With their 12-gauge pump-actions,

their Colt automatics,

their Remingtons,

their helicopters, their tanks!

We won't win that way,

and I ain't talking about the Bible.

I ain't talking what's right by God.

I am talking facts. Cold, hard facts!

Now, you take two of them,

and they take 10 of us.

No. We have to win another way.

...to our regularly scheduled program.

We're going back to the bridge.

We're going to finish this,

we promise you that, Ms. Amelia.

We go again.

Dr. King! Can we get a statement, sir?

Dr. King! Morning, Doctor.

Can we get a statement, please?

- Morning.

- Morning.

While rageful violence continues

towards the unarmed people of Selma,

while they are assaulted with tear gas

and batons like an enemy in a war,

no citizen of this country

can call themselves blameless,

for we all bear a responsibility

for our fellow man.

I am appealing to

men and women of God

and goodwill everywhere,

white, black and otherwise.

If you believe all are created equal,

come to Selma.

Join us. Join our march

against injustice and inhumanity.

We need you to stand with us.

Judge Johnson, Dr. King's call-to-action

was nationally televised.

We've seen hundreds of people

travel across the country

to attend tomorrow's march,

mostly white,

mostly clergy of some kind.

The SCLC is seeking

a federal court order

enjoining the state authorities

from interfering with the next march.

You're asking me to overturn

the Governor's mandate

and to do so without a hearing,

but it's not going to happen at all

without a proper proceeding.

Dr. King is in position to

lead tomorrow's march, Judge.

Understood, but you will have

your day in court on Thursday, Mr. Gray.

Meanwhile, there will be

no march tomorrow.

I will not oppose Wallace

against protocol.

"Thousands head south

in moral crusade."

The SCLC already filed an appeal

against Wallace's orders this morning.

You want my advice, Mr. President?

You have to ask?

Give King the march to Montgomery.

Do that, and then Selma's over.

Then you're back in control.

In control of what?

Another civil war?

This ain't about the goddamn march.

You think he cares about the march?

He wants the law changed, now.

I've got Congress

calling me by the dozens.

I've got picketing that gets

bigger and bigger every day.

He tugs on their goddamn

white liberal conscience.

Every march pulls 'em.

Especially when people

are getting beat up in the streets.

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