Exemplified the activist businessman that often stood at the center of the freedom struggle. A figure that is really frequently under analyzed and continues to be under analyzed i would add. He was often overlooked due to an emphasis on the more incendiary elements of the movement. Protests, mobilizations and other dramatic events. I should add that im on this panel because i in a previous life, i studied North Carolina civil rights history. And so, again, i can speak to the ways in which brandons book is making a really significant intervention here in the history, not only in the civil rights period and the writ at large, but also the Civil Rights Movement and struggle and the black struggle in North Carolina and particular. From winners perch at mechanics and farmers bank in durham, he occupied a critical space. He was a consummate insider and power player and understood the calculus of social change dictated various gated approaches to the pursuit of freedom. This is certainly some
Frank mcgee. There comes a time, there even comes a moment in the affairs of men when they sense their lives are being altered forever. But an old order is dying in a new is being bored and a new is being born. Some. Oment comes soon for for others the moment arrives , when a deed of new dimension sets the hour apart, for others, when words are spoken more sharply. Later, but still suddenly, it seems men are saying and doing things they have never said or done before. Then we know we are experiencing a revolution. But we cannot say, though hell though historians will try, when it began. We know that autumn does not begin with the turning of the leaves, but earlier, on some forgotten afternoon when a shadow passed over the fields and it is no longer in summer. So did the American Revolution of 63, begin in birmingham in begin this year in birmingham or in 1955 in montgomery or in 1954 with the Supreme Court decision, or in 1863 with the proclamation . Some of its roots reach back to 177
Evers and other key events in the movement. In an unprecedented threehour report, nbc news presents the American Revolution of 63. A study of the american negroes struggle for equality. Here is nbc news correspondent, frank mcghee. There comes a time, there even comes a moment in the affairs of men when they sense that their lives are being altered forever. That an old order is dying and a new one is being born. That moment comes sooner for some and for others, it comes later. For some, the moment arrives when a deed of new dimension sets the hour apart. For others, when familiar words are spoken. Later, but still suddenly it seems, men are saying things and doing things theyve never said or done before. Then we know we are experiencing a revolution, but we cannot say, though historians will try, when it began. We know that autumn does not begin with the turning of the leaves, but earlier, on some forgotten afternoon when a shadow passed over the fields and it was in longer summer. So
Altered forever. That an old order is dying in a new one is being born. That moment comes sooner for some, and for others it comes later. For some, the moment arrives when a deed of a new dimension sets are apart. For others, when familiar words are spoken more sharply. Later, but still suddenly it seems, men are saying things in doing things that have never said or done before. Then we know we are experiencing a revolution. But we cannot say, although historians will try when it began. We know that autumn does not begin with the turning up the leaves, but earlier on some forgotten after news when a shadow passes over the field and its no longer summer. So this American Revolution of 63 began this year in birmingham or on 1955 in montgomery . Or did it began in 1954 with the Supreme Court decision, or an 1863 with the president ial proclamation. Some of its worst reach back to 1776 to an independent revolution, even back to the 50 to win the apostle paul said god has made of one of us
This big puckture of john lewis was just put up here, rest in power. You cant see from the tv but over here in the front row is a big bouquet of white flowers. Its in the place where john usually sat in the front row of a section that many of the members of the congressional ack caucus held forth, conspired sometimes, plotted, and made progress for the American People. Its appropriate that we have those flowers there. Where john sat. For so many years. John meacham who is writing a book on john lewis told us yesterday on a caucus call that when john was born he was born into a garden. He loved to be in the garden. He loved to be with the chicks, as we know, little chickens. And he loved to see things grow. Loved to see things grow. And he lived his life in that way. He loved to see progress grow, he loved to see love and peace grow. He loved to see ideas grow. And he loved to see a more Perfect Union grow. Many of our colleagues will have many things to say this evening and because of