She said to me, on that day, i want you to see what you can be when you grow up. I will never forget that day. I thought about that day while we stood here in this field. Now i said to bakari a few ago, this day has even more significance to me. At the time that we came here, i was also serving as chairman of the board of directors of the shaw boys club in charleston, South Carolina. Many of you may not recognize shaw. Me robert gould Robert Gould Shaw was the quiet kernel colonel who commanded the 54th regiment. And to see here today reenactors of the 54th regiment participate in this program and reflect back on that day, this day has significant meaning to me in the way that you would not believe. [applause] heres what i want to say about today. I dont know if i ever thought, while standing on these grounds 50 years ago, that i would be back here 50 years later, as your representative to the United States congress. But i am. And its because of what was launched that day. Remember watching was here. Remember why king was here. He came here to help launch a political movement. Virgil demurring demary was running for the state senate. And four others, people of color three others, running to break the color barrier. I did not know on that day i would come back to kingstree two years later as the executive director of the South Carolina commission for farm workers with an office down on thorne avenue with virgil demaray is one of my bosses. That election did not go well. In 1966. L demaray trial that Matthew Parry undertook on behalf of the naacp did not go well. He lost that trial. But he gained the hearts and minds of people all over the state, all over this country, and we are here today because of those sacrifices made back then. It is our job to make sure that those sacrifices were not made in vain. Bakari has mentioned to use some of our challenges of today. Let me leave you with this one. , sumter,urg county lee, lancaster, fordleston, rochester, beau all of these counties, after reconstruction, were represented in the United States congress by people of color. I want to say that again. Between 1866 and 1897, people of color represented South Carolina in the United States congress. In that period of time, the lieutenant governor, two lieutenant governors of South Carolina were people of color. The state treasurer, the secretary of state, 2 3 of the General Assembly were people of color. But something changed. It started in 1895. And i want to leave you with this. When we had a Constitutional Convention in South Carolina in 1866, robert smalls, an africanamerican, was in that convention. He proposed the resolution that resulted in free Public Schools for everybody in South Carolina. He, to me, was the most consequential public official from South Carolina who ever lived. No people may have other choices, and that is they are their right. Robert smalls is mine. He spent 10 years in the South Carolina General Assembly. He spent 10 years in the United States congress. He developed great wealth. When he died in 1915, he had been 20 years away from affecting the Constitutional Convention in 1895. The Constitutional Convention that took all of the rights of africanamericans away. And he died a brokenhearted person, because people lost focus. They began to take for granted all of those gains that were made. We must not take those gains that have been made for granted. Bakari has told you. Today, we live under stand your ground laws. That is nothing more than a license to go out and execute people without any threat of any kind of consequences. We stand today looking at voter id laws that are nothing more than efforts to suppress the votes of people of color. People hidere behind Second Amendment rights as if there are not any limits. There are limits on the first amendment. All of us have free speech, but there are limits on what that free speech can be. All of us have the right to the Second Amendment, but there are limits on Second Amendment rights. Just because you have the right to own a gun doesnt mean that you should not be subjected to background checks to see whether or not you qualify to have the gun. Its one thing to have rights. Its Something Else to qualify. So we must be vigilant. Thomas jefferson i dont know if he ever said it. In fact, ive done the research, and i cannot find that he ever said this. But he has given credit for having said that the rights of privilege, the price of privilege, of freedom is eternal vigilance. I do not know if he said it or not. But i know this. If we are going to maintain the freedoms that were hardfought on that day, on these grounds, in 1966, if we are going to maintain those rights, those freedoms, those positions we hold, we must be vigilant. We must register, and we must vote, and we must get out and work for those elected officials , and once they get elected, hold them accountable. Thank you. And god speed. [applause] rep. Clyburn am i supposed to present this . Im so sorry. Someone asked me, how long was kings speech that day . Not a very long speech. Not a very long speech. Now, he was rushing through the speech because the weather was bad. Everybody thought the storm was coming back. So, we have for you the university of South Carolina months ago wheres obert . Robert donaldson is doing great work uncovering these kinds of things. I said to him and talking about that, in South Carolina, july 8, 1867. I was present at connor hall in charleston. He said, i think we got that speech. And ill show him this in philadelphia, pennsylvania. And it is what i wanted to do. I hope he would do the same thing here today. Lets watch that great speech that Martin Luther king gave on these grounds on that day 50 years ago today. [video clip] [video clip] [no audio] mr. King i come to ask you to go all out, get every negro in this county registered to vote. [applause] each of you assembled here today decided that you are going to see that 10 other people are registered before he last day, 14th, i believe. Just see what a power you can be. Then after getting people registered, that is another, even greater responsibility. And that is to go out to vote in the primary. [applause] the state of South Carolina during the days of reconstruction, sent many negroes to the state legislature. The state of carolina not only sent them to the legislature, negroes to the congress of the United States. The last negro to leave the congress of the United States was from the state of South Carolina. In his farewell address, the one thing that he said, that even though this is a period that ends, we will come again. Right here from this county and all over the state of South Carolina, once more we will be able to send to the statehouse. Once more we have the opportunity to send to the congress of the United States qualified, dedicated lacked black men and women. [applause] let us on that glade day in glad day in june march on. March on bag lot boxes. This is the way we are going to straighten up the south and the ation. T us march on ballot boxes until somehow we will be able to develop that day. Men will have food and material necessities for their bodies, freedom and dignity for their spirits, education and culture for their minds. Et us march on ballot boxes so men and women will never agin wa again walk the streets let us march on ballot boxes until the empty stomachs of mississippi, alabama, georgia, louisiana and South Carolina are filled. Let us march on ballot boxes. [applause] until the idle industries of appalachia are revitalized, let us march on ballot boxes, until brotherhood is more than a meaningless word at the end of a prayer but the first order of business on every legislature, let us march on ballot boxes. [applause] let us march on ballot boxes until every valley shall be exulted, every mountain and hill made low, until the rough places are made smooth and the crooked places made straight, and the glory of the lord shall be revealed and all shall see it together. [applause] let us march on ballot boxes until we are able to send to the statehouses of the south men who will do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly with their god. Let us march on ballot boxes. [applause] one day, mississippi, which has an affinity for the bottom, will be mississippi which has ffinity for the top. Alabama will be the heart of democracy. One day, South Carolina will be a better state. On day, georgia will be a better state. Why is this true . Because mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming of the lord. Glory. [applause] and all over the south and nation we can sing, glory hallelujah, glory hallelujah, our god is marching on. And so i say, walk together, children. Dont you get weary. [applause] theres a great meeting in the Promised Land. [applause] wow. It was pouring cats and dogs that day. The sun is hot today. But the atmosphere is still the same, filled with electricity from that stage how many of you all were looking for yourselves in the video . I saw you. I saw you. Thank you for being there then. Thank you for being here today. Lets give dr. King a round of applause. [applause] and we thank him so much for considering king street, the small town of king street, worthy of his time when he was saying indicted to the white when he was being invited to the white house and all these important places, he did not think we were too small and we were worthy of his attention, that really should make us feel very special. Now i want to ask to come to the stage mr. Michael allen and mr. Billy jenkinson for the unveiling of the historical marker. As they come, i want to tell you about these two gentlemen. Michael is a native of king street and a good friend. Yes. I first met michael when i moved back to charleston in 2001. He is one of the National Park services most valued historians and we feel that way about him in South Carolina. Michael is also, was very instrumental in getting more information out about the gulla and geechee culture. His public career as a cooperative Education Student for the National Park service in 1980 is how he started. He served as park ranger is now the Community Partnership specialist for the National Park Service Southeast regional office. He played a major role in the National Park Service Study this suitibility study that established Educational Centers to increase the interpretation and preservation of the Gulla Geechee culture. His motto is understand the present and move toward the future you must know and accept your past. How fitting for todays ceremony. R. Jinkinson is the scene your partner of a law firm here in kings tree. He has been practicing law for more than four decades much he is a native of kings tree and many call him mr. Billy here in town. He is a graduate of the citadel and emeritus member of the board of visitors. As a cadet he was responsible for ensuring that the military colleges first africanamerican cadet was treated fairly and the same as all other cadets. He made it his mission to see that Charles Foster was treated no better and no worse than any other cadet. One of his favorite recollections is the thanks he received from the commandant for helping cadet foster to succeed. He is a board member of the Williamsburg County Historical Society and also he serves as the cochairman for the africanamerican historical alliance. Among many other distinctions. Ladies and gentlemen, mr. Michael allen and mr. Billy jenkinson. [applause] good afternoon. It is a great privilege that i stand before you here as a native son, and one that was here 50 years ago. I want to share something about the importance about what we are about to do right now. History tells us that the state Highway Marker Program was begun in 1936 and in an effort to highlight and denote and recognize important landmarks, buildings, sites and locations across the state of South Carolina. This program today is managed by the South Carolina department of archives and history. 50 years ago when many of us gathered on this sacred space as we are doing today there were no highway markers specifically dedicated to africanAmerican History in any of the 46 counties of the state of South Carolina. Ladies and gentlemen, i can report to you that there are approximately 265 markers enoting the life, legacy and history and contributions of africanamericans and they can be found in every county in the state of South Carolina. In fact, the most recent update that i received from the state department of archives and history indicates that there are approximately today 1,500 markers across the state of South Carolina and each of the counties. For us at home today there are 22 historic markers here in Williamsburg County. That number, at the present time there are four markers that are dedicated to africanAmerican History and culture. He steven a. Swale house erected in 1998. The mount zion a. M. E. Church erected by the church and congregation in 2003. He mccollum murray house erected in 2007. And the Cooper Academy Methodist Church erected by Cooper Academy and bethesda Methodist Church History Committee in 2009. And in a few moments the march on ballot boxes thomas and alum ssociation and the citizens of Williamsburg County. As i was preparing to participate and put my remarks together a reporter asked mike why are you all doing this today and what is so significant about putting a historic marker at the place that dr. King stood and spoke 50 years ago. I quickly at that point began to think of an answer and immediately this answer came forward. In the book joshua, the scripture tells us that before the children of israel prepared it travel into the Promised Land they were asked to take out 12 smooth stones. These 12 smooth stones were left as a memorial. Oday we are here to uncover 12 smooth stones at this site and moving forward no one should ever ask why this was done. Moving forward, no one should ever ask the significance of doing this because of days of old and days to come we will know that on this day at this hour 50 years ago dr. King spoke from this very same sacred ground and i would encourage every school child in Williamsburg County, every teacher and every parent in Williamsburg County to take an opportunity to bring your kids to see that marker. Because that marker is a smooth stone of the history of the legacy of the greatness and importance of Williamsburg County. Thank you. It is an honor to be on stage with you today and have worked on this project together. When mrs. Mcgill made a few introductory remarks about me i thought that sounds more like an obituary. Than an introduction. I had to look to make sure i was really here. When this want was originally conceived we felt it was very important to erect a permanent marker at this location so that all would know in the years to come of the significant event that occurred here on march 8, 1966, when dr. King spoke in kings tree. As she stated the Unveiling Party consists of congressman clyburn. State senator and Caesar Mcknight and the mayor and supervisor Stanley Paisley who is accompanied by most Williamsburg County. Thomas High School Alumni and Committee Members mcfadden and Cassandra Williams rush. We felt it imperative for those involved represent the past, present and the future so it is fitting to have congressman clyburn who is present here 50 years ago on may 8, 1966 to do the unveiling of our historic marker. The marker is sponsored by the Williamsburg County Development Corporation and tomlinson and citizens of Williamsburg County. When the marker is unveiled you will be able to see the following words on the front and back of the marker. The title is let us march on the ballot boxes. Those words were spoken as a theme by dr. King on this historic occasion. The marker states on may 8, 1966, dr. Martin luther king visited kings tree. His speech which came after passage of the voters right act of 1965 urged an audience of 5,000 who had gathered on the grounds of Tomlinson High School to march on the ballot boxes and use the vote as a means to pursue social and economic justice. King also called for the grass roots mobilization and challenged each attendee to help register new voters. He referred to the current moment as the second reconstruction and reminded the audience during the first reconstruction South Carolina had elected africanamerican representatives to serve in the state house and the u. S. Congress. If they had done so before then they could do so again. His message ranged beyond political and civil rights to a vision of a day when all would enjoy adequate jobs, food and security. The committee wishes to thank the South Carolina department of archives and history, aaron foley who is the coordinator of the historical Marker Program for their help in selecting the proper language for the marker. I will now turn the program back over to mr. Allen and he and our nveiling participants will officially present to you our official dr. King march on the ballot boxes marker which you will see right here. Thank you. That marker is right here on the road and that is where you see the official gathering. If you are not in place we need senator mcnight. Mr. Paisley. Mayor tisdale. And miss Williamsburg County nadia gamble. I need all the persons to be here for the official unveiling of the marker. Thank you, ann. As we prepare to unveil the marker we ask congressman clyburn to prepare himself as he unloosens the ribbon that will release to the worlds march on allot box. March on ballot box. How about that, yall. We are on the map. Kings tree is an official Historic Site for the state of South Carolina and the Civil Rights Movement they have a photo opportunity over there now im going to introduce to you our next speaker and then our program will be wrapping up. So that we can continue to move on, i want to introduce to you the Williamsburg County supervisor sandy paisley. He is the son of Sadie Paisley and james l. Pace si jr. He is married to lycia and they have three children. Hes 1973 graduate of Hemingway High School and a 1977 graduate of Charleston Southern university where he earned a bachelor of science in political science. In 2001 he graduated with a master of arts degree in business management. Mr. Paisley professionally has worked as director of Williamsburg County coordinator of healthy start and director of Eastern Carolina incorporated and also the owner of the Family Business, coowner of the Family Business paisley and Sons Convenience store. Because of his commitment to Public Service and his desire to help better the lives of his fellow men and women in Williamsburg County all of you the voters of Williamsburg County saw fit to put him in office and elected him to the office of superintendent for Williamsburg County. He has been serving in had capacity since 2007. He will now come forward and he will be with mrs. Gamble, miss Williamsburg County to read a proclamation and they will do that shortly. As they make their way to the stage, we want to take this opportunity to thanks the citizens and leaders of Williamsburg County for all of their hard work, their cooperation and their assistance in making this day possible. All of the meetings were held here. Anything that the county could do and its citizens could do they were more than willing to do to make this day possible and we also thank all of you who were volunteering here today. So a big heartfelt thank you to Williamsburg County appear its citizens for making this day possible. [applause] good afternoon, everyone. What an exciting day for Williamsburg County. It is a great day in Williamsburg County. We want to thank everyone the program participants. Our native lady miss mcgill for her outstanding job in leading us through this momentous occasion. Im indeed honored and privileged to stand before you as your county supervisor. Im certainly a product of this event in so many ways. Although i was not here physically, my father was here, my two older brothers were here. I was the youngest sibling and therefore i had to stay at home with mama that day. But im just happy that i had that connection with this event and to be here today as an elected official. One of the things that im so proud of is that i was mentored by mr. Virgil henry himself. He gave me an opportunity to be able to work in Williamsburg County at a very early age. As a matter of fact, we i graduated from Charleston Southern which was Baptist College at that time he gave me my first real job working for Eastern Carolina business Development Corporation, which back during that time that was tremendously visionary because it was a community Development Corporation and about the business of trying to create opportunities for Business Development in the minority community. So, again i am so privileged and honored to be so connected. As i look and hear what bacarri and the congressman spoke to this afternoon about being vigilant and continuing to make sacrifice i think dr. King and mr. Virgil and mr. Johnny and e. I. Lawrence and Jesse Lawrence all those folks that were members of the Williamsburg County voters league, they would look and be extremely proud of the fact that we have been successful in electing officials to Williamsburg County at the congressional level, National Level through Congress Plan clyburn and our legislators, the senator and reserve. My cleanings on councils, the school board which was represented here today, all of the other elected officials in their various and respected places. I think they would say that some work was done in Williamsburg County in the past 50 years. But theres still so much more to be done. Im honored and privileged to be here today and i want to challenge our officials not just the fact that we are in these positions, that we need to make a difference for the citizens that we represent. My challenge or my task today is twofold. Im always excited about engaging our young people because as it was 50 years ago some of us who were present, those of you who were present here, this created an opportunity for you to do the things that you have done and to be present here today. O, today it is my task to in a sense pass the torch if you will to our youth leaders. I believe that we have some Youth Leadership here today. They are the members of the Williamsburg County Youth Leadership. Nadia is on the stage with me but if any of the other members are here im going to call their names and if they are here edward collins. Morgan green. Atia harvin. Nigel johnson. Kayla mcbride. Briana miller. Bridgett floringer. Are any of these young folks here . Will you join us on the stage . I saw one of my colleagues, at least two of my colleagues councilmember mcknight. He still here . Will he join me . And i saw councilmember floyd. If you are here, please join e. As they come, again, it is our privilege to be part of such an momentous occasion and working with everyone to make this day ossible. The proclamation. State of South Carolina county of williamsburg, whereas on may 8, 1966, Martin Luther king jr. Gave his march on the ballot Tomlinson High School Athletic Field. Following the passage of the Voting Rights act of 1965. He urged more than 5,000 individuals to go out and exercise their right to vote. Whereas dr. Kings speech is believed by historians to be within of only three public speeches he gave in South Carolina, in his visit to kings tree was recognized as an important stop on his crusader to help rid africanamerican voters of the fear of voting. Whereas the Youth Leadership team of Williamsburg County including nadia gamble. Nigel johnson, tyler mcbride, and bridget florenger have sworn a commitment to preserving his message and demonstrating the progress our community has made 50 years after the original visit to kings tree. Whereas along with Williamsburg County, the town of kings tree and those present today the Youth Leadership team of Williamsburg County agree to take the responsibility for the safekeeping of this time capsule and its content. Whereas we are hereby today to celebrate Martin Luther kings speech march on the ballot box and dedication of this time capsule at the Tomlinson High School Athletic Field in kings tree, South Carolina, to be open may 8, 2066. 2066. Now, therefore, i Stanley Paisley, county supervisor of Williamsburg County and members of Williamsburg County council do hereby proclaim may 8 as a time to celebrate the Youth Leadership team of Williamsburg County with this time capsule in the city of kings tree and urge all residents and attendees to join me in celebrating this special day. It is so resolved. [applause] good afternoon. Im both honored and humbled to be part of this great celebration. On behalf of the incredible youth here in Williamsburg County, we sincerely thank you. We pledge to re kwraoeupbunite 50 years from now to honor dr. Martin luther king, a man of wisdom, determination that never gave up. We will continue to carry the torch. We will not give up. We will not give in. And we will not roll over. It is our destiny to continue the great legacy of dr. King and many others. We have heard the call and accept the challenge and we the youth of Williamsburg County, are not afraid. Thank you. [applause] mr. Mcknight is holding the time capsule that will have the items that 50 years from now they will be opened that will be witness to this day as well as 50 years ago. [applause] ok, ladies and gentlemen. We are just about ready to end our program. We thank you so much for your indulgence. As they exit the stage, i want to take a moment to thank all you for your support, your love and your kindness each day in my journey as a journalist, as your morning anchor who wakes you up on live 5 news i feel your love and do appreciate it. Thank you so much. It means so much, yes, when it comes from the hometown crowd it means more than you can know. When dr. King came here 50 years ago, i was just a baby. I was not even a year old yet. So i didnt know him but i did know another very passionate civil rights leader. And one time he told me the story of when he lived in the neighborhood and the road was not paved. There were dozens of hard working, tax paying, black families who lived along there road and the road was dirt and when it rained the road was mud. So, he and a neighbor went to the white representative, whom they had elected to serve their district and kindly asked him could he get the road paved. And this official said to this gentlema gentleman, ah, the only said to this gentleman, ah, the only way i could see fit to have that road paved is to have some white families on it. That is the only way that road with get paved. So, the gentleman and his neighbor left. Unfortunately for that official, he didnt know that that gentleman was the leader of something at that time called the voter league. So, this gentleman, when he went to the next meeting of the voter league and he sharded the conversation if a white person didnt live on the road it couldnt be paved, they did exactly what dr. King and do in hisged them to speech 50 years ago. They organized and marched on the ballot boxes. They elected that white official out and they elected another white official in, but this official got the message and that road was paved. As a little girl and a young woman growing up attending Battery Park High School i walked that road every day visiting my family and friends , because that neighborhood was , my neighborhood. And that man who stood up for the good of others was my father, who is here today, mr. Charles morris sr. [applause] you may have seen that he came in late because he said his knees were hurting him. And i want to say to you, daddy, you have reason for your knees to hurt. You and so many others carried the weight of the world. Your knees have cause to hurt and we thank you for your sacrifice. Ladies and gentlemen, i lost the rest of the speech. [laughter] this is the official end of the program. Thank you all so much for your patience. I know it is hot. Thank you so much for paying homage to dr. Kings legacy and his memory. We now want to call to the stage mr. Bishop Linwood Cooper and the believers crusaders to lead us in some gospel hymns and continue this celebration. I do have one more announcement though. One of our photographers wants to get a photograph of everyone who was here 50 years ago. So if you will assemble here he is going to stand on the stage and get your photograph. Thank you so much and have a blessed day. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2016] starting monday, august 1 at 8 p. M. Eastern, the contenders. Series with the president ial campaign and historical perspective. Reaching across time and geography, the contenders presents key figures who have run for president and lost, but changed political history. Each night, we feature a different canada, beginning with henry clay and ending with ross perot. And it 00 p. M. Eastern, august 1 through 14th, here on American History tv, only on cspan3. Coming up next, two former republican members of congress sit down to talk about their time in washington, d. C. And how things have changed in the u. S. House of representatives since the 1980s. We hear from Nancy Johnson of connecticut and Peter Torkildsen of massachusetts. The edward m. Kennedy institute for the u. S. Senate is the host of this event. Its about 90 minutes. I want to thank you all for coming to the session, former members of congress, donors and audience. I would like to introduce our moderator this morning. Peter king is senior lecturer and Public Administration programs in the john f. Kennedy schools of government at harvard university. Since joining harvard faculty in 1992, professor kings courses have focused on legislatures, Political Parties and interest groups. He is also a member of the core faculties within the carr center for human rights policy and is a faculty affiliate of the center for state and local government
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