1.01.2003

King Week 03

       Walter J. Brown Media Archives & Peabody Awards Collection

Screenings

all events are free and open to the public

King Week 2003



Tuesday, January 21, 10:00-5:00 p.m.
Main Library Lobby

Arnold Michaelis interviews Martin Luther King, Jr.(1964)

Wednesday, January 22, 10:00-5:00 p.m.
Main Library Lobby
The Vernon Johns Story (1994)

Thursday, January 23, 10:00-5:00 p.m.
Main Library Lobby
MTV's BIORhythm. Martin Luther King, Jr. (1999)

Friday, January 24, 10:00-5:00 p.m.
Main Library Lobby
Hosea: In His Own Words (2000)

Friday, January 24, 12:00 noon
Adinkra Hall
Free at Last (1985)



"Arnold Michaelis interviews Martin Luther King, Jr."

In this interview, conducted by Arnold Michaelis in the Kings' Atlanta home in 1964, Martin Luther King, Jr. explains why dissent may be more patriotic than blind agreement and suggests that peace cannot be won through war.

Dr. King's comments, made almost 40 years ago, have special relevance for us today.

This program is part of the Arnold Michaelis Library of Living History.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Image from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.)


"The Vernon Johns Story"

THE VERNON JOHNS STORY is a biographical film about the little-known black preacher who preceded Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on the pulpit of The Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in Montgomery, Alabama in the late 1940s. Vernon Johns preached radical sermons that encouraged his parishioners to make a stand against segregation and racism -- a message that his well-to-do black congregation was neither prepared to hear nor ready to act on. As the congregation became more resistant, Johns's defiance of the 'rules and regulations' of segregation became more flagrant, ultimately leading to a showdown in which Johns was forced to resign from the pulpit. Ironically, the congregation chose Martin Luther King, Jr. as Johns's successor, figuring that the young King would be more pliable to the traditional ways of the congregation, and less likely to try to prod them into activism.

This program dramatizes the life of Vernon Johns from the time that he accepted the postion of pastor of the church in Montgomery until his forced resignationand illuminates the racial hatred of the era in Montgomery, Alabama.

Peabody entry number: 94001 ENT.

Dexter Avenue Baptist Church, Montgomery, Ala..  (Image from The Blue Highway.)





"MTV's BIORhythm: Martin Luther King, Jr." 

"MTV's BIOrhythm is a genre-busting weekly biography series which details the emotional journey of the people it profiles. BIOrhythm not only captures their story, it captures their soul. Much like an opera, BIOrhythm sets a subject's life to music. That 'soundtrack' - along with the subject's own words - narrates the individual's trials and tribulations. And much like a music video, BIOrhythm's visual presentation of the subject matter is fresh and cutting edge. The result is a show which captures the human experience. Universal truths - love, pride, fear, guilt, pain, joy - are the common bonds of humanity. Because the show is emotionally driven and music based, BIOrhythm imparts an especially powerful message to its viewers. For example, instead of telling someone why they shouldn't hate, we allow them to experience first hand the pain of prejudice... In the Martin Luther King, Jr. episode... the fear of being beaten to death because you are black. ... BIOrhythm is not a history lesson. It's a life lesson. One that is universal in its message. One that spans the generation gap. This in turn allows us to create a dialogue of change."--MTV, from 1999 Peabody Awards entry form.

Peabody Awards entry number: 99016 DCT 1/11.

Martin Luther King, Jr. (Image from the Lyndon Baines Johnson Library and Museum.)



"Hosea: In His Own Words"

"Hosea Williams passed away on November 17, 2000 ending the life but certainly not ending the legacy of one of the civil rights movement's most dramatic leaders. Georgia Public Television, early in the year 2000, conducted what we believe was the last extensive interview with Mr. Williams, shortly before he became seriously ill. For nearly ninety minutes Mr. Williams talked about this life as a southern African-American, his early career in Savannah, Georgia and Atlanta as a businessman, how he made his decision to become a civil rights activist, and, finally, his views about the status of blacks and black leaders today in America.

"Upon his death, Georgia Public Television decided to produce a one-hour program with the single purpose of allowing Mr. Williams to talk - without narrator or interviewer - about his life. As he did throughout his life, Mr. Williams tells his story and expresses his opinions in frank and colorful terms, recapturing for the viewers his varied personal experiences during a pivotal time in American history."--GPTV, from the 2000 Peabody Digest.

Peabody Awards entry number 2000223 DCT.

Hosea Williams.
(Image from CNN.)



"Free at Last"

FREE AT LAST celebrates Martin Luther King, Jr.'s non-violent philosophy by tracing its roots in the southern black church in America and the teachings and practices of Mahatma Gandhi in India. Through the use of archival newsreel footage and interviews with those who worked closely with King ... the viewer witnesses how the non-violent philosophy was enacted in King's most successful campaigns in Montgomery, Birmingham and Selma. The program dramatically concludes by drawing parallels between King's work to desegregate America and similar efforts by Desmond Tutu in South Africa today. Extensive use of archival footage of events of the civil rights movement including: the Montgomery bus boycott, freedom rides, Birmingham protests, the 1963 March on Washington, the Selma voting rights protests, the Selma to Montgomery marches, Chicago open housing marches, and the Memphis sanitation strike. Also includes footage of Gandhi's non-violent protests in India.

Includes excerpts from numerous speeches by Dr. King and interviews with Rosa Parks, John Lewis, Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, Rev. Ralph Abernathy, Andrew Young, Rev. C.T. Vivian, Hosea Williams, Marie Foster, Rev. F.D. Reese, Jesse Jackson, Selma mayor Joe Smitherman, and Sheriff Jim Clark. Peabody entry number: 86020 DCT.


Signing of the Civil Rights Act, April 11, 1968. (Image from the Library of Congress.)

Programs screened by Media Archives are also available for viewing in the University of Georgia Libraries Media Department.
For more information, contact the University of Georgia Libraries Media Department at 583-0212 or Mary Miller, mlmiller@uga.edu

Kingweek 03 Art

       King Week Art Exhibit Reception 2003


























Thinking About Martin

Athens-Clarke County schoolchildren create art inspired by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

In honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., students from Alps, Timothy, Gaines, and Chase Street Elementary Schools created artwork on the theme of "Putting the Dream into Action." That art is on display at the Main Library on the University of Georgia Campus from January 11, 2003-January 23, 2003. On January 18, a reception was held in honor of the young artists whose work is featured in the exhibit.

Artists Reception, January 18, 2003