In this WSB newsfilm clip from a mass meeting held at Shiloh Baptist Church on Monday, December 18, 1961, Dr. William G. Anderson, Albany Movement president, comments on his experience with being jailed for a just cause; and Marion Page, Albany Movement executive secretary, outlines the day's results of negotiations with city officials.

On Friday, December 16, police arrested Anderson, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Reverend Ralph Abernathy, and over 250 demonstrators for marching without a parade permit. Abernathy was bailed out of jail on December 16 so that he could arrange outside support while King and Anderson remained in prison. Negotiations between Albany Movement activists and city officials began on Monday, December 18, and lasted all day; prominent Albany officials, such as mayor Asa D. Kelley and police chief Laurie Pritchett, were included in these discussions. On the table were demands to release jailed activists. Finally, the two groups agreed to release jailed demonstrators on bond and to appoint a biracial committee to further negotiate the demands of the Albany Movement on the condition that King and Abernathy leave the city and that demonstrations stop.

In segments of the clip, Marion Page delivers negotiation results in a prepared public statement to reporters and to attendees of the mass meeting. Page explains that the city police agreed to comply with the Interstate Commerce Commission (ICC) ruling that desegregated bus and train stations, and to facilitate bond release for demonstrators. Page clarifies that the Albany Movement will not lead demonstrations or attempt further negotiations until after the new city commission takes office in January. Finally, Page reveals that Chief Pritchett has agreed to accompany him to the year's first city commission meeting and to recommend that the commission give Movement requests full consideration.

While these arrangements were made by the Albany Movement in good faith with city leaders, Albany officials quickly reneged, and announced to the press that no concessions had been made; in response, Albany Movement-led demonstrations resumed in January 1962.

Title supplied by cataloger.

The Civil Rights Digital Library received support from a National Leadership Grant for Libraries awarded to the University of Georgia by the Institute of Museum and Library Services for digital conversion and description of the WSB-TV Newsfilm Collection.

1 clip (about 9 min.): black-and-white, sound ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.

WSB-TV newsfilm clip of Dr. William G. Anderson, Albany Movement president, speaking about his experience jailed for a just cause and of Marion Page, Albany Movement executive secretary, speaking about results of negotiations with the city in a mass meeting held at Shiloh Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia, 1961 December 18, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1040, 47:23/55:57, Walter J. Brown Media Archives and Peabody Awards Collection, The University of Georgia Libraries, Athens, Ga, as presented in the Digital Library of Georgia.

Forms part of: Civil Rights Digital Library.