In this silent WSB newsfilm clip from July 30, 1965, African Americans demonstrate against segregation in Americus, Georgia. The clip begins with a night march of mostly African Americans, led by Reverend Joseph R. Campbell, head of the Sumter County Movement, and other men in white shirts. Law enforcement officers walk beside the marchers, who sing and clap as they walk. A man speaks to the crowd, which consists of several white and African American demonstrators. Children and teenagers are seen among the crowd, including one young boy who plays with a helmet while sitting on the ground. After a break in the clip, protesters also march during a daytime demonstration, following a police car as they walk. The demonstrators march from Friendship Baptist Church on Cotton Avenue to the Sumter County Courthouse. Signs in the crowd have the slogans, "Help us end this evil system," "One man, one vote," and "I don't want to keep my money but you are keeping my rights." Law enforcement officers again protect the marchers. The demonstrators also kneel and appear to pray near the Sumter County Courthouse. Earlier in the day, the four women arrested July 20 for standing in a "white" line at a Sumter County election were released from jail by federal judge W. A. Bootle; after being released, the women immediately joined a protest march at the Sumter County Courthouse. After sporadic civil rights demonstrations from 1963 through 1965, the Sumter County Movement intensified protests after the July 20 arrest of four African American women for standing in a "white" line at a Sumter County election. Three-times-daily protests continued from July 21 through August 13, when the movement agreed to end demonstrations to ease tensions in the city with the hope of later forming a biracial committee to discuss African American demands.

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 6 min.): black-and-white, silent ; 16 mm.

Original found in the WSB-TV newsfilm collection.

WSB-TV newsfilm clip of African Americans demonstrating against segregation in Americus, Georgia, 1965 July 30, WSB-TV newsfilm collection, reel 1306, 14:36/20:30, 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.