The American Negro (unfinished, reel 5, 1962)

In many areas of our country, schools have never been segregated. For example, I went to integrated schools all my life. This is one of the high schools in the part of the country where I spent my youth, Indiana. Here the students come to school at 7:00 in the morning. Already the basketball team is practicing. The team is composed of both Negroes and whites. He kicked it out. It's Green's ball, boys. Let's get hustled down. That's the way to handle it, Willie. Gray, a little tighter defensively. Get up on him. Move it. Move it. Swing it around. Somebody got to get on time. Get out there. Help. Help, Ben. Help. We asked the principal to tell us about his school. In this school, we have about 10% of Negro students. Now, we have no problem, really, uh, racially at Washington. And I think principally because the students are very clever and very able in handling their problems. There is no conflict. It's a completely integrated school insofar as school activities are concerned, both curricular activities and extracurricular. Find the people completely mixed and working without reference to color. The administrative policy, and the teachers' activities, the students' point of view, uh, there is no problem. We treat everyone, insofar as possible, uh, as an individual and on the basis of his own merit. William Forrest teaches social studies. We asked him whether his students discuss race relations freely with him. Oh, very easily. In fact, this is probably one of their main main concerns. Many times they see something in the paper or in a magazine. They always ask me, "Well, how do you feel about this and what's your implication and what are the real circumstances behind these situations?" Sometimes we step on a few toes and naturally we have to some basic beliefs and concepts that probably mom or dad or a grandparent had. And perhaps they even believe this themselves and so they get involved in the situation where the facts are put forth and they can realize for themselves that perhaps mom and dad have been wrong. I think this is a really true building stuff for better race relations. As you have seen, although we in America have some way to go in improving race relations, we have already come a long way. How do we Negroes feel about ourselves and our country? I think that much of the change in the Negro's feeling about himself has been brought about as a result of the newly developed countries of Africa. I think that many of us are very proud now of our African heritage. I think black has come to be something that we are quite proud of. I feel American because this is the only country that I know. It's the country that I have fought in wars to defend because of its principles I believe and because it provides me the opportunity to fight for the things I believe in. The vast majority of Negroes feel this way that there is nothing wrong with the United States or our democracy that we can't correct. There is always that hope, that strong feeling that we can correct the situation. Uh if we can pull a few of these knuckleheads together and bump their heads and make them understand that this is what was meant as the American ideal. This is my home. And though in many instances it has caused me pain, I am first of all an American. I think that there are many indications of extreme tension which produce hostility. The Meredith case at the University of Mississippi is probably the best example of this. It's been a long time since we've had anything that was this violent, this upsetting. But I think that this is because on the whole things are improving, but moreover, everybody knows that things have to improve. By and large, the 20 million Negroes in the United States work and play just as any other American does. Of course, the pursuit of equal rights is uppermost in all our minds. We know that the responsibility of being an American is part of that pursuit. But in terms of everyday living, what we basically enjoy is pretty much what every American enjoys. The long and heroic struggle of Negro in fight to life against the evils of race prejudice is one of the greatest epics in our nation's history. It has brought the American Negro to real heights of heroism and splendid achievement. We have broken many shackles and won our way to the front lines of our national, artistic, athletic, and intellectual endeavor. We have become a vital factor in industry, agriculture, and are a decisive force in our general political life. We have truly in the United States come a long way, but we still have a good way to go. We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand We'll walk hand in hand some day Oh, deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome some day Black and white together Black and white together Black and white together some day Oh, deep in my heart I do believe We shall overcome