Revolution Underway (sound)
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Description:
Description: Content warning: this film contains racist propaganda pertaining to African American civil rights movements.
An anti-communist film made by the National Education Program as a way to warn the American public of the subversive groups, largely Black revolutionary groups, seeking to dismantle American systems and values.
Some background information on the National Education Program (NEP) can be found here: encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/national-education-program-12187/ (accessed 11/27/23)
Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com.
Subjects: 1960s; Racism; Civil rights; Communism; Cities; Activism
Tags: 1967 Newark riots; 1967 Detroit riots; police violence; Stokely Carmichael; anti-communism; Malcolm X; Revolutionary Action Movement; Robert Franklin Williams; Black Power; text crawl; narration; anti-communist; pro-police; 1967 civil unrest; 1967 uprisings; 1967 urban rebellions
Film Sponsor:
Creator: The National Education Program
Credits: Produced by the National Education Program, Searcy, Arkansas
Distributor:
Contributor: Prelinger Archives
Source Collection: Delaware County Committee on Patriotism
Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive
Production Date: circa 1968
Release Date:
Geographical Location: USA; New Jersey; Newark, New Jersey; Michigan; Detroit, Michigan
Genre/Form: educational, sponsored
Language: eng
Rights:
Film Format: 16mm film
Element: release print
Color: color
Color Process: Eastman Color
Sound or Silent: sound
Film Soundtrack Type: optical, variable area
Edge Code: plus plus
Frame Rate: 24 fps
Length (feet): 1304
Complete Record: Description: Content warning: this film contains racist propaganda pertaining to African American civil rights movements. An anti-communist film made by the National Education Program as a way to warn the American public of the subversive groups, largely Black revolutionary groups, seeking to dismantle American systems and values. Some background information on the National Education Program (NEP) can be found here: encyclopediaofarkansas.net/entries/national-education-program-12187/ (accessed 11/27/23) Reuse Statement: For information on reusing Prelinger Archives footage and obtaining written usage agreements, please visit www.prelinger.com. Subjects: 1960s; Racism; Civil rights; Communism; Cities; Activism Tags: 1967 Newark riots; 1967 Detroit riots; police violence; Stokely Carmichael; anti-communism; Malcolm X; Revolutionary Action Movement; Robert Franklin Williams; Black Power; text crawl; narration; anti-communist; pro-police; 1967 civil unrest; 1967 uprisings; 1967 urban rebellions Film Sponsor: Creator: The National Education Program Credits: Produced by the National Education Program, Searcy, Arkansas Distributor: Contributor: Prelinger Archives Source Collection: Delaware County Committee on Patriotism Digitizing Sponsor: Filecoin Foundation for the Decentralized Web (FFDW) and Internet Archive Production Date: circa 1968 Release Date: Geographical Location: USA; New Jersey; Newark, New Jersey; Michigan; Detroit, Michigan Genre/Form: educational, sponsored Language: eng Rights: Film Format: 16mm film Element: release print Color: color Color Process: Eastman Color Sound or Silent: sound Film Soundtrack Type: optical, variable area Edge Code: plus plus Frame Rate: 24 fps Length (feet): 1304
Transcription
this film contains statements startling in their implications but all are well documented where recordings were available the actual voices are used a narrator speaks the words for statements that were written rather than spoken or when recordings were not available the motion picture you're about to see does not concern itself with the social or civil rights of American citizens or with the economic or social problems of American cities it was produced to warn citizens of the nature of a revolutionary Force affiliating itself openly with aims of international communism and now active throughout our nation in a planned offensive to destroy the American system and seize control of the United States [Music] jly 1967 Newark New [Music] Jersey burning looting shooting overthrowing the Law and Order of America [Applause] time hey check it looks like you're moving out there I'm forced to do so after 18 years being in one local I'm forced to get out but I knew this was coming because on the 13th th the 13th I noticed strange men coming on the street with a pad marking everything down the the buildings the stores that were easily able to get into those with Gates and those without Gates those that had good merchandise those that had just any merchandise and they were well prepared at the height of the rioting sniping and burning in Newark governor of New Jersey Richard J Hughes was interviewed you think the Cry of black power might have added a little fuel to the this undoubted Detroit [Music] [Music] Michigan police firemen National Guard and US troops were fired upon by snipers firing from rooftops and windows some were killed thousands of riers joined in the assaults with clubs and bricks and Molotov [Music] cocktails Lewis LX prominent negro journalist who covered the Detroit Riots and investigated their causes wrote in the Detroit news that forces from outside Detroit sent squads of college age black power agents into the city's negro Community 30 days ahead of the riots to agitate Negroes and create an explosive atmosphere they posed as magazine salesman Mr LX reported Al Dunmore the respected editor of Detroit's negro newspaper the Michigan Chronicle was interviewed do you feel that there's any pattern or any conspiracy behind the riot that we've had in our major cities this year I really feel that there is an organized conspiracy which is both National and has some International involvement I feel this and uh I have reasons to be almost [Applause] certain in 1967 126 cities were hit by racial violence with 75 incidents classified as major riots at least 117 persons were killed more than 2,000 injured total cost including property damage and other economic losses $665 million was this massive exercise in Anarchy a rehearsal for civil war and revolution the chairman of the US Senate subcommittee on internal security Senator James Eastland answers the question the drive for negro revolution in this country is moving toward a climax the forces which shaped molded and influenced this drive and which now to a very substantial extent control it have plans which involve major racial disturbances of Riot proportions in some 20 cities of this country the primary objective is acquisition of Power by the Communists in the longrange view this objective keys in with a communist purpose of overthrowing the government of the United States H rap Brown National chairman of the Revolutionary students Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Snick confirms the reality of Revolution here he is speaking at the height of the 19 1967 race riots in film footage not hitherto seen by the American public we stand on the eeve of a black Revolution Brothers masses of our people are in the speak they're fighting Tit for Tat to for two a eye for an eye and a light for a light the rebellions that we see are merely dressed rehearsals for the revolution that's to come we better get ourselves some guns and prepare ourselves stokeley Carmine the new Messiah of revolutionary black power boldly sets forth the objective this struggle is not a reformist movement which aspires to become a part of the United States it is a struggle of total Revolution for more than 35 years International communism whose historic goal is the overthrow of the United States and the seizure of dictatorial dominion over all mankind has been working among minority groups in America particularly at negro Americans where Puerto Rican Americans and Mexican Americans the vast majority of American Negroes together with Americans of all Races and Creeds have rejected the blandishments of Communism but today World communism has established a beach head here of Mammoth revolutionary capability and revolutionary black power has arisen as the Vanguard our American system is in great danger the United States is being in ever more menacingly by a world communist Force which rapidly is overtaking our military Supremacy on the ground in the air in the oceans of the world and in cataclysmic Space Warfare and now the historic communist strategy of creating a revolutionary Force within the United States becomes a looming reality since International communism first showed its evil aggressive face to the world strident Vo in America have declared there is no danger and never was a communist danger internally within the United States millions of Americans have hearkened to this dangerous delusion while communism relentlessly expanded its powers here its blueprint for Conquest now clearly includes an assault on American institutions from within mob violence Guerilla Warfare massive disruptive strike then finally undoubtedly a climactic military move simultaneously from within and without to crush and take over a disrupted and weakened Nation the entire communist Communications Network gives clear evidence of unified planning toward such a climax here is the national Guardian issue of March 16 1968 the national Guardian is listed by congressional committees as a Communist front publication which has manifested itself from the beginning as a virtual official propaganda arm of Soviet Russia this issue of the Guardian reports to its leftist subscribers throughout the nation that radical organizations of Mexican Americans are beginning to join forces with revolutionary black power the same issue reports that militant Puerto Rican groups are joining with revolutionary black power elements the so-called poor white are being constantly agitated Communists are active in efforts to organize them into a force that would ultimately join in the revolution to overthrow the United States revolutionary black power accepts its role as the Vanguard of the Revolution this issue of the Guardian shows the way toward control of the federal government ultimately black power here means that the black people will decide under what condition conditions the federal government can function and before black power ever gets to that stage violent outbreaks could seriously threaten the day-to-day operations of the government a rebellion in Washington could be the equivalent of the recent Guerilla attack on the US Embassy complex in Saigon the Communist worker now expanded into a widely distributed daily linked to International headquarters in Moscow carried the black power revolutionary line as set forth officially by James foran SNCC official and Lieutenant to stokeley carmichel in this speech to 5,000 negro college students in California and published in the Communist worker Foreman said of the Revolution the dispossessed unite with the dispossessed the dispossessed in the United States are the people of African descent the Puerto Ricans the mexican-americans and many poor white we are the vangard of that group whether we will live up to our historical role and Lead forward that Revolution remains to be seen we must be prepared to fight and die and we must believe that we will win only from the masses of the black people will there come revolutionary leadership the Communist worker endorsed the foreman call for revolution the red newspaper viewed it as a fighting call for Liberation a war of Liberation following the summer of Terror which he had helped to create stokeley carmichel went to Havana Cuba to discuss revolutionary tactics and Guerilla Warfare with communist officialdom from throughout three hemispheres in a speech to the red comrades he made it clear that not reform but the destruction of America is the goal comrades of the third world of Africa Asia and Latin America I want you to know that the afro Americans in the United States are fighting for their Liberation and that this struggle is not a reformist movement which aspires to become a part of the United States it is a struggle of total revolution in which we intend to change the imperialist capitalist and racious structures of the United States we have no other alternative but to take arms in fight for our total Liberation and for a total revolution in the United States Mr carmichel welded revolutionary black power to World communism with this statement our struggle will be one and the same with World communism our struggles should be Co coordinated it is high time that we join our forces we are ready to begin today to destroy from within the structures that have oppressed us all and we hope that you will begin to destroy them also from the outside let us March forward we shall win Carmichael's particular hero is the late CH Gua communist master of Guerilla Warfare guava's textbook of tactics on revolutionary overthrow by Guerilla forces has become a primary textbook of revolution black power in America in this official communist newspaper Grandma published in communist Cuba carmichel eulogizes Gua and pledges as a comrade to carry On The World Revolution with the death of Ernesto chora it is our revolutionary duty to create vietnams inside the United States CH explained clearly that there is no need to talk more that the contradictions in the world are clear and that the time has come for each to take his place in the fight this is exactly what Malcolm X said the time for words has passed now is the time to fight shavar died the way we all should die fighting imperialism weapons in hand his example like that of Patrice lumba Spurs us on in the fight and gives us strength to continue this struggle which we shall win they died fighting and we from now on will also die fighting at a press conference before leaving Havana carmichel said we are moving toward Urban Guerilla Warfare within the United States repeatedly carmichel called for a communist victory in Vietnam and otherwise Allied himself and his black power forces with World communism's goals and in Paris just before returning to America Carmichael said our movement is to move to disrupt the structure of the United States and our blood will pay for that and we think it is not too high a price to pay such revolutionary fervor today is wide spread among Carmichael's widening force of followers rap Brown is a past master of incitation you better Define who your enemy is and you better move to destroy your enemy cuz if America don't come around America should be burnt down now when you decide who your enemy is you see I told him when I went down to be inductive I said if you give me a gun and tell me to shoot my enemy I might shoot lady [Music] beard Malcolm X the onetime black Muslim became in death the martyred hero of revolutionary Black Power he preached arming of blacks his term for Negroes and a fight to the death to seize America he said revolutions are never wage singing We Shall Overcome revolutions are based on Bloodshed revolutions overturn systems Elijah Muhammad black Muslim leader predicts that white rule in the United States will be overthrown by 1970 although the vast majority of negro Americans are fundamentally law-abiding loyal and patriotic citizens in spite of historic grievances they are sensitive as our white people to emotional stimulation and to some degree of control through Mass psychology in which the Communists are Past Masters white revolutionaries have joined in some of black power's revolutionary goals most vital to International communism such as support to the Communist Viet Kong in the war against American forces in Vietnam and particularly in organizing so-called student power forces to take over American colleges and universities Jerry Ruben one of the white revolutionaries working on behalf of victory for the Communist Viet Kong reveals plans for coordinating the forces of radical white youth with those of black power the goal is a massive white revolutionary youth movement which working in parallel cooperation with rebellions in the black communities could seriously disrupt this country the United States will find itself faced with rebellions from 15 different directions in a symposium sponsored by the center for the study of democratic institutions at Santa Barbara California a group of young revolutionaries including presidents of student bodies in some of America's biggest universities viewed their role in the revolution thus I'm going to say loudly and explicitly what I mean by Revolution what I mean by Revolution is overthrowing the American government and American imperialism and installing some sort of decentralized power in this country I'll tell you the steps that I think will be needed first of all starting up 50 vietnams in third world countries this is going to come about by black rebellions in our cities joined by some white people people in universities can do a number of things to help they have access to money and they can give these people guns which I think they should do they can engage Eng in Acts of terrorism and sabotage outside the ghetto the words of Deo Kennedy president of the student body at Washington University St Louis facts were given at the Symposium indicating that about 10% of students in American colleges on the average follow such revolutionary leadership and that revolutionaries hold about 50% of the presidencies of college student bodies throughout the country these developing revolutionary forces and their coordination of planning with the Communist guided black power leadership were ignored by the presidential commission on civil disorders the nationally syndicated columnist Victor relle who for years has been warning of communist power at work within America wrote that the Commission in its report would fail to publicly reveal evidence that a conspiracy is operating within America to whip up bloody flaming riots and that money from communist Cuba is being poured into hundreds of revolutionary cells and negro communities Across the Nation to plan mobilize and Carry Out violence Mr relle said in his column all this will not be found in the commission's formal report but the private warning to President Johnson nonetheless is grim and it contradicts published statements that there was no conspiracy behind the Riots of 1967 in the face of the overwhelming evidence of the true nature of revolutionary black power and its link to World communism the president's Commission on civil disorders has been charged with ignoring vital facts while telling the nation that there are no organized elements at work in planning the massive civil Strife the commission declared that black power groups seek only long needed reforms within America's social and economic structure the full thrust of Revolution voiced by carmichel and the comrades in Havana and elsewhere was in effect oppressed by the commission Dr JH Jackson head of the largest negro Church organization in America the National Baptist convention USA with nearly 7 million members has warned constantly that Communists are directing the Revolutionary activities of the radical black power elements within America here is his statement concerning the presidential commission's report in spite of the statement from the kerer report that they had found no conspiracy in studying the riot of 1967 I am convinced with others that there is a conspiracy deep and dangerous designed to demoralize the nation to divide it and if possible to conquer it in reaching its published conclusion that no planning went into the riots the commission apparently ignored the Michigan crime commission report on the biggest of the 75 major Riots of 1967 the one in Detroit which created eight days of Terror in Late July the Michigan crime crime commission after a far-reaching study said evidence has disclosed that many persons spontaneously participated in the Detroit riot at its various stages and for reasons not necessarily related it is becoming clear however that certain organized elements seeking to expand and exploit a civil disturbance engaged in extensive planning and preparation to enable them to seize upon what otherwise may have been a limited incident of public disorder Los Angeles mayor Sam Yori was questioned on Meet the Press the commission's the the president's report here says that it found no evidence of a conspiracy behind the Riots of this last year when you testified in Congress I believe you said that you thought there were there were evidence of uh a conspiracy of communist groups infiltrating and so forth I didn't say I thought I know there are so I think every mayor of a big city has Intelligence Services uh and we know that there are protest type demonstrations uh sometimes coordinated all over the world on the same day and they're in intentions are uh to try and cause riots uh many organizations are openly in the field and communist backed they're trying to take advantage of the situation that exists to worsen it rather than try to solve it what are the names of one of those Mr y well ra so-called Rams revolutionary action movement there's no question about some of their connections and they certainly don't disguise what their intentions are and we are very concerned about the type of armament that they may have now Robert F Williams negro revolutionary who fled to communist Cuba when the FBI sought to arrest him after a kidnapping in North Carolina is recognized within the Revolutionary black power apparatus as the prime minister in Exile he formed one of the most vicious of the storm troops ra called Ram meaning revolutionary action movement this is the organization mentioned by mayor Yori from his operational bases in red China and Havana Williams has constantly agitated America's 22 million Negroes and has become a tactician within the Communist Empire guiding the black power leaders in his strategy and tactics newsletter the Crusader Williams says a few years of violent sporadic and highly destructive uprisings will set the stage for the grand finale after the stages properly set through protracted struggle racist and imperialist America could be brought to her knees in 90 days of Highly organized fighting sabotage and a massive Firestorm the massive firestorms have already been rehearsed in Detroit Newark and 73 other cities after the burning and rioting and plundering and the mob assaults upon Law and Order Williams wrote in the Crusader which is smuggled into America and distributed by the thousands to Black Power forces this time I write with certain knowledge and facts derived from Watts Chicago Newark Detroit Milwaukee and more than 100 other places could a minority Revolution succeed in America it most certainly could our people must further develop and master people's Warfare rap Brown certainly agrees with Williams and He suggests that Negroes who work in the homes of white people could Aid the Revolution by poisoning their food folks run around here talking about we we in majority we can't win they forget black folks is are in some of the most strategic places in the country we work in their kitchens that's [Applause] right they think they think they having trouble out to be at Kong they ain't even eating from what he cooks yeah you let War start over here we going to teach you about gorilla Warfare yeah because the way you immobilize a police force is that you put Arsen in his food at T night see and he don't make it day in the morning Philadelphia police raided Ram headquarters in that city after uncovering a ram plot to start a riot and then poison hundreds of policemen by putting deadly potassium cyanide in the coffee that would be served police in emergency soup kitchens among the Revolutionary documents seized were copies of a secret Black Guard organizer's manual the manual is a very crude but raling document which gives explicit instructions for the mobilization and training of neighborhood Citywide and Statewide units of a black Army of Liberation this Army would serve as the Vanguard of the Revolution to seize control of the United States units already are in training in cities throughout America the dictatorial power over this sprawling revolutionary Force rests in the hands of a secret Soul Council secret even to the brothers but in the secret organizers manual the top commissar is identified as brother Rob Robert F Williams from communist Havana and communist piking here is the November 1967 issue of Esquire magazine it published an article by William worthy negro writer entitled the American Negro is dead Mr worthy says the American Negro is dead and risen as a black man of the world so brother of non-whites everywhere don't look now honky meaning white man but some of his best friends are Viet Kong let's read a paragraph Negroes increasingly see black power as not confined to ghetto rebellions but rather as a part of a general fight of the oppressed against the oppressor all over the world indeed there is a wealth of evidence to suggest that what began as a domestic civil rights movement has turned of late into a global drive at the center of which are the now Allied structur Les of the National Liberation Front of South Vietnam and the American Negro Viet Kong is not the enemy of black people they have lied to black people and told black people that we are over there to prevent the spread of communist aggression you better fight the spread of democracy brother that's what you better fight people don't want democracy over there not the type that America practices Esquire magazine and its March 1968 issue carried this article further warning of the true true nature of the mobilizing black Power Revolution calling it the second Civil War here is one of the revolutionaries identified in the Esquire article imari born Richard Henry a black power Advocate who argues that the doctrine of one more chance honky is outdated his revolutionary plans include a mass black migration to enclaves in the South where with protection of red Chinese submarines in the Gulf of Mexico the fighting could begin in Earnest doubters should be aware that imori a Detroit ghetto leader admits there was Advanced planning in the Motown Detroit Riot genocide he believes is just around the corner a group headquartered in Detroit calling itself the Malcolm X Society spearheads a movement to demand that five states in the South Alabama Georgia Mississippi Louisiana and South Carolina be given over in their entirety to the black power forces a separate government for Negroes would be set up all whites would be evicted this is the firststep development for which Communism has agitated since Stalin sent his personal Envoy Joseph Pagani to America 35 years ago to begin recruiting Negroes into the Communist apparatus writing in the magazine communist Volume 7 number 10 pgan whose party name in America was John pepper gave these instructions to negro Communists the Communist Party recognizes the tremendous revolutionary possibilities of the Negro people the Negro communist should emphasize the establishment in America of a negro Soviet Republic later National communist chairman Earl Browder in this booklet further sketched out the strategy foremost Authorities on communist strategy and tactics point out that the Negro communist with the Revolutionary black power leadership are communists first and negro revolutionaries second this is indicated by their constant threat to kill moderate Negroes whom they designate as Toms meaning those who do not Join the Revolution negro Communists loyally follow the discipline of world communist tacticians who historically have sought to ignite powder kegs among the Negro masses in America for the primary purpose of disrupting the nation and advancing the world Communist Revolution carmichel and his lieutenants cry out loudest for the destruction of American capitalism and what they call American imperialism this has become the war cry of revolutionary black power down with capitalism and American imperialism it has been the historic slogan of world communism for a half century intelligence operators and police departments in the major United States cities report record purchases of Guns by Negroes and record numbers of burglaries of gun stores that should be more shooting than looting that's the only thing I agree with black folks trying to loot when they should be shooting if you're going to loot loot you a gun sto n it brother because the only reason that the honky did not go into plain field and wonderingly Destroy and kill people were because the brothers were armed they had 46 automatic weapons each one of those weapons would shoot 9,000 times in chunk of bricks for half hours the Negro journalist Lewis LX wrote in his syndicated column Black America is busy stockpiling weapons not merely bullets and rifles but Bazookas machine guns and grenades the ghettos are virtually every City are being prepared for War by black militants those police forces that have bought armored cars and tanks will learn that the black militants arsenals contain armor-piercing shells such sophisticated Armament undoubtedly is coming to the black power revolutionaries from Red Cuba the nationally syndicated columnists Roland Evans and Robert Novak declared there is no longer any doubt that Snick today is Fidel Castro's arm in the United States the task of of stokeley carmichel after his visits with communist strategists in anoi algers Egypt France Czechoslovakia Guinea Havana and other red bastions was the formation of a united front of all black power groups in the nation the united front is an historical communist tactical instrument of Revolution some of the people or organizations drawn into a united front may not be dedicated to the Communist objective of violent overthrow but surely none can be ignorant of the fact that Communists ultimately dominate any united front which they help to establish though the presidential commission the US attorney general and the White House combined in either discounting or altogether rejecting the Communist coloration of revolutionary black power the documented fact clearly expose it as a deadly threat to America's survival an urgent danger within Jay Edgar Hoover director of the FBI and one of the most respected government officials expresses grave anxiety black power promoted by the demagogic exhortations of stokeley carmichel H rap Brown and others of their ilk has created a climate of unrest and has come to mean to many Negroes the power to Riot burn Loot and kill this black power development in the racial field is tailor made for the Communist Party USA the Communists have swn the seeds of Discord and hoped to reap in 1968 a year filled with explosive racial unrest today our country faces the most severe test ever to confront a free people the Frantic effort of the Communist Party to subvert Our Youth and to rest control of the Negro movement for negro rights clearly indicate that our enemies feel that the end of our Empire is very near if our nation is to protect itself from the disastrous events being planned by the Communists and their allies working within the Negro community and in other other ways the American people millions of them black and white must work together to reestablish the rule of law and order in our cities on college campuses and throughout the country the revolution underway in America must be stamped out now we must maintain in Washington a Congress that will understand the true nature of the Communist Peril within and build stronger legal safeguards against subversion we must demand that our highest governmental leadership in the White House recognize the Communist enemy both abroad and within our midst the full power of law enforcement must be brought to bear and it must be brought to bear without the restraints imposed by political expediency Communists working to destroy our nation must be outlawed promoters of burning looting mob violence and killing must be subjected to the full penalty of protective law plotters of black Power Revolution as the Vanguard of a violent communist takeover and those who give Aid and comfort to our enemy wherever he exists must be recognized as traitors and dealt with accordingly this is a challenge to citizenship to turn back communism and survive as a nation at least 50 million Americans black and white Protestant Catholic and Jew must enlist in a counterforce acting as Citizens individually and in concert with others to arouse our nation and its leadership to the Grave dangers threatening our internal security our survival and the Heritage that has made America [Music] free [Music]
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