WMHT Specials
NY State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr 2024
Special | 53m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
A tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King by the citizens of New York State.
In this tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King, New York State will celebrate the people and organizations in our great state who embody the principles of America’s greatest leader for social justice, freedom, and equality for all.
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WMHT Specials is a local public television program presented by WMHT
WMHT Specials
NY State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr 2024
Special | 53m 57sVideo has Closed Captions
In this tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King, New York State will celebrate the people and organizations in our great state who embody the principles of America’s greatest leader for social justice, freedom, and equality for all.
Problems playing video? | Closed Captioning Feedback
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<b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Governor Hochul]</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Hello, everyone.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm delighted to welcome you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to this year's New York State</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Jr.
Day Celebration.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Today's a day of remembrance,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>reflection, and reverence,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it's also a powerful</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>opportunity for us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to reaffirm our commitment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to finish the work</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that Dr. King started</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by fulfilling his dream,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>ensuring everyone can</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>reach the mountaintop,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and by bending the moral arc</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the universe toward justice.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The four pillars of this year's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>celebration are Resilience,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Service, Faith and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Unity, and Empowerment,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>all reflecting the very essence</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Dr. King's teachings</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and connecting deeply with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the heartbeat of New York.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Like many, I've personally</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>taken comfort in the words</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Dr. King, who's been</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a guiding influence</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in my own life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When I was a little girl,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'd go to the library</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and read a series</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about famous Americans,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>one of whom was Dr. King.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I was inspired by</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what he accomplished</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at such a young age,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and so saddened by the fact</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that these very accomplishments</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>cost him his life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>And now it's up to each</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and every one of us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to carry on that legacy, to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>do everything in our power</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to build a better,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>more just society.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Each and every day, we have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the opportunity to engage,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>an opportunity to fight</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>against stereotypes,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a chance to do better</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because we know better.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>So in the spirit of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King's vision,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>let us pledge to carry</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>these principles forward.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Thank you.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(crowd cheering)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Who was Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King, Jr.?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(crowd cheering)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We know he was a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>man with a dream.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I have a dream</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that one day this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>nation will rise up</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and live out the true</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>meaning of its creed.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] We know</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he saw the mountaintop.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We've got some</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>difficult days ahead,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it really doesn't</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>matter with me now,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because I've been</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the mountaintop.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] We know he</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>thought he might not make it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I may not get there with you,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but I want you to know tonight</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we as a people will</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>get to the Promised Land.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(crowd agreeing)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] We know</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he changed the world,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and his legacy has</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>changed each of us.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(triumphant music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King's legacy also echoes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through the very streets</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and avenues surrounding us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with over 900 thoroughfares</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>named in his honor</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in over 41 states.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Names matter, especially when</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they're attached to places.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They signal what we value</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and what we honor.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Place names have the power</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to shape history</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and our experience of it,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because these are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the places we live,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the places where</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>these histories</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>become a part of us.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] These</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>streets show a U.S.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a New York State</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that is changing,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a country where Dr. King's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>values has transformed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the landscape around us.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They're a reminder</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for all of us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to keep pushing forward</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to achieve Dr. King's dream.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>But no one changes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the world alone.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King understood</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that he could not alone</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>transform society,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that it really was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about mobilizing others.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He was empowering not</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>just African Americans,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>not just other Civil</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Rights advocates,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but really all Americans</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to live up to our values</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>around equality</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and opportunity.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King is a symbol</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the values we hold dear,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>values like resilience,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>empowerment, faith and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>unity, and service.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King during his lifetime</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>helped us get some way</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>toward achieving his vision,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but there's a huge amount</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of work to be done.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] To celebrate Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King Day 2024,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we will look at the people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who carry his legacy forward,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people who knew him well,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and those who didn't,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but worked to assume</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>his vision every day</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for a better future.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- What it means</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to be resilient...</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- You're just</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>pushing through it</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and you're showing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people, "I can do this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and I will do this.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Like, "I'll prove you wrong.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Stand up for yourself,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>never back down.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Having that strength</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to follow through</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with what you want to do.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To me, resilience</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>means the ability</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to bounce back no</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>matter what happens.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Persevere through</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a hard time.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To overcome something.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I had to be resilient.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- When I had to take a test,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and I ended up getting</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a really good score.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- The time I had</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to be resilient was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with my speech impediment.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I'm a volunteer firefighter.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I pulled up to a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>two car accident.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>One patient did not make</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it, the other patient did.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I had to stay focused.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- My family has been resilient.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When they came to this country,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there was, like,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>English issues.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They tried to push</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through everything,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and they wanted me</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to have a great life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Resilience fueled</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
Martin Luther King, Jr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through tough times,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and today, our world</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>craves the same strength.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- You think about</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the segregation,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the exclusion of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>African Americans.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Some folks might</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have been deterred</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and thought, there's nothing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to be done to change it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>But instead, he was resilient.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There were defeats,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there were setbacks,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but each time, Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King led with purpose,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and continued to call for</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>America to be more true</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the promise of equality.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Here</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in New York State,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>resilience is a way of life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Two New Yorkers</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who embody this are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>photojournalist, Corky Lee,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and singer and actor,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Day-o, day-o ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Daylight come and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we want go home ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] "Day-O," of course,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we know it from "Beetlejuice.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It's played in sports arenas</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>all across the country still,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>nearly 70 years after</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it was first recorded.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It was so popular that it</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>lasted 99 weeks on the charts.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Only Michael Jackson's song,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Thriller," took it over.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Work all night on a drink ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of rum, daylight come ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It became the first million-</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>selling album in history.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We think of Elvis and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>rock and roll of the '50s,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but this remarkable singer</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from New York was really</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as big a star as there was.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte really was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the first Black</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>mainstream matinee idol.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Announcer] Starring</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] This was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in Jim Crow America.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Have you ever</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>been to Denmark?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- No, I haven't,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>this is my first trip</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we're all looking</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>forward to coming there.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- He was quite canny</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about being a sex symbol.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He really was interested</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in performing a role</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as a Black man who</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>had sex appeal,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and in Hollywood, that was a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>very difficult thing to do.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>In fact, scripts were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>changed so as not to show</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>an actually overt sexual</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>romantic relationship</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>between a Black leading man</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a white leading woman.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- He made a major impact</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the music industry</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the film industry, and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>broke a lot of glass ceilings.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] He operated</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at the highest levels</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the entertainment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>industry intentionally.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He loved singing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at Carnegie Hall.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I travel all over the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>country and the world,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and if I say I work</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for Harry Belafonte,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>everybody's like, "Oh my God.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Every grandmother,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>every great-grandmother</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>knows who he is.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Black tarantula ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- He consciously pursued</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a white audience.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He felt that if he could win</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people to the beauty of himself</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as a performer, he could</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>get them to see the world</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in new ways, and to credit</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Black humanity, Black beauty.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Six-foot, seven-foot,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>eight-foot bunch ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Carmen] Get them</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to sing your song,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and they'll want to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>know who you are.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Daylight come and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we want go home ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] We know Harry</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte for his stardom,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but there's a whole</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>other side to his story.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Despite</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>his substantial fame,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte wrote,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"I wasn't an artist</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who became an activist.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I was an activist who</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>would become an artist.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte felt that any</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Black American with a pulse</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a conscience</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>had to become a part</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Civil Rights Movement,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and he was looking</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for a way in.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Reporter] Taxi</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>cabs and carpools are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>pressed into service</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as Blacks in Montgomery</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>continue to boycott the buses.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The boycott focuses national</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>attention on its leader,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a 27-year-old Baptist minister,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King, Jr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- For several weeks now,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we, the Negro citizens</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Montgomery, have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>been involved in a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>non-violent protest</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>against the injustices</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>which we have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>experienced on the buses.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] By this point,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King had received</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>national attention.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He was doing well,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but not that well.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He had come to New</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>York to fundraise.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Harry Belafonte received this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>call and he knew who he was.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He said, "I'll go</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>meet this man.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He was skeptical</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of nonviolence.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He was someone who was very</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>passionate about justice,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about fighting for it,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but he was, by his own</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>admission, an angry person.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He had grown up in poverty.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He had grown up railing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>against the racism</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of American society.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Everything around us is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>violence, so it's really hard</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to then accept</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>nonviolence in our lives</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>when we've never</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>tasted that before.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King was able to show him</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that nonviolence can be a way</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of life for courageous people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- And the way that Belafonte</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>narrates this now was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that from that day on,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he was really at the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>service of Dr. King.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He came to buy Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King's health insurance.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When Martin was locked up,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he would call Coretta,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>his wife, and say,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"What do you need?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She said, "I'm here</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>alone with three kids.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte that day he arranged</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for a nanny and a housekeeper</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a secretary and a driver,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and said, "This is on me.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He set up bail funds</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for when people were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>locked up after sit-ins.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It's a remarkable story</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of his largesse of saying,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Okay, I have a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>million-selling LP,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm a massive star, what</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>do I do with that money?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm gonna fund</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people I believe in,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>organizations I believe in,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we're gonna</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>change this country.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- My name is Harry Belafonte.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm an artist and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm not a politician,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but like most Americans,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I have a great interest</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the political</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the economic</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>destiny of my country.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm seated here with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Senator Jack Kennedy.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] In 1960,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he was approached</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by John F. Kennedy's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>campaign wanting to say,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Can you help us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>garner the Black vote?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte said to them, "If</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you are serious about this,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you need to pay attention</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to Dr. Martin Luther King.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Mr. Belafonte often talks</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about how the Kennedys</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>were not interested</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the Civil Rights Movement,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and it was when Dr. King</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and him invited</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Robert Kennedy to see</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>young Black people and what</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they were experiencing,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it really changed the hearts</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and minds of the Kennedys,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that then got more</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>involved in the movement.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Reporter] The</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>crowd assembled around</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the reflecting pool</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>before the Lincoln Memorial</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>occupies every inch</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on the lawns and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>under the trees.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] That March on</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Washington would not have taken</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the shape that it did or had</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the kind of boldfaced</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>names involved</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>if it weren't for</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King had requested</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that I organize</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as many artists</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as were available.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] Belafonte</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>picked up the phone</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and called all his</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Hollywood friends and said,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"It's important that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we're all there..."</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Reporter] Sammy Davis, Jr.,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Paul Newman, Marlon Brando,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Charlton Heston.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] "...to show</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>America that these</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people that they know</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from their movie screens</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are here for this movement.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Will this tremendous</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>outburst now lead</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to a course of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>action, Mr. Belafonte,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that will speed up...?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I feel that the now that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we speak of is not a now</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that describes a success or</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>fulfillment of the issues</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the grievances that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>face the Negro people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The now is a statement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that from here on in,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there's a point of no return,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that there is success or</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there is utter failure.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There is no compromise</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on the issue.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The March in Washington</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>today is one thing,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it doesn't end there.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] He also put himself</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in grave physical danger.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There are stories of him</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>flying down to Mississippi</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the angriest days of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Civil Rights Movement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the backlash,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>carrying literally $50,000</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that was needed urgently,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>landed at a dark airport,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>was driving to where he</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>needed to go, and was shot at.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Carmen] Mr. Belafonte</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>funding and providing resources</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in relationship to the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Civil Rights Movement is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>probably one of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>greatest untold stories</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Civil Rights Movement.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Mr.
B. has always</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>been somebody who has</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>this forward-thinking</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>vision for the world,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but I'm just honored that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I was selected by him</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to lead his organization.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He could have chosen anybody</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the world, really.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- All my life, I firmly</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>believed that as an artist</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and as a human being,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I cannot isolate myself</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from the struggles</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of my people,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that their victories</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are my victories,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and their defeats</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are my defeats.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Carmen] Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King had once said</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>recruiting Harry</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Belafonte was one</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the best strategic decisions</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that he had ever made.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] If there was a word</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I could use to describe him,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it's resilient.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I really miss him,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and so it evokes emotion</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>when I think about him,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because he had such a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>profound impact in my life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There's a lot of us out</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the world who have met</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and have been mentored</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by Mr. Belafonte</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that I think we all have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>one little role to play.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] All of us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have to make choices</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with the opportunities</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we're given.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Elvis Presley built Graceland,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harry Belafonte built the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Civil Rights Movement.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Carmen] I'm only happy</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to do my little part</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in changing the world,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and I invite others to be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>part of the movement as well.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(dramatic music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- My name is Virgo Lee.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm a lifelong friend of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky for over 52 years,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>up until the time</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of his passing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky Lee showed up</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at every single event</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>within the Asian American</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community for over 50 years,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>documenting everything</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from people's daily lives,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to their struggles, to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>important community events</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that ended up</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>changing the landscape</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Chinese community</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>here in New York and beyond.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He said, "Every time I take</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>my camera out of my bag,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it is like drawing a sword</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to combat injustice</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and discrimination.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Pick 'em up and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>lay 'em down ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It was the ending period</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Civil Rights</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Movement sparked</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by the African</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>American community,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and there was a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>growing awareness in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Asian community</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that Asians should also be part</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Civil Rights Movement.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky was very much</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the type of person</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that if he saw something</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that wasn't right,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he felt motivated to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>do something about it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There was a demonstration</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in Chinatown.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>A local resident got</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>hit over the head</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by an overenthusiastic</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>police officer.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>This photograph was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>published on the cover</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the "New York Post" in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>1975, and then 20,000 people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from the local Chinese</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community demonstrated</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in front of New York City Hall</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in protest of police brutality.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky always believed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that even though you have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>an enclave of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Chinese in New York,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that they are an integral</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>part of U.S. society.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When 9/11 happened,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that sparked</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a lot of hate crimes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>against people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who looked like they were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>immigrants or foreigners,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the Sikh</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community were victims</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of many of those hate crimes.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky saw that the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Sikh community was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>having a demonstration</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in Times Square, took an</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>iconic photograph of a Sikh man</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>draping himself with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>an American flag,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that photograph became one</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Corky's iconic photographs</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because it was a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>symbol of a person</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who may look like a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>foreigner, but is an American.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>In 2020, as the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>pandemic hit New York,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there was a dramatic increase</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in anti-Asian hate crimes,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and Corky decided that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he would record incidents</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by following the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Guardian Angels</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on their five borough patrols.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We believe that that is where</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he caught the COVID germ,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and eventually passed away</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on January 27th, 2021.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dearest Corky,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>your memory will live on</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>forever in our hearts.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I think that's a sentiment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that everybody shared.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Corky, we see ourselves</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because of you.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There are very few people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that can remain focused</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on their life mission</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>over a 50-year period.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It's not to say that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he didn't have doubts</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at certain points.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>What kept pushing him</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>forward was that he believed,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and he felt that, "I</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>gotta keep doing this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>until I can't do it anymore.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>So if you talk</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>about resilience,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>yes, he is the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>embodiment of resilience.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Friend] Hi, Virgo,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what are you doing here?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Virgo] They're</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>making a movie.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Oh, are you the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>main character?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(both chuckling)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Virgo] If Corky had not</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>recorded important events</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and movements within the AAPI</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community, all that history,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>which confirms and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>documents and proves</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that Asian communities are an</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>integral part of U.S. society,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>all of that would</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have been lost.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>With each passing decade,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>his impact will grow.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Service means...</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I think service means...</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To always help people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To give more than you take.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Giving back to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>your community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Regardless of if there's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a benefit to yourself.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Helping others, or simply</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>just helping yourself.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I think service means to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>always make sure you're great.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I took a trip to the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>End World Hunger program,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where we basically, like,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>packed foods in a bag,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we sent it to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people in need.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We clean up the oceans,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we clean up the beaches.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I helped build a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>ramp for my aunt,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because her nephew</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>was in a wheelchair.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I help my mom with chores,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I hold the door for people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I have great manners.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- My father was very</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>heavy on, you know,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>giving back to the community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>One of the last things</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we were able</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to do together was,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we handed out coats</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and Thanksgiving food</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the homeless people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>down in Brooklyn.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Through doing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community service,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I can perpetuate those</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>values that my father had.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Martin Luther</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King devoted his life</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to serving others,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and in the midst of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Civil Rights Movement,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he found solace in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>uplifting those around him.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- He had incredible talents.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He could have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>used those talents</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for personal gain,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but he didn't.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>He spent his whole life in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>service of the greater good,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>strengthening community,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>helping those who</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>struggle the most.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Service</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>is rooted in humility</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and recognizing the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>inherent value in others.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It's not just about</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>grand gestures.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>In Albany, Flonzina</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Haizlip-Moore</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and her soup kitchen embody</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the meaning of service.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King said,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Life's most persistent</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and urgent question is, 'What</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are you doing for others?
'"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>My great-grandfather was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>pastor here in the 1940s,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it was mostly my</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>grandmother and my mother</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who helped start the soup</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>kitchen and food pantry.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Their goal was to help others.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We were poor, they</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>were poor, we was poor,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but they wanted to help people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It meant early mornings,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(laughs) it meant going</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the grocery store,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>making sure you had enough,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because the point</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>was, it doesn't matter</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>how many would come in,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you had to make it work.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>If we ran out, we ran back</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and got peanut butter.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We were feeding 'em, but we</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>also wanted to provide them</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with a sense of community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>For the lifetime of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the soup kitchen,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we fed over 30,000 meals.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We do like 400 a month,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and it's growing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The kitchen in this church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>has been feeding people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for over 195 years.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We have fed the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people who traveled</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through on the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Underground Railroad,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>including Harriet Tubman,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the families and the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community we serve today.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Israel African</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Methodist Episcopal Church has</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a long history as a sanctuary.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Located in Albany, this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>church was an essential stop</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on the Underground Railroad,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>which traveled from the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>South to New York City,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>up the Hudson River to Albany,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and finally, to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>freedom in Canada.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We don't know exactly how</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>many people passed through</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with Harriet Tubman, but</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there are hiding places</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the church,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because of course,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the whole point of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Underground Railroad is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that you stay under the radar.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Flonzina] Underneath the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>church, there's a tunnel</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that Harriet Tubman would</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>take the slaves through,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>led to the Hudson</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>River, which was nearby.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>From there, the slaves</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>would go north for freedom.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Harriet Tubman would</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>oftentimes have to pull out</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>her gun and tell</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>slaves who were afraid</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that I will shoot you,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but you are going to continue</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on this path to freedom.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Her understanding of the evils</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of slavery propelled her.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She didn't have regard for</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>her own safety.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She could have made a trip,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and she could have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>said, "I'm done.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I don't think that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>most people act alone.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We know Harriet Tubman</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>didn't act alone,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and while Flonzina</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Haizlip is the director</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the soup kitchen,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we know that there's an</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>entire network of people.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- This is how we do it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We can't be like Dr. King,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>go out there, have a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>speech on Washington.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I know I am not gonna</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>be on that level,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but I'm on my level with,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we can make a difference.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It could be giving a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>person a bottle of milk,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it could be giving</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>them a dozen of eggs,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and to me, that's change,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you made a difference.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- None of us can be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>passive in this life.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We can't just sit</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on our bottoms</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and celebrate Martin</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Luther King, Jr. Day</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>without being compelled</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to take action.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King said, "Everyone,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>everyone can be great,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because everyone can serve.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- And we're done.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Faith and unity, it means...</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To believe in something.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Being able to trust in your</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>comrades and your friends.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Never, never give up.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- You're not letting</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>anything distract you.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Unity means to be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>able to come together.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Being able to work with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>whoever you need to work with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in order to accomplish the goal</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that you guys need</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to accomplish.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- My coach taught me the power</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of being united as a team.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Your goal is to win, and in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>order to win, we need unity.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Faith is what we needed.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Without faith, I feel like</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we would've lost everything.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I see unity as,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>like, being together.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Faith is the substance</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of things hoped for,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the evidence of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>things that we cannot see.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Martin Luther</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King, Jr.'s faith was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the foundation of his</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>journey, guiding his actions,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and instilling an</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>unwavering belief</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the potential for unity.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Dr. King really emerged</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from a faith tradition</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that was a bound hopefulness</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the face of oppression.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The danger is, if we don't</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>see that urgent need</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to work together, we</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>won't meet the moment.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Dr. King's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>teachings encourage us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to embrace unity as</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a force of change.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Today, Albany's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Sweet Pilgrim Church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and SUNY Binghamton's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Nukporfe Dance Troupe are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>powerful examples</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of what is created</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through faith and unity.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(bright music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- The church does not only</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>exist within the building,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>within the four walls.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The church exists in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>barbershops, in beauty salons,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in supermarkets.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The church exists</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>wherever the people are.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>My name is Reverend Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Elgin Joseph Taylor, Sr.,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Senior Pastor of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Sweet Pilgrim</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Missionary Baptist Church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Albany, New York.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The Civil Rights Movement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>began long before the '60s.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It goes back into the 1800s.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There were a group</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of African Americans</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who were only</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>allowed to worship</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the balcony of this church.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They were seen and not heard.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They could not participate</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the worship.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They were the employees</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of those persons</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that sat in this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>level of the church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who were prominent within</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Albany community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They were their housekeepers,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they were their butlers,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>their maids, and they were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>tired of only being allowed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to worship in the balcony, and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they walked out on a Sunday.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It took a lot of bravery.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>You don't know what the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>repercussions may have been</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in going to work on Monday.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They ran the risk of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>maybe being fired.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They walked out of the balcony,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>started a church,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that church,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Morning Star Missionary</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Baptist Church, started</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>out of this church.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>That group of people brings,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to my mind, Rosa Parks,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who got tired of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>being relegated to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the back of the bus.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They were tired</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of being relegated</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the balcony of the church.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>If you look at what</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>happened in 1894,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and you parallel it next to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what happened in the '60s</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with Dr. Martin Luther</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King, they are synonymous.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Our church is part of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>African American history.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The church has always been</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a staple in the community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>If you go back to the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Civil Rights Movement,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it was always the church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where Dr. Martin Luther King</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and others, where they met,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they held voter registration,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that's largely</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because as a people,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>African Americans</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>weren't allowed to meet</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in other community venues,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so it was always the church.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(Rev.
Taylor playing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>lively piano music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Somewhere along the line,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the church has more or</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>less taken a backseat,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we've now reached</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a pivotal moment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where pastors and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>leaders of churches,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where we have to get the church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>back to its rightful place</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in being that driving</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>force in the community.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The past is still alive in us.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They walked out of a balcony</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to what was freedom to them.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>That was in 1894,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but right now today,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there are still things</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we have to walk</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>out of towards freedom.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(piano playing concludes)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(performer speaking</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(group responding</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We invoke you to be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>today's celebration</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Dr. Martin Luther</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King, Jr.'s legacy.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- The performance is a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>celebration, a remembrance,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and whenever we gather</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>together in remembrance of,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in this case, Dr. King,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we are called into action.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We are at Binghamton</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>University in Upstate New York.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Our drum and dance ensemble</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>is called Nukporfe.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Loosely translated, it</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>means seeing is believing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(performer ululating)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(group responding vocally)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(lively drumming)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>In many academic institutions,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there has been an impetus</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to try to represent</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>dances, music,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>theater traditions from</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>different parts of the world.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>What we're trying to do is to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>give the students in the music</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and theater departments</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>at Binghamton University</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the chance to experience the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>dances of African heritage,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>both from the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>continent of Africa,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and also from the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>diaspora in the Caribbean.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I think it is the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>perfect embodiment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Dr. King's legacy,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that idea of having</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>unity without borders.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Unity is essential for SUNY</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as we advance our</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>educational mission.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We all come together</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to create rich,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>dynamic, engaging,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>learning environments.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(lively drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Despite our unity, there</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>sometimes arise conflicts</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in our communities,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and even sometimes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>amongst our families.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We know as human beings,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we are not perfect.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There will always be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>problems with societies,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so we are creating a scene</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where there's a bit</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of misunderstanding,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and then we find a way</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to resolve the conflict.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I have a dream.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Yes, we have a dream,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to restore peace, justice,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and celebrate our liberty.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I believe that Dr. King</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>embraced unity by telling us</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to put aside our views</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of ethnicity and race,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and be together as a people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>unified as one country,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as opposed to being separate.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- These dancers are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a call to action</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to get people to go out</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of their comfort zone,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to break free of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>barriers that bind us,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that stirs our emotions so</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we can take the actions</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>necessary to move</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>forward as a culture,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as a society, and as a nation.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dance is a great equalizer.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It allows different</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people to come together</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of different ages, of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>different cultural backgrounds,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and to express themselves.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singing in a world language)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(drumming continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Empowerment means...</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To be able to make a change</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in your world and not give up.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Lifting either</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>yourself or others up.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Taking control.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Believing in yourself.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- To take charge of something</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and be able to act on it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- When you're able to draw</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>strength from something,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>grasping on something bigger</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>than you and more than you.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I led a gun violence</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>walkout at my school.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- After losing my father,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I was wallowing in my</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>sadness for a long time,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and instead of sitting there</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and just essentially</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>rotting away,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I took control of my own</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>life, and I empowered myself</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>through the memory</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of my father.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Empowerment to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King, Jr. was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the fuel that ignited</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the engines of change.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It isn't that he gave a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>speech and the world changed,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>it's, he organized to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>empower other people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to be the difference, so yes,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>he as one man had this</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>incredible impact,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it's because he was</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>able to unlock the capacity</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of others to be better.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] In Ithaca,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Dorothy Cotton Jubilee</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Singers use music to empower,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>while in Brooklyn, the LevelUP</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>program harnesses education.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(birds chirping)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Everything's all right ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in my Father's house.
♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ In my Father's house, ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in my Father's house ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I heard these</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>songs growing up.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>My grandmother would sing them,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they were on the radio.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ In my Father's house ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They were always a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>part of our lives.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Everything's all right ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in my Father's house ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Where there's joy, joy, joy ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>So I would ask my grandmother,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Why do you sing these songs?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>And then she turned to me</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and she says, "I sing them</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because they encourage me,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they give me strength.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She grew up in the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Jim Crow South,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so that trauma lasted</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a lifetime for her,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but she would always</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have a song on her heart.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>That's kind of how</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I got involved with</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Negro spirituals.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>What is the history of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Negro spiritual?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The enslaved people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that came out</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Africa brought their music,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but they were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>forbidden to worship</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and to sing the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>way they wanted to.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We know that a lot</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the Negro spirituals</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>were coded messages.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The River Jordan could</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have been the North.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Harriet Tubman's coming</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to rile up the place</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and take us away.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They gave messages of hope.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They could express</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>themselves, cathartic.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Basically, "Why was I born?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Why did you put me</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>here to suffer so?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They gave them a voice.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(gentle music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We know that a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>lot of these songs</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the Civil Rights</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>were Negro spirituals.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I call them new wine</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in old wineskins,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>just because they changed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the lyrics to fit the times,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and without the music</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of the enslaved people,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I don't think there</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>would've been a movement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of civil rights</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in this country.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Let me tell you about a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>woman that you should know.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Her name was Dorothy Cotton.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Always had a song on her lips.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She would sing this song,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Another man done gone,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>another man done gone,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>another man done gone.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We didn't know his name.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I said, "Why do you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>sing that song?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She goes, "There were so</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>many Black people murdered</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>during the Civil Rights</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Movement and before</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we didn't even</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>know their names.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dorothy was in Dr.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>King's inner circle.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>She was one of his</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>most trusted advisors,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and actually typed the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"I Have a Dream" speech.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I knew that I was smarter</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>than some of those</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>guys at the table,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it's not something</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you talk about,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you just sort of know it,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and somewhere along the way,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I developed a real</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>confidence in who I was,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and I just let them be who</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they thought they needed to be.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>As we were marching</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on the sidewalk,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and these people were</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>now rattling chains</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and throwing bricks,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and quite a large one</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>came right across my face</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and smashed a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>plate glass window,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but another inch, it</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>would crack my skull.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I remember seeing Andy</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Young down on the ground,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>somebody pounding on him.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm not even sure</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>how that march ended.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The rest of it</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>seems to be a blank,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but we ended up back in the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>church with some people hurt.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We went back in the church</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and sang some songs.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>It occurs to me</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we always somehow,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>even in a moment like</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that, could sing songs,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>like "I Ain't Gonna Let</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Nobody Turn Me 'Round,"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and these were sort</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of songs affirming</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>our resolve to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>continue the struggle.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ The people have spoken ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The question about low points,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what happened when</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we hit a low point?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>This may sound flip, but</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you know, what we would do?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We would sing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The Civil Rights Movement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>was a singing movement,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>talking about moving from</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>your head to your heart,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>talking about</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>learning how to feel,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and experiencing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>feeling something,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as opposed to being on</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>such a head trip about it.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- You're moving toward danger,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and you wanna be sure that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>everybody is with you.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Singing a song is that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>kind of assurance.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>They're going to stay with you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as long as you keep singing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dorothy understood that power</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that comes from</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>knowing the song.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- They were willing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to give their lives</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for what they believed in.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I have a sense that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King had accepted</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that he might go out</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a violent way,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we stood there as</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the bus was rolling out,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and Andy and I started singing.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ This may be the last time ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I'm gonna cry,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so I better stop.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ This may be the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>last time children ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ This may be the last time ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ It may be the last</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>time, I don't know ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Because it may</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>be the last time.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(indistinct chatter)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Those struggles</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we all have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>as human beings, I think, are</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>brought to the forefront</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>when a song touches your heart.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I wanted to pay</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>homage to Dorothy,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that's how we</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>formed the group,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the Dorothy Cotton</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Jubilee Singers.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The Dorothy Cotton Jubilee</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Singers are a multiracial group</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of college and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>community singers.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I feel like the Negro</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>spirituals speak to us today</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>no matter what walk</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of life you're from,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because I think they</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>speak to humanity,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so certainly it would</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>make sense that anybody</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and everybody could</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>sing these songs.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ God is a rock</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a weary land ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Oh yes, in a weary land ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ My God, He is a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>rock in a weary land ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ He's a shelter in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a time of storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ A shelter in a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>time of storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Rock and a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>shelter in a storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Rock and a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>shelter in a storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ My God is a rock ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ My God is a rock ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ My God is a rock</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a weary land ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ He's a shelter</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in that storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Rock and a shelter</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in the storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Rock and a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>shelter in a storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Yes, my God is a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>rock in the storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ My God is a rock ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Yes, God is a rock</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in a weary land ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ He's a shelter in the storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ He's a shelter in the storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Yes, He's my rock ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Shelter in the storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Storm ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(lively music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It would be tough to find</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>anywhere that is as rich</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to talk about Black</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>women's strength</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and Black women's mobilization</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and Black women's achievement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>than the Borough of Brooklyn.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- There's a Beyonce</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>song that I love,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and my favorite lyric</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>is, "I can do for you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what Martin did for the people,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>ran by the man, but the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>women keep the tempo.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(music continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>People think of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Martin Luther King</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and forget that he wasn't solo.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>There were women behind</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>him doing the hard work,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and so it's that reminder that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>we're always in the picture</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>whether we're pictured or not.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- What is LevelUP?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We are a workforce advancement</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>initiative designed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to help Black women</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in Brooklyn pivot</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to the next stage</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>professionally,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we help them</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to build wealth.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- There are particular ways</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that Black women face being</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>kept from certain fields,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and so the LevelUP</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>program is really designed</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for Black women to overcome</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>some of the disempowerment</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and marginalization</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that they face.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Thinking about Brooklyn's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>history of strong Black women,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there's really a through</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>line you can draw dating back</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>from people like</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Shirley Chisholm</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and up to the women in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the LevelUP program.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Announcer] The</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Honorable Shirley Chisholm.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Reporter] Shirley Chisholm,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>first Black woman elected</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to Congress, becomes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the first Black woman</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>nominated for president.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I have always been</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a catalyst for change.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When we ask the question,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Do women dare?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We're not asking,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are women capable</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of a break with this tradition,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so much as we're asking,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>are they capable of</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>bearing with the sanctions</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that will be placed upon them?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Dominique]</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Many of the issues</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>she finds herself</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>attached to have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a direct line back to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>what affects Black women,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so rights for domestic workers,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>education and motherhood,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>food equality.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>All of these things</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>come from the fact</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that she's in fellowship</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with other Black women,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and is learning about</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the hardships they face.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- She had the audacity.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We will fight.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- And I think</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that's in Brooklyn.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Do y'all remember</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Shirley Chisholm?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>So I was listening to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>some of her speeches.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Someone asked her,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Well, why do you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>deserve to be president?
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>This is 1972, and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that woman said,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Of course I can be president,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>because I've been ghost</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>writer to a few of them.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(group chuckling)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Let that sink in, 'cause I</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>know we've all been there</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where we're like, "I</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>could do your job.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I could do it too.
"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I hope now you</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>recognize the fact</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that you belong in these rooms.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Narrator] Today's the day,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>after 10 weeks of classes,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>networking, and training,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the first cohort</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of LevelUP's real estate</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>program is ready to graduate.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Little steps, this is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>how you change the world,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and today we changed the world</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>for a few women</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>here in Brooklyn.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(group applauding)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- For the past 10 weeks,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>they've been working tirelessly</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on projects, networking,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and other opportunities to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>get them to their next stages.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- In the bustling</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>heart of Brooklyn,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I embarked on a journey</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that has not only</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>transformed my life,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but is also contributing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to reshaping the landscape</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of women in the workplace.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Public speaking,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>career development,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>technology etiquette,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>building a LinkedIn page,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and understanding the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>dynamics of network mixers,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>these are the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>things we learned.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I'm a Black woman,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a proud mother,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and a determined entrepreneur.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>My son has been a driving</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>force behind my pursuit</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of financial freedom</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and generational wealth.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Karlene] I've</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>survived every setback.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>My alter ego was, and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I am, Wonder Woman.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Yolgie] Through</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>this program,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I had the privilege</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of networking</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>with like-minded</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>women who understand</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the unique challenges</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you can face in the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>real estate industry.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>When experiences are shared,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you can learn from one another,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>creating a support</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>system to lean on</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>during your journey and beyond.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Karlene] I joined</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>LevelUP for empowerment.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>I did not realize how many</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>people that I was impacting.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We had a dream to create a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>career development initiative</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that was a little</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>bit different.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We created a community here,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that energy is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>palpable in this room.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(lively music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- It takes one person</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>doing one thing</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a little bit differently,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and that changes</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the whole trajectory</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of their life,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and in turn, can change the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>trajectory of their family,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of their community,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of their neighborhood.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Sometimes that</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>starts with one group</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Black women in</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a room learning</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>how to change their life</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a little bit at a time</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Lauren] LevelUP leaders,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>you are officially</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>LevelUP graduates.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(group cheering)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(upbeat music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Hello and welcome.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We are the Dorothy</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Cotton Youth Singers,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and we will be</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>singing for you today,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>"Turn the World Around"</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>by Harry Belafonte.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(piano playing lively music)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ We come from the fire, ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>living in the fire ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Go back to the fire, ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>turn the world around ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- Making change is a puzzle</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>made up of the lives of people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who put together the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>pieces of that puzzle</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to make change across time.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Dr.
King got us this far, but</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>there's so much further to go.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I won't say that we</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>have not made progress.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Progress is one thing,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but we need change.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- There's a lot of work to</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>do, but Dr. King's example is,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>even when there's a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>lot of work to do,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the best thing to do is</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>roll up your sleeves</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and do that work.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>We can't just sit</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>on the sidelines.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We can make a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>difference individually,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and it may be small,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but we did something.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Go back to the water, ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>turn the world around ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] As he said,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>the arc of the moral</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>universe is long,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>but it bends toward</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>justice, and having faith</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in that idea is such a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>potent part of his legacy.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We're part of the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>movement towards getting</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to a more just and</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>equitable future.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>♪ Turn the world around ♪</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(piano playing continues)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>(singers clapping)</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- [Joshua] Dr. King's name has</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>been written into the places</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>where we live, but there's</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>so many other people</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>who've shaped history,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>shaped our communities.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- I am part of Albany history.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>What a joy it is to have a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>street named in my honor.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>All of the people who</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>poured into my life,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>while it's my name, I'm a</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>representation of all of them.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- How can a local person</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of modest means have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>such a huge impact,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>such that the city</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>had to acknowledge</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and recognize his contribution?</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>That means that anyone can.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We're calling the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>street Corky Lee Way.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Maybe we should take</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a look at his way.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- We still have</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>a long way to go</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to achieve justice</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>in our country,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>let alone in New York State.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>For me, everything is at stake.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Our children are at stake.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Our future is at stake.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>- All of us have a right</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to shape the communities</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>that we live in,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>shape their future,</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>and the form that they take.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>Looking to stories</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>like the story</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>of Dr. King helps give us the</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>view from the mountaintop.</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>The most powerful thing we're</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>doing is taking his invitation</font></b> <b><font color=#AAAAAAFF>to reexamine what's possible.</font></b>
NY State Celebrates Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr 2024: Preview
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Preview: Special | 30s | A tribute to the life and legacy of Dr. King by the citizens of New York State. (30s)
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