The Century, America's Time: Poisoned Dreams (2 of 3)

Summary

This script recounts the Cuban Missile Crisis, highlighting the tense standoff between the US and the Soviet Union, and its potential to trigger a global war. It also delves into the Civil Rights Movement, showcasing the struggles and sacrifices of activists like James Baldwin, Martin Luther King Jr., and the Freedom Riders, emphasizing their fight for racial equality and justice.

Takeaways

• 🌐 The script discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis, highlighting the tense 13-day standoff between the US and the Soviet Union over nuclear missiles in Cuba.
• 🚀 President Kennedy and his advisors viewed the crisis as a superpower confrontation, ultimately leading to a policy that any missile launched from Cuba would be seen as an attack by the Soviet Union.
• 🛡️ The US military was put on high alert, and a naval blockade was established around Cuba to prevent the delivery of offensive weapons.
• 🛳️ Amidst global tension, Soviet ships eventually turned back, leading to the withdrawal of missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba.
• 🔥 The script also touches on the Civil Rights Movement, describing the racial segregation and the struggle for equality in the United States during the 1960s.
• 🚌 The Freedom Riders, a group of activists, challenged segregation by riding buses into the Deep South, facing violent reactions and arrests.
• 🎓 The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was highlighted as a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the role of young people in the fight for racial equality.
• 🔒 The Albany campaign and the Birmingham campaign were mentioned as significant efforts in the Civil Rights Movement, despite facing violent resistance and ultimately failing to immediately change the law.
• 📰 The Birmingham campaign, in particular, gained national and international attention due to the brutal tactics used by law enforcement, including the use of dogs and fire hoses against protesters.
• 🌈 The March on Washington in 1963, where Martin Luther King Jr. delivered his famous 'I Have a Dream' speech, was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, drawing a massive crowd and highlighting the call for racial equality.

Q & A

What was the primary reason for the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The Cuban Missile Crisis was triggered by the Soviet Union placing nuclear missiles in Cuba, which the United States saw as a direct threat and demanded their removal.

How did President Kennedy respond to the Cuban Missile Crisis?

President Kennedy responded by placing the US military on the highest alert, initiating a naval blockade around Cuba, and demanding the removal of the missiles. He also declared that any missile launched from Cuba would be treated as an attack by the Soviet Union.

What was the 'quarantine' mentioned in the script?

The 'quarantine' referred to a naval blockade set up by the US Navy around Cuba to prevent any ships carrying offensive weapons from reaching the island.

How long did the Cuban Missile Crisis last?

The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for 13 days in October.

What was the outcome of the Cuban Missile Crisis?

The crisis ended with the Soviet Union agreeing to withdraw the missiles from Cuba in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba.

What was James Baldwin's perspective on being a negro in the United States in 1961?

James Baldwin described being a negro in the United States as a constant state of rage, highlighting the deep-seated racial divide and the separate worlds of black and white.

What was the significance of the Freedom Riders in the Civil Rights Movement?

The Freedom Riders were activists who rode public buses into the Deep South to challenge segregation in bus stations, despite facing significant violence and resistance. Their actions helped to pressure the Kennedy administration to enforce desegregation laws.

What was the role of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) in the Civil Rights Movement?

The SNCC was a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement, particularly known for its young members who were willing to take risks and engage in nonviolent protest, including filling up jails to challenge the system.

What was the Albany campaign in the Civil Rights Movement?

The Albany campaign was an effort in Albany, Georgia, where civil rights activists, including SNCC, attempted to desegregate the city. Despite mass arrests, the campaign ultimately failed to achieve its goals.

What was the impact of the Birmingham campaign on the Civil Rights Movement?

The Birmingham campaign was a pivotal moment in the Civil Rights Movement, where the violent response of local law enforcement to peaceful protests, including the use of dogs and fire hoses, drew national and international attention to the struggle for racial equality.

What was the significance of the March on Washington in 1963?

The March on Washington was a massive demonstration calling for civil and economic rights for African Americans. It featured Martin Luther King Jr.'s iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech, which helped to galvanize support for the civil rights cause.

Outlines

00:00

🌐 Cuban Missile Crisis and Superpower Confrontation

The first paragraph discusses the Cuban Missile Crisis, a pivotal moment in the Cold War where the United States and the Soviet Union faced off over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba. The U.S., under President Kennedy, viewed this as a direct threat and a test of superpower dominance. The U.S. military was put on high alert, and a naval blockade was established around Cuba to prevent further missile deliveries. The world held its breath as Soviet ships approached the blockade line, heightening tensions. Ultimately, the crisis was resolved when the Soviet Union agreed to withdraw the missiles in exchange for a U.S. pledge not to invade Cuba. This event underscored the dangers of nuclear warfare and the importance of diplomatic resolutions to such crises.

05:00

🚌 Freedom Riders and the Civil Rights Movement

The second paragraph delves into the Civil Rights Movement, focusing on the courageous actions of the Freedom Riders who challenged racial segregation in the American South. These activists, many of them young, risked their lives to integrate public facilities and challenge the status quo. The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) played a significant role, organizing young people to engage in nonviolent protests and civil disobedience. The movement faced violent resistance, as seen in the firebombing of a Freedom Riders' bus and the brutal beatings in Birmingham. Despite the risks, the Freedom Riders and other activists persisted, using songs and prayer as a form of resistance and communication, ultimately contributing to the push for racial equality and the eventual passage of civil rights legislation.

10:00

🔊 Martin Luther King Jr. and the March on Washington

The third paragraph highlights the leadership and impact of Reverend Martin Luther King Jr., particularly during the Birmingham campaign and the March on Washington. Dr. King's strategy involved enlisting school children in the fight for civil rights, leading to mass arrests and international attention. The brutal tactics used by law enforcement, including the use of dogs and fire hoses, were broadcasted worldwide, sparking outrage and sympathy. The March on Washington in 1963, where Dr. King delivered his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech, was a pivotal moment that galvanized support for civil rights and demonstrated the power of peaceful protest. The speech, which called for racial equality and justice, resonated deeply with the American public and remains a symbol of the struggle for civil rights.

Keywords

💡Cuban Missile Crisis

The Cuban Missile Crisis was a 13-day confrontation in October 1962 between the United States and the Soviet Union over Soviet ballistic missiles deployed in Cuba. It is considered the closest the Cold War came to escalating into a full-scale nuclear war. In the video script, this crisis is used to illustrate the tense superpower confrontation and the potential for catastrophic conflict, highlighting the theme of global security and the delicate balance of power.

💡Superpower Confrontation

Superpower confrontation refers to the intense political, military, and ideological struggles between the world's most powerful nations, particularly during the Cold War era. In the context of the video, it is exemplified by the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the US and the Soviet Union were at odds over the placement of nuclear missiles in Cuba. This concept is crucial in understanding the broader theme of international relations and the risks associated with nuclear arms.

💡Quarantine

In the video script, 'quarantine' refers to the naval blockade imposed by the United States around Cuba during the Cuban Missile Crisis. The US Navy was ordered to turn back any ships bound for Cuba that might carry offensive weapons. This action was a significant part of the US strategy to force the Soviet Union to remove its missiles from Cuba, demonstrating the use of economic and military pressure in international disputes.

💡Civil Rights Movement

The Civil Rights Movement was a decades-long struggle for social justice and equality for African Americans in the United States, particularly in the mid-20th century. The video script mentions the movement in relation to racial segregation and discrimination, highlighting key events such as the Freedom Rides and the March on Washington. This movement is central to the video's theme of social justice and the fight against racial inequality.

💡Freedom Riders

Freedom Riders were civil rights activists who rode interstate buses into the segregated southern United States in 1961 to challenge the non-enforcement of the United States Supreme Court decisions which ruled that segregated public buses were unconstitutional. The video script describes their bravery and the violence they faced, emphasizing the courage required to challenge racial segregation and the risks involved in the struggle for civil rights.

💡Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC)

The SNCC was a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement, formed in 1960. The video script highlights its role in mobilizing young people for nonviolent protests and its strategy of filling up jails to challenge the system of segregation. The SNCC's activities are an example of the grassroots efforts that characterized the movement and its impact on social change.

💡Jim Crow Laws

Jim Crow Laws were state and local laws that enforced racial segregation in the Southern United States. The video script references these laws in the context of personal experiences of discrimination, such as being forced to sit in the back of the bus or being denied entry to public facilities. These laws are emblematic of the systemic racism that the Civil Rights Movement sought to dismantle.

💡Racial Segregation

Racial segregation is the systematic separation of people into different groups based on race. The video script discusses the pervasive nature of segregation in the United States, particularly in the South, and the efforts of the Civil Rights Movement to end this practice. Segregation is a central theme in the video, illustrating the deep-rooted social and legal structures that perpetuated racial inequality.

💡Martin Luther King Jr.

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. was a pivotal leader in the Civil Rights Movement, known for his role in the advancement of civil rights using nonviolent civil disobedience based on his Christian beliefs. The video script mentions his arrest during the Birmingham campaign and his iconic 'I Have a Dream' speech, which encapsulates the aspirations of the movement and its impact on American society.

💡March on Washington

The March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom was a mass protest held in Washington, D.C., on August 28, 1963. The video script describes the event as a significant moment in the Civil Rights Movement, where more than 200,000 people gathered to hear speeches, including Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech. This event is highlighted in the video as a demonstration of unity and a call for racial equality.

💡Nuclear Weapons

Nuclear weapons are powerful weapons that derive their destructive force from nuclear reactions. In the video script, the discussion of nuclear weapons is primarily in the context of the Cuban Missile Crisis, where the threat of nuclear war was very real. The concept is tied to the theme of global security and the potential catastrophic consequences of superpower conflicts.

Highlights

The Cuban Missile Crisis lasted for 13 days in October, highlighting the superpower confrontation between the US and the Soviet Union.

President Kennedy and his advisers strategized to compel the Soviets to remove nuclear missiles from Cuba.

The US declared any nuclear missile launched from Cuba as an attack by the Soviet Union, necessitating a full retaliatory response.

The US military was put on the highest alert level, Death Condition 2, during the crisis.

A naval blockade was ordered around Cuba to prevent the delivery of offensive weapons.

Soviet ships approached the quarantine line, creating intense global tension as the world watched.

The Cuban Missile Crisis was resolved when the Soviet leader agreed to withdraw missiles in exchange for a US pledge not to invade Cuba.

James Baldwin's 1961 writings underscored the rage and division between the black and white worlds in America.

The Civil Rights Movement in the early 1960s was led by young people fighting for racial equality.

Freedom Riders integrated bus stations in the deep south, facing violent resistance and arrests.

The Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC) was a key organization in the Civil Rights Movement, emphasizing the role of young people.

The Albany campaign in Georgia saw over 500 young people arrested in the fight against segregation.

The Birmingham campaign was marked by extreme violence and resistance to desegregation.

Martin Luther King Jr. was arrested during the Birmingham campaign, highlighting his leadership in the Civil Rights Movement.

The use of children in the Birmingham campaign brought international attention and shame to the violent tactics used against protesters.

The March on Washington in 1963 was a pivotal event with over 200,000 attendees, demonstrating broad support for civil rights.

Martin Luther King Jr.'s 'I Have a Dream' speech at the March on Washington inspired and mobilized the nation towards racial equality.

The Civil Rights Movement's tactics, such as filling jails and using nonviolent resistance, were designed to disrupt the status quo and force change.

Transcripts

reason to show that we are great power

and we will protect all our allies and

if anybody will try to fight against our

Alles that will mean beginning of the

third world war the Cuban Missile Crisis

would last for 13 days that October the

president and his most trusted advisers

try to figure out how to get kof to

remove the missiles from

Cuba as far as the president was

concerned this was a superpower

confrontation it was the Soviets who put

nuclear missiles in Cuba it was the

Soviets who would have to remove them it

shall be the policy of this nation to

regard any nuclear missile launched from

Cuba against Any Nation in the Western

Hemisphere as an attack by the Soviet

Union on the United States requiring a

full reatory response on the Soviet

Union the US military was put on the

maximum level of alert death con

2 the president ordered the Navy to

mount a blockade around

Cuba All Ships of any kind Bound for

Cuba from whatever Nation or Port where

they found to contain caros of offensive

weapons be turned back this quarantine

will be extended if needed to other

types of cargo and carriers

for 72 hours the world watched and

waited as Soviet ships approached the

quarantine

line they kept coming they kept coming

they kept coming they kept coming so

there would these days of incredible

tension millions of Americans believed

uh that they were about to

die we literally sat and talked about

the fact that we were living then out in

the Wilds of New Jersey uh and were we

far away from New York City to

survive I remember I remember that

really being a terrifying

[Music]

moment I was at myyu at the

time and the the

professor uh was sitting there and he

looked up at the W the clock on the wall

and he goes well they'll be meeting

about

now they're meeting now so we'll just

have to wait and there was like deep

silence and nothing happened you

know was deep

breath and then the Soviet premere

ordered his ships to turn

[Music]

back in the end the Soviet leader agreed

to withdraw the missiles in return for a

US pledge not to invade

Cuba there isn't going to be any

learning curve with respect to nuclear

weapons you make a mistake with respect

to a decision to use nuclear weapons

you're going to destroy

Nations both kusf and Kennedy realized

how close they'd

come and they were determined to avoid

that in the

[Music]

future in 1961 the author James Baldwin

wrote to be a negro in this country and

to be relatively

is to be in a rage all the

[Music]

time it was two worlds a black world and

a white

world as a young child I remember very

well seeing the signs and and I resented

it if you went to the Dairy

Queen white people would go in and sit

down you got your ice cream at a window

I never a bus because I knew I'd have to

sit in the back I uh didn't go downtown

to the movie theaters because I had have

to sit in the Jim Crow Gallery I

remember on one occasion I tried to go

to the county library and we couldn't

even go in and check out of a book that

did not change until the civil rights

movement in the early 1960s young people

would take the lead in the battle for

racial

equality federal courts had ruled that

segregated waiting areas in bus stations

were illegal but the law was not being

enforced to pressure the Kennedy

administration to intervene activist

rode public buses into the deep south to

integrate the

facilities outside of Aniston Alabama

the bus carrying the first group of

self-proclaimed Freedom Riders was

firebombed by the time the freedom ride

started there was a realization that

some of us would have to die

and that we should not fear death and we

liken this very much to military service

that if you serve your country in the

military you might lose your life we

were serving our country at

[Music]

home we knew that this was a very

dangerous Mission but we felt we had a

moral obligation um and a mandate to to

make this trip John Lewis then a student

leader was a freedom rer on a bus that

arrived in Montgomery

Alabama the very moment we started down

the steps a mob out of nowhere people by

the hundreds came out with baseball bats

Stones chains and start beating

us was hit in ah head with a wooden

crate that was left line un conscience

in a pool of

blood I thought I was going to die

many of the young people in the Civil

Rights Movement United in an

organization called the Student

Nonviolent Coordinating Committee Snick

Snick is special because we are young

we're 17 18 19 20 21y old most of us

have dropped out of school so we're no

longer students but we don't have

mortgages we don't have car payments we

don't have families we don't have

husbands and wives and children so we

can do these things and because we're

young we're also foolish

and we're willing to take

risk we wanted to create a mass movement

we wanted to get hundreds and thousands

of people involved we had been talking

about developing a a nonviolent Army

that would be prepared to go into a

community be arrested Court arrest and

so forth break down that fear of jail as

a weapon and also break down the

infrastructure of the local area by

filling up their

jails all right let's stop it right here

it was a tactic that Snick took to

Albany

Georgia anybody who found the

courage to be involved could be

involved in the first weeks of the

Albany campaign more than 500 young

people were

arrested once you get in jail it's a

sobering

experience because jail is not like a

rally and jail is was not like a March

some people would get into jail they

would clang those doors and they would

actually cry and then there would be

people who felt that we're in jail and

we need to pray then there were

teenagers who want to do rock and roll

or they were talking about their

[Music]

boyfriends and it was in jail where I

began to be asked to sing a lot to go

keep your eyes on a prize hold on Paul

and Silas begin to shout jail door open

and they walked out keep your eyes on if

you're in the movement all of the

singing is one way of being heard and

announcing your presence you can't sing

a song without producing power and you

will often see people singing in the

face of police

if I sing you stand in my

s in Al Georgia we forced the jails open

by

numbers and they could not stop us from

singing and

praying the movement was energized but

the law did not change the 9mth effort

to desegregate AL Georgia

failed the next major campaign was

fought on even tougher

ground it was probably the most violent

and

vicious racist City in the

South there had been 60 bombings of

black people's homes in Birmingham and

61 and

62 one target for the movement in

Birmingham was to desegregate the

schools Alabama's Governor George

Wallace had promised that would stay

white and I say segregation now

segregation tomorrow and segregation

forever our demonstrations in Birmingham

were usually simply marches to the

courthouse or to City Hall and we almost

never got more than two blocks from the

church and then we were

arrested day after today hundreds of

demonstrators filled the Birmingham

jails among those arrested was the

organizer of the Birmingham campaign the

Reverend Martin Luther King Jr by then

he was the acknowledged leader of the

entire Civil Rights Movement my heroes

in the second half of the 20th century

Martin Luther King all of these people

are people who accepted the fact that

they have to put everything online

because if if you don't you're not going

to get anything not in America cuz

America is not going to change only you

can

change as part of the campaign Dr King

enlisted an army of school children aged

6 to

16 after the first day of demonstrations

nearly a thousand of them had been

herded into police vans and sent to

Jail the next day the police changed

their tactics the law enforcement in

Birmingham was headed by one bull Conor

and bull Conor was an oldfashioned lock

them up throw them in jail throw away

the key beat him up put dogs on them

hose them down with fire hoses anything

he could think of to try to stop this

Movement by force he

did I watched the violence in Birmingham

on TV it shocked me to see the dogs

being un leashed on people and it shamed

me this was the front page of every

major newspaper in the world and it told

a story that America was ashamed

of fires of frustration and Discord are

burning in every city north and south

where legal remedies are not at hand

redress is sought in the

streets next week I shall ask the

Congress of the United States to act to

make a commitment it is not fully made

in this Century to the proposition that

race has no place in American life or

law trying to raise Congressional

support for the Kennedy Civil Rights

bill civil rights leaders called for a

March on Washington on August the 28th

1963 more than 200,000 people showed up

[Music]

we knew it was a special day and once I

got there and saw the crowds coming from

All Over America black and white poor

people rich people show business

politicians Martin called it a coalition

of goodwi or Coalition of conscience

that could change the soul of a Nation

on the race

issue this was bringing a mass meeting

into the homes of millions of Americans

who were seeing this thing that I had

seen over and over and over again in

small town churches everywhere seeing

this for the first time and hearing the

oratory of America's Premier order

Martin Luther

[Applause]

King no we are not satisfied and we will

not be satisfied until whose Justice

rolls down like Waters and righteousness

like a mighty

[Applause]

stream I remember thinking when I saw

Martin Luther

King that he was going in his dream to

bring the nation along that he was

irresistible in his call to Mercy and

love I mean that he was absolutely the

most irresistible voice that had ever

been heard I have

[Applause]

dream my poor little

children one they live in a nation where

they will not be judged by the color of

their skin but by the content of their

character I have a dream

to you I was a little young uh I do

remember it Martin Luther King was very

powerful effect on me but it wasn't so

much that I understood what he was

saying but I knew that he stood for me

because I needed somebody to stand for

me we will be able to speed up that day

with all of God children black men and

white men Jews and Gentiles Protestants

and Catholics will be able to join hands

and singing the words of the old Negro

spiritual free at last free at last

thank God Almighty we see