The Negro and the American Promise

Part of Changing the Picture, sponsored by Time Warner Inc.


Produced by WGBH, Boston. 1963, 59 mins. 16mm. Hosted by Dr. Kenneth Clark. With Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, James Baldwin. An amazing historical artifact featuring thoughtful back-to-back interviews with Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, and James Baldwin, The Negro and the American Promise is an hour-long public television special that aired in June, 1963, just months after Alabama governor George Wallace announced his support of “segregation forever” and months before the March on Washington and King’s “I Have a Dream” speech. In his interview, King says “The Negro is making it palpably clear that he wants all of his rights, that he wants them here, and that he wants them now.” Malcolm X questions King’s support of integration, saying “complete separation is the only solution to the black-and-white problem in this country.” Baldwin praises King’s civil rights campaign, but fears that Southern resistance will prevail, calling instead “to find some way of putting the present administration of this country on the spot.” This rarely seen program will be presented in an archival film print from the Indiana University Film Archive.

Free with Museum admission on a first-come, first-served basis. Museum members may reserve tickets in advance by calling 718 777 6800. For more information about becoming a Museum member and to join online, please click here.