Louisiana Diary (documentary)
Encyclopedia
Louisiana Diary is a documentary film produced and directed by KQED (TV)'s Richard O. Moore
for National Educational Television
in 1963. It was first aired in 1964. Copyright to this film is held by Public Broadcasting Service
TV station WNET
, based in New York City
.
It follows the Congress of Racial Equality
(CORE) from July to August 1963, as they undertake an African American voter registration drive in the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana
(Iberville Parish) and includes scenes of: citizens undergoing mock interrogations at voter education clinics; CORE members canvassing from house to house; civil rights meetings in Baptist Churches; a mass march and vigil; police tear gassing crowds and making arrests; interviews with Ronnie Moore (Field Secretary for CORE in Louisiana) and Mama Joe Homes; a speech by James L. Farmer, Jr.
(National Secretary of CORE) and views of a Plaquemine contingent getting on a bus, heading for the August 28th 1963 civil rights march on Washington, DC. Narrated by Moore, the film adds a postscript that on October 17, 1963, Reverend Joseph Carter became the first African American who successfully registered to vote in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
.
A 16mm answer film print of Louisiana Diary was digitally restored in 2011 by the San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
, which was loaned to them by Moore. The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University
in New Orleans also preserves a 16mm film print of this film.
Richard O. Moore
Richard O. Moore is an American poet associated with Kenneth Rexroth and the San Francisco Renaissance.His earliest poetry was published in 1946 in the magazine Circle. In 1949 he was one of the founders of KPFA, the first listener-supported public radio station in the United States. He continued...
for National Educational Television
National Educational Television
National Educational Television was an American non-commercial educational public television network in the United States from May 16, 1954 to October 4, 1970...
in 1963. It was first aired in 1964. Copyright to this film is held by Public Broadcasting Service
Public Broadcasting Service
The Public Broadcasting Service is an American non-profit public broadcasting television network with 354 member TV stations in the United States which hold collective ownership. Its headquarters is in Arlington, Virginia....
TV station WNET
WNET
WNET, channel 13 is a non-commercial educational public television station licensed to Newark, New Jersey. With its signal covering the New York metropolitan area, WNET is a primary station of the Public Broadcasting Service and a primary provider of PBS programming...
, based in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
It follows the Congress of Racial Equality
Congress of Racial Equality
The Congress of Racial Equality or CORE was a U.S. civil rights organization that originally played a pivotal role for African-Americans in the Civil Rights Movement...
(CORE) from July to August 1963, as they undertake an African American voter registration drive in the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine, Louisiana
Plaquemine is a city in and the parish seat of Iberville Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 7,064 at the 2000 census. It is part of the Baton Rouge Metropolitan Statistical Area....
(Iberville Parish) and includes scenes of: citizens undergoing mock interrogations at voter education clinics; CORE members canvassing from house to house; civil rights meetings in Baptist Churches; a mass march and vigil; police tear gassing crowds and making arrests; interviews with Ronnie Moore (Field Secretary for CORE in Louisiana) and Mama Joe Homes; a speech by James L. Farmer, Jr.
James L. Farmer, Jr.
James Leonard Farmer, Jr. was a civil rights activist and leader in the American Civil Rights Movement. He was the initiator and organizer of the 1961 Freedom Ride, which eventually led to the desegregation of inter-state transportation in the United States.In 1942, Farmer co-founded the Committee...
(National Secretary of CORE) and views of a Plaquemine contingent getting on a bus, heading for the August 28th 1963 civil rights march on Washington, DC. Narrated by Moore, the film adds a postscript that on October 17, 1963, Reverend Joseph Carter became the first African American who successfully registered to vote in West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
West Feliciana Parish, Louisiana
-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 15,111 people, 3,645 households, and 2,704 families residing in the parish. The population density was 37 people per square mile . There were 4,485 housing units at an average density of 11 per square mile...
.
A 16mm answer film print of Louisiana Diary was digitally restored in 2011 by the San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive
The San Francisco Bay Area Television Archive is a regional moving image archive located in downtown San Francisco. It preserves and digitally restores 16mm newsfilm, documentaries and other shows produced by TV stations in Northern California , local Emmy Award winning programs and privately...
, which was loaned to them by Moore. The Amistad Research Center at Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans also preserves a 16mm film print of this film.