Category Archives: Boston

James Brown and ‘the day after’

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Much of the nation awoke on April 5, 1968, sad and worried. Sad because Martin Luther King had been shot and what that reflected about America, worried both about the long-term future of race relations and the immediate possibility of civil unrest. The summer of 1967 had been marked by more than 150 “riots” across the country, and many, probably most, thought the assassination of the civil rights leader would elevate anger throughout the country to dangerous levels.

Boston Globe photo

The day in the Boston area was marked by essentially peaceful marches, demonstrations, and ceremonies, many on a small scale, some on a large scale. The Boston Globe ( BGlobe_MLK_040668 ) reported that about 5,000 people, mostly white, marched from the Boston Common to Post Office Square downtown to listen to speeches. Another 5,000 people attended services in Marsh Chapel Plaza at Boston University, where Dr. King had studied. And thousands of Boston school children attended services in their schools.

There was still a high level of anxiety. Classmate Anne Waytola Bishop was a nursing student on a regular assignment at the Harvard Street Health Center in Mattapan that day. “The School (of Nursing) sent a cab to pick me up and bring me back to campus. I remember naively thinking, Why? I had just been out on a home visit. How could I be in danger? I was just sad.”

The day was peaceful, but what about the night? Soul singer James Brown was scheduled to perform in the Boston Garden that night. Frantic negotiations took place among Boston police and city officials, including Mayor Kevin White; Brown’s representatives; and WGBH Channel 2, Boston’s “educational” channel during the day. It was agreed that Brown’s performance would be televised by Channel 2. That way, a lot of people might stay in their homes to watch and not be out on the street. I remember watching the telecast at the Tam O’Shanter Room in Brookline. Who else remembers watching that night?

There is a documentary about all that. It’s entitled “The Night James Brown Saved Boston.” It’s full length — just under an hour and 15 minutes — but it is a comprehensive, valuable, and moving look back at what was a momentous night and could have been a tragic night. There are talking heads . . . talking . . . (I believe it was made in 2008 for VH1), but also lots of contemporary film, showing Mayor White and other local luminaries, as well as, of course, segments of the performance. There are some elements that sound “jarring,” just because they sound “incorrect.” The WGBH announcer, in a tone familiar to those who listened to the Boston Symphony broadcasts, referred to the upcoming concert “by Negro singer Jimmy Brown and his group.” It is definitely worth watching. (If you click on the title at upper left, you’ll see it on YouTube.)

Classmate Carmine Sarno was at the Garden that night. “Honest to God, I was there. I had four tickets, but I could not get anyone to join me. Three tickets died in my pocket. It was a great concert. James Brown was a favorite of mine. We had great entertainers at that time. I went alone. There was one other white face there — Mayor White.”

The televised concert tactic pretty much worked. Boston was among the few major cities not to suffer unrest. (Other channels in other cities might also have broadcast the concert, but this was before the Public Broadcasting Service [PBS].) More than 100 cities saw unrest following the assassination, with the most significant damage occurring in Chicago, Baltimore, and Washington, D.C.

Army troops patrol damaged areas of Washington, D.C.

In Washington, President Johnson dispatched 13,600 federal troops to assist the District’s police force. Marines mounted machine guns on the steps of the Capitol and Army troops guarded the White House. At one point, on April 5, rioting reached within two blocks of the White House. The District imposed a curfew and banned the sale of alcohol and guns in the city. By the time the city was considered pacified on Sunday, April 8, some 1,200 buildings had been burned, including more than 900 stores. Damages reached $27 million.

The Heights came out on Tuesday, April 9. Campus events marking the death of Dr. King were to occur that day. We’ll have a post about that on the 9th.

“Every little breeze . . .”

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The Boston mayoralty election in fall 1967 was one of the codas to the tumultuous “Summer of 1967.” There had been the more than 150 riots in American cities, protests against the war in Vietnam, the “summer of love” in San Francisco. At BC, there had been excitement among their many fans about the Red Sox run to the pennant and World Series, but there was also excitement . . . and concern . . . about local politics.

Young Republicans speedily escort Kevin White (left). Sub Turri photo

The opponents for mayor that fall were Massachusetts Secretary of State Kevin White (BC Law ’55) and Louise Day Hicks, chairwoman of the Boston School Committee, famous and infamous for provocative statements about race. Hicks was a populist, pledging a “Boston for Bostonians.” Her campaign slogan was the simple and effective “You know where I stand.” It was unclear that White could beat her. To a lot of people, it seemed the election would determine Boston’s future. A recent Boston Globe article looked back at that election.

And BC was involved.

In mid-October 1967, both White and Hicks appeared on campus on the same day and approximately the same time. While both candidates were Democrats, White had been invited by BC’s Young Republicans and Hicks by the campus Young Democrats. A Heights article from October 20 reported on the “BC politicos squawk.” Young Republicans had received permission from BC’s Director of Student Affairs Carl Kowalski to have White appear. Kowalski, citing BC policy not to have opposing candidates appear the same day/time unless in debate, denied the Young Democrats’ request regarding Hicks. Despite the ruling, fliers announced the Hicks appearance.

Then it got interesting.

Louise Day Hicks receives a plaque from the BC Young Democrats.

Some Boston media reported in the following days that BC had named Hicks as “Woman of the Year” during her appearance. The press photo above shows the late Robert McNulty CBA’68, chairman of the BC Young Democrats, presenting an award to her that day and, best I can tell, it says, under “Boston College,” Woman of the Year 1967″ and “Louise Day Hicks.” There are seals above and below, but I can’t tell if either is the University seal. Any mention of the award being from BC’s Young Democrats seems quite small.

An October 27 Heights article reported that the Campus Council had voted to censure the executive committee of the Young Democrats “for awarding Mrs. Louise Day Hicks ‘what appeared to be the Boston College Woman of the Year Award.'” The Young Dems chair refused to comment, but Young Republicans chair Bill Henri A&S’68 criticized the council’s action in the absence of notice of the action and any defense from the Young Democrats. Letters to the editor in the same issue condemned the action of the Young Democrats.

On November 7, 1967, Boston elected Kevin White mayor by 12,000 votes, giving him 53 percent to 47 percent for Hicks. He served as mayor for three additional terms, for a total of 16 years, 1968-84.

 

Sox win!?

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If summer 1967 was the “”Summer of Love” in San Francisco, it was also when “The Impossible Dream” almost came true in Boston. Today, 50 years ago, after a season of high ups and low downs, the Red Sox beat the Minnesota Twins in the final game of the regular season to move ahead of the Twins in the standings. They needed, however, a loss by the Detroit Tigers that day to take first place.

Red Sox players and many thousands of fans throughout New England listened to the Detroit game on the radio. The Tigers lost . . . and the Red Sox sat atop the American League for the first time since 1946 (the year in which most members of the BC Class of 1968 were born). No playoffs then. Boston would play St. Louis in the World Series.

Spoiler alert: the Red Sox lost. They took the Cardinals to Game 7, losing 7-2 at Fenway Park on October 12. The series ended less than 2 weeks after the end of the regular season.

Yaz celebrating.

(Yesterday, the 2017 Red Sox clinched the American League Eastern Division title. They will play in the American League Divisional Series and, if they win, move to the American League Championship Series before any chance of the World Series. Game One of the World Series is to take place October 24, more than 3 weeks after the end of the regular season. If a Game Seven is needed, it is to happen on November 1. In addition to a shorter post-season in 1967, the game themselves were shorter. Six of the 7 games in the 1967 World Series were over in less than 2 1/2 hours. The 6th game went 2:48.)

There were a lot of stars and fan favorites on the Red Sox that year . . . and then there was Yaz. Named most valuable player in the American League, left fielder Carl Yastrzemski, 28, won the “triple crown,” leading the American League in batting average (.326), home runs (44), and runs batted in (121). Jim Lonborg, who won 22 games pitching, was the AL Cy Young Award winner. Yastrzemski and George Scott (1st base) won Golden Gloves.

Many classmates, I imagine, remember that baseball season intensely. It was a tumultuous summer in lots of ways besides baseball, and the Red Sox season offered an opportunity for positive passion.

The Boston Globe offers a multimedia recollection of that season.