At Canaan's Edge (115 page)

FBI communications were sifting: SAC, Chicago, Teletype to Director, March 6, 1965, FK-950; McGowan to Rosen, March 6, 1965, FK-970; Branigan to Sullivan, March 7, 1965, FK-1011.

“some sort of power struggle”: Raines,
Soul,
pp. 423–25.

wore a new athletic supporter: Ibid., pp. 416–17.

lifting some details into lore: Fager,
Selma, 1965,
pp. 93, 241; Lewis,
Walking,
p. 326; int. Bob Mants, Sept. 8, 2000.

unnerving new sights and sounds: STJ, March 8, 1965, p. 2; Webb and Nelson,
Selma, Lord, Selma,
p. 94; int. Bob Mants, Sept. 8, 2000.

“It would be detrimental to your safety”: Part 1, Episode 6 of the PBS documentary
Eyes on the Prize,
produced by Blackside Productions, Inc.

“high-water pants”: Int. Bob Mants, Sept. 8, 2000.

With nightsticks held chest high: Part 1, Episode 6 of the PBS documentary
Eyes on the Prize,
produced by Blackside Productions, Inc.; NYT, March 8, 1965, p. 1; Fager,
Selma, 1965,
pp. 93–94; Lewis,
Walking,
pp. 326–28.

fired by Sheriff Clark himself: Raines,
Soul,
p. 221.

the cloud of tear gas from canister and spray: Part 1, Episode 6 of the PBS documentary
Eyes on the Prize,
produced by Blackside Productions, Inc.

Lafayette Surney was describing the departure: WATS report, “Selma, March 7, 1965,” Reel 15, SNCC.

Diane Nash's efforts to extricate the blockaded medical teams: “The Saga of Selma: A Tape Recording by ESCRU,” transcript, p. 1, JDC; ESCRU newsletter, March 14, 1965, p. 5; int. James Bevel, Dec. 10, 1998; int. Diane Nash, Oct. 26, 1997; Andrew Young remarks on Volume I, Segment 6 of the PBS documentary
Eyes on the Prize,
produced by Blackside Productions, Inc.

around the wide-area telephone service phone receiver: Int. Fay Bellamy, Oct. 29, 1991; int. Ivanhoe Donaldson, Oct. 30, 2000; int. James Forman, Feb. 13, 2001.

Many clung to the bridge railing: Int. Frank Soracco, Sept. 12–14, 1990; int. Bob Mants, Sept. 8, 2000; int. Cleophus Hobbs, Sept. 6, 2000.

hollered for Hosea Williams: Webb and Nelson,
Selma, Lord, Selma,
p. 97.

Surney, a young movement veteran from Ruleville, Mississippi: Dittmer,
Local People,
p. 137; Payne,
Light,
p. 169.

Dr. Moldovan and two nurses broke away: NYT, March 8, 1965, p. 20.

The heavy gas curled thickly: Warren Hinckle and David Walsh, “Five Battles of Selma,”
Ramparts,
June 1965, pp. 27–28.

Moore and Boynton rode into Selma: Robinson,
Bridge,
pp. 254–56; Silora,
Judge,
pp. 204–5; int. Bernard Lafayette, May 29, 1990.

By 3:30
P.M.
: SAC, Mobile, Teletype to Director, March 7, 1965, FDCA-502, p. 4.

attacked stragglers in a frenzy: Fager,
Selma, 1965,
pp. 94–95; Garrow,
Bearing,
p. 399.

troopers threw one teenager: Garrow,
Protest,
p. 76.

John Webb cried with his shotgun: Webb and Nelson,
Selma, Lord, Selma,
p. 98.

Frank Soracco did not stop running: Ibid., pp. 100–101; int. Frank Soracco, Sept. 12–14, 1990.

confronted the sheriff in front of reporters: Raines,
Soul,
pp. 221–22.

“I've already waited a month”: STJ, March 8, 1965, p. 2.

“I've never seen anything like it”: WATS report, “Selma, March 7, 1965,” Reel 15, SNCC, p. 2.

“We have a problem”: Ibid. The SNCC worker reporting from Selma was Willie Emma Scott.

Leaders ventured outside: Raines,
Soul,
p. 222; Horne,
Fire,
pp. 356–57; Young and Bevel remarks on Part 1, Episode 6 of the PBS documentary
Eyes on the Prize,
produced by Blackside Productions, Inc.

“Johnson Asks Congress”: STJ, March 8, 1965, p. 1.

“Members of the posse beat”: Ibid., p. 2.

“Negroes lay on the floors”: NYT, March 8, 1965, p. 20.

fifty-eight of them occupied every surface: SAC, Mobile, Teletype to Director, March 7, 1965, FDCA-480; Warren Hinckle and David Walsh, “Five Battles of Selma,”
Ramparts,
June 1965, p. 28.

Burwell Infirmary: Report on Burwell Infirmary, Selma, Alabama, by Margaret Hatch, May 11, 1965, RSP1.

lacerations and broken bones: SAC, Mobile, Teletype to Director, March 7, 1965, FDCA-480.

more suffering from tear gas: Lewis,
Walking,
p. 331.

“Tear gas—that's the baddest thing”: WATS report, “Selma, March 7, 1965,” Reel 15, SNCC, p. 2.

SNCC headquarters swarmed: “Report on Selma 3/7/65,” Reel 5, SNCC, pp. 1–6.

two bulletins by 5:30
P.M.
: Press release 5:30
P.M
. EST and “Information on Today's Brutality in Selma, Alabama,” 6:30
P.M
. EST, March 7, 1965, Reel 37, SNCC.

Forman hired a second emergency charter flight: Int. Kwame Ture (Stokely Carmichael), Jan. 31, 1984; int. Ivanhoe Donaldson, Nov. 30, 2000.

“misstatements and distortions”: “Report on Selma 3/7/65,” Reel 5, SNCC, p. 6.

“I'm just curious”: Dialogue from MGM film
Judgment at Nuremberg
(1961), directed by Stanley Kramer, written by Abby Mann, starring Spencer Tracy, Burt Lancaster, Richard Widmark, Judy Garland, Maximilian Schell, Montgomery Clift, and Marlene Dietrich.

Frank Reynolds broke in upon this film conversation: Carter,
Politics,
p. 248; Garrow,
Bearing,
p. 399.

shortly after nine o'clock: Garrow,
Protest,
p. 78.

social dinner at the White House: PDD, March 7, 1965, LBJ. Dinner guests were Mr. and Mrs. William S. White, Congressman and Mrs. Jack Brooks, Congressman J. J. Pickle, Clark Clifford, and Mr. and Mrs. Jack Valenti.

“the cauldron is boiling”: Johnson,
Diary,
p. 248.

touched Red Beach 2 at 9:03
P.M.
: Shulimson and Shulimson,
Marines,
p. 12.

Squad leader Garry Parsons: AP story on Marine landing, STJ, March 8, 1965, p. 2.

“a renewed march from Selma to Montgomery”: MLK press release 8:30
P.M.
, March 7, 1965, A/KS8.

“Mr. President, I understand”: Rev. F. D. Reese int. by Larry D. Vasser, March 13, 1978, for the Alabama Historical Commission, BIR.

preaching perseverance to a mass meeting of 450: Mobile LHM, March 12, 1965, FDCA-565, pp. 7–8; Webb and Nelson,
Selma, Lord, Selma,
pp. 105–7.

6: THE CALL

“He Reveals Plans”: NYT, March 8, 1965, p. 1.

“King Calls for Another Try”: WP, March 8, 1965, p. 1.

President Johnson made his first call: PDD, March 8, 1965, LBJ.

“I didn't give the arrests any publicity”: LBJ phone call with Attorney General Nicholas Katzenbach, 8:10
A.M.
, March 8, 1965, Cit. 7029-30, Audiotape WH6503.03, LBJ.

“the most notorious liar”: Garrow,
FBI,
pp. 121–22; Branch,
Pillar,
p. 526.

mistaken FBI agent Dan Doyle: STJ, March 8, 1965, p. 2.

considered Hoover to be actively senile: Int. Nicholas Katzenbach, June 14, 1991.

Picket lines sprang up: NYT, March 9, 1965, p. 1.

their leader emerged to tell reporters: STJ, March 9, 1965, p. 2; int. Rev. Jefferson Rogers, July 17, 2001.

“It did not take the Attorney General long”: Ibid.

“Our basic difficulty is we have no communication”: LBJ phone call with Senator Lister Hill, 4:24
P.M.
, March 8, 1965, Cit. 7039, Audiotape WH6503.04, LBJ.

“You can't trust him”: LBJ phone call with Buford Ellington, 8:29
A.M.
, March 8, 1965,

Cit. 7031-32, Audiotape WH6503.03, LBJ.

“This fella's sent out wires all over the United States”: LBJ phone call with Senator Lister Hill, 4:24
P.M.
, March 8, 1965, Cit. 7039, Audiotape WH6503.04, LBJ.

“ministers' march to Montgomery”: ESCRU newsletter, March 14, 1965, p. 5. Text of telegram cf. MLK to Rev. Arthur Walmsley, March 8, 1965, RSP2.

ten church executives vowed: NYT, March 9, 1965, p. 1.

with its own press release: NCC, Commission on Religion and Race, press release, March 8, 1965, RSP2.

astonished Catholics rushed: Int. Matthew Ahmann, Feb. 12, 1991.

“Sister Cecilia, do you want”: Warren Hinckle and David Walsh, “Five Battles of Selma,”
Ramparts,
June 1965, pp. 36–37.

“recognized ecumenical activity”: Memo from the Presiding Bishop, “Re: Executive Council involvement in the Selma-Montgomery March,” RSP2.

“a foolish business and a sad waste of time”: Shattuck,
Episcopalians,
p. 154.

made room on the floor for Harris Wofford: Wofford,
Kennedys and Kings,
pp. 178–79.

revolving picket line of outside clergy: Int. Robert Stone, June 3, 1993; int. Metz Rollins, Dec. 13, 1991; Branch,
Pillar,
pp. 214–24.

Robert McAfee Brown hastily arranged: Friedland,
Lift Up,
p. 122; int. Robert McAfee Brown, July 17, 1991.

ran into an AME Zion minister: Int. Israel Seymour Dresner, July 31, 1991.

handfuls of pioneer clergy: Branch,
Parting,
pp. 630–31, 785; Branch,
Pillar,
pp. 340, 354–56.

Scattered veterans of the movement: Int. Virgil Wood, Aug. 2, 1994. 62 “Pack your bags”: Frady,
Jesse,
p. 189.

soon said goodbye to her husband: Statement of Barbara Krasner, March 18, 1965, A/SN94.

More than a hundred Unitarian leaders: Howlett,
Greater,
p. 199.

modified his prior interpretation: Eagles,
Outside Agitator,
pp. 26–27.

“He hath scattered the proud”: Luke 1:51–52.

“decisive, luminous, Spirit-filled”: Untitled student paper by Jonathan Daniels, handed in June 22, 1965, at the Episcopal Theological School, Cambridge, Massachusetts, JDC, p. 2.

“pressure is mounting”: DeLoach to Mohr, March 9, 1965, FK-1070.

block an honorary degree: Ibid.; Branch,
Pillar,
p. 246.

“I told him that King was a phony”: DeLoach to Mohr, March 9, 1965, FK-1070.

“burrhead”: Garrow,
FBI,
p. 106.

one via the Secret Service: SAC, Detroit, to Director, March 9, 1965, FK-982.

killing squad from the Coushatta, Louisiana, Ku Klux Klan: Belmont to Tolson, March 9, 1965, FDCA-521.

“No,” Hoover scrawled: Ibid.

“not to tell King anything”: SAC, Mobile, to Director, March 9, 1965, FDCA-487.

previous order to exclude King: Branch,
Parting,
p. 692; Branch,
Pillar,
pp. 196–98.

FBI agents recorded that at 10:30
P.M.
: Mobile LHM dated March 12, 1965, FDCA-565, p. 8.

“Any man who has the urge”: STJ, March 9, 1965, p. 2.

breakout rendition of “Battle Hymn of the Republic”: Webb and Nelson,
Selma, Lord, Selma,
pp. 108–9.

“Life for me ain't been no crystal stair”: Andrew Kopkind, “Selma,”
New Republic,
March 20, 1965, p. 7.

“If a man is 36 years old”: King address of March 8, 1965, A/KS8.

“We must let them know that if they beat one Negro”: Ibid. Also STJ, March 9, 1965, p. 2.

first fifty traveling clergy: Norman Kilpatrick, “The Selma Nobody Knows,” BAA, March 20, 1965, p. 5.

“I hear that Dr. Martin Luther King”: STJ, March 9, 1965, p. 2.

“The Negroes are still meeting”: LBJ phone call with Bill Moyers, March 8, 1965, Cit. 7044, Audiotape WH6503.04, LBJ.

Katzenbach kneeling in shirtsleeves: NYT, March 9, 1965, p. 24; Fager,
Selma, 1965,
p. 100.