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Rev. Harcourt Klinefelter on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Season 9, Ep3)

Rev. Harcourt Klinefelter on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Season 9, Ep3)

FromDemocrats Abroad: The Blue Vote Café


Rev. Harcourt Klinefelter on the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. (Season 9, Ep3)

FromDemocrats Abroad: The Blue Vote Café

ratings:
Length:
76 minutes
Released:
Feb 27, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Description

The Reverend Harcourt ("Harky") Klinefelter joins Rachel and David to share memories from the time he spent working with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.

Harky, a DA member, talks about serving as Dr. King's press officer, and the Selma and Montgomery marches. He brings the voices of long-ago freedom fighters to life, and about working on Dr. King's funeral.

Clips that are mentioned in the interview…
The part of the speech that appeared during Dr. King’s funeral was from “The Drum Major Instinct” King concluded the sermon by imagining his own funeral.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mefbog-b4-4

The three hour documentary that only aired once is “King: A Filmed Record... Montgomery to Memphis”. The documentary was recently restored and can once again be seen in its original form.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt0065944/

The first part of the interview with the 10 year old Selma marcher is a bit hard to hear because of the quality of the recording. Here is a transcription of the first half…

`I didn't go prepared to march. I had planned to go all the way  but I wasn't sure they were going to be able to take me  because they taken all the names and I didn't take anything but my coat. So I had to sleep (in the) cold, and the heaters (in the tent) went out and the wind and everything was real terrible, and so I stayed woke (awake) that night by the little gas burner they had outside. The next day - the next day we marched and marched and it rained, and that's the day we really had to walk hard  all that rain. 
I didn't get a cold, the next day it rained which was Tuesday,  that was through Lownes country, Yeah, that's the day you had to `pick them up and put them (your feet) down'. Blisters and everything, oh boy I'm telling you, I said  I know they (the racists) they're going to try something even if they have to wait until we come back. I said `Lord,I say, I know these people, in Lownes country. All I want you to do is take care of me and give me the strength to walk faster through this stretch. I mean, I prayed that prayer all the way through there.
I didn't have any water all day  because if we stopped we had to run to catch up, you know, and I wanted to be credited for walking all the way  So I just did without water, and my tongue was swole (swelled) up. The next day, ah, the nurses out there they waited on me and she came and she say (said) `Little girl are you going to march today?' I say (said) `Sure I am.? All those blisters?' I say (said) `There not hurting, only when I stop'. And you stayed out all the time?  `All the time, every camp we stayed in. I slept in it.'
How did you feel when you marched up the street to the Capital?
`My feet were so bad! and when I had the flag carrying, one of the biggest ones out there, I felt so happy, I didn't knew what to do  Dr King, I think he's the greatest that's happened. Really,  it's just like heaven. And I'll go anywhere he tells me to go, really, with blisters, sores, sore head, anything. 
You know, I couldn't hardly breathe when I was out there, I fainted, I passed out, and everything, but I ended up going on ahead. What do you feel the march was accomplished? `We're 50 years ahead from where we started when this voter registration started. Really in Selma, 50 years, because people can walk around and not be afraid. If someone get killed that doesn't stop them, I didn't walk 50 miles in vain.' 
You feel that people will be afraid to register vote?
`Well, I don't think they should be afraid because after all they have been killing Negroes all the time and noting has be done about it. They do find out who killed'em (them) now.
This has been a big improvement?
`If you will excuse me for the slang' `It's just a nigger dead'
Released:
Feb 27, 2024
Format:
Podcast episode

Titles in the series (86)

Every American living abroad can vote in the U.S., and can engage politically back home through Democrats Abroad, an official arm of the Democratic Party. Brought to you by David Schellenberg and Rachel Eugster (co-chairs of the Canada's Capital Region chapter of Democrats Abroad) this podcast is about Americans living outside the U.S.--who we are, what we stand for, how to get engaged back home, and how to make sure your vote is counted, Because when Democrats vote abroad, Democrats at home win. For more info: democratsabroad.org To get your ballot: votefromabroad.org