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  • - "I have a dream that we will live in a fair society

  • "where, you know, it doesn't matter what race you are.

  • "You can achieve anything you believe in.

  • "And like 10 other beautiful things."

  • (dramatic music)

  • (bell ringing)

  • - Hey guys, I'm Crissle West,

  • and today we're going to talk about

  • the Birmingham Children's March.

  • - Cheers Crissle. (Crissle chuckling)

  • - [Crissle] Let's march.

  • (ice clinking)

  • - Mm.

  • (ice clinking)

  • - Delicious!

  • - All right, so where does our story begin?

  • - (beep), who knows?

  • (Derek laughing)

  • So,

  • the story begins in

  • 1963

  • in Alabama

  • where racism is so deeply imbedded in the community,

  • but the breaking point for Gwendolyn Sanders

  • was when she realized in the 7th grade

  • that her textbook had previously been used

  • by a white 5th grader.

  • And she's like "I knew I wasn't allowed

  • "to go to the same movie theaters

  • "and shit like that as white people,

  • "but y'all are giving us raggedy old textbooks

  • "that you are giving your 5th graders.

  • "Like, not only

  • "do you not give a (beep) about me or my people,

  • "you don't give a (beep) about my education either."

  • And so she realized then that things needed to change

  • and she wanted to be a part of it.

  • So, around the time that this story starts, sharts.

  • - It sharted. - Oh no,

  • don't let the story shart!

  • (Derek laughing)

  • So around this same time,

  • Martin Luther King Jr.

  • was urging the newly elected President Kennedy

  • like "Man, we need some official legislation

  • "to stop the bullshit that's happening to black people.

  • "Like you need to get involved.

  • "You're the (beep) president."

  • And Kennedy sympathized.

  • He was like "You know, I agree with you,

  • "but the party is still made up of poor, white,

  • "Southern voters and I cannot alienate them."

  • Which doesn't that sound super familiar

  • and kind of distressing, right?

  • So Dr. King is using the 16th Street Baptist Church

  • to try to organize a protest,

  • and Martin Luther King's being like "Yo, for real though,

  • "it's time for us to do something."

  • And the adults were like "Listen,

  • "it's not that we don't agree with you,

  • "but at the end of the day

  • "I still have to put food on the table

  • "and pay the rent in this home,

  • "and I don't want them burning crosses on my lawn

  • "or any shit like that, so."

  • "Look bitch, it's not (beep) safe!

  • "We can't do this!"

  • And Dr. King was like

  • "If we can't enact change in Birmingham,

  • "we can't do it anywhere.

  • "Who can join in the protest and get arrested with us?"

  • And he was sort of shocked

  • to see Gwendolyn Sanders and her sisters get up and say

  • "You know what, we'll do it.

  • "We will do somethin about this."

  • And then more and more kids stood up to volunteer.

  • They decided to mobilize.

  • So that's exactly what they did.

  • They went back to school, "Like listen,

  • "we know y'all are sick of the racism,

  • "and there's something we can actually do about it."

  • And on May 2nd

  • the protest went down.

  • Administrators started locking the doors

  • to keep them from getting out.

  • The kids would just straight up jump out the window

  • like "Bitch, you not gonna keep us here."

  • Over 1,000 kids left school to go to Kelly Ingram Park

  • to protest.

  • (drums beating)

  • But then Bull Connor,

  • head of the Birmingham Police Department,

  • was like "Okay, well y'all's black asses can go to jail."

  • So they started carting these kids off by the dozens

  • and over 1,000 kids were arrested on that first day,

  • which is insane.

  • After a few days of protests,

  • the Birmingham jail was totally overcrowded,

  • and saw as more kids are arrested,

  • others come back out to take up their place.

  • But on May 5th, that was when shit got really real.

  • Bull Connor was looking at hundreds of black kids

  • standing up to his bullshit,

  • he was like "Let's bring out the hoses."

  • These are high-pressure,

  • knock you the (beep) out water hoses.

  • But the kids realized

  • there's strength in numbers and togetherness matters.

  • So those kids linked hands and said "Not today, bitch.

  • "Not today."

  • So Bull Connor decides "Oh okay, release the canine units

  • "so that the dogs can (beep) these kids up (coughing).

  • "Excuse me."

  • (Crissle laughing)

  • And at this point there were news crews there

  • that caught the entire situation on camera,

  • and these are now some of the most infamous shots

  • of the civil rights movement.

  • And after people saw children on international TV

  • being sprayed with hoses and attacked by dogs,

  • a mind

  • shift

  • occurred.

  • And after eight solid days of protest,

  • President Kennedy felt motivated to come out and say

  • "You know what?

  • "I didn't wanna say it before

  • "because of the Southern white voters,

  • "but them mother-(beep) are racist.

  • "So it's time to just be real.

  • "The shit that you are going out here

  • "and doing to people in my name

  • "is not the (beep) okay."

  • Oh man, I love drinking.

  • How come I don't do this more?

  • (Derek laughing)

  • (Crissle laughing)

  • (Derek laughing)

  • Woo! (Derek laughing)

  • So anyway,

  • who was I talking about?

  • The kids. - Yeah, yeah, yeah.

  • - Well, after the success of the Birmingham Children's March

  • Dr. King decided to ride that momentum

  • and he gave his "I have a dream" speech.

  • Bull Connor was fired.

  • And the Civil Rights Act was passed

  • within a year of all that.

  • So it was monumental that Gwendolyn Sanders and these kids

  • were willing to say "This is not a (beep) game,

  • "and you won't treat us and our people this way

  • "because we're here and this is what's going on

  • "and it's time for us to stand up too."

  • And so I don't have to worry about that sort of thing

  • the way those kids even did or their parents even did.

  • I don't take that for granted.

  • - Cheers to the kids!

  • - Cheers to the kids.

  • (glasses clinking)

  • - All right. - This is gone.

  • - Hello.

  • Today we're gonna talk about

  • the FBI versus Martin Luther King Jr.

  • During the 1960s, J. Edgar Hoover was the head of the FBI.

  • He's an old man.

  • And he thought "Communists are gonna take over America

  • "and I gotta get ready for it."

  • Meanwhile, Martin Luther King,

  • a non-violent, Christian minister,

  • gives the greatest speech of the entire 20th century.

  • "I have a dream that we will live in a fair society

  • "where, you know, it doesn't matter what race you are.

  • "You can achieve anything you believe in.

  • "And like 10 other beautiful things."

  • And J. Edgar Hoover sees the speech and says

  • "I have a dream this is total communist stuff."

  • It all makes so much sense

  • when you think about it like a crazy person.

  • J. Edgar Hoover called a press conference,

  • and Hoover tells these reporters that he's invited,

  • who are all women for some reason,

  • "Martin Luther King is the most dishonest man in America."

  • One of Hoover's underlings is saying

  • "Maybe you shouldn't talk (beep) about Martin Luther King.

  • "Maybe you should be nice."

  • And Hoover's like "(beep) you, I'm gonna tell the truth!"

  • They meet in J. Edgar Hoover's office.

  • Martin Luther King says "Hey J. Edgar Hoover,

  • "I love everything you've ever done.

  • "Maybe we could just be better teammates

  • "so we can achieve peace throughout America."

  • After those first two minutes,

  • J. Edgar Hoover decided "Dude, now it's my turn.

  • "It's my turn to say what's on my mind.

  • "The FBI does this.

  • "The FBI does that.

  • "The FBI is helping you here.

  • "The FBI is helping you there."

  • And he just goes on

  • and on

  • and on

  • and on about how awesome the FBI is.

  • And afterwards one of Martin Luther King's friends calls him

  • and says "What was it like meeting with Martin Luther King?"

  • (laughing) I'm sorry, that's how drunk I am.

  • Okay.

  • "What was it like meeting with J. Edgar Hoover?"

  • And Martin Luther King was like "Dude, I'll tell you.

  • "J. Edgar Hoover, he's just an old man who talks too much.

  • "He's crazy."

  • J. Edgar Hoover was listening to everything that he said

  • and he was like "What the (beep)?

  • "He's talking (beep) about me

  • "even though I just talked with him?

  • "Oh man, it's on now."

  • These boss,

  • these guys...

  • (swallowing)

  • (cup thudding)

  • These guys

  • try to harass Martin Luther King.

  • This FBI agent, William Sullivan,

  • his entire job is like mind F-ing.

  • So he decides like "I gotta write a letter.

  • "Dear Martin Luther King,

  • "I'm a black person just like you.

  • "I'm not a white guy.

  • "I think that you are a bad person.

  • "You better kill yourself.

  • "Uh, see the attachment.

  • "The attachment is a recording

  • "of you having sex with lots of people.

  • "The end.

  • "I'm black.

  • "Send."

  • When this mysterious package showed up,

  • Martin Luther King's wife, Coretta Scott King,

  • listened to it.

  • It was like a mixtape that the FBI had specially made.

  • Every sex act, every embarrassing thing

  • that Martin Luther King had ever done,

  • and Martin Luther King's like

  • "This is crazy.

  • "The FBI is trying to destroy my life."

  • And they try to give up,

  • they try to make him give up his core beliefs.

  • Martin Luther King decides like

  • "I'm gonna stick to what I believe.

  • "I don't care what you guys

  • "do to me."

  • Martin Luther King continues to fight

  • for what he believes in.

  • (inspirational music)

  • Hoover never retired from the FBI.

  • He just sort of slowed down.

  • I think that he was just very upset

  • at anybody who has sex.

  • He thought it was a real bad idea.

  • He didn't like it.

  • "I'm gonna die now.

  • "Goodbye."

  • (inspirational music)

  • Oh man, this is the most nauseous I've ever been in my life.

  • - Hi, I'm Ashley Nicole Black,

  • and today we're talking about Nichelle Nichols.

  • So,

  • it's 1964

  • and Nichelle Nichols guest stars

  • on an episode of a show called "The Lieutenant"

  • that's run by Gene Roddenberry.

  • And Gene Roddenberry was like "You're amazing.

  • "You're so beautiful.

  • "Do you want to be on this new show called "Star Trek?"

  • "Here's my plan.

  • "It's gonna be super utopian

  • "and black ladies can be bosses.

  • "So this is actually a really big deal."

  • So Nichelle Nichols is like "That sounds chill as hell.

  • "So let's do that show."

  • So they start filming "Star Trek"

  • and Nichelle Nichols plays Lieutenant Uhura

  • who's the communications officer.

  • So she's like "Captain,

  • "I have something to communicate with you.

  • "Boop boop boop boop boop."

  • She has nails that are way too long for space,

  • but also Nichelle Nichols doesn't actually watch the show

  • because back then TV came on at a certain time

  • and she was at work during that time.

  • So at the end of the first season she's like

  • "Star Trek is cool, whatever.

  • "I don't know if anybody watches it,

  • "but my dream is to be on Broadway.

  • "I wanna sing.

  • "I wanna dance."

  • And she goes to Gene Roddenberry and she's like "Hey,

  • "I'm gonna go to Broadway.

  • "So, I'm done Trek-ing.

  • "I'm done."

  • So he tells her like "Please just like take the weekend

  • "to think about it."

  • And she's like "Whatever bitch.

  • "Fine."

  • So, that weekend,

  • Nichelle Nichols goes to an NAACP fundraiser

  • and one of the organizers comes up to her

  • and is like "Hey, there's a guy here

  • "and he's your biggest fan and he really wants to meet you."

  • And she's like "Okay, cool, whatever.

  • "Bring on the nerd."

  • And she sees her fan,

  • and he's like "Your show is the only show

  • "that I allow my three little children to stay up and watch.

  • "We love Star Trek.

  • "It's so good."

  • And she's like "Excuse me,

  • "are you Martin Luther King?"

  • And he's like "Yes, I am Martin Luther King,

  • "and I'm a Trekkie."

  • And she's like "(beep) me."

  • But it's real.

  • Martin Luther King loves "Star Trek"

  • and he's like "You are the only black woman on television

  • "who doesn't play a servant.

  • "You're the only person out there

  • "providing hope to black people that there's a future

  • "where maybe they won't be seen as less than

  • "and they'll be seen as equals."

  • And she's like "Wow, that's great.

  • "Except for I'm leaving.

  • "I quit Star Trek this week.

  • "I'm so sorry."

  • And he's like "No, you can't quit.

  • "Do you realize that you are the first black women who's,"

  • black woman.

  • He wasn't drunk when he said it.

  • - That's okay.

  • - I was drunk. (Derek laughing)

  • But Martin Luther King was like

  • "If you leave, this one image that children have

  • "of a black woman as an equal

  • "will just disappear from television."

  • And she's like "Well (beep).

  • "That's a lot.

  • "That's like a lot.

  • "That's a lot on my shoulders.

  • "Can you chill?"

  • And he's like "No, I'm Martin Luther King.

  • "I have no chill."

  • She's like "Okay, I'll think about it."

  • So Nichelle Nichols goes into Gene Roddenberry's office

  • and she's like "Gene, I met Martin Luther King this weekend

  • "and he really likes your shit."

  • And he's like "Oh my God.

  • "Someone understands what I'm trying to do here!

  • She's like "Oh my God, shut the (beep) up.

  • "That's not the point.

  • "The point is this show is going to advance racial equality.

  • "I'll stay on your show."

  • So, you know, they're filming "Star Wars."

  • It's great. - Is that true?

  • - Oh my God. (all laughing)

  • Also very good.

  • So,

  • they're doing "Star Trek."

  • It's great.

  • People love it.

  • At some point Gene Roddenberry's like "I know,

  • "we're gonna push the envelope.

  • "We're gonna have the first interracial kiss."

  • And William Shatner is like "Hell yes."

  • And Nichelle Nichols is like "Whatever, fine."

  • But the network came down and was like "Whoa, hold on.

  • "We can't have an interracial kiss on TV."

  • So William Shatner convinces them.

  • "Let's shoot it both ways.

  • "We'll shoot it with the kiss first

  • "and then we'll shoot it without,

  • "and you can decide what you wanna do in editing."

  • So,

  • they shoot the scene with the kiss.

  • And then he's like "You know what?

  • "I have a note.

  • "Let's try it again.

  • "Let's try it again!

  • "Let's do it one more time."

  • And they shoot it over and over and over again.

  • And they're like "William, enough kissing, okay?

  • "We only have time to shoot this one more time."

  • And he's like "Okay, let's just do one without the kiss."

  • So it isn't until the next day that they watch the scene

  • and see that William Shatner crosses his eyes to the camera.

  • And they're like "What the (beep)?

  • "Is this really happening?"

  • And William Shatner was like

  • "I guess we either have to air this interracial kiss

  • "or not have a scene."

  • And that is how the first interracial kiss

  • gets on television.

  • - [Derek] Wow.

  • - [Ashley] And then in 1969 America lands on the moon.

  • And every American is like

  • "Oh my God, we landed on the moon.

  • "It's amazing."

  • And Nichelle was like "Hold up, that's all white dudes.

  • "What the (beep), right?"

  • So she gives this big speech

  • and she's like "NASA, get your shit together.

  • "Can you please recruit someone to be an astronaut

  • "who's not a white dude?"

  • And NASA's like "Okay cool, but like can you do it

  • "'cause we don't know anybody who's not a white dude."

  • So Nichelle Nichols is like

  • "Uh, black ladies have to do everything."

  • So she travels around the country

  • and she recruits people to be in NASA

  • and she's like "Hey black people, Asians, lady people,

  • "do you wanna go to space?"

  • And they're like "Okay cool!"

  • And she recruited Sally Ride.

  • And then she recruits Colonel Bluford,

  • he's the first black dude to be in NASA.

  • - [Derek] How cool is that?

  • - [Ashley] And then she recruited Mae Jemison,

  • and she's like "Hey, you should apply for NASA."

  • And Mae Jemison is like "Oh my God.

  • "You were on Star Trek.

  • "I love you."

  • But she's like "Pay attention."

  • So Nichelle Nichols

  • was like the first black lady to go to space for fake,

  • and she recruited

  • the first black lady to go to space for real.

  • She literally integrated space.

  • Everybody who's really good at math,

  • or whatever you have to be good at to go to NASA,

  • can do whatever they want to do.

  • - But we still need to prosper if we're gonna live long.

  • - Yeah.

  • (Ashley laughing) - Is this America right now?

  • - Yes. - It's trying so hard but--

  • - But it can't get over-- - But this one finger

  • just can't deal with it. (Ashley laughing)

  • (dramatic music)

  • (bell ringing)

- "I have a dream that we will live in a fair society

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