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Peoples Press (video with transcript): interview with Mark Manselle, Weaver student

Rights
Copyright restrictions may apply to the use of this image. For more information or to obtain a photographic reproduction of this image, contact the Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library.
Title
Peoples Press (video with transcript): interview with Mark Manselle, Weaver student
Creator
Biggs, Julian (Creator)
Date
1969
Subject
African American students
Description
Mark (Marcus) Manselle sits on a couch and smokes cigarettes as he is interviewed about why he started writing and circulating the Weaver school independent newspaper, the Peoples Press. Manselle explains that he was compelled to do something about the situation of black people in America as described by Malcolm X in his autobiography. Manselle decided that the best way to reach a lot of people was through the creation of a newspaper. The first issue came out in December of 1968 and it talked about the ways in which there was racism at Weaver High School. Manselle talks about the resistance he encountered from the Vice Principal Mr. Karaski [sp?] and Principal Mr. Ganges, including his suspension and expulsion because of passing out the papers and because of what was described as his attitude. He says that although the administration had kept students from walking out and had stopped the distribution of the Peoples Press for one day, there have been four other issues of the paper since then. In particular, through an article in the paper, they were able to put pressure on the administration and the Board of Education about the case of a senior by the name of Ruth Monroe who had been requesting home instruction but was being denied of all of her subjects except one, which she needed to graduate. Manselle speaks more generally about how schools, including Weaver High School, never teach students about the way things really are and that this is critical. He refers to one of the points in the plan that Black Panthers have set out, which is that black people need to be taught the true nature of the society that they live in.
Publisher
Ownership Statement: Hartford History Center, Hartford Public Library
Format
color
Format
video/mov
Relation
Source Note: Butch Lewis Collection
Coverage
Hartford (Conn.)
Description
This is one of a number of 1969 documentary-style films in the collection of Hartford Black Panther Party co-founder, Butch Lewis. The films were directed and filmed by Canadian filmmaker Julian Biggs and assistant Baylis Glascock. . They document various Hartford black and Puerto Rican community leaders and communities as well as white governmental and business leaders discussing issues facing poor communities in the City of Hartford. Issues include urban renewal, housing, employment, education, and governmental representation.
Creator
Glascock, Baylis (Creator)
Subject
High school students
Subject
Racism
Subject
School newspapers
Subject
Student publications
Subject
Manselle, Marcus
Identifier
50002:5486
Identifier
local: hpl_hhc_bl_peoples-press
Identifier
http://hdl.handle.net/11134/50002:5486
Type
MovingImage
Type
video recordings

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