Title:
Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King Jr. — Chicago Freedom Movement, 1966
REEL ID:
L019R034B
RUN TIME:
00:07:11
FILM STOCK:
Black & White
FILM FORMAT:
16mm
AUDIO:
Sound
Description:
This black-and-white sound reel captures a pivotal moment in the Chicago Freedom Movement during August 1966, featuring Mahalia Jackson and Martin Luther King Jr. in Chicago. The footage documents the powerful intersection of faith, music, and civil rights activism during Dr. King’s Northern campaign for fair housing and racial justice.
The reel opens inside the New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, where Mahalia Jackson leads the congregation in worship. She delivers a stirring performance of the spiritual “Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho,” her voice filling the sanctuary and setting the emotional and spiritual tone for the movement. The performance reflects Jackson’s central role in sustaining morale and unity within the civil rights struggle.
Following the song, Dr. King addresses the congregation, praising Jackson’s extraordinary voice and its importance to the movement. He situates the Chicago campaign within the broader fight for justice, calling for unity with “righteous white people,” explicitly condemning antisemitism, and urging the movement to remain grounded in nonviolence and moral discipline. King emphasizes peaceful marching as both a strategic and spiritual necessity.
The final portion of the reel moves from the church to the streets of Chicago the following day. Protesters march peacefully through city neighborhoods, where they are met with intense hostility and overt racism from onlookers. These scenes document the sharp resistance faced by the movement in Northern cities, underscoring King’s assertion that racism and segregation were not confined to the American South.
Preserved with synchronized sound, this reel stands as a vital historical document of the Chicago Freedom Movement—capturing how gospel music, religious leadership, and nonviolent protest converged during one of the most challenging chapters of Dr. King’s civil rights work.
Tags:
Mahalia Jackson, Martin Luther King Jr., Chicago Freedom Movement, Chicago 1966, Civil Rights Movement, Fair housing, Gospel music, Black church, New Friendship Missionary Baptist Church, Joshua Fit the Battle of Jericho, Nonviolence, Peaceful protest, Antisemitism, Racial justice, Civil rights speech, Protest march, Hostile crowds, Black and white film, Sound film, 16mm film, Documentary footage, Historical footage, Editorial use, Archival film, Americana
