Civil Rights Demonstration in Austin (1963)

On Wednesday, August 28, 1963, a NAACP pro-integration march and rally was countered by the pro-segregationist group, the Indignant White Citizens Council (IWCC). The pro-integration parade and rally accumulated a mixed-race crowd of up to 4,000 people. Led by Booker T. Bonner, a member of the Freedom Now Committee, the “March for Jobs and Freedom” sought to protest against Governor John Connally's opposition to expanding civil rights legislation. The IWCC’s counter-demonstration—led by Bobby Joiner, a grocer from Grand Prairie—consisted of eleven protesters heckling the NAACP marchers. This series of news clips, shot by KTBC cameraman Gordon Wilkison, captures the event. Please note that the audio in this film is poor in places.