KTLA News: "Watts Summer Festival" (1972)

[Music] trip to Japan on behalf of the world peace there is more to life than Despair and dirt that's one message of the watt Summer Festival which opened today at Will Rogers Park in South Los Angeles this is the seventh anniversary of the festival born in the aftermath of the 1965 Watts Riots the pageant of black pride and ethnic identity features tents booths colored lights cotton candy and soda pop and the fun is expected to draw some 200,000 people it all began at Opening Ceremonies let me say something that all of us are aware of here today that is that the watt Summer Festival is not simply fun and games as you know the watt Summer Festival as much as an occasion is a statement about our community what it is and what it tries to do and what it hopes to do and I think it's tremendously important that we keep that in mind not only throughout the endurance of this Festival this year but of every wat Summer Festival of every year to [Music] [Applause] come um I would like to say that uh this should be the best and the most productive Festival ever held the community is beautiful my people are beautiful I hope that all of us respect each other here too many people have worked too hard I don't want any disarray that's what certain people are waiting for I think if all of us party eat ride and just meet each other this would be the best Festival ever because I love my people I hope you love me and never forget that I am a servant of you I'm a servant of the people thank you right the festival continues through Sunday it will conclude with a mammoth parade through South Los Angeles and a big benefit concert at the Coliseum build as a festival the activities here are really a lot more than that they're actually a cultural experience this is Fred Parsons reporting for Channel 5 News mark on another trip to the annual Convention of the Southern Christian leadership conference the director of the Southern Christian leadership conference West the Reverend Al dorch ladies and [Applause] gentlemen and I happy to say a very good friend of mine and a very good friend to the community brother Tony rushing Tony to accomplish by building a solid economic and cultural base perhaps the most vital and most certainly a force to be revoked reckoned with as the annual Watts Summer Festival what better way to harness the energies and creativity of the youth to revitalize the Deferred dreams and aspirations of the Elders of the elders and a vehicle that offers cultural enrichment information and [Music] entertainment Moon the freedom for all 7 years ago has been I shall not be labored the point because the hour is late but I would like to say that for some 6 months we have had an interracial committee although I didn't the enlightened knowledge self-interest the forward ability to observe matters in the course that they run be one of those to vote in favor of expanding the County Board of Supervisors to seven well he and those who voted along with him were not so fortunate the supervisor Kenneth h a two m is this better no you're going to H I knew when the supervisor was coming didn't they they just brought her right up thank you very much uh this is a a day of rejoicing and a day of Thanksgiving as well as a week of remembrance 7 years years ago instead of see seeing people smile and children enjoying themselves we had fear we had hate we had violence the very corner here at 103rd Street was known as charcoal alley we hadn't set up a clear sky we had smoke and we had [Music] fires and now 7 years later we're celebrating the Watts festival with a challenge for Hope we've accomplished much in the seven years and yet there's so much more to be done we have a fine Park here we have a new hospital Martin Luther King hospital that just been open already already 40,000 people have been treated there in less than 4 months we go do swimming po a great week and a wonderful and the way things are going I could use one of those Christmas baskets at home today right now oh I wasn't aware I was going to have to make a speech but who is what what queen is it or who is a queen that cannot relate to her people on every level thank you well said there was no rolling tommmy how does the Festival this year compare with last here at this point pretty much so soling in the sense that we will be able to maintain a year round staff we will constantly need support on the part of people and big business but we'll be able to maintain a staff to go out and solicit those businesses and those [Music] people [Music] win a Tedy bear you win a Ted yes I give [Music] Yanda do you see this Festival as a expression of unity of black pride as most of uh the people here seem to feel that it is yes I do this is the utmost uh the Utopia of black pride this is Unity right here and a f Festival the word festivity means enjoyment and a group of people food music and uh this is it and this is unity and I want everyone to come out for it everyone I guess this is going to be the big thing this year for the black community uh that will bring people from all walks of life all over Los Angeles in the Southland here to who are you expecting oh we're expecting so many people I mean people from the highest classes and and people of the lower classes so-called classes this is the way it's labeled in the society they're all people and they're all coming to have fun I wonder if people know how much fun they can have down here oh there are rides and booths and there's jewelry being sold as oh food movies movies are being shown right just everything it's just not just whatever they're expecting I bucking the preacher bucking the preacher rides rides rides music a continuously