Channel: James Brown

Category: Music

Tags: bostonhow toriot policeindmusicboston policeassassinationconcertdr. robert hallmartin luther king jrapril 4th 1968roxburytom atkinsoverturning carconcert cancellationcivil rightsafrican americanpolice carblack historylive concertboston gardendocumentarynonviolencemurdercivil unrestlootingriotdowntownmlkaftermathperformancekevin whitejames browninterview

Description: Subscribe to James Brown: bit.ly/29Vydud A clip from the documentary, "The Night James Brown Saved Boston", featuring interviews discussing whether the Boston Garden concert should take place on April 5th, 1968. In the aftermath of Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination by James Earl Ray on April 4, 1968, rioting broke out in cities across the country. James Brown had been scheduled to perform at the Boston Garden on April 5th. Boston Mayor Kevin White had initially wanted to cancel all public events, including James Brown's show. As there was concern that the cancellation of the show might cause an escalation of the crisis. it was agreed that James Brown's show would go on. The show, one of the greatest in Boston's history, went on and the city of Boston remained relatively calm. James Brown consoled his mourning audience, dedicated the show to the memory of Dr. King and was instrumental in keeping the peace on the streets of Boston. Fans rushed the stage in the middle of live performance and the police moved onstage to remove them. James Brown stood between the police and the stage crashers and immediately took control of what could have been a riotous moment in light of the raw emotions of the Black community and the tenuous relationship with the police. James Brown addresses the audience asking if he can finish the show, with the infamous words, "We are Black. Don't make us all look bad." He was asking for "respect from my own people." Video transcript: Dr.Robert Hall: There was rioting in Roxbury. The city fathers and the business people were afraid that the kind of audience that James Brown was likely to attract would come downtown and that that would endanger jewelry store windows and downtown stores down around the Garden. Now they didn't appear to be worried all that much about the rioting as long as it was happening in Roxbury. Blue Hill Avenue. They just sort of cornered off the riot area and let it happen. But people got worried when it looked like it was going to spill over and not be contained and so they wanted James to cancel the concert. Kevin White: Atkins kept interjecting himself. There were thousands of other issues besides this concert. He was absolutely adamant that there was no way this concert would go forward because there was no way the police could guarantee peace and order if it did go forward. But I said Kevin you were doing exactly the wrong thing. If the word gets out in the Black community that the city would not let James Brown come to town and perform in awake of King's assassination, I said all hell would break loose. Want more James Brown, go to Shout Factory: shoutfactory.com/film/film-soul-r-b/live-at-boston-garden-april-5-1968-extended-edition