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Film footage of a NAACP protest rally in Brooklyn, New York

African American Museum

There are restrictions for re-using this image. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Terms of Use page .

Object Details

Created by

Unidentified

Subject of

Norman Malachy, American
R. Jess Brown, American, 1913 - 1990
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, American, founded 1909
Al Garrett, American, died 1959
Mack Charles Parker, American, 1936 - 1959

Owned by

Pearl Bowser, American, 1931 - 2023

Caption

This 16mm silent, black and white film features footage from a NAACP protest rally at the Siloam Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. The main speaker is Norman Malachy, and he recalls the events surrounding the Mack Charles Parker lynching that happened on April 25, 1959, near Poplarville, Mississippi. Mack Charles Parker was kidnapped while he was in jail on charges that he raped a white woman on February 24, 1959.

Description

Film footage of a NAACP protest rally. It consists of a single reel of 16mm black-and-white acetate film with optical sound (a). It was shot at the Siloam Presbyterian Church in Brooklyn. The main speaker is Norman Malachy, and he recalls the events surrounding the Mack Charles Parker lynching that happened on April 25, 1959, near Poplarville, Mississippi. Mack Charles Parker was kidnapped while he was in jail on charges that he raped a white woman on February 24, 1959. When Malachy finishes speaking, R. Jess Brown asks him follow up questions at the podium. Brown appears later in the film and speaks about the murder of Al Garrett by a police officer in the Gates Ave. Police Station in Brooklyn on April 17, 1959. An unidentified minister also briefly speaks at the podium.
The film begins with Malachy recounting the police questioning him about the events on the night of February 24, 1959, when he was riding in the same car as Parker. He recalls this story for over six minutes, and then Brown approaches the podium and asks Malachy some direct questions about how long Malachy knew Parker, as well as some follow up questions about answers he provided to the police. This exchange goes on for about 2 minutes. For most of the final minute, Brown talks about the murder of Al Garrett. While there is sound for much of the film, there are some moments when there is no sound, and other moments when the film cuts in and out abruptly. A minister begins to introduce a speaker following the exchange between Malachy and Brown. The film jumps ahead to Brown approaching the podium to speak about Al Garrett. The film cuts out while Brown is speaking.

Credit Line

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Pearl Bowser

Date

May 26, 1959

Object number

2012.79.1.103.1a

Restrictions & Rights

Unknown - Restrictions Possible
Rights assessment and proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

Type

sound films
black-and-white films (visual works)
16mm (photographic film size)

Medium

acetate film

Dimensions

Physical extent (film): 400 ft
Duration: 11 min.

Place filmed

Brooklyn, New York City, New York, United States, North and Central America

See more items in

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Collection title

Pearl Bowser Collection

Classification

Time-based Media - Moving Images

Data Source

National Museum of African American History and Culture

Topic

African American
Civil Rights
Justice
Lynching
Presbyterian
U.S. History, 1953-1961
Violence

Metadata Usage

CC0

Link to Original Record

http://n2t.net/ark:/65665/fd5fda50c16-fb19-4a21-86fe-a057d76956fe

Record ID

nmaahc_2012.79.1.103.1a

Discover More

Colorful film frame with rainbow background and text, "FOCUS Adjust Sound Level"

AVMPI-Media

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