A documentary tracing the early days of the civil rights movement in Shreveport airs this week on PBS.

It's called 'Beyond Galilee' and features local leaders who were in the middle of the struggle. The documentary features recently uncovered footage of some of the speeches and marches. The civil rights documentary will be air on LPB Tuesday, March 10th at 7 and 11pm, March 11th at 5:30pm and at 9:30pm on March 13th on LPB2.

Here's some of the history from the film website:

THE SPEECH:

As a backdrop for the documentary, our collection sourcres from a speech Dr. King gave at Shreveport’s Galilee Baptist Church in August of 1958.  In this, the earliest full length recorded speech by Dr. King, he delivers an impassioned and informative talk on social movements throughout history and the need for peaceful change.  Many points that would form the backbone of his 1963 "I Have A Dream" speech at The Mall in Washington are fleshed out in front of a spirited audience at Galilee.
This audio foundation is fleshed out by interviews with persons who witnessed the speech, learned from it and used that knowledge to shape the future of Shreveport and affirm its unsung status as a vital community in the early struggle for civil rights.
THE INTERVIEWS:
Guided by the recollections and insight of local civil rights leaders, historians, and Shreveport citizens of all races, our interviews paint a vivid portrait of a world that was America, from the city that was Shreveport in an era gone by.  From the early days of the United Christian Movement to the seventies actions of the Blacks United for Lasting Leadership, we cover each facet of the efforts for equality in our city up to the present day.  Beyond Galilee celebrates the African-American community of Shreveport with this documentary: its people, its music, its framework, its contradictions, and its hope, through  a deeply moving montage of images, and allows the world to see the beginning of a story they all know the ending of so well.
THE FOOTAGE:
Just a few months ago, 16mm footage of civil rights events in Shreveport during the early 1960s surfaced.  These tapes, filmed by or under the commission of the Shreveport Police, show civil servants unprepared for the demands for social change thrust upon them.  Black citizens are secretly recorded leaving civil rights meetings, and the police are shown trying to enforce the old laws as the focus on equality intensifies.  Additionally, our efforts have uncovered other rare films recorded by local television outlets and leaders in the civil rights movement.  Words cannot describe the power these never before seen films add to the telling of our story.

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