Violence or Non-Violence

This clip features Russell Meeks speaking during a live public television special broadcast in 1968. These programs were aired without editing, intentionally left raw in an effort to help Americans confront and bridge the extreme political and social divisions of the time.

I filmed several documentaries in 1968, and from direct experience I can say that anger was everywhere. People regularly shouted at one another—and at me. That anger wasn’t confined to any single group or political perspective. It felt as though nearly everyone was on edge, prepared for confrontation, if not actively seeking it. This clip reflects that reality and captures part of what it was like to witness and document the civil rights movement during that volatile period.

The killing of George Floyd decades later reignited a similar national anger. While the circumstances differ, the emotional undercurrent feels familiar. I sympathize with the movement calling for equality in policing and across every sector of American society.

Russell Meeks was a civil rights protester active throughout the 1960s and a member of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee, known as SNCC. The organization played a crucial role in grassroots organizing across the South. Meeks was particularly active in Mississippi, where he worked on voter registration drives and supported efforts to challenge segregation and political exclusion.

Like many civil rights workers operating in Mississippi at the time, Meeks faced constant threats from white supremacist groups and hostility from local authorities. Despite the risks, he continued his work, focused on political participation, education, and empowering Black communities.

Meeks was not a nationally famous figure, but he represents the countless local and regional activists whose efforts were essential to the success of the civil rights movement. Their work laid the groundwork for major legislative changes, including the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act.