With the start of Black History Month, C-VILLE took a bit of time to dig through the digital archives of UVA’s Miller Center of Public Affairs. The Miller Center’s Scripps Library contains more than 4,000 hours of audio and video footage, ranging from public forums hosted by the Miller Center in recent years to the White House Tapes and other collections of presidential recordings and speeches.
Here are a few documents that caught our eye during a cursory search. Follow the links for audio and video:
- President Harry Truman’s address to the National Assocation for the Advancement of Colored People—the first such address by a president—in 1947.
- A 1963 speech by President John F. Kennedy, following National Guard deployment to the University of Alabama during attempted desegregation to keep African-American students safe.
- A trio of speeches by President Lyndon B. Johnson on voting rights, civil disorder and signing the 1968 Civil Rights Act.
As we said, a cursory glance. Search around and let us know what else you find!
