https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/64a870c9-e6aa-4f7a-ac71-cc1d4231d830 Help us preserve, scan and post more rare and endangered films on Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/PeriscopeFilm Join this channel to get access to perks: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCddem5RlB3bQe99wyY49g0g/join Website: www.PeriscopeFilm.com Made by Jack Willis for public television, "Lay My Burden Down" is a 1966 documentary that surveys the accomplishments of the civil rights movement during the year after the dramatic Selma-to-Montgomery March and the ensuing voting rights act of 1965. The film captures the end of 100 years of Black sharecroppers and tenant farmers in the rural south who have been forced off the land and into tent cities in Alabama and Mississippi in the wake of the civil rights movement and the Voting Rights Act. It shows the beginnings of the Black Power Movement, with Stokely Carmichael, in Lowndes County, Alabama. Surveys the accomplishments of the civil rights movement during the one year after the dramatic Selma-to-Montgomery march and the ensuing voting rights act of 1965, as observed in the status of tenant farmers whose average earnings are less than $1,000 per year, and who live in constant debt to white plantation owners and the company store. Explains that the rural Negro is no less hungry, no better educated and no more powerful politically than he was then. Urges that the Federal Government create more jobs, allocate poverty-funds more equitably, and police the agriculture department more effectively This documentary revisits Selma, Alabama, a year after the historic 1965 civil rights march, to examine the lives of Black residents in the rural South. While the Voting Rights Act brought political changes such as increased voter registration and token school integration, the economic and social realities for most Black Southerners remained bleak. In Selma and surrounding areas, poverty, hunger, and unemployment were rampant among Black families, while white communities experienced growth and prosperity. The film follows the Johnson family, who live in extreme poverty without basic utilities or land ownership, surviving through tenant farming and low-wage labor. Children miss school to work, and even when they attend, the segregated schools are underfunded and in poor condition. Government aid programs exist but overwhelmingly favor white farmers. Despite the hope the march had inspired, most Black residents feel disillusioned, as systemic racism and economic inequality continue to dominate their lives. 00:00 – Opening with powerful words on justice and democracy; historical footage of Selma and civil rights activism 00:54 – The 1965 Selma to Montgomery march and the passing of the Voting Rights Act 02:01 – One year later: returning to Selma to assess progress for Black Americans 02:43 – Despite changes like token school integration and voting, systemic exclusion and racism persist 03:58 – Black unemployment and poverty remain high 04:16 – White residents prosper while Black residents struggle with hunger and lack of opportunit y 05:14 – Land ownership and wealth are still out of reach for most Black farmers 06:06 – Economic dependence on white landowners traps Black families in poverty 07:21 – Many Black children are born in poor conditions 08:44 – High infant mortality rates and lack of healthcare resources for Black families 09:31 – Black families must rely on white people for support in a deeply segregated society 11:17 – The myth of "equality through hard work" is contrasted with systemic economic barriers 11:54 – The Johnson family is introduced: a typical rural Black family in poverty 13:04 – The family struggles with hunger and debt 14:04 – Mrs. Johnson shares her faith and hope despite extreme hardship 14:47 – Champion Johnson explains how decades of farming left him with nothing 15:38 – Government loan programs exist but mostly benefit white farmers 16:34 – Walter Johnson supplements farming with ditch-digging to survive 17:20 – Mrs. Johnson dreams of providing basic necessities for her children 18:14 – Farming is a gamble 19:03 – The Johnsons haul water from a mile away due to lack of a well 23:41 – Breaking the cycle of poverty requires education and resources 24:04 – Children like Walter Jr. miss school due to farm labor demands 25:23 – Southern schools remain segregated and underfunded 26:44 – Fearful Black teachers avoid advocating for better school conditions 27:07 – Sheriff intervenes to stop filming at the school; local officials resist scrutiny 29:00 – Footage reveals dilapidated school conditions—no plumbing, books, or materials 30:25 – White landowners still dominate; Black families remain economically dependent. This film is part of the Periscope Film LLC archive, one of the largest historic military, transportation, and aviation stock footage collections in the USA. Entirely film backed, this material is available for licensing in 24p HD, 2k and 4k. For more information visit http://www.PeriscopeFilm.com Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aXVJhw-zcr0 Mirrored from Periscope Film (https://www.youtube.com/@PeriscopeFilm) Sat, 13 Jun 2026 13:19:22 GMT https://validator.w3.org/feed/docs/rss2.html PeerTube - https://peertube.dngr.us https://peertube.dngr.us/lazy-static/avatars/41a6fee9-7f57-42d0-a5fc-5db4f1af2e31.png https://peertube.dngr.us/videos/watch/64a870c9-e6aa-4f7a-ac71-cc1d4231d830 All rights reserved, unless otherwise specified in the terms specified at https://peertube.dngr.us/about and potential licenses granted by each content's rightholder.