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The First Rainbow Coalition

Chicago 1969: Activists from the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and Young Patriots united African Americans, Latinos, and poor whites to confront police brutality and unfair housing practices in one of America’s most segregated cities. A timely story of collective action, The First Rainbow Coalition tells this little-known chronicle of political struggle with insight and urgency using archival footage and interviews with those who lived it.

Director

Ray Santisteban

Year

Genre

Box Office

N/A

Production

Nantes Media, LLC,ITVS,Black Public Media,Latino Public Broadcasting

Awards

1 win & 1 nomination

Homepage

http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/the-first-rainbow-coalition/

Cast information not available.

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Explore 186 Clips

[crowd shouting and chanting] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[crowd shouting and chanting]

These are communities
who are struggling - The First Rainbow Coalition

These are communities who are struggling

[grim ambient music] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[grim ambient music]

They were meant
to scare the police, - The First Rainbow Coalition

They were meant to scare the police,

- This was a complete challenge
to the structure, you know? - The First Rainbow Coalition

- This was a complete challenge to the structure, you know?

It wasn't saying, "Let us in." - The First Rainbow Coalition

It wasn't saying, "Let us in."

We didn't want in, so he
didn't have a handle on us. - The First Rainbow Coalition

We didn't want in, so he didn't have a handle on...

- The Red Squad, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- The Red Squad,

We were at
this particular rally. - The First Rainbow Coalition

We were at this particular rally.

So from the front of the room, - The First Rainbow Coalition

So from the front of the room,

[dreamy ambient music] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[dreamy ambient music]

Here's the state's attorney.
He can-- - The First Rainbow Coalition

Here's the state's attorney. He can--

- They are brutalizing
their own neighbors. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- They are brutalizing their own neighbors.

- They were not criminals - The First Rainbow Coalition

- They were not criminals

It allowed the police
department to chase them - The First Rainbow Coalition

It allowed the police department to chase them

- Reverend Bruce Johnson
was the pastor of the churh - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Reverend Bruce Johnson was the pastor of the churh

- And we're already begun
taking in applications - The First Rainbow Coalition

- And we're already begun taking in applications

- Now the city of Chicago
began attacking the revered - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Now the city of Chicago began attacking the revered

All we wanted was to get
some help for our communit. - The First Rainbow Coalition

All we wanted was to get some help for our communit.

They went in where the people - The First Rainbow Coalition

They went in where the people

But that dry run,
they were so frustrated - The First Rainbow Coalition

But that dry run, they were so frustrated

They knew that we were
going to begin to get - The First Rainbow Coalition

They knew that we were going to begin to get

I think that
they should also - The First Rainbow Coalition

I think that they should also

I have no apology to make
to anyone for our country. - The First Rainbow Coalition

I have no apology to make to anyone for our country.

- To a great extent, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- To a great extent,

- I was in the hole
in Double Lock, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- I was in the hole in Double Lock,

I believe that's why
he was killed. - The First Rainbow Coalition

I believe that's why he was killed.

- Before a raid, the police
would hit the field... - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Before a raid, the police would hit the field...

[tires squealing] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[tires squealing]

You can look
at the windows, man. - The First Rainbow Coalition

You can look at the windows, man.

- Was there a fire in the, uh-- - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Was there a fire in the, uh--

He shot two police, who died,
and they... - The First Rainbow Coalition

He shot two police, who died, and they...

Shot him about 1,000 times. - The First Rainbow Coalition

Shot him about 1,000 times.

So you have those type
of developments going on, - The First Rainbow Coalition

So you have those type of developments going on,

They were all felonies - The First Rainbow Coalition

They were all felonies

Because I'm saying something
that might wake up - The First Rainbow Coalition

Because I'm saying something that might wake up

[gospel choir singing] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[gospel choir singing]

The question is between
resistance to this fascism - The First Rainbow Coalition

The question is between resistance to this fascism

All: X power
for those left out. - The First Rainbow Coalition

All: X power for those left out.

- The 20-year-old chairman - The First Rainbow Coalition

- The 20-year-old chairman

- Chicago police took 'em out. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Chicago police took 'em out.

- When Fred Hampton was killed
around 4:00 in the morning, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- When Fred Hampton was killed around 4:00 in the morning,

People from all over the city
came to be witnesses - The First Rainbow Coalition

People from all over the city came to be witnesses

- Government couldn't make him
and couldn't destroy him. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Government couldn't make him and couldn't destro...

- I recall Jesse Jackson
speaking. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- I recall Jesse Jackson speaking.

- I tried to--tried to not
show any emotion, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- I tried to--tried to not show any emotion,

- When he finished, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- When he finished,

A lot of people underestimated
what the government would o - The First Rainbow Coalition

A lot of people underestimated what the government would o

- I am personally grieved
over the death of Fred Hampton - The First Rainbow Coalition

- I am personally grieved over the death of Fred Hampton

So it is that
those who are symbolic - The First Rainbow Coalition

So it is that those who are symbolic

- They sprayed this wall with
.30-caliber machine gun fire. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- They sprayed this wall with .30-caliber machine gun fire...

- All indications to me,
personally, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- All indications to me, personally,

These bumbling police officers
that carried that out, - The First Rainbow Coalition

These bumbling police officers that carried that out,

- I said that - The First Rainbow Coalition

They were killing
the whole movement. - The First Rainbow Coalition

They were killing the whole movement.

[ethereal ambient music] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[ethereal ambient music]

So it was a down time, man.
It was bad. - The First Rainbow Coalition

So it was a down time, man. It was bad.

[train creaking] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[train creaking]

And that he was... - The First Rainbow Coalition

And that he was...

And that's why I knew I had
to come, you know, here. - The First Rainbow Coalition

And that's why I knew I had to come, you know, here.

And Cha Cha coming behind,
Rainbow Coalition Part 2. - The First Rainbow Coalition

And Cha Cha coming behind, Rainbow Coalition Part 2.

- Mr. Robert E. Lee, sir.
[laughs] - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Mr. Robert E. Lee, sir. [laughs]

- How Fred would say it,
you can kill a revolutionary - The First Rainbow Coalition

- How Fred would say it, you can kill a revolutionary

You know, they're in the room.
- Mm-hmm. - The First Rainbow Coalition

You know, they're in the room. - Mm-hmm.

- You know, - The First Rainbow Coalition

[laughter] - The First Rainbow Coalition

I just wanted to know, - The First Rainbow Coalition

I just wanted to know,

- Just keep serving
the people, man. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- Just keep serving the people, man.

You know, for just three
or four hours a day, - The First Rainbow Coalition

You know, for just three or four hours a day,

You know,
like my mom would say, - The First Rainbow Coalition

You know, like my mom would say,

Do something for somebody." - The First Rainbow Coalition

Do something for somebody."

- He didn't really
see skin color. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- He didn't really see skin color.

I think that's the checkpoint - The First Rainbow Coalition

I think that's the checkpoint

- The Young Patriots
in Chicago - The First Rainbow Coalition

- The Young Patriots in Chicago

- On December 4, 1972,
I ended up turning myself in, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- On December 4, 1972, I ended up turning myself in,

[heartening ambient music] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[heartening ambient music]

- The entire black community
revolted - The First Rainbow Coalition

- The entire black community revolted

- There's nothing I hate worse
than defeat, Bob, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- There's nothing I hate worse than defeat, Bob,

But you can't, uh--
you can't, uh, - The First Rainbow Coalition

But you can't, uh-- you can't, uh,

- That began
a fracturing of the grip - The First Rainbow Coalition

- That began a fracturing of the grip

- When the curtain comes down, - The First Rainbow Coalition

- When the curtain comes down,

[train creaking and clattering] - The First Rainbow Coalition

[train creaking and clattering]

The concept helped
elect Harold Washington - The First Rainbow Coalition

The concept helped elect Harold Washington

- The Rainbow Coalition,
it presented a possibility. - The First Rainbow Coalition

- The Rainbow Coalition, it presented a possibility.

You know, it gave us a vision
for what could be - The First Rainbow Coalition

You know, it gave us a vision for what could be

- They are the members
of what Jesse Jackson calls - The First Rainbow Coalition

- They are the members of what Jesse Jackson calls

Racial profiling has to stop,
Mr. Speaker. - The First Rainbow Coalition

Racial profiling has to stop, Mr. Speaker.

Just because someone
wears a hoodie - The First Rainbow Coalition

Just because someone wears a hoodie

Clearly that didn't happen, - The First Rainbow Coalition

Clearly that didn't happen,

It's still in the psychic
memory of people in Chicag. - The First Rainbow Coalition

It's still in the psychic memory of people in Chicag.

The First Rainbow Coalition poster

★ ★ ★ ★ ★

Chicago 1969: Activists from the Black Panthers, Young Lords, and Young Patriots united African Americans, Latinos, and poor whites to confront police brutality and unfair housing practices in one of America’s most segregated cities. A timely story of collective action, The First Rainbow Coalition tells this little-known chronicle of political struggle with insight and urgency using archival footage and interviews with those who lived it.

User Rating: 0.0 (0 ratings)

Director: Ray Santisteban

Writer: N/A

Production: Nantes Media, LLC,ITVS,Black Public Media,Latino Public Broadcasting

Genre: documentary

Year: 2019

MetaScore: N/A/100

ImdbRating: 7.1

BoxOffice: N/A

Released: 24 Oct 2019

Awards: 1 win & 1 nomination

Homepage: http://www.pbs.org/independentlens/films/the-first-rainbow-coalition/