An amazing moment when James Brown saved Boston The night of Martin Luther Kings assassination on 4 April 1968, a series of riots and violence erupted on the streets of major American cities. On 5 April, James Brown was scheduled to perform at Boston Garden. The previous night there had been riots in outer Boston and Boston’s mayor Kevin White, was worried that James Brown’s concert would bring violence to the centre of Boston. White considered cancelling the event but reconsidered after a young African American councilman Tom Atkins suggested going ahead with the concert but showing the concert on a free, live broadcast to keep people at home and off the streets. At one stage in the concert, things nearly became violent when a group of males tried to climb onto the stage while white Boston policemen forcefully pushed them back. Sensing the volatility of the situation, Brown urged the police to back away from the stage, then addressed the crowd. Wait a minute, wait a minute now WAIT! Brown said. Step down, now, be a gentleman....Now I asked the police to step back, because I think I can get some respect from my own people. Brown successfully restored order while keeping the police away from the crowd, and continued the successful peacekeeping concert in honour of Dr. King. James Browns concert is attributed to keeping the peace in Boston during this tumultuous period. Mayor Kevin White went on to serve Boston from 1968-1984 and oversaw the desegregation of the City. The first video shows Councilor Tom Atkins and James Brown introduce Mayor Kevin White onto the stage. White addresses the crowd, urging they respect the legacy of Martin Luther King, Jr. Brown salutes Mayor White and sings Thats Life. In the second video James Brown calms down the crowd.
Posted on: Thu, 25 Sep 2014 13:47:04 +0000
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