The New York City Municipal Archives has recently completed a long-term project to digitize and make available 167 hours of WNYC-TV films, adding to the more than 400 hours of video available in the digital gallery. The most recently digitized films date from the late 1960s through the early ‘70s, a time of broad social changes accompanied by violence and assassinations of public figures. New York City government faced a rapidly shifting tax base and increasing public debt that would ultimately spiral out of control. The digitization of this visual record fills in more details of the city’s history during this tumultuous period. The following clips highlight some of the video digitized over the course of the project.
On April 15th and 16th, 1967, City leaders invited Puerto Rican residents to a conference where they would address the needs of Puerto Rican communities. The event and its speakers were recorded in an hour-long program created by WNYC-TV called “Give Me Opportunity,” that aired in May of that year. Speakers came from a diverse range of professions and walks of life, addressing issues such as education, economic opportunity, health, political representation, Spanish language in official city documents, etc. In between speeches, members met in committees to work out solutions to common problems and produce a series of action plans to better the lives of Puerto Rican communities.
REC0047_1_1894 "Give Me Opportunity” Conference, April 16th and 17th, 1967. WNYC-TC Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.
Board of Education Supervisor Nilda Koenig spoke for the Culture and Art panel, providing a series of recommendations that Puerto Rican history and literature be incorporated into the lessons of high schools and higher learning institutions throughout the City. Other figures like the Bronx Borough President, Herman Badillo, and Puerto Rico’s Secretary of Labor, Alfredo Lazario, talked about the recent and immense growth of the Puerto Rican population in the City of New York, which totaled over 900,000 residents in 1967.
REC0047_1_2000 Six days after MLK Jr Assassination, April 10th, 1968. WNYC-TV Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.
On April 4th, 1968, Civil Rights leader Martin Luther King Jr was assassinated in Memphis, Tennessee. While political violence and threats against King were not new, the news of his murder shocked and enraged millions. The news was experienced as a wave of anger that swept through major cities across America, leaving dozens dead, thousands injured and millions in property damage in cities like Chicago, Washington DC and Baltimore. Prominent figures in some large cities have since been credited with reducing the intensity of the riots, including James Brown in Boston, Robert Kennedy in Indianapolis and Mayor John Lindsay who visited Harlem in the days after King’s death. In this WNYC-TV recording six days after the murder, Mayor Lindsay recounts a message King sent him regarding New York City’s efforts to improve racial harmony in America.
The 1969 World Series is known to baseball fans as one of the greatest upsets in sports history. The unlikely victory of the New York Mets over the Baltimore Orioles earned the 1969 team the nickname ‘The Miracle Mets.’ Along with the moon landing and the Woodstock music festival, the World Series ranks as one of that year’s incredible moments. The Met’s season started poorly, but by winning 38 of their final 49 games for a total of 100 wins, they became the first National League Eastern Division champions. In the World Series they faced the Baltimore Orioles which had a nearly perfect season. In Game 1 of the Series, the Orioles beat the Mets 4-1, a crushing defeat that many expected. But then due to historic performances by Mets players Tommie Agee, Don Clendenon, Jerry Koosman and everyone else on the team, the Mets won the next four games. A near riot broke out in Shea Stadium at the end of the game, with Mets fans rushing the field in excitement, forcing Mets players to hide in the clubroom. Here is the WNYC-TV footage from the ceremony celebrating the Miracle Mets unlikely victory.
REC0047_1_2180 Mets win the World Series, October 20th, 1969. WNYC-TV Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.
Although the Supreme Court case Roe v. Wade ensured the right to an abortion from 1972 to 2022, New York State legalized the medical treatment a few years earlier on April 10, 1970. Abortion restrictions elsewhere led to an influx of women traveling hundreds of miles to seek medical care. This WNYC-TV clip was recorded one year after legalization and the establishment of clinics across the City. The law was passed at a time when the Republican party had complete control over New York State politics, occupying the Governor’s seat and controlling the legislature. But Republicans were split and debate was extensive with over a dozen speeches. Some like Senator James H. Donovan remarked that “Your hands will reach into the womb with the doctor and you are going to kill, K‐I‐L‐L, when you pass this law. I urge you in God’s name not to do this.” While other Republicans like Senator Thomas Laverne pushed back, saying “I have been told I am obviously not a good Catholic ... Even that I am a phony ... But many do not support the church on this issue, 60 per cent of the Catholics in my district don't agree with the church on this issue... I don't think I have the right to force my morality on anyone else.” In truth, the debate began long before 1970 and will clearly continue long after 2022.
REC0047_1_2595 One Year After New York State Abortion Legalization, September 29th, 1971. WNYC-TV Collection, NYC Municipal Archives.
To learn more about the WNYC-TV collection, browse the nearly 1,000 digitized films in the digital gallery here and discover many other collections made freely available. The digitization of these films was funded by a Local Government Records Management Improvement Fund (LGRMIF) grant from the New York State Archives.