1
00:00:00,866 --> 00:00:02,100
(chattering on police radio)

2
00:00:06,633 --> 00:00:08,000
Let me have your 
attention, please.

3
00:00:08,000 --> 00:00:09,833
There will be a curfew

4
00:00:09,833 --> 00:00:12,266
starting at 11:00.

5
00:00:13,766 --> 00:00:15,733
You had Newark, you had Detroit.

6
00:00:15,733 --> 00:00:17,100
You had cities all 
across the country

7
00:00:17,100 --> 00:00:18,433
up in flames.

8
00:00:21,800 --> 00:00:24,300
You see, the real 
problem with violence,

9
00:00:24,300 --> 00:00:26,833
is that we have never been 
violent.

10
00:00:26,833 --> 00:00:28,866
We have been too nonviolent.

11
00:00:30,600 --> 00:00:32,100
Since Newark and Detroit,

12
00:00:32,100 --> 00:00:35,500
law and order have become 
obsessions on Capitol Hill.

13
00:00:36,266 --> 00:00:37,966
I think America must see

14
00:00:37,966 --> 00:00:40,433
riots do not develop 
out of thin air.

15
00:00:40,433 --> 00:00:42,200
This was a national crisis.

16
00:00:42,200 --> 00:00:44,466
Johnson's being faced with 
the pressure to do something.

17
00:00:44,466 --> 00:00:46,333
Creating a 
presidential commission

18
00:00:46,333 --> 00:00:47,966
was, for Johnson, 
the best option.

19
00:00:48,866 --> 00:00:50,133
I want you to be vice-chairman,

20
00:00:50,133 --> 00:00:51,266
and I don't want you 
thinking about it;

21
00:00:51,266 --> 00:00:52,500
I just want you 
to say "Yes, sir."

22
00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:53,466
Yes, sir.

23
00:00:53,466 --> 00:00:54,833
The president said to me,

24
00:00:54,833 --> 00:00:56,533
I want you to remember 
you're a Johnson man.

25
00:00:57,800 --> 00:00:59,333
If you forget it, I'll 
cut your blank off.

26
00:00:59,333 --> 00:01:01,533
He did not say blank.

27
00:01:02,733 --> 00:01:04,366
The Kerner Commission do an

28
00:01:04,366 --> 00:01:07,000
extraordinary field 
investigation.

29
00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:09,400
We sent our teams to 23 cities.

30
00:01:10,833 --> 00:01:12,400
There were mountains of material 
that we had to go through.

31
00:01:12,400 --> 00:01:13,633
It was an eye-opener.

32
00:01:13,633 --> 00:01:16,066
It really put faces 
on these problems.

33
00:01:18,266 --> 00:01:20,966
They suggested 
all sorts of measures

34
00:01:20,966 --> 00:01:23,500
to promote police 
community relations,

35
00:01:24,566 --> 00:01:26,000
a massive structural 
transformation.

36
00:01:26,000 --> 00:01:28,000
A form of guaranteed 
annual income.

37
00:01:29,366 --> 00:01:30,600
2 million new jobs in government 
and private business.

38
00:01:33,400 --> 00:01:35,600
Every time you appoint one 
of these committees,

39
00:01:35,600 --> 00:01:37,866
you get more than you can do 
anything about.

40
00:01:41,066 --> 00:01:43,400
He refused to accept a copy.

41
00:01:43,400 --> 00:01:46,600
He refused to thank 
the commissioners.

42
00:01:47,500 --> 00:01:48,933
It would be fatal for the nation

43
00:01:48,933 --> 00:01:51,933
to overlook the urgency 
of the moment.

44
00:01:51,933 --> 00:01:53,233
There is this problem.

45
00:01:53,233 --> 00:01:55,233
Let's not sweep 
it under the rug.

46
00:01:55,233 --> 00:01:57,466
This is the first time you 
had the government saying

47
00:01:57,466 --> 00:01:59,100
these problems are systemic.

48
00:01:59,866 --> 00:02:01,266
And it has remained this

49
00:02:01,266 --> 00:02:03,233
vitally important document

50
00:02:03,233 --> 00:02:05,266
that has retained its relevance.

51
00:02:06,166 --> 00:02:07,733
Johnson said, find the truth,

52
00:02:07,733 --> 00:02:09,100
and express it in your report.

53
00:02:09,833 --> 00:02:10,533
That's what we did.