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Studs Terkel talks with R. Buckminster (Richard) Fuller and Young Lords Party as they tour old Chicago neighborhood on route to public discussion at a local church

BROADCAST: May. 13, 1970 | DURATION: 00:56:30

Synopsis

R. Buckminster, Studs Terkel and members of Young Lords tour the Chicago, Lincoln Park neighborhood in a station wagon on route to Buckminster's discussion at People's Church. Studs Terkel, Richard Buckminster, Cha Cha Jimenez, the Chairman of the Young Lords, and an unidentified female discuss the redevelopment and displacement of citizens by urban renewal in the name of community improvement. The need for low income housing is not being recognized but middle income housing and commercial shopping malls are being developed for young executives living the suburban dream of white picket fences. Minorities, both Black and Puerto Rican families have been displaced multiple times in the name of this progress. Buckminster states "humanity is innocent but ignorant and we must not knock people down but lift them up. Even these miserable housing conditions is protection against the weather." Buckminster sees Urban Renewal as a complex rationalization of immorality and part of a great cancer. Yet reminds us that a good thinker doesn't see bad or evil but that they are innocent of how terrible they are. Buckminster recalls the introduction of the radio and Lindbergh's flight that change the notion of locality and introduced the notion that change is possible. The radio not education improved the illiterate's vocabularies and opened them to a world outside Chicago. Buckminster stated not to lose your thinking capacity in anger you must lose the negative and think clearly. He brought that discussion to the office of the People's Church. Initially he spoke before a dozen or so Young Lords and neighbors before moving upstairs to a larger audience. He continued his discussion on how the individual can help his fellow man without trespassing against him. You must remain independent to think clearly and man's greatest problem is his own fear. So to make progress you must not create panick and give people confidence and be constructive by not inviting confrontation. If you follow that approach you will win support.