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Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement

The Free Speech Collection is primarily comprised of audio recordings produced by independent journalistColin Edwards from 1964-1967. Edwards was a journalist working with Canadian Broadcasting, the BBC and Pacifica Radio among others. His work represents a comprehensive account of the major perspectives, ideas, events and figures of the Free Speech Movement, the Sproul hall sit-in and the subsequent changesconcerning the rights of students to engage in political activity on the UC-Berkeley campus. These changes, best known as the December 8th Resolutions, were put to the test in 1966 during the “Little Free Speech Movement” in which students’ political rights were again brought into question.This part of the collection focuses on the November 30th, 1966 confrontation between anti-war demonstrators and a Navy recruiting table that was set up in the student union building. Many students and non-students were arrested and disciplined, and students responded with a strike that disrupted campus activities. Ultimately, UC president Clark Kerr was dismissed by newly-elected Governor Reagan and the Board of Regents for being “too soft” onprotesters.

One of the strongest aspects of thiscollection is Colin’s ability to speak with all the major players: students,professors, administrators, local political and police representatives as wellas members of the corporate media. This provides a vibrant context with whichto understand the movement and its lasting effects on the political culture ofthe UC Berkeley campus. It also shifts the focus of the movement fromwell-known figures to people whose names that we might not know but played anequally important role in the success of the movement. In addition to hisinterviews, the collection also features speeches and rallies held by the FSM,Student Senate Debates in which major FSM issues were decided and even audiofrom Mario Savio's birthday party.

This is one of the definitive audiocollections of the Free Speech Movement and represents an important addition tothe dominant narrative that limits the free speech movement and itsaccomplishments to the work of a couple of dedicated students. The audioprovides evidence of the significant linkages between the civil rightsstruggles being waged by African-Americans and the Free Speech Movement, themass nature of the protests and the true politically diversity of student andfaculty participants.  

The FSM is equally as relevant todayas it was in the 1960s. Check out two of our interns' blogs about thecontemporary relevance of this collection:

Documents

Mario Savio birthday clip Mario Savio birthday clip
Format: mp3Collection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Mario Savio celebrated his birthday at home, having dinner and cake with friends. This birthday party doubled as a victory party for Berkeley
FSM Audio Excerpts FSM Audio Excerpts
Call Number: CD 918Format: CDCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
1. Speech on University Administration's responses to the FSM. Speech was given after warrants were issued for Mario Savio and others. Unknown speaker, maybe Hal Draper. 2. Conspiratorial Mario Savio 3. Jack Weinberg speaks on arrests of students and non-students following FSM protests. 4. Mario Savio short segment on People's Park 5. Ronald Reagan speaks on the Board of Regent's decision to fire Clark Kerr. 6. SDS-organized Save the Steps Rally outside of Sproul Hall. 7. Blank Track 8. Mario Savio and others speak after FSM sentencing
Hal Draper speech on administration response to FSM Hal Draper speech on administration response to FSM
Call Number: CE 791Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
1. Speech on University Administration's responses to the FSM. Speech was given after warrants were issued for Mario Savio and others. Unknown speaker, maybe Hal Draper. 2. Conspiratorial Mario Savio: Short segment with Mario speaking
Jack Weinberg on non-student arrests Jack Weinberg on non-student arrests
Call Number: CE 792Format: 1/4 3 3/4 ipsProducers: Colin EdwardsCollection: Colin Edwards Free Speech Movement
Jack Weinberg speaks on arrests of students and non-students following FSM protests.