Louisiana Diary, Part I

Please note: copyright to Louisiana Diary is held by WNET. All rights reserved. WNET is the premier public media provider of the New York metropolitan area and parent of public television stations THIRTEEN and WLIW21. Louisiana Diary was originally produced by KQED for National Educational Television (NET) - the predecessor of WNET - and first aired in 1964.

Written and directed by Richard O. Moore (who described the experience in a 2012 interview), Part I of this KQED Film Unit documentary follows the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) from July to August 1963, as they undertake an African American voter registration drive in the town of Plaquemine, Louisiana (Iberville Parish). Includes scenes of: citizens undergoing mock interrogations at voter education clinics; CORE members canvassing from house to house; civil rights meetings in Baptist Churches; a mass march and vigil; police tear gassing crowds and making arrests and interviews with Ronnie Moore (Field Secretary for CORE in Louisiana) and Mama Joe Homes. This film was edited by Irving Saraf and Philip Greene, shot by Philip Greene, Irving Saraf and Robert Charlton, with sound by Stanley Kronquest. Narration by Richard O. Moore. Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks.

Note: this 16mm film print was re-transferred in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in July 2023. Film shrinkage was measured in July 2023 at 0.6%. This program originally aired as one continuous documentary on TV but we're streaming it in 2-parts online, in order to preserve the picture quality.