Boston, MA May 17, 2011 — In 1974, Federal Judge Arthur Garrity made a decision to desegregate the Boston Public School system. In an attempt to racially integrate schools that rested in Boston’s segregated neighborhoods, black and white students were bused across the city, meeting protests and violence outside of their schools. Due to their angry demonstrations as Roxbury students entered South Boston High School, the community of South Boston gained media attention that painted its residents as racist, uneducated thugs.
Fast forward 35 years later as local filmmaker and Southie Boy, Padriac Farma, embarks on a journey to discover South Boston’s true voice within this dark point of Boston’s history.
“In my current project [Southie 74], I hope to bring a barroom presence by presenting an account rich in drama within an environment where people can speak frankly and discuss the issues in the story.” Says the director.
“South Boston’s residents will be asked to give their side of the story, describing the pride they have for their culture, the frustrations they faced with their government and the sense of powerlessness they received from their experiences.”
Although the film is planned to focus primarily in South Boston, it is the filmmaker’s objective to provide a balanced look at what resulted in the months and years following the mandate by holding interviews with students & faculty from Roxbury, bus drivers and political figures. Including, for the first time, an on camera discussion between former students of South Boston and Roxbury.
For some, the issues resulting from forced busing have never been closed. There is still anger that permeates through the parents of the students forced to leave their neighborhood and a stigma that continues to follow all residents of South Boston. The purpose of this film is not to prove who was right or wrong, but rather to give a voice to the residents that lived and fought through this period in Boston’s history. It is an opportunity for South Boston residents to finally share their story.
I was a high school student during Busing in Camb.(we had Race and Police Riots in the early 70′s) and a big thing I remember was the one-sided coverage from the Boston Globe.
There was a lot of Black against White and White against Black attacks throughout the metro Boston area during that time.When a Black guy got stabbed it would be on page one or two,big story!When a White guy got stabbed if you could find a story on it it would be on page 17.a very small paragraph.Look it up.
Also,take a look at the Globe’s editorial section from the time.The Globe and Judge Garrity were simpatico.
Good luck
Good luck with your project. Someone needed to tell this story. I still have vivid nightmares of the Boston Police -Tactical Police Force for beating women and children with billy clubs at their heads and rear of their knees and knocking us down to the ground. I was only nine years old ! My parents fought to keep me from being bussed to Roxbury when there was an award winning school 6 blocks from my house. I also will never forget the people of Southie opening up their doors and saving us all from the tactical police brutality. All because of judge Garrity’s ignorance.
What stage is this project in?
This film is currently 80% shot, and we are in the assembly stage of editing. We are still happy to interview new people, as this project will grow through future projects and web spaces.
Padriac Farma
I hope you do a fair and honest piece about the ugly truth of forced busing.
The people of South Boston were portrayed in a very negative light and I hope you turn it around and show the reverse disgriminagtion that happened to most of the the good people of South Boston.
“you have enemies? Good that means you must of stood up for something, sometime in you life”
Thankfully they stood!