Newberg, Rich
Television journalists--United States--Biography
Television journalists--New York (State)--Buffalo--Biography
Emmy Award winning broadcast journalist Rich Newberg revisits his forty-six year quest to better understand the human condition. Beginning with his earliest days as "The Troubleshooter," when he brought the camera and microphone to those in society who didn't have a voice, Mr. Newberg reflects on the social upheavals, historical milestones, and lives of extraordinary people he covered throughout his storied career. He dedicates his memoir to the people of Buffalo, New York, who he says "are passionate about the issues that shape our lives." Rich Newberg spent almost four decades of his career at WIVB-TV in Buffalo, seeking to illuminate those issues. Mr. Newberg’s video memoir is co- produced and edited by his long-time colleague and friend, Mike Mombrea Jr., WIVB-TV’s chief Photographer.
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Host)
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Editor)
WIVB (Television Station : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Artist)
Jeromos, Kelly (Director)
Mullen, Sara (Special Projects Manager)
Morales, David (Contributing Editor)
Roy, Josh (Contributing Editor)
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
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The Morning After: The Demise of the Courier Express
Buffalo (N.Y.)--History--Newspapers.
Buffalo, New York became a one newspaper town on September 19, 1982. It lost The Courier Express, the popular morning and Sunday newspaper that had begun publishing in 1926. This News 4 television special hosted by the late Bob Koop looks back on the reasons why the newspaper could no longer compete with The Buffalo News and the impact of the Courier’s folding on its former staff members and its readers. Staff members of the Courier Express voted down the opportunity to work under Rupert Murdoch’s News America. It would have meant transitioning to a tabloid newspaper as well as staff cuts of between 30 and 40 percent. When the paper shut down, eleven hundred people were out of work. Buffalo’s depressed economy at the time made it difficult for many of those workers to find jobs. Some had to go on welfare. The demise of the Courier Express followed the closings of other major newspapers throughout the country, including the Cleveland Press, which shut down three months earlier. It had been operating for 103 years. The roots of The Courier Express date back to 1828 according to SUNY Buffalo State, which has possession of the Courier Express archives. As the E.H. Butler Library at Buffalo State points out, “From 1828 to 1926, twelve separate newspapers merged during those years, ending with the formation of the Buffalo Courier-Express…” Mark Twain once was a columnist for one of those papers, the Buffalo Morning Express.
Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Archivist)
Koop, Bob (Program Host)
Smith, Doug (Former Courier Express Entertainment Editor/News 4 “Fun Ranger")
Baker, Jim (Former Courier Express Radio-TV Critic)
Lapping, Ed (Veteran Newspaper Editor)
Jasen, Carol (WIVB-TV Reporter)
Newberg, Rich (WIVB-TV Reporter)
Sacks, Karen (Producer)
Vandivort, Dave (Director)
Wigginton, Chris (Photographer, Editor)
Cantwell, Bill (Photographer)
Santana, Dave (Photographer)
Ayers, Don (Technical Staff)
Clemons, Mickey (Technical Staff)
Johnson, Len (Technical Staff)
Johnson, Rex (Technical Staff)
Kerner, Kathy (Technical Staff)
Novelli, John (Technical Staff)
Pels, Godon (Technical Staff)
Rozek, Dan (Technical Staff)
Copyright held by WIVB-TV. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
Television Broadcasting of news--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.
Television Journalists--New York (State)--Buffalo--History.
Social Justice--United States.
Black lives matter movement.
Love Canal Chemical Waste Landfill (Niagara Falls, N.Y.)--History
Radioactive waste disposal--New York (State)--West Valley.
Buffalo Bills (Football team)--History.
McVeigh, Timothy.
Oklahoma City Federal Building Bombing, Oklahoma City, Okla., 1995.
John Paul II, Pope, 1920-2005.
Waterfronts--New York (State)--Buffalo.
“The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here” aired on June 7, 2021 as a local primetime special on WIVB-TV. The documentary features major events covered by the station’s news department and illustrates the contributions of Buffalo’s broadcast journalists and the value of local television news archives and their potential to inform, educate and uplift the communities they represent. The two major segments in the first half of the program deal with the pursuit of racial and environmental justice in the Buffalo-Niagara region. Buffalo’s legendary role in the civil rights movement and the notorious Love Canal disaster are revisited through key archival news and documentary footage. The second half features Buffalo’s prominence as a television market for news and its ties to many historic developments and events of national and international significance. Examples include the terminus of the Erie Canal, the Buffalo woman shot along with Pope John Paul II during an assassination attempt, and the four consecutive Super Bowl appearances by the Buffalo Bills in the 1990s. The one hour program highlights efforts by the Buffalo Broadcasters Association (BBA) to preserve the images on early news film and videotape before they deteriorate and are lost forever. It is written and hosted by WIVB-TV’s retired senior correspondent Rich Newberg. He was instrumental in laying the groundwork for the BBA’s Archive Project sixteen years earlier. Newberg’s fellow producer and editor Tom Vetter also worked at WIVB-TV as a news photographer. Newberg and Vetter created the station’s documentary unit in 1999. Some segments of their New York Emmy Award winning pieces appear in this documentary. Veteran WIVB anchor Jacquie Walker co-produced the program along with WIVB graphic arts director Kurt Murphy. “The Buffalo Story: History Happens Here” is more than just a history lesson or a tribute to the local broadcast journalists who provided an extraordinary chronicle of life-changing events. It is a call to action to preserve the news footage that helped define a region and in some cases, a nation.
Vetter, Tom (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Moments In Time Video, Inc. & TVRE Productions, Inc.
Walker, Jacquie (Co-producer)
Murphy, Kurt (Co-producer, Graphic Arts Director)
Holland, Dan (Contributing Photographer)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Interviewee, Documentarian)
Ziemer, Heidi (Consulting Archivist)
Mombrea, John (Digital Archivist)
Terranova, Michael (Digital Archivist)
Newberg, David (Logo Designer)
Dworsky, Molly (Logo Designer)
Copyright held by Moments In Time Video, Inc. & TVRE Productions, Inc. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of Rich Newberg, Tom Vetter, WIVB-TV and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
The Buffalo Firefighters Story: A Testament to Courage, Commitment and Compassion
Fire fighters--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Buffalo--Official and employees--History
Herbert, Donny--Health
September 11 Terrorist Attacks, 2001.
SEGMENT 1: The Rescue and Awakening of Don Herbert A month after Buffalo firefighter Don Herbert was rescued from an attic of a burning house, WIVB-TV senior correspondent Rich Newberg and photographer Tom Vetter reported on the dedication and sacrifices of those who fight fires for a living. On December 28, 1995, Herbert became trapped after the roof collapsed. He ran out of oxygen before fellow firefighters could locate him. They saved his life but he suffered from brain damage and blindness. Rich Newberg visited the veteran firefighter whose speech was impaired but who was determined to do anything necessary to regain his strength and communication skills. Despite his strength of character and will to survive, Herbert later lapsed into a decade-long coma. On April 30, 2005, Don Herbert suddenly awakened and made international news when he began talking to family members and friends as if it were yesterday. He had been given drugs normally used to treat Parkinson’s disease, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and depression. Anderson Cooper, reporting for CBS’s 60 Minutes, produced a major story on what many were calling a “miraculous awakening.” Herbert broke into tears when a fellow firefighter told him he had been unresponsive for about ten years. Subsequently, Don Herbert took a fall out of bed, which again weakened his condition. He developed pneumonia and passed away on February 21, 2006. Herbert left behind a wife and four sons. Two became firefighters. The amazing story of his awakening gave hope to families with brain damaged loved ones in a coma. Herbert will always be remembered for his bravery and courage as part of a rescue team, and for his desire to do the very best he could under debilitating circumstances. SEGMENT 2 The Ultimate Sacrifice on North Division Street On December 27, 1983, a propane tank explosion at a four story radiator warehouse in Buffalo claimed the lives of five Buffalo firefighters. It remains the largest single day loss of life in the history of the Buffalo Fire Department. In addition, two civilians living near the warehouse were killed in their home. The explosion occurred shortly after the firefighters arrived on the scene, responding to the call of a propane gas leak. All five crew members from Ladder 5 were killed instantly. Eleven others were injured when the blast occurred. There were more injuries during rescue efforts. More than 150 civilians were taken to hospitals.The warehouse was destroyed as were buildings within a four-block radius. It was later determined that the 500 gallon propane tank had been illegally housed in the warehouse. A memorial service honoring the memory of the fallen firefighters takes place every year on December 27th at 8:23 p.m., the time of the explosion. It is held at fire call box number 191 at the intersection where the explosion took place. SEGMENT 3 Buffalo Firefighters Respond to 9/11 Attacks at Ground Zero When the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center were attacked and destroyed by terrorists on 9/11/2001, Lt. Tony Liberatore, now a captain in the Buffalo Fire Department, said at the time, “A group of us felt we had to go there and we had to go there now. So we got there as quick as we possibly could.” WIVB’s Lisa Flynn and photographer Steve Beauchamp produced a segment for the hour special, “Day of Sorrow: Year of Change,” featuring the role Buffalo firefighters played in recovery efforts at Ground Zero. They called the story, “Forever Changed.” In the year following the attack, Liberatore returned to New York City, helping to train firefighter recruits. Flynn reported that the recruits were “desperately needed to fill the loss of 343 firefighters and a host of others who retired…”
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic artist)
Vetter, Tom (Photographer, Editor)
Cooper, Anderson (60 Minutes Reporter)
Richert, George (Reporter)
Mongiovi, Rachele (Reporter)
Flynn, Lisa (Reporter)
Beauchamp, Steve (Photographer, Editor)
Holocaust survivors
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Personal narratives
World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps.
It took decades for Holocaust survivors to break their silence following the end of WWII. In the 1980's, a small but tight-knit survivor community in Buffalo, New York, began reaching out to the public, bearing witness to what they had personally experienced in Nazi death and labor camps. "Survivors of the Holocaust," presented on WIVB-TV in April 1983, was one of the first local television efforts to explore the lives of survivors, and the lessons they offered to civilization. The vignettes included testimony from three survivors, two of their children, and a liberator of Nazi concentration camps. The program became the cornerstone for the Holocaust Resource Center of Buffalo, which was created to teach the lessons of the Holocaust, remember its victims, and honor its survivors.
Summerville, Dan (Photographer, Editor)
Mombrea, Mike Sr. (Contributing Photographer)
Ader, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
Wigginton, Chris (Production Editor)
Root, Kim (Production Editor)
Murphy, Kurt (Graphic Arts Director)
Christian, Roger (Music Coordinator)
Barbour, Al (Technical Staff)
Case, Hal (Technical Staff)
Pels, Gordon (Technical Staff)
Rowell, Earl (Technical Staff)
Back, Toby (Historical Consultant)
Kuperstein, Asaiah (Historical Consultant)
Bucholz, Arden (Historical Consultant)
Lost Childhood : the Story of the Birkenau Boys
Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)
World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Poland.
A group of Holocaust survivors -- some of the 89 Jewish boys spared by Dr. Joseph Mengele to serve as slave laborers in the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp -- return to Europe fifty years later. They recount their experiences in the camp, their survival tactics and coping mechanisms, and the emotional scars they still carry. Hosted by veteran TV journalist Rich Newberg. Photographed and edited by WIVB-TV Chief Photographer Mike Mombrea Jr. Shot on the grounds of the Terezin concentration camp and Auschwitz-Birkenau.
Mombrea Jr., Mike (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Kaufman, Ken (Composer of original score)
Newberg, Lori (Field Assistant)
Mombrea, John (Imix Editor)
Bacon, Yehuda (Artist, Holocaust Survivor)
Copyright held by Moments In Time Video, Inc. and Mike Mombrea, Jr. Access to this digital version provided by the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Videos or images in this collection are not to be used for any commercial purposes without the expressed written permission of producers Rich Newberg or Mike Mombrea, Jr. and the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library. Users of this website are free to utilize material from this collection for non-commercial and educational purposes.
A Life in the Balance : Struggles of the Mentally Ill
Mentally ill--New York (State)
Mental health services--New York (State)
In the wake of some tragic incidents involving psychiatric outpatients, WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg and photographer Tom Vetter examine the struggles of the mentally ill in a flawed mental health system. "A Life In the Balance" weighs the right of society to protect itself, against the right of individuals to live independent lives free of institutions and government restrictions. The documentary also shows how patients who have gotten their lives together are reaching out to help others avoid falling through the cracks in the system.
Musial, Chris (Executive Producer)
Vanhorn, Mike (Graphic Artist)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Creative Consultant, Contributing Photographer)
Schrodt, Roy (Non-linear Editor)
Mombrea, John (Contributing Photographer)
Csortan, Peter (Contributing Photographer)
Hutchinson, Dave (Contributing Photographer)
McIntyre, Don (Contributing Photographer)
Carpenter's Hand
Developmentally disabled--New York (State)--Buffalo
Cradle of hope features the progress of twelve developmentally disabled men who belong to Carpenter's Hand. They help build baby cradles and then personally deliver them to needy mothers in the greater Buffalo area. This television special touches on the history of institutionalization in New York State and the changes that took place after the scandal of Willowbrook was exposed by TV muckraking journalist Geraldo Rivera.
Baxter, Tim (On-line Editor)
Mombrea, John (On-line Editor)
Newberg, Rich (Lyricist and Composer of lullaby _Let Me Cradle Your Dreams_)
Sunday, Bonnie (Lyricist)
Moriarty, Kathy (Musical Performer)
Giovenco, Joseph (Field Assistant -- Ukraine)
Buscaglia, Jennifer (Research Assistant)
Dadey, Kelly (Director)
Foster, Joseph D. (Tape Operator)
Drug addiction--Treatment
Drug addiction--Rehabilitation
In an effort to better understand the nature of addiction, WIVB-TV reporter Rich Newberg presents a series of reports featuring addicts speaking intimately about their drug habits and how their lives are controlled by substance abuse. Out of Control (:00 - 8:38) Air Date: June 29, 1989 These reports by Rich Newberg and Mike Mombrea, Jr. are unique in that some addicts allow themselves to be recorded as the illicit drugs enter their bloodstreams and take effect. The viewer learns first hand why it is so difficult for these individuals to straighten out their lives. Delving even further into the dark side of drug abuse, Newberg and Mombrea record addicts Julie and Randy as they suffer through the pain of withdrawal. They are documented desperately seek help at the county hospital only to be told they must come back in two days because there are no beds available. During their two day ordeal, Julie and Randy turn to alcohol in an attempt to steady their nerves. They also take part in a group therapy session, candidly sharing the feelings they are experiencing. They long for “a nice, healthy, normal life.” Two weeks after detoxification, the couple appears to be energized and eager to continue on the road to recovery. They are determined to beat the odds, which are generally against addicts leaving detox centers. Living on Drug Row (8:45 - 19:09) Air Dates: May 9, 10, 11, 1989 Reporter Rich Newberg and photographer Scott Alexander explore the ease in which heroin and cocaine are obtainable within Buffalo’s inner city. Citizens bemoan the fact that when a low level dealer is arrested, another fills his place almost immediately. Drug abuse is so prevalent in the city’s housing projects, that children are exposed to hypodermic needles where they play. We meet two five year old girls whose mothers are deeply concerned that their daughters might suffer long term effects due to their contact with discarded needles. One child drank the contents of a syringe. The other girl pricked her finger on a needle. A cocaine dealer speaking candidly says five thousand dollars a day can be made on the streets. He adds that “young kids” are recruited to sell because there is less risk to the dealer. He claims it is easy for those arrested to “beat” the family court system. Saving the Kids (19:15 - 23:08) November 15, 1989 A shortage of long-term drug treatment centers and clinics in Western New York requires families of means to send their addicted children out of the region for help. Rich Newberg presents the case of Matthew, outwardly the “All American Boy” from suburban Amherst, New York, who hid his drug problems from his loved ones until he became alienated from his family. Matthew attended one of the area’s most highly rated high schools, but disclosed that drug abuse “before, during, and after school” was a hidden but festering problem. Matthew’s father was in denial until his son completely cut himself off from the family. Matthew, along with about a dozen other Amherst children who were abusing drugs, became enrolled in the Straight Program in Plymouth, Michigan. The success rate is seventy-five percent and relies on a combination of rigid exercise and an open sharing of feelings to wean teenagers off of drugs. Matthew’s program lasted twenty-two months and cost $12,000 dollars. Most of the drug treatment programs in the Buffalo area at the time lasted twenty-eight days. While programs like the one in Plymouth offered hope to upscale families who could afford the tuition, there appeared to be a sense of hopelessness in the inner city, where drug dealers ruled the streets and controlled the lives of those who became dependent on them to feed their addictions.
Newberg, Rich (Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Photographer)
Alexander, Scott (Photographer)
Homelessness--New York (State)--Buffalo
Homeless persons--New York (State)--Buffalo
1 In 1979 the Buffalo Food Pantry was created to assist residents who couldn’t afford to feed their families. As the project developed, there were still independent efforts to feed the hungry. In 1980, the Bread Giveaway was one such effort. An organizer expressed the hope that the community would become aware of the fact that, “There are hungry people and there’s an agency now to deal with it.” Only half a block away from the place where bread was being distributed, a poverty-stricken, laid-off shipping clerk tried to offer his services to load and unload trucks in a desperate attempt to provide milk and other essentials for his two children. 2 For some of Buffalo’s homeless, living quarters are concrete spaces under the New York State Thruway. Some use cardboard to shield themselves from the elements. 67 year old Harvey Bryant was one of them. He was a “hobo” who was barely surviving on food from trash cans. His health was failing when a Buffalo family came to his aid. The City of Buffalo’s Human Resources Department and Catholic Charities were made aware of the case and immediately provided Mr. Bryant with shelter, while also addressing some of his other basic needs. 3 Buffalo soup kitchens faced increased demand in the 1980s during a period when the city experienced economic decline. Families suddenly found themselves in dire need. The federal government set aside money for cities hoping to do more for the homeless and the hungry. Buffalo’s Department of Human Services vowed to cut through red tape in order to help the neediest. 4 Sunny Miano, a modern day Robin Hood, stole money to provide for the needy of Buffalo. He served time for writing bad checks. He then established a soup kitchen called Helping Hands. He became a beloved life-saver for the poor. His operating philosophy: “If we can’t help somebody along the way, what good are we? We’re nothing!” 5 As we entered the new millennium, there were still more than hundred homeless people in Buffalo living in tunnels, under bridges, in abandoned homes, and on the streets. One of the most compelling and heartbreaking stories was about a man named “Jeff.” He lost both legs to frostbite. Various agencies came to his aid. He was provided a furnished apartment, but sadly, according to reports, he reverted back to heavy drinking and passed away.
Terranova, Michael (Digital Editor)
A Life in the Balance: Struggles of the Mentally Ill
Our Two Most Cherished Rights : Rich Newberg Reports
Slepian, Barnett
Operation Rescue (Organization)
Common Ground (Organization)
Pro-choice movement--New York (State)--Buffalo
Pro-life movement--New York (State)--Buffalo.
Six months after the assassination of Dr. Barnett Slepian, a Buffalo OB-GYN who performed abortions, rhetoric from both sides of the abortion debate was reaching a critical level. It was the eve of another planned pro-life mass demonstration. WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg and videographer Tom Vetter present the views of major players on both sides of the national issue, as well as the impact of Dr. Slepian's murder.
Baxter, Tim (Post-production Editor)
Van Horn, Mike (Graphic Artist)
The Road to Freedom : Preserving Black History In Western New York
Tubman, Harriet, 1822-1913
Nash, J. Edward (Jesse Edward), 1868-1957
Michigan Street Baptist Church
Underground Railroad--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Fugitive slaves--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
African Americans--Civil rights--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
Highlights Buffalo's unique role in the abolitionist movement. Uses reenactments, old photographs and drawings, and interviews with historians and preservationists such as Dr. Monroe Fordham, Jesse Nash, Jr., George Arthur, Rev. William Henderson, and Kevin Cottrell, to tell the story of Buffalo's critical role as the last stop on the Underground Railroad. Discusses significant sites in Buffalo to be preserved, such as the Michigan Street Baptist Church and the Nash house.
Dawkins, Don (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Musial, Chris (Producer)
Hairston, Mylous (Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Contributing Photographer)
Mombrea, John (Post-production Editor)
Battilana, Tony (Director)
Benzel, Gary (Audio Engineer)
Brown, Dave (Chyron Operator)
Beyond the Road to Freedom : New Lessons as Freedom's Message is Brought to Life
Pan-American Exposition (1901 : Buffalo, N.Y.)
Abolitionists--New York (State)--Buffalo--History
New York (State), Western--African Americans--History
Western New York is a leader in presenting re-enactments at authentic sites dating back to the days of abolitionism. Learn why these Underground Railroad sites are now gaining national attention. See how efforts have begun to document and preserve these treasures for future generations. Untouched original hiding places for escaping slaves are revealed. You will understand why the civil rights movement had its earliest origins in the Buffalo/Niagara region. See how the Pan American Exposition in Buffalo offered both hope and despair for an aspiring African American community in the country's eighth largest city at the time.
Root, Kim (Contributing Photographer)
Dee, Joe (Contributing Photographer)
Greene, Terry (Contributing Photographer)
Mombrea, John (Post production Non-linear Editor)
Clemons, Michael (Technical Director)
Griswold, Jason (Tape Operator)
Brown, Dave (Font Operator)
Serio, Sam (Master Control Operator)
Sanders, Greg (Master Control Operator)
Dawkins, Don (Researcher)
Newberg, Rich (Researcher)
Vetter, Tom (Researcher)
Hairston, Mylous (Researcher)
Musial, Chris (Researcher)
Buscaglia, Jennifer (Researcher)
A Change of Course : Applied Lessons of the Amistad Slave Ship Rebellion
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--Social conditions
African Americans--New York (State)--Buffalo--Economic conditions
African American churches
This television special documents the Buffalo visit of the Freedom Schooner Amistad, a replica of the infamous slave ship. Thousands of school children were among Western New York visitors who viewed the cramped quarters from which African captives liberated themselves and killed their oppressors. Their bravery changed the course of the ship and history. The documentary also shows how African American Churches in Buffalo have developed projects to address economic, social, and health needs of the community. This is the fourth in a series of News 4 specials about black history in Western New York.
Hairston, Mylous (Producer, Co-host)
Ersing, Rich (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Dawkins, Don (Photographer)
Schrodt, Roy (Post-production Editor)
Brown, Dave (Technical Crew)
Ayers, Don (Technical Crew)
Lawrence, John (Technical Crew)
Sanders, Greg (Technical Crew)
Ersing Rich (Researcher)
The Promise of 100 Years : the Pride of a People
Du Bois, W. E. B. (William Edward Burghardt), 1868-1963
Talbert, Mary
Niagara Movement
The organized struggle for civil rights in America had its early roots in Buffalo, New York in 1905. Hoping to create a great "current of protest," W.E.B. Dubois and fellow activists met at the home of Mary Talbert and voiced their demands for equality by establishing the Niagara Movement. It led to the creation of the N.A.A.C.P. A century later, African Americans in Buffalo's inner city are still struggling with poverty, crime, and unemployment. Many students fall far behind in school because of poor reading skills. See how these challenges are now being addressed, and how African culture is being preserved and promoted through the arts. "Minute by minute, hour by hour," says and old African proverb, "if we lose our history, we lose our power." Features reflections by former New York Deputy Assembly speaker and Buffalo mayoral candidate, Arthur O. Eve.
Hairston, Mylous (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Contributing Photographer, Editor)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Producer)
Swenson, Scott (Contributing Photographer)
Ersing, Rich (Researcher)
Mombrea, Mike Jr. (Researcher)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Researcher)
Brown, Byron
National Association for the Advancement of Colored People--History--20th century
The election of Byron Brown as Buffalo's first African American mayor came one hundred years after the nation's modern civil rights movement was born on the Niagara Frontier. The Niagara Movement, which began in 1905, was the forerunner of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People. "The Vision and the Victory" celebrates Brown's historic election and shows how Buffalo's historic role in the struggle for civil rights has received national recognition, including perspectives from former Secretary of State Colin Powell, N.A.A.C.P. Chairman Julian Bond, and New York Senator and former first lady Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Mombrea, Mike, Jr. (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Root, Kim (Producer, Photographer, Editor)
Schlaerth, Joseph (Executive Producer)
Vinciguerra, Jerry (Graphic Artist)
Williams, Lillian (Historical Consultant)
Ersing, Matt (Contributing Photographer)
Ivancic, Paul (Contributing Photographer)
Parrotte, Mark (Researcher)
Life and Legacy of Rev. Bennett Walker Smith
Smith, Bennet Walker
Series of reports on the life of Rev. Bennett Smith of Buffalo, who marched with Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. in the 1960s. He died on August 7, 2001. Reports cover Rev. Smith's funeral, attended by New York Senator Hillary Clinton, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson, among the dignitaries. Archival interviews with Rev. Smith are included, as he reflects on his efforts to help those he once referred to as 'the least, the lost, and the left out.' He was the pastor of St. John Baptist Church in Buffalo for twenty-nine years. He was a player on the national civil rights stage. Interviews include Buffalo NAACP President Frank Mesiah, Rev. Smith's widow, Marilyn Smith, Erie County District Attorney Frank Clark, and former New York Assembly Deputy Speaker Arthur O. Eve. Rev. Smith's funeral lasted four hours. His last project was building the Family Life Center for education, health, recreation and counseling. Speakers at his funeral included Hillary Clinton, Governor George Pataki, Buffalo Mayor Anthony Masiello, and Buffalo Common Council President Jim Pitts.
Newberg, Rich (Writer, Reporter)
Schultz, Laurie (Writer, Reporter)
King, Martin Luther, Jr., 1929-1968
Buffalo civil rights leaders reflect on Dr. Martin Luther King's dream vs. reality. Revisits the urban riots of the turbulent 1960s. The series raises the question: Are Buffalo's African American citizens better off now than they were during those times? Segments feature reflections from William Gaiter, George Arthur, Jim Pitts. There is archival footage of black leaders of the B.U.I.L.D. organization confronting Mayor Frank Sedita about the need to create jobs. Black Buffalo police Lt. John Eberhart says he joined the Buffalo Police Department in the 1960s as an act of self-defense, “to keep myself from the police.” Former Buffalo police officer Ted Kirkland reflects on his federal lawsuit against the city over the lack of black officers on the force. Former Buffalo School Board president Florence Baugh recalls the condition of the schools before desegregation. She calls desegregation “the most exciting social revolution occurring in the City of Buffalo.” School Superintendent Eugene Reville said English and math scores are up, while the drop out rate is down. The suspension rate for black students, however, was twice as high as that of white students.
Newberg, Rich (Producer, Writer, Reporter)
Root, Kim (Photographer, Editor)
Tutu, Desmond
Eve, Arthur O.
Apartheid -- South Africa
Racism -- United States
African Americans -- New York (State) -- Buffalo
African Americans -- Civil rights
On January 29, 1989, the late Archbishop Desmond Tutu of South Africa visited Buffalo to seek help in ending apartheid in his country. Apartheid, which means “apartness” in the language of Afrikaans, was the name given to the official separation of the race. The practice was enforced by a government dedicated to principals of white supremacy. The National Party came to power in 1948. The National Party, through legislation in 1950, classified South Africans according to race. Based on racial classification, the government decided where people could live and work, what type of schooling they could receive, what facilities would be open to them, who they could associate with, and whether or not they could vote. Archbishop Tutu called the practice “evil.” His 1989 visit to Buffalo came at a time when an anti-apartheid faction within the National Party was beginning to make significant changes. Tutu, who won the Nobel Peace Prize, told Buffalo audiences they could help in the fight against apartheid, even if it was just by saying a prayer. He compared the policy of apartheid to Nazism. He preached non-violence in the tradition of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. WIVB-TV anchor Jacquie Walker interviewed Archbishop Tutu for a special program that documented his appearances in Western New York and his thoughts on civil rights. He said he believed he would see an end to apartheid in his lifetime. In a report by WIVB’s Rich Newberg, African American inner-city residents living on Buffalo’s East Side shared thoughts about their own struggles for equality and the consequences of systemic racism. Violent crime was affecting their quality of life. There were also demonstrations against police brutality. Deputy Assembly Speaker Arthur O. Eve told Mr. Newberg that conditions had worsened since the urban race riots of the late 1960s. He said there were more homeless people of color, that the Buffalo infant mortality rate among Blacks and Latinos was the highest in the nation, and drugs and Aids were wreaking havoc in the inner-city. The campaign to end apartheid achieved success in 1994 with the formation of a democratic government in South Africa. The white minority’s rule through fear and intimidation had finally ended.
Walker, Jacquie (Anchor, Reporter)
Sawabini, Wadi (Reporter)
WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.) Buffalo & Erie County Public Library (publisher of digital)
Judge John Curtin: Reflections on Affirmative Action
Curtin, John T., 1921-2017
Affirmative action programs
Race discrimination
U.S. District Court Judge John Thomas Curtin (August 24, 1921 - April 14, 2017) was interviewed by WIVB-TV Senior Correspondent Rich Newberg on April 18, 1995. The subject was affirmative action. Judge Curtin issued rulings establishing minority hiring quotas in Buffalo’s police and fire departments and within the Buffalo School District. He believed minorities lacked opportunities for jobs and a quality education, resulting in what he once called “a poorly trained underclass” that became reliant on welfare. Born in Buffalo, Curtin served as U.S. Attorney for the Western District of New York from 1961 to 1967 before being nominated by President Lyndon Johnson for a seat on the United States District Court for the Western District of New York. He had been recommended by New York Senator Robert Kennedy. John Curtin was confirmed by the U.S. Senate on December 14, 1967. In 1976 Judge Curtin ordered that Buffalo public schools be desegregated. He ruled that minority students in Buffalo had been denied equal protection under the law, and that a segregated school system in Buffalo had been intentionally maintained. His rulings led to the hiring of more minority teachers and the creation of academically strong magnet schools that would encourage students of all races to accept being bused to these high level schools. Though Judge Curtin was targeted for criticism and sometimes even death threats by those who felt his rulings were overreaching, he consistently ruled in favor of removing barriers that had been built on “unfairness, bigotry (and) bias” against minorities, women, children, and those with special challenges.
Newberg, Rich (Reporter, Interviewer)
WIVB (Television Station: Buffalo, N.Y.)