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PBS News Hour - Segments

Juan Williams details 2nd civil rights movement in 'New Prize for These Eyes'

PBS News Hour - Segments

PBS NewsHour

News, Daily News

4.11K Ratings

🗓️ 20 January 2025

⏱️ 8 minutes

🧾️ Download transcript

Summary

In 1987, journalist Juan Williams helped illuminate the Civil Rights Movement with "Eyes on the Prize," a groundbreaking book that brought history to life and became an essential chronicle of the fight for racial equality. Nearly four decades later, he returns with "New Prize for These Eyes," a powerful update looking at the 21st-century movement. Geoff Bennett discussed the work with Williams. PBS News is supported by - https://www.pbs.org/newshour/about/funders

Transcript

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0:00.0

In 1987, journalist Juan Williams helped illuminate the civil rights movement with eyes on the prize,

0:07.1

a groundbreaking book that brought history to life and became an essential chronicle of the fight for racial equality.

0:13.8

That book was paired with a groundbreaking PBS documentary of the same name.

0:18.3

Now, nearly four decades later, Williams returns with new prize for

0:22.3

these eyes, a powerful and timely update on this MLK day that looks at the new 21st century

0:28.8

civil rights movement. I recently spoke with him about it. Juan Williams, welcome to the News Hour.

0:34.2

My pleasure, Jeff. Thanks for happening me. What about this current moment inspired you to write a follow-up to your 1987 book,

0:41.3

Eyes on the Prize?

0:42.3

You know, boy, 1987, that's a way back.

0:45.3

Almost 40 years ago.

0:46.3

Yeah, exactly.

0:47.3

So 40 years ago, I wrote Eyes on the Prize, America's Civil Rights Years, and it was a company,

0:53.3

a PBS special of the same name that was a great success.

0:56.7

So now, 40 years later, here I am, and I'm saying to you, I think we're in the midst of a

1:01.8

second civil rights movement. I've written a book called New Prize for These Eyes, the Rise of

1:07.4

America's Second Civil Rights Movement. And the key here is that if you think about eyes on the prize

1:12.6

and the civil rights movement of the mid-20th century,

1:15.6

in some ways it could be summed up three words,

1:18.6

We Shall Overcome.

1:19.6

And then the focus there is on attaining basic rights through legislation,

1:24.6

people marching in the streets.

1:26.6

Okay, fast forward to 2025, and here we are with Black Lives Matter.

...

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