Peoples Press (transcript): interview with Mark Manselle, Weaver student

Mark (Marcus) Manselle sits on a couch and smokes cigarettes as he is interviewed about why he started writing and circulating the Weaver school independent newspaper, the Peoples Press. Manselle explains that he was compelled to do something about the situation of black people in America as described by Malcolm X in his autobiography. Manselle decided that the best way to reach a lot of people was through the creation of a newspaper. The first issue came out in December of 1968 and it talked about the ways in which there was racism at Weaver High School. Manselle talks about the resistance he encountered from the Vice Principal Mr. Karaski [sp?] and Principal Mr. Ganges, including his suspension and expulsion because of passing out the papers and because of what was described as his attitude. He says that although the administration had kept students from walking out and had stopped the distribution of the Peoples Press for one day, there have been four other issues of the paper since then. In particular, through an article in the paper, they were able to put pressure on the administration and the Board of Education about the case of a senior by the name of Ruth Monroe who had been requesting home instruction but was being denied of all of her subjects except one, which she needed to graduate. Manselle speaks more generally about how schools, including Weaver High School, never teach students about the way things really are and that this is critical. He refers to one of the points in the plan that Black Panthers have set out, which is that black people need to be taught the true nature of the society that they live in.