Segment Filmed in St. Augustine by  Executive Producer David Scott for
HBO Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel
by gwendolyn duncan

David Scott Executive Producer and Mary Carrillo Correspondent for HBO Real Sports w/ Bryant Gumbel, a monthly news magazine that explores sports-themed issues were in St. Augustine August 25th filming a segment about the History of African Americans in swimming. They were highlighting the struggles of African Americans to desegregate the pools.

Initially, HBO’s Zehra Mandami contacted Gwendolyn Duncan after viewing the Accord freedom trail website on August 17th seeking information on Dr. C.T. Vivian. Zehra noticed that Dr. Vivian was the Keynote Speaker for the ACCORD Freedom Trail Luncheon in 2008. After supplying that information further contacts were given to Zehra and the ball started rolling from there. Dr. Hayling, leader of the St. Augustine Movement was contacted as well as demonstrators Purcell Conway, who was in New York at the time, Attorney Dan Warren, David Nolan, Maude Jackson, Shed Dawson, and others to see if they would take part in the segment.

David Scott sent an20email introducing him self and said that he would be in St. Augustine on Tuesday, flying in from Toledo, OH following another interview. Plans got underway to show the visitors some Southern Hospitality. David Scott wanted to use one of the churches associated with the Movement so Rev. Rawls was the first person to come to mind. After being contacted by Gwendolyn, Rev. Rawls said, “We can make it happen…” and he did.

The film crew arrived early Tuesday morning setting up their equipment in the church. Mrs. Cora Tyson, Elizabeth Duncan, and Dalonja Duncan came in on Monday evening and prepared a fantastic brunch for the guests in a room prepared in the St. Paul A.M.E Church Educational Building for the guests to take a break. Filming started at the Hilton Bayfront Inn, where the crew also spent the night, and lasted well into the night. Richard Duncan took the crew to film areas in West Augustine where youths often swam in the gravel pits when segregation prevented them from swimming in local pools or beaches during the Jim Crow Era.

Then the crew embarked upon St. Augustine Beach where demonstrator J.T. Johnson retraced his steps on that Bloody Sunday Wade-in when FHP officers escorted Rev. C.T. Vivian and fellow demonstrators to integrate the beaches. Attorney Dan Warren recalls this event in his book, If It Takes All Summer: Martin Luther King, Jr., the KKK, and States' Rights in St. Augustine, 1964.

To complete the day, David Scott, David Nolan, J.T. Johnson, Richard, Gwendolyn, Dalonja, and Elizabeth Duncan enjoyed dinner at Harry’s Restaurant.

Local Photographer Given Exclusive Rights to Chronicle HBO’s Visit to Ancient City

Executives from HBO were delighted that ACCORD wanted to chronicle their visit to the Nation’s Oldest City and gave exclusive rights to Shirley Williams-Galvin to shadow their crew, but we all had to maintain confidentiality until HBO announced its September line-up. All photos taken by Shirley would belong to ACCORD and one or two photos could be sent to be placed on the HBO website giving Shirley the photo credit(s). Go Shirley!!!!

HBO Correspondent Mary Carillo Interviews

J.T. Johnson and Attorney Warren in St. Augustine

Mr. J.T. Johnson and Attorney Dan R. Warren were both interviewed by Mary Carillo. Carillo is widely recognized as one of the most talented and opinionated network-TV tennis announcers, Mary Carillo achieved a longtime personal goal by joining the HBO Sports broadcast team in 1996 to work her first-ever Wimbledon assignment. Carillo joined broadcasting partners Billie Jean King, Martina Navratilova, John Lloyd, Barry MacKay and host Jim Lampley in providing commentary and analysis on the network's coverage of the Wimbledon Championships. For three years, her duties included hosting the daily one-hour prime time highlights program.

In 1997 she made her debut as a correspondent on Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel, HBO's monthly magazine-styled program. In May of 2006, Carillo earned a Sports Emmy Award for Outstanding Long Feature for the inspiring story of the Hoyt Family. A network broadcaster for two decades, Carillo began her broadcasting career in 1980 as an analyst for USA Network. She also worked a host of tournaments for ESPN. In 1986 she joined CBS Sports and has worked the U.S. Open every year since. Her CBS duties expanded to include reporting assignments at the 1992, 1994 and 1998 Winter Olympic Games.

She has served as a broadcaster for NBC Sports during the most recent summer and winter Olympic Games and can be seen doing tennis for both broadcast and cable networks.

The Swim Gap
Episode 150, Story 2, on HBO Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

to air September 15th, 2009 ET/PT
http://www.hbo.com/realsports/stories/2009/episode.150.s2.html

When U.S. Olympic athlete Cullen Jones took to the podium with his teammates to accept the 4x100m freestyle relay gold medal at the Beijing Olympics last year, Americans saw something sadly unfamiliar: a successful African-American swimmer. Jones' story, while inspirational and historically significant, is a reminder of the black community's complex relationship with swimming. A Supreme Court ruling desegregating American beaches and pools in 1971 sparked riots and bloodshed, and much of the African-American community continues to hold an aversion to swimming today. Black children drown at a rate more than three times greater than whites and as many 75 % of African-Americans do not know how to swim. Now, with Olympic gold in his pocket and fame on his side, Cullen Jones is doing everything he can to reverse these trends. Correspondent Mary Carrillo joins him to explore the relationship between race and swimming in this country.

Correspondent: Jon Frankel
Producer: David Scott

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