[The 90’s Election Specials raw: Bill Clinton at Beasley School #1]

Raw tape for The 90 's election specials. Bill Clinton visits the Beasley Academic Center, a predominantly African-American elementary magnet school on Chicago's South Side. This tape follows Beasley principal, Mrs. Ollie McLemore, as she visits several classes, and helps Clinton's advance team prepare for Clinton's visit. Videomaker Eddie Becker also asks students about Clinton and his upcoming visit.

00:00Copy video clip URL Footage of the Robert Taylor Homes and the exterior of Beasley Academic Center.

00:41Copy video clip URL Cut to a shot of the Beasley Sports Trophy Room in the school. Videomaker Eddie Becker is speaking with Principal Ollie McLemore about the school’s sporting and academic achievements. McLemore takes Becker and a couple of Clinton campaign officials to the gymnasium.

04:26Copy video clip URL Mrs. McLemore has children in the school’s gym recite the school’s creed: “B – Believe in yourself; E – Examine; A – Apply what you have learned in class; S – Select the proper place to do your work; L – Learn all that you can today; E – Evaluate; Y – You have a bright future!” We then follow McLemore and the campaign officials to the school library. McLemore goes over some logistics of Clinton’s visit later that day.

13:35Copy video clip URL Mrs. McLemore discusses the extensive parental involvement at Beasley: “Whenever we are doing anything, our [students’] parents are with us.” Becker continues to talk with a few of the parents in the library. McLemore then takes Becker into a Spanish class. Becker speaks with the instructor and a student about an upcoming class trip to Spain.

20:56Copy video clip URL McLemore talks about her hopes for the improvement of the education system. She states that education funding and promotion should be limitless. She talks about some of the ways that the school works towards bringing in new programs. We then follow McLemore to a dance class.

24:00Copy video clip URL McLemore enters the dance class. The children energetically perform for the camera.

28:27Copy video clip URL McLemore and Becker enter a seventh grade classroom. The English instructor is teaching the children about limerick poems. After a brief visit, the two visit an eighth grade classroom. A number of students comment on Bill Clinton’s visit, the environment in Beasley School, and their thoughts on current social problems in the country. Becker also asks the children what they would do if they were to become president. A student has this to say about Beasley: “This school is very nice because it challenges the young people of today to increase the intellectual chances of a young black person…”

40:19Copy video clip URL After asking the students a question about the controversy over Clinton’s alleged marital infidelity, Becker is cut off and led to out of the classroom by Mrs. McLemore. Once in the hallway, McLemore explains to Becker that the question was inappropriate, saying, “I have a responsibility to my parents and students. I don’t want anything misconstrued.” They then enter an art classroom and Becker has a short conversation with a 3rd grade student. They also briefly visit a typing class.

48:44Copy video clip URL Beasley’s math coordinator, the person responsible for monitoring Beasley’s math performance, explains: “As far as math is concerned, we’re number one in the district. Our students have scored above the national norm.” We eventually go on to speak with a number of Beasley School coordinators about a number of programs in the school.

59:00Copy video clip URL Videographer Andrew Jones, also working for The 90’s, begins to interview McLemore with a separate camera. The halls fill with students and teachers in preparation for Clinton’s visit.

01:03:17Copy video clip URL Tape ends.