– HELLO, EVERYONE. I’M JOSEPH CARMICHAEL. OTIS IS–WAS MY FATHER. BUT WE ARE NOT HERE TODAY TO MOURN HIS DEATH, BUT TO CELEBRATE HIS LIFE. WE KNEW OTIS AS A TEACHER, A COMMUNITY LEADER, A ROLE MODEL, A HUSBAND, AND A FATHER. NOW, I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE NICE
TO SHARE SOMETHING ABOUT HIM Y’ALL MAY NOT HAVE KNOWN. WHEN MY FATHER WAS YOUNGER, HE WAS AN ACTOR IN HOLLYWOOD. GOING THROUGH MY DAD’S THINGS, I FOUND THIS REEL OF HIS WORK AS AN ACTOR. I HAVEN’T SEEN IT YET, BUT I THOUGHT IT WOULD BE FUN TO WATCH,
HERE WITH ALL OF YOU TODAY. THANK YOU. – [gasps] WHERE ARE MY PIES? RIBBLES, WHERE ARE THE PIES I PUT ON MY WINDOWSILL? – WHY, I DON’T KNOW, MRS. CARUTHERS. WHY WOULD ANYONE WANT TO STEAL ONE OF YOUR DELICIOUS BLUEBERRY PIES? – [snaps] HEY.
SEE TO IT YOU SHINE THOSE SHOES UP NICE, BOY. – YES, SIR, YOU BEST BE BELIEVING I WILL! I’LL SHINE YOUR SHOES BLACKER THAN MY MAMA’S BOOTY. [all gasp] [laughs] [yelling] OOGA-BOOGA! OOGA-BOOGA SHOO! OOGA-BOOGA SHOO! OOGA-BOOGA! – OH, HELL NO! – OOGA-BOOGA SHOO! [yelling] – IN 1964, MY FATHER MARCHED
WITH MARTIN LUTHER KING JR. AND HARRY BELAFONTE ALONG WITH OTHER RENOWNED CIVIL RIGHTS LEADERS.
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