BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA WAS NOT
A SANE OR SAFE PLACE FOR A
BLACK FAMILY IN THE 1950S OR
'60s, BUT IT WAS HOME FOR
JOHN AND ANGELINA RICE, AND
THEIR DAUGHTER,
CONDOLEEZZA.
THE CITY EARNED THE NICKNAME
"BOMINGHAM" IT SEEMED AN
UNLIKELY PLACE TO PRODUCE A
FUTURE SECRETARY OF STATE.
BIRMINGHAM, ALABAMA, A
PLACE WHERE YOU COULDN'T GO
INTO THE WOOLWORTH'S AND
HAVE A HAMBURGER AT THE
LUNCH COUNTER.
Reporter:
DR. CONDOLEEZZA RICE SAYS
HER JOURNEY FROM THE
SEGREGATED SOUTH TO
INTERNATIONAL DIPLOMACY IS A
TRULY AMERICAN STORY.
IN HER RECENT MEMOIR
"EXTRAORDINARY, ORDINARY
PEOPLE," DR. RICE RECOUNTS
HOW HER PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS FORMED A
FOUNDATION FOR SUCCESS IN
THE HEART OF THE DEEP
SOUTH.
THIS IS REALLY AMERICA'S
STORY.
IT IS A STORY THAT SAYS YOU
CAN COME FROM PRETTY HUMBLE
CIRCUMSTANCES, AND YOU CAN
BE EXPECTED TO DO GREAT
THINGS IF YOU HAVE A FEW
INGREDIENTS.
I HAD PARENTS WHO GAVE ME
UNCONDITIONAL LOVE.
AND THERE ISN'T REALLY ANY
SUBSTITUTE FOR IT.
MY PARENTS, AND REALLY MY
GRANDPARENTS AND THE
COMMUNITY, ARE VERY MUCH
IT'S REASON I AM WHO I AM.
Reporter: GRANDDADDY
RICE SHEARED A YEAR WORTH OF
COTTON TO PAY FOR HIS
EDUCATION.
HE RECEIVED A SCHOLARSHIP
THAT PAID FOR THE REST OF
HIS EDUCATION AND BECAME A
PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER.
AND HE PLANTED CHURCHES AND
SCHOOLS IN COMMUNITY AFTER
COMMUNITY.
SHE FOLLOWED IN HER FATHER'S
FOOTSTEPS EARNING A COLLEGE
DEGREE.
IN MY CASE, I HAD PARENTS
AND GRANDPARENTS AND A
COMMUNITY THAT WAS
REMARKABLE
AND IT'S PERSEVERANCE.
Reporter: CONDI'S
FATHER, JOHN RICE, WAS A
PRESBYTERIAN MINISTER AND A
HIGH SCHOOL GUIDANCE
COUNSELLOR.
HER MOTHER WAS A MUSICIAN
AND TEACHER.
HER GRANDMOTHER STARTED HER
ON THE PIANO AT AGE THREE.
HER NAME MEANS "PLAY WITH
SWEETNESS."
MY MOTHER WAS AN
AIRPORT.
I THINK I INHERITED HER LOVE
OF THE ARTS.
HER BELIEF THAT THE ARTS ARE
REALLY OUR DEMOCRATIC
HERITAGE.
THEY SHOULDN'T BE FOR THE
ELITE.
Reporter: THE RICES
INVESTED THEIR LIVES IN
OTHERS.
THE OPPRESSION AND RACIAL
HATRED THEY ENDURED DIDN'T
STOP THEM FROM OPENING DOORS
OF OPPORTUNITY FOR THE NEXT
GENERATION.
IN THE AFTERNOON, MY
FATHER HAD A YOUTH FELLOW
HAPPEN.
FELLOWSHIP.
THAT IS WHERE HE BROUGHT
KIDS FROM ALL OF THE CITY.
HE WOULD HAVE BIBLE STUDY,
BUT HE ALSO HAD SOCIAL
EVENTS.
AND THEN ON TUESDAY, WE HAD
TUTORING IN ALGEBRA AND
TUTORING IN FRENCH.
I WAS VERY MUCH ACTIVE IN
THE CHURCH BECAUSE AT A VERY
YOUNG AGE I STARTED PLAYING
PIANO FOR THE CHURCH.
WE WERE KIND OF AN
INTERESTING FAMILY.
MY MOM PLAYED THE ORGAN, MY
FATHER PREACHED, AND I
PLAYED THE PIANO.
Reporter: WHILE CONDI
WAS PLAYING IN CHURCH
SEPTEMBER 16th, 1963, A
LARGE EXPLOSION ROCKED THE
COMMUNITY.
TWO BLOCKS AWAY, A BOMB
BLAST AT THE 16th STREET
BAPTIST CHURCH KILLED FOUR
GIRLS PREPARING FOR
WORSHIP.
BLACK BIRMINGHAM WAS
GRIEF-STRICKEN.
IT WAS A TIPPING POINT IN
THE CIVIL RIGHTS MOVEMENT.
CONDI REMEMBERS THE DAY HER
PLAY MATE, PICTURED HERE
RECEIVING HER KINDERGARTEN
DIPLOMA FROM CONDI'S FATHER,
WAS KILLED.
WHEN YOU WALK THROUGH
DIFFICULT CIRCUMSTANCES OR
FRIGHTENING CIRCUMSTANCES,
WHEN YOU'RE YOUNGER, AS I
WAS AS A KID WHEN 16th
STREET WAS BOMBED, YOU CLING
TO YOUR PARENTS.
AND THEY, PERHAPS, CLING TO
THEIR FAITH TO KNOW HOW TO
HELP YOU THROUGH THAT.
WHEN YOU'RE AN ADULT, YOU,
OF COURSE, HAVE FAMILY AND
FRIENDS, BUT YOU DON'T CLING
TO YOUR PARENTS.
YOU HAVE TO HAVE SOMETHING,
THOUGH, THAT IS THERE FOR
YOU.
AND I THINK THAT'S WHEN IT'S
MOST WONDERFUL TO HAVE HAD A
WELL-DEVELOPED SENSE OF
FAITH.
WHAT CAN YOU SAY TO MANY
BLACK AMERICANS NOW TO SAY,
NO, I WANT YOU REALLY TO
UNDERSTAND WHAT A TIME THAT
WAS, AND WHAT IT WAS FOR
PARENTS LIKE MINE TO BE ABLE
TO OVERCOME IN THAT TIME.
WELL, WE OWE SO MUCH TO
OUR PARENTS' GENERATION.
BECAUSE THEY HAD EVERY
REASON, AND CERTAINLY EVEN
OUR GRANDPARENTS -- THEY HAD
EVERY REASON TO BE BEATEN
DOWN BY WHAT THEY SAW.
EVERY DAY THE HUMILIATIONS
OF SEGREGATION.
EVERY DAY THE NEGATIVE
MESSAGES OF SEGREGATION, AND
YET THEY LIVED LIVES OF
DIGNITY.
THEY LIVED PRODUCTIVE
LIVES.
THAT IS REALLY QUITE
EXTRAORDINARY, GIVEN WHAT
THEY LIVED THROUGH.
SO WE OWE A DEBT OF
GRATITUDE TO THAT GENERATION
WHO BROUGHT US THROUGH.
AND, OF COURSE, THE ONE
THING THAT BOTH OF MY
PARENTS HAD THAT I'M
GRATEFUL TO HAVE IS A DEEP
AND ABIDING FAITH IN GOD.
THERE IS NO GREATER GIFT
THAT PARENTS CAN GIVE THEIR
KIDS THAN THAT.
