The Chicano Rights Movement
ACOSTA
They invited me to a demonstration. Ten or fifteen thousand kids walked out and protested against a discriminatory system of education. ( all chanting ) ( lively chattering ) They had picketed before, they had been arrested before, but never on this magnitude.
PROTESTERS ( chanting )
Fight back! Fight back!
ACOSTA
I was struck with emotion. I remembered my own grammar school revolt, and I realized a bit of my life was catching up with me. ( all chanting ) The strike was very effective. It certainly captured the public imagination. This shocked the establishment. ( police siren blaring ) After the demonstration, the organizers were rousted from their offices and their homes and charged with felony conspiracy. It was a pretty serious charge with 45 years of their life riding on the outcome. A life sentence for speaking out against injustice? The Chicano movement needed Chicano attorneys, and there were damn few of them. Oscar saw that need. I took the case. Then the eyes were all on me-- the lawyer without much experience. Oscar was essential to us. He was brilliant, courageous, big. I really don't know what we would've done without him. I never really fancied myself a lawyer, but as long as I was gonna do the job, it wasn't gonna be ordinary.
RAZO
In the courtroom, Oscar had his own way of doing things. ( gavel banging ) - ( crowd clamoring )
LYDIA LOPEZ
One time for his closing argument, he recited a Dylan song, with tears in his eyes. Oscar always wanted to make a name for himself. He would walk around with a briefcase with "Zeta" printed on it, even though it was against the rules. He drew on the celebrity-attorney precedent. We loved him, juries loved him. Not the judges.
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