- Robert F. Kennedy - Attorney General of the United States: I'm not very much in favor of picking the governor up and moving him out of the way. I think it'd be much better if we develop some system if we had enough people to just push him aside.
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: We had peace, but we got troops. No telling what we'd get if we had a little disorder. Might get the United Nations down on top of us.
- Self - President of the United States: The heart of the question is, whether all Americans are to afforded equal rights and equal opportunities. Whether we are going to treat our fellow Americans, as we want to be treated. If an American, because his skin is dark, cannot enjoy the full and free life which all of us want, then who among us would be content to have the color of his skin changed and stand in his place. Who among us would then be content, with the counsels of patience and delay. 100 years of delay has passed since President Lincoln freed the slaves, yet their heirs, their grandsons, are not fully free.
- Self - President of the United States: This nation, for all its hopes and all its boasts, will not be fully free until all its citizens are free.
- Robert F. Kennedy - Attorney General of the United States: The United States Government and the United States people are committed to it. It's unfortunate that these pictures go abroad. I don't think that there's any question that it affects our position around the world. But, that's only a secondary reason for doing what we have to do. The first reason is that because its the right thing to do. And as President Kennedy has said, we're going to do it because its the right thing to do.
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: I hope we never see another war of any sort in the world. But, I think it does us some good to reflect and draw on the courage of people who do fight and stand for what they believe in. And there were brave folks on both sides of that combat. They was just a lot more of them than there were of us.
- Robert F. Kennedy - Attorney General of the United States: [final line] I think it's really good. And I think its well to have it behind us.
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: That's William Lowndes Yancey there.
- [points to a painting in the Governor's Mansion]
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: I read a profound statement he made the other day, that, "To live is not all to life and to die is not all of death. I'd rather live a short life of standing for principal, than live a long life of compromise." Of course, that may not mean much to you folks.
- Self - Deputy Attorney General: Governor, I'm not interested in a show. I don't know what the purpose of this show is. I am interested in the orders of this Court being enforced. That is my only responsibility here. I ask you once more. The choice is yours. There is no choice that the United States Government has in this; but, to see that the lawful orders of this Court are enforced.
- [first lines]
- Narrator: Not in the 100 years since Abraham Lincoln, had the power of the American Presidency been completely committed to the equality of the negro race in the United States, nor had it been on this day, June 10, 1963. In the next 30 hours John F. Kennedy will have to make a chain of decisions deeply affecting millions of Americans and the future of his own Presidency.
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: I believe the separation is good for the negro citizen and the white citizen - and in their best interests. And if I do something that my heart tells me is good for both groups, there's not anything that runs counter to any religion or any law of morality. It's not sinful.
- George Wallace - Governor of Alabama: I've seen it happen myself. Here in Alabama, no negro is ever embarrassed. He knows the cafes he goes to. He knows the ones that the whites go to.
- Self - a Negro Student: What do you want to do most in life? Become the Governor of the State of Alabama.