Interview with LaVerne Williams

KPIX-TV news footage from July 15, 1968, with reporter Belva Davis, featuring scenes from an interview with LaVerne Williams, the fiancee of Huey P. Newton, on the first day of his murder trial in Oakland. When asked what first attracted her to Newton when they met at Merritt College, she replies: "He's so soft spoken and gentle and warm. And I think I was taken by that more than anything." Williams goes on to describe their relationship prior to his arrest in October 1967, sharing that Newton used to play the piano for her and they enjoyed taking walks and hanging out. She also states that: "I had heard about him long before I met him. Just how smart he was. He's really the type of person that possesses power. Power to control people ... Some people have this innately and he's one of those people."Opening graphic designed by Carrie Hawks. This 16mm b&w positive reversal film print was scanned in 4K (4096 x 2970) using a Lasergraphics ScanStation film scanner, in July 2026.