Never-before-seen video shows Dr. King speaking at NCSU as the KKK protests

The historic event took place in 1966 – but it wasn't given momentous treatment. Instead, the moment was almost wiped from the history books.

Only a handful of photos existed. No audio was saved.

The historic day almost remained part of North Carolina's hidden history – until some in-depth research by NC State Professor Jason Miller.

A single photo from an AP photographer was the primary documented image of that day – until now. Miller found someone who had attended the event and recorded a never-before-seen video of King's visit on July 31, 1966.

Film Photographer Edgar Wyatt captured the moment in downtown Raleigh and as Dr. King's speech aired on live television. His son Marshall Wyatt preserved the film and shared it with Miller.

The video has no sound, but it tells the story.

"Just this 21 seconds is enough to show you how animated, activated Dr. King's imagination was and how he was responding to the audience," said Miller.

The video also shows the Ku Klux Klan descending on downtown Raleigh to protest King's visit.

"These are security guards of the Klan with their gold helmets," said Miller.

Wyatt shares how important this never-before-seen footage of King's visit to Raleigh is to understanding the context of the times.

"This is beyond local history; beyond state history; this is national and world history with Dr. King and the Civil Rights Movement," said Wyatt.

On the day of King's visit to Raleigh, a local newspaper assigned no one to cover King's speech at NC State.

However, the KKK used his presence in Raleigh as an excuse to rally. Although King's visit drew a diverse crowd of Black and white men and women five times larger than the KKK rally, 8 reporters were assigned to cover the KKK rally on Fayetteville Street instead of highlighting King.

The next day, the KKK was on the front page, even though King's speech drew five times more attendees. King's visit to Raleigh was a much smaller headline, beneath the larger emphasis on KKK coverage.

According to coverage in the News & Observer at the time, King drew both Black and white attendees; but the KKK also used his visit as an excuse to rally. Klansmen even chased a group of children out of Nash Square.

The day before he spoke, a group of four local churches ran a large advertisement in the N&O, explain why they opposed integration. They also explained that they opposed King because "riot, bloodshed, disorder and confusion follow him and his associated. The circumstances of the 'Negro' are worsened, not helped by him."

Today, most people admire King and his work. In the context of the 1960s, however, he was not always met with admiration and reverence. Many actively worked against him, while enacting violence against Black men, women and children in the streets of Raleigh. Some officials did what they could to prevent people from attending or even knowing about his speech.

As For Ira Harris, that July day in 1966, was a gift from his Grandfather that forever shaped his life. On his Franklin County family farm, Harris recounts seeing his civil rights icon 56 years ago. He was just a teenager at the time.

"In those days, Dr. King was considered our savior," said Harris.

He and his grandfather made the treacherous journey to Raleigh. The quickest way to Raleigh was down US-1, but it had been blocked.

"People don't realize how it was for Negroes in those days," he said.

As a teen, he recalls seeing the KKK security guards, their intimidating gold helmets.

"I was afraid, afraid. Excited, but afraid," he said.

But then he heard King speak.

"The voice. The authority. The spirit. The motivation," he recalled. "He gave the Negro people hope to keep on fighting. To not give up."

NC State's Hunt Library has a digital copy of Dr. Miller's research about Dr. King's visit to Reynolds Coliseum.

Listen to an extended podcast interview with WRAL's Ken Smith and Amanda Lamb, including more personal memories from the event and digging into the history that was almost lost.