The Civil Rights movement had moved to the forefront of the national political scene in August of 1963. The culmination of that was the eloquent "I have a Dream" speech delivered by Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. on August 28, 1963 at the steps of the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C.

Another rally was held that day at McCambridge Park in Burbank. This was one, however, was not about Civil Rights but about hatred and intolerance and was led by a member of the American Nazi Party.

Ralph P. Forbes, the western division commanding officer of the American Nazi Party, wrote a letter to Mayor John Whitney requesting permission to hold a rally at 10 a.m. on August 28. This placed city officials in an unusual position of having to respond to an individual who had beliefs they abhorred but who had rights they were legally obligated to protect. Mayor Whitney wisely decided to refer this matter to Samuel Gorlick, who was, at the time, the city attorney.

Gorlick studied that law and formed his legal opinion, which he submitted to the mayor. His opinion stated "City Hall is for the conduct of city business and government, and the use of the steps of the hall to hold a mass rally would necessarily impede the orderly flow of people desiring to enter or leave the building on public business, at this busy hour of the morning." Permission by the City to Forbes' rally was denied.

Forbes, however, was not satisfied with Gorlick's response. Represented by the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU), he had previously sued the city of Redondo Beach and secured his right to hold a rally with "reasonable regulation." Though he realized he would be arrested if he had his rally on August 28 at City Hall he was determined to have one on that date. City officials also knew that they could not indefinitely bar him from holding his rally but they could make the process more difficult for him. Finally, a compromise was reached.

The city granted permission for Forbes to have his rally but it would not be on the steps of City Hall but rather on the lawn of McCambridge Park. The Burbank Police Department deployed 30 uniformed officers to ensure that the rally did not become violent.

At 10:30 a.m. on August 28, Forbes and two of his "lieutenants" of the American Nazi Party arrived at the park to denounce the Civil Rights movement. A large crowd had assembled. As he began to speak about the contempt that the American Nazi Party had for the Civil Rights movement, he found himself being heckled and jeered by the crowd. His speech was interrupted with shouts of "Nazi rat, you're as bad as the communists" and "Why don't you go home?"

He finished his speech by 11 a.m. and, with his only two supporters who came with him, left the park. It would seem that Burbankers denounced his speech of hatred and intolerance and embraced the Civil Rights movement that day.

Bullock is a member of Burbank's Heritage Commission.