Narrated by Ossie Davis and Ruby Dee, this story uses archival footage and on-camera interviews to reveal the little known, but important chapter in US history: how America’s attorneys volunteered to assist Black Mississippians in their battle for the right to vote and political representation in the 1960’s. It is a story of persistence and courage in the face of oppression and life-threatening violence. Broadcast on PBS Primetime television (1996 – 1999).
Margaret Walker has been described by Nikki Giovanni as the “most famous person nobody knows.” Walker established one of the first Black Studies centers in the nation, was mentored by Langston Hughes and W.E.B. Du Bois, and her signature poem, “For My People,” set a tone and a level of commitment to which African-American writers have been responding ever since. Narrated by Ruby Dee, this biographical film combines conversations with Walker, readings from her poetry, and commentary from leading scholars to make a powerful argument for the centrality of her work to contemporary American literature.
“Storming the Gates: The Struggle for Access to Higher Education in Illinois.” This documentary chronicles the ongoing history of Blacks and Latinos in Illinois higher education. This video was produced by Illinois Committee on Black Concerns in Higher Education (ICBCHE) in partnership with the Illinois Latino Council on Higher Education (ILACHE). The film features trailblazers from institutions across Illinois who played key roles in opening access to higher education for students of color.
It illustrates the links between access and the civil rights movements of blacks and Latinos in the 1960s and ’70s, and highlights the importance and the central role Illinois has played in the national struggle for access and equity. It also demonstrates the importance of black and brown people coming together as the struggle continues against the erosion of, and actions to cut back on, affirmative action gains.
Una jugadora latina de 17 años intenta hacer un video, “Cómo iniciar una alianza gay-heterosexual en su escuela secundaria”, y en su lugar se encuentra con la homofobia de su directora. Después de participar en las Chicas! Acción! Medios! taller en Horizons, 16 años de edad, Zaida Sanabia se asoció con Beyondmedia para hacer este documental sobrio y sincero sobre la escuela y la vida familiar para los estudiantes queer. Este video de Beyondmedia se encuentra actualmente en distribución local e internacional, y se utiliza como una herramienta de capacitación sobre jóvenes LGBTQ, seguridad escolar y homofobia. Zaida Sanabia, coordinadora juvenil de Beyondmedia y productora del video, lleva a cabo un programa continuo de proyecciones con discusiones en escuelas secundarias, programas de acogida, universidades y organizaciones alrededor del área metropolitana de Chicago. A Fish también ha aparecido en televisión por cable y en 15 festivales de cine y video en todo Estados Unidos y más allá, obteniendo dos premios de primer lugar. Zaida recibió el premio Chicago Foundation for Women’s Ripple Affect como “un ejemplo brillante del triunfo de las mujeres y las niñas cuando se les da la oportunidad.” Desde entonces, Sanabia ha sido incluida en el Salón de la Fama LGBT de Chicago. Ver https://beyondmedia.org para más información.
A 17 year-old soccer playing Latina tries to make a video, “How to Start a Gay-Straight Alliance in Your High School,” and runs smack into her principal’s homophobia instead. After taking part in the Girls! Action! Media! workshop at Horizons, 16 year old Zaida Sanabia partnered with Beyondmedia to make this sobering and heartfelt documentary on school and family life for queer students. This Beyondmedia video is currently in distribution locally and internationally, and is used as a training tool on LGBTQ youth, school safety and homophobia.
Zaida Sanabia, Beyondmedia’s Youth Coordinator and the video’s producer, conducts an ongoing program of screenings with discussions in high schools, drop-in programs, universities and organizations around the Chicago metropolitan area. A Fish has also shown on cable television and at 15 film and video festivals throughout the US and beyond, garnering two first-place awards. Zaida received Chicago Foundation for Women’s Ripple Affect award as “a shining example of the triumph of women and girls when given the opportunity.” Sanabia has since been inducted to the Chicago LGBT Hall of Fame. See https://beyondmedia.org for more information.
A documentary about the efforts of staff and of community activists to keep Cook County Hospital from being shut down. Cook County Hospital workers rally on October 13, 1979 at Daley Plaza in downtown Chicago.
Barry Dolins interviews Larry Hoffman on his Blues composition, accompanied by a performance of the composition from the New Millenium Orchestra String Quartet.
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An anti-strip mining rally in Nashville organized by SOCM, Save Our Cumberland Mountains, on April 8, 1975.