2008 Woodie Awards
Films to give celebration historical context
Leticia Brunetto
Issue date: 2/15/07 Section: Entertainment
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The John C. Pace Jr. Symposium Series is presenting a film festival titled "Social Justice: Growing Up Black in America" Feb. 14, 21, 23 and 28.
This is the first time a film festival is being held on campus in honor of Black History Month. The Office of Diversity and International Education and Programs is sponsoring the event.
Catherine Parker, president of the Black Employee Association and also a member of the John C. Pace Committee, said that she was attending one of the African American Student Association's meetings when she brought the idea of a film festival up to the committee. They loved it.
"What we were trying to do was to get older films and current films," said Parker. "We are trying to go from the past all the way to the present with these films so students can have an idea of the evolution of the issues and kind of compare and actually see that the issues are really the same - that nothing has really changed."
"The Untold Story of Emmet Louis Till" was shown Feb. 14, the first film in the series. It tells the true story of a 14-year-old boy who was murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
"Rosewood" will be the next film shown at the festival. It will be shown Feb. 21 at 8:30 p.m. in the University Commons Auditorium. Parker said it was very important to include this film because it is based on true events.
"To me, things have greater impact when I know they really happened," she said. "There were many of these Rosewood towns all across the United States, and it's a very powerful story."
Angela E. McCorvey, assistant to the dean and member of the Pace Committee, said that events like the ones in "Rosewood" actually happened in Florida, so it should be something all residents know about.
"The town was black, and the citizens apparently were doing a little better than the citizens down the road of an all white community," McCorvey said, recalling a little about the film. "Because of jealousy and envy, they came there and destroyed the town. They never got their properties back, they never ever saw their possessions again after the night they were driven out of town, and most of the population was actually murdered."
This is the first time a film festival is being held on campus in honor of Black History Month. The Office of Diversity and International Education and Programs is sponsoring the event.
Catherine Parker, president of the Black Employee Association and also a member of the John C. Pace Committee, said that she was attending one of the African American Student Association's meetings when she brought the idea of a film festival up to the committee. They loved it.
"What we were trying to do was to get older films and current films," said Parker. "We are trying to go from the past all the way to the present with these films so students can have an idea of the evolution of the issues and kind of compare and actually see that the issues are really the same - that nothing has really changed."
"The Untold Story of Emmet Louis Till" was shown Feb. 14, the first film in the series. It tells the true story of a 14-year-old boy who was murdered in 1955 for allegedly whistling at a white woman.
"Rosewood" will be the next film shown at the festival. It will be shown Feb. 21 at 8:30 p.m. in the University Commons Auditorium. Parker said it was very important to include this film because it is based on true events.
"To me, things have greater impact when I know they really happened," she said. "There were many of these Rosewood towns all across the United States, and it's a very powerful story."
Angela E. McCorvey, assistant to the dean and member of the Pace Committee, said that events like the ones in "Rosewood" actually happened in Florida, so it should be something all residents know about.
"The town was black, and the citizens apparently were doing a little better than the citizens down the road of an all white community," McCorvey said, recalling a little about the film. "Because of jealousy and envy, they came there and destroyed the town. They never got their properties back, they never ever saw their possessions again after the night they were driven out of town, and most of the population was actually murdered."
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