Aired on PBS/WTTW Chicago | Screened at Chicago History Museum, Gene Siskel Film Center and 17 Film Festivals
Chicago Freedom Movement • Civil Rights Movement • Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. • Nonviolence and Social Change • Racism • Social Injustice of PovertyDate of Completion: 2009 | Run Time: 56 minutes | Language: English | Captions: Yes | Includes: Transcript | Director & Producer: Seth McClellan
In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and the Chicago Freedom Movement grappled with many of the same problems that are in the headlines today - the corrosive effects of pervasive racism and persistent poverty. Americans usually recall or learn about Dr. King's leadership in confronting southern racism in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. Far less discussed is his prophetic leadership in 1966 confronting northern racism and poverty as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement. This film emphasizes King's understanding of the link between the goals of the Civil Rights Movement and the social injustice of poverty. Candid interviews with Jesse Jackson, James Bevel, Michael Pfleger, and others, period photos and stirring traditional music by Rutha Harris shine a light on their struggle for justice. The voices of our interview subjects’ sound cries of alarm and hope as they reflect on the legacy of the Chicago Freedom Movement and Dr. King.
SCREENINGS
Chicago History Museum
Gene Siskel Film Center
Screened at 17 Film Festivals