Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle is an initiative of the National Endowment for the Humanities that uses the power of documentary films to encourage community discussion of America’s civil rights history. NEH has partnered with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History to develop programmatic and support materials for the sites.
The HSU Library is one of 473 institutions across the country awarded a set of four films chronicling the history of the civil rights movement. The documentaries, The Abolitionists, Slavery by Another Name, Freedom Riders, and The Loving Story, include dramatic scenes of incidents in the 150-year effort to achieve equal rights for all. Freedom Riders received an Emmy in 2012, and The Loving Story and The Abolitionists have been nominated for Emmys in 2013.
Each of the films was produced with NEH support, and each tells remarkable stories of individuals who challenged the social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation. Created Equal programs bring communities together to revisit our shared history and help bridge deep racial and cultural divides in American civic life. Visit neh.org/created-equal for more information.
The Created Equal film set is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, as part of its Bridging Cultures initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History. All screenings and facilitated discussions will take place in Kate Buchanan Room in the University Center on campus.
Schedule:
The Loving Story
Tuesday, November 4
5 – 7 p.m
The moving account of Richard and Mildred Loving, arrested in 1958 for violating Virginia’s ban on interracial marriage. Facilitator: Christina Accomando, Professor, Critical Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (CRGS), HSU.
Slavery by Another Name
Wednesday, November 5
5 – 7 p.m.
Even as slavery ended in the south after the Civil War, new forms of forced labor kept thousands of African Americans in bondage until the onset of World War II. Facilitator: Ramona Bell, Asst. Professor, Critical Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (CRGS), HSU.
The Abolitionists Part 1
Thursday, November 6
5 – 7 p.m.
Bringing to life the stories of abolitionists such as Frederick Douglass and Harriet Beecher Stowe, this film details how their efforts led to freedom for millions. Facilitator: Gayle Olson-Raymer, Lecturer, History, HSU.
Freedom Riders
Friday, November 7
5 – 8 p.m.
The Freedom Ride of 1961 was a pivotal moment in the long Civil Rights struggle that redefined America. Facilitator: Maral Attallah, Lecturer, Critical Race, Gender, & Sexuality Studies (CRGS), HSU.