September 4, 2024
Press Release
PORTLAND, OR — Reed College Library is hosting Af-Am History Docs, a series of documentaries on African American life and history beginning with the film “Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power” on Friday, Sept. 13 at 7 p.m. in the Performing Arts Building Room 320. The series is free and open to the public.
Mark Burford, professor of music, has organized the film screenings to highlight the breadth and depth of African American history and the multiplicity of Black life in the United States over time.
“At a moment when the teaching of Black history is doggedly contested,” Burford observes, “it is more important than ever to maximize opportunities for the Reed community to study how the experiences of African Americans continue to shape our present. Documentary film is a uniquely powerful medium for telling these stories in frank, compelling, and multilayered ways.”
Support for the series came from several departments and offices at Reed, including: the Department of Music, Department of History, American Studies, Comparative Race and Ethnicity Studies, Film and Media Studies, Black Student Union, Multicultural Resource Center and the Office for Institutional Diversity.
Screenings of the four films will be on Fridays at 7 p.m. in Room 320 of the Performing Arts Building at Reed College, located at 3017 SE Woodstock Blvd in Portland. Seating is limited and available on a first-come, first-served basis. See the screening times below or view the poster for the full schedule.
Af-Am History Docs Screening Schedule
Sept. 13
“Lowndes County and the Road to Black Power”
Directed by Sam Pollard and Geeta Gandbhir
This 2022 documentary tells the story of local activists and young organizers whose fight for voting rights brought Black Power to Lowndes County, Alabama.
Sept. 27
“The New Black”
Directed by Yoruba Richen
This 2013 documentary examines the complicated intersection of African American and LGBTQ+ civil rights in Black church communities.
Oct. 11
“Silver Dollar Road”
Directed by Raoul Peck
This 2023 documentary highlights how one North Carolina family’s struggle for property rights reveals the relationship between Black land loss and the racial wealth gap.
Nov. 1
“Attica”
This 2021 documentary remembers the largest and most tragic prison rebellion in U.S. history, a still unanswered wake-up call about the need for prison reform.
For more information, contact:
Sheena McFarland
Executive Director of Public Affairs & Communications
Reed College
smcfarland@reed.edu
801-510-5567
About Reed College
Founded in 1908 in southeast Portland, Oregon, Reed College is a coeducational, independent liberal arts and sciences college. Referred to as one of the most intellectual colleges in the country, Reed is known for its high standards of scholarly practice, creative thinking, and engaged citizenship.