News Release

African American Films

Date: October 3, 2006

Date: October 3, 2006
Contact: Chelsey Smith, Brown Foundation, [phone]

Topeka, KS—The Brown Foundation, Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site and Washburn University will commemorate the rich history of African American filmmaking. The month-long tribute to African American cinema will include noted guest speakers, a weekly film series and a traveling exhibition of historic movie posters.

Noted film historian, Turner Classic Movies commentator and University of Pennsylvania professor, Donald Bogle, will be presenting film clips and commentary entitled African Americans in Hollywood: Images, Movies, Actors, Actresses and Filmmakers from 1903 to the Present on October 7th at 7 PM at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. Bogle’s most notable works are Bright Boulevards, Bold Dreams and Brown Sugar: Eighty Years of America’s Black Female Superstars. The program is the 8th Annual Address for the Washburn Center for Diversity Studies and the Oliver L. Brown Distinguished Visiting Professor for Diversity Issues. The program is free of charge. Reservations are required. Make reservations by October 6th by contacting the Brown Foundation at [phone] or by email.

In addition, a film series will take place at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. On October 9th at 7:00 PM, Within Our Gates (1916) by Oscar Micheaux will be shown and introduced by Washburn University Professor, Dr. Tom Prasch. On October 16th at 7:00 PM, Home of the Brave (1949) will be shown and introduced by Washburn University Professor Dr. Howard Faulkner. On October 23rd at 7:00 PM, The Learning Tree (1969) by Gordon Parks will be shown and introduced by Kevin Willmott, noted Kansas filmmaker and producer of CSA: Confederate States of America. On October 30th at 7:00 PM, Devil in a Blue Dress (1995) will be shown and introduced by Dr. Tom Prasch. Each film is free of charge. Reservations are required. Make reservations by noon of the film date, by contacting the Brown Foundation at [phone] or by email.

A traveling exhibition entitled Separate Cinema: The Black Solider will be on display at the Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site. The exhibit contains movie posters featuring African American military themes. Highlighted are films from 1918 to present and include such titles as Glory, Antwone Fisher, Men of Honor and The Tuskegee Airmen. The exhibit will be on display from October 3rd to October 31st. Exhibit hours are from 9 AM to 5 PM daily.

Brown v. Board of Education National Historic Site is open daily from 9 AM to 5 PM, excluding Thanksgiving, Christmas Day and New Year’s Day. Admission is free. The site is located at 1515 SE Monroe Street in Topeka, Kansas.

For more information contact the Brown Foundation at [phone] and www.brownvboard.org, or Brown v. Board of Education NHS at [phone] and www.nps.gov/brvb.