March On! Festival 2018 Program Book by Black Digital

WELCOME TO THE MARCH ON WASHINGTON FILM FESTIVAL, 2018

History is the logbook of a dominant culture. Glissant wrote, “It is not only an absence for us, it is vertigo.”

The March on Washington Festival, at first an offering of documentary film to remind us of our history, has grown to a national platform for those who can to tell our history more accurately.

We are honored, with generous support, to bring diverse, complicated and awe-inspiring works of art, scholarship and reflection to our growing audiences. More, we are humbled at the importance of this effort.

The number of people who leave our programming and say, “Why didn’t I know that; why wasn’t that taught to me?” is impressive and challenging.

As long as our history is mistaught, we are condemned to the rending pain of re-enacting current events as if they are not part of what Abraham Lincoln called “one great stream of purpose.”

The Festival, with amazing artist and audience participation, does it’s part to bring honesty, and joy, and celebration, and hard truths to the forefront.

On behalf of the entire Festival team, thank you for being part of re-ordering the debits and credits in the ledger of American history.

Robert Raben, Chairman

Samantha Abrams, Executive Director

Isisara Bey, Artistic Director

“The most common way people give up their power is by thinking they don’t have any.”

- Alice Walker

“An oppressed mind is a creative mind. When you don’t have something, then you have to create something.”

- Pit Bull

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Thursday, July 12

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St. NW, Washington, D.C.

Program: 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

Opening Night – A Tribute to Sonia Sanchez

For 81-year-old Sonia Sanchez, writing is both personal and political. She emerged as a seminal figure in the 1960s Black Arts Movement, raising her voice for art, power, racial justice, women’s liberation, and peace. We will celebrate her pivotal role as a poet, playwright, teacher, activist, early Spoken Word artist, and a thought leader in African-American culture for over a half century.

Special performance by Sweet Honey in the Rock

Film: BaddDDD Sonia Sanchez | 2015 | USA | 90 min

Co-directed by Barbara Attie and Janet Goldwater

Film Introduction: Sabrina Gordon, producer

Spoken Word Artist: Amanda Gorman, 1st National Youth Poet Laureate

Presenter: Dr. Yaba Blay, Dan Blue Endowed Chair, Political Science, North Carolina Central University, and author, (1)ne Drop: Shifting the Lens on Race

Interview: Conversation with Sonia Sanchez and Elizabeth Alexander, poet, author, and President, The Andrew W. Mellon Foundation

Reception follows the event with DJ Saint Desporres

Elizabeth Alexander Amanda Gorman Dr. Yaba Blay

Thursday, July 12 to Saturday, July 14

Studio Theater, 1502 14 St. NW, Washington, D.C. Festival Art Exhibit

Spiral Now: 55 Years in the Making: New Artists, Familiar Struggle

The Festival is proud to host a three-day art exhibit presented by Black Art In America and curated by Najee Dorsey, complete with lectures on Friday and Saturday, 7/13 & 14 from artists, executives, and industry insiders.

Spiral Now is a group fine art show that pairs art and stories from the legacy artists of the 1963 Spiral Group with contemporary artists including Lavett Ballard, Jamaal Barber, Kevin Cole, Najee Dorsey, Claudia Gibson-Hunter and Charly Palmer, who are using their art and influence for social justice.

The Spiral Group artists were Romare Bearden, Reginald Gammon, Charles Alston, Emma Amos, Norman Lewis, Richard Mayhew and Hale Woodruff. Inspired by the August 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom, the Spiral Group met weekly to discuss how they would participate in the March and the role of African-American artists in politics, the Civil Rights Movement, and the larger art world. They were active through 1965 and organized one group exhibition.

Hale Woodruff suggested the name “spiral” in reference to the Archimedean spiral that moves outward, embracing all directions, yet continually moving upward.

All art pieces are available for sale at exhibit or shopbaiaonline.com

In partnership with Black Art in America (BAIA)

Najee Dorsey

What Democracy Looks Like, Najee Dorsey, artist

Three Events Honoring Madam C. J. Walker

Friday, July 13

The Raben Group, 1341 G. St. NW, 5th floor, Washington, D.C.

8:00 a.m. to 10:30 a.m.

Breakfast With A Friend – A Gathering for Salon Owners with Hollywood Hair Stylist, Camille Friend

Award-winning film and television Hair Designer Camille Friend (Black Panther, Guardians of the Galaxy Vol.2, Dreamgirls, Django Unchained) has a commitment to cultural expression in her work, excellence in hair styling and in generously sharing her wisdom and experience. As part of the Festival’s commemoration of entrepreneurial maven Madam C.J. Walker, hair salon owners and managers in the greater DC area are invited to break bread and “spill the tea” with this award-winning stylist.

Co-hosted by Natalie Madeira Cofield, CEO, Walker Legacy Foundation Attendees will also receive a free professional headshot, courtesy of our co-host.

Catering: SaPoDilla Caribbean Restaurant.

Bennett Career Institute, 700 Monroe St. NE, Washington, D.C. 1:00 pm to 2:30 p.m.

Master Talk with Camille Friend

In the spirit of the network of schools built by Madam C.J. Walker that trained thousands of beauty culturists and hair technicians across the U.S. and the Caribbean, Hollywood hair stylist Camille Friend delivers a Master Talk on her award-winning career path in the hair, barbering, and cosmetology industry, and as a stylist for film and television.

Short Film: Madame CJ Walker | 2017 | USA | 5:58 min.

Directed by Aviva Kempner

Hosted by C. Alan Bennett, CEO, Bennett Career Institute

National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.

In Her Footsteps – The Life and Legacy of Madam C.J. Walker

Film: Two Dollars and a Dream | USA | 1989 | 52 min

Directed by Stanley Nelson

Anchored by this documentary on Madam C. J. Walker, noted as the first self-made American female millionaire, we’ll examine her life and accomplishments as founder of a hair care product line, beauty schools and salons, philanthropist, social activist and role model.

Sponsor Remarks from Sundial Brands

Panelists: A’Lelia Bundles, journalist, descendant and biographer of Madam C. J. Walker; Camille Friend, award-winning film and television hair stylist; Dr. Tiffany Gill, Associate Professor, History and Africana Studies, University of Delaware.

Moderator: Natalie Madeira Cofield, CEO, Walker Legacy Foundation

In partnership with National Museum of Women in the Arts

All three events sponsored by Sundial Brands

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Camille Friend

Madam C.J. Walker

Google, 25 Massachusetts Ave. NW Washington, D.C.

11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Cassandra Butts Award and Luncheon*

This award, presented to the Student Documentary winner of the MOWFF Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competition, honors the memory of Cassandra Butts’ and her illustrious career. Butts served as legal counsel to Senators Wofford and Gephardt, Domestic Counsel to the Obama’s transition team, and Deputy White House Counsel for Domestic Affairs. In 2014, she was appointed US Ambassador to the Comonwealth of the Bahamas and later was U.S. representative to the 17th Session of the U.N. General Assembly.

Speaker: Qasim Basir, filmmaker, A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night.

Invitation only event

Sponsored by Google *

Cassandra Butts

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C.

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Festival Art Exhibit, Lecture #1

A tour and talk on the history of the Spiral Group collective of Black artists during the Civil Rights Movement, and background on their art pieces as well as those of the contemporary artists in the exhibit.

Speaker: Najee Dorsey, artist, curator, and founder of Black Art in America

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St. NW, Washington, D.C.

3:00 p.m. to 3:45 p.m.

Handle Your Entertainment Business, Lecture #1

Content development, licensing and acquisition, contracts, agreements, and more! This master class on Legal Affairs in film and television is a must for directors, writers, and actors.

Speakers: Lisa Davis, Senior Partner and Hayden Goldblatt, Partner, Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Seltz

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St. NW Washington, D.C.

4:00 p.m. to 4:45 p.m.

Handle Your Entertainment Business, Lecture #2

Do you need to know more about working with actors and executives in the entertainment business? Join us for this masterclass on talent, studio, and network management.

Speaker: Steven Adams, Partner, Buffalo 8 Management

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C.

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Politics

Special Preview Screening: A Boy. A Girl. A Dream: Love on Election Night | 2018 | USA | 89 min

Directed by Qasim Basir; Samuel Goldwyn Films

Cass (Omari Hardwick) is a Los Angeles club promoter who meets a Midwestern woman named Frida (Meagan Good) on the night of the 2016 Presidential election. She challenges Cass to revisit his broken dreams, while he pushes Frida to discover hers.

Speakers: Qasim Bashir, filmmaker and writer; Samantha Tanner, co-writer; and Dijon Talton, actor

And the Winners Are...

To open the evening, we will announce the 2018 winners of the March on Washington Film Festival Student & Emerging Filmmaker Competition in narrative and documentary short films, and introduce the participants in the Festival’s Journalism Fellowship Program.

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Omari Hardwick and Meagan Good

Saturday, July 14

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C.

10:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m..

Student & Emerging Filmmaker

Competition Finalists’ Screenings

From more than 140 submissions from 20 countries, these 12 finalists’ documentary and narrative short films uniquely address the theme, “Standing on the Shoulders of Giants.” The films will be shown consecutively and without intermission.

Speaker: Julie Keck, Head of Education and Outreach, Seed & Spark

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C.

1:30 p.m. to 2:30 p.m.

Festival Art Exhibit, Lecture #2

Join us for this highly informative talk on researching, selecting, buying and building your own Black Fine Art Collection.

Speaker: Najee Dorsey, artist, exhibit curator, and founder of Black Art In America, with invited guest collectors.

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C.

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

HollyShorts Screenings

HollyShorts Films is an organization devoted to showcasing the best and brightest short films from around the globe, advancing the careers of filmmakers through screenings, networking events, and various panel and forums.

Films:

Silent Child (winner, Academy Award). Directed by Chris Overton and Rachel Shenton. Set in rural England and inspired by real life events-the film centres around a profoundly deaf four year old girl named Libby who is born into a middle class family and lives in a world of silence until a caring social worker teaches her the gift of communication.

Watu Wote (Academy Award nominee; winner, Bermuda Film Festival and German Newcomer Cinematography Award) Directed by Katja Benrath. For almost a decade Kenya has been targeted by terrorist attacks of the Al-Shabaab. An atmosphere of anxiety and mistrust between Muslims and Christians grows until in December 2015, Muslim bus passengers showed that solidarity can prevail.

Frank Embree (winner, HollyShorts Grand Jury Award). Directed by Skinner Meyers. His name was Frank Embree. The time, 9:55 a.m. The scene of this crime against humanity, Fayette, Missouri on that fateful day, July 22, 1899. The inscription on the back of the photograph was “We got us one.” He will not be forgotten.

The Language of Ball (Entry, Toronto Film Festival). Directed by Ramon Rodriguez. A lonely teenager, new to the city and not speaking the language, is forced out of his comfort zone one morning on the basketball court.

Emergency (winner, Sundance Special Jury Award and SXSW

Best Narrative). Directed by Carey Williams. Faced with an emergency situation, a group of young Black and Latino friends carefully weigh the pros and cons of calling the police.

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

My Nephew Emmett (Academy Award nominee). Directed by Kevin Wilson, Jr. In 1955, A 64 year-old African American Mississippi preacher tries to keep two racist killers from abducting his 14 year-old nephew, Emmett Louis Till. Based on a true story.

Speakers: Theo Dumont, Partner, Head of Marketing, HollyShorts; Kevin Wilson, Jr., director; Skinner Myers, director.

Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Religion –

The Gospel Jubilee Showcase

Join us for an audio visual exploration of the Emmy Awardwinning Gospel Jubilee Showcase, which aired on ABC Chicago’s WLS Channel 7 from 1963 to 1984. Produced and hosted by Sid Ordower, the show presented the top artists and widest variety of gospel and inspirational music every Sunday morning, establishing itself as an institution in Chicago known as “church before church.”

Panelists: Richard Smallwood, award-winning gospel music composer and artist; Steve Ordower, producer, editor, and son of Sid Ordower. Moderator: Jacquie Gales Webb, Peabody award-winning producer and host, 96.3 WHUR.FM

In partnership with Navy Memorial

Performance produced by NEWorks Productions

Richard Smallwood

Jacquie Gales Webb

Steve Ordower

Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave, NW

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m

Civil Rights and the World –

OZA and the Chicano Movement

Film: The Rise and Fall of the Brown Buffalo | 2018 | USA | 57 min

Directed by Phillip Rodriguez

This film takes an innovative look into the life of radical Chicano lawyer, author and counter cultural icon, Oscar Zeta Acosta. He was the basis for the character Dr. Gonzo in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas written by his friend, legendary journalistprovocateur Hunter Thompson. OZA’s untold story probes issues of racial identity, criminal justice, politics, and media representation, while revealing the personal side of a troubled, radical, and brilliant man coming to terms with his identity and finding meaning in the struggles of his people.

Performance: Los Gallos Negros

Panelists: Phillip Rodríguez, director; and Eduardo Rodriguez, Jr. Executive Director, Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino.

In partnership with the Navy Memorial, NBC4 and Friends of the National Museum of the American Latino

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Phillip Rodríguez

Eduardo Rodriguez, Jr.

Sunday, July 15

Washington National Cathedral, 3101 Wisconsin Ave. NW

2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Religion –

Forgotten Father Divine

Film: Father’s Kingdom

2017 | USA | 96 min

Despite having over a million followers around the world at one time, the story of Father Divine remains largely unknown. During the Great Depression, Divine’s International Peace Mission e stablished a series of cash-only businesses and hotels where anyone in need could live, get food, and find work. He was also a staunch advocate for anti-lynching laws and desegregation, and included them as part of the Mission’s core beliefs.

Panelists: Rev. Dr. Paul Smith, Dean of Episcopal Divinity School, Union Theological Seminary; Lenny Feinberg, filmmaker; Rev. Dr. Leonard L. Hamlin Sr., Washington National Cathedral, Sheena Wright, President & CEO, United Way of New York City.

Special Guest: Rev. Paul Smith, Civil Rights activist, educator, diversity expert

Moderator Pat Lawson Muse, Anchor, NBC4

In partnership with Washington National Cathedral

Paul Smith

Sheena Wright Kelly Brown Douglas

Monday, July 16

NYU Washington, D.C., 1307 L St. NW

3:00 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Women in the Movement – Lorraine Hansberry

Film: Sighted Eyes/Feeling Heart | 2017 | USA |104 min

Directed by Tracy Heather Strain

With the stroke of her pen, Lorraine Hansberry changed the face of American theater as the first-ever Black woman to author a play performed on Broadway. Hansberry used theater as her medium for activism at a critical time in the Civil Rights Movement.

Speaker: Joi Gresham, Executive Director and Trustee, Lorraine Hansberry Literary Trust

Libation: Atilah Kadijah Manyansa and King Salim Ajanku.

In partnership with New York University, Washington, D.C.

National Museum of Women in the Arts, 1250 New York Ave. NW

6:30 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Women in the Movement – Recy Taylor

Film: The Rape of Recy Taylor | 2017 | USA | 91 min

In 1944, Recy Taylor, a young wife and mother, was kidnapped at gunpoint on her way home from church and brutally raped by a gang of white teenagers in her Alabama town. Civil Rights investigator Rosa Parks and Black-owned newspapers brought it to national attention.

Panelists: Robert Corbitt, brother of Recy Taylor; Fatima Goss Graves, President & CEO, National Women’s Law Center; Rep. Bonnie Watson-Coleman, D-NJ, 12th District; and Susan Margolin, film producer.

Moderator: Jessica Arons, Senior Advocacy & Policy Counsel for Reproductive Freedom, ACLU

In partnership with National Museum of Women in the Arts and Raben Impact

National Public Radio, 1111 N. Capitol St. NE

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Education, Part 1– HBCUs

Film: Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities | 2017 | USA | 85 min

Directed by Stanley Nelson

A haven for intellectuals, artists, and revolutionaries—and the path of promise toward the American dream— Historically Black Colleges and Universities have educated the architects of freedom movements and cultivated leaders in every field, unapologetically Black for more than 150 years.

Panelists: Dr. Howard L. Fuller, Professor, Marquette University; Alexis McKenney, Howard University student activist, HUResist; Adeline Lee, Coordinator, Campus and Free Speech Initiative, PEN America, Dr. Michael Lomax, President & CEO, UNCF.

Moderator Zerline Hughes Spruill, Managing Director, Communications, Advancement Project

Sponsor Remarks: Rynthia Rost, VP Public Affairs, GEICO

Performance curated by NEWorks Productions

In partnership with National Public Radio

Sponsored by GEICO and The Knight Foundation

“Don’t call it black power or green power. Call it brain power.”

-Barbara Jordan

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Tuesday, July 17

New York University, DC - 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m.

(Doors open at 11:30 a.m.)

Scholars Symposium

Join us for an afternoon of guest lecturers speaking on aspects of the Civil Rights Movement.

Presenters:

12:00 p.m. Rev. Dr. Paul Smith, renowned Civil Rights leader, will engage in an inter-generational dialogue with #OscarsSoWhite creator April Reign on disrupting the stereotypes on aging and passing the activist’s torch.

1:00 p.m. Kent Spriggs, attorney and author, on his book Voices of Civil Rights Lawyers: Reflections from the Deep South, 1964 to 1980.

2:00 p.m. Donna Walker Kuhne - author, Invitation to the Party, on the new Off-Broadway play, Little Rock as a case study in social activism in the performing arts.

Special Guest: Ernest Green, one of the “Little Rock Nine” who integrated Central High School in Arkansas under escort from federal troops.

3:00 p.m. Averell “Ace” Smith, author, The Pitcher and the Dictator on the troubled relationship between the Dominican Republic’s strongman Rafael Trujillo and baseball’s Satchel Paige.

4:00 p.m. Dr. Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Professor of History, Race, and Public Policy, Harvard Kennedy School and Radcliffe Institute fo Advanced Studies, on “The White Problem in America and the Unfinished Work of the Civil Rights Movement ”

In partnership with New York University D.C. and Walker International Communications Group Sponsored by AARP

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Studio Theatre 1501 14 St., NW Washington, D.C. 7:00pm-9:00pm

Civil Rights and the First Wave of African-American Corporate Board Directors

Film: Pioneers: Reginald Lewis and the Making of a Billion Dollar Empire | US | 2018 | 28 min

Executive Producer, Geraldine Moriba

This new PBS documentary highlights the life of Reginald F. Lewis, the first African-American ever to close an overseas billion dollar leveraged buyout deal, acquiring an unprecedented global conglomerate of 64 companies in 31 countries. Through his story, we will also honor the first wave of African-American directors on major corporate boards and uncover their influence on the business of the nation.

Remarks: Loida Nicholas Lewis

Panelists: Hugh B. Price, former President and CEO, National Urban League; Ron Thompson, Member of Advisory Board, Plymouth Venture Partners II, L.P.; Melody Barnes, Chair, Forum for Community Solutions

Moderator: Michele Norris, Director, The Bridge at the Aspen Institute and Founding Director, The Race Card Project

Sponsored by Ariel Investments

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Hugh B. Price

Melody Barnes

Ron Thompson

Wednesday, July 18

Supreme Court of the United States, 1 First St NE, Washington, DC

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and the First Wave of African-American State Supreme Court Justices*

We honor African-American State Supreme Court Justices, past and present, as arbiters in the ultimate judicial tribunal for the appeal of state legal issues. By carving a distinct path in national jurisprudence, they served as vital mentors, role models and precedent-setters in our communities.

Moderator: Laura Jarrett, CNN

Remarks: Lt. Gov. Justin Fairfax, VA

Panelists: Hon. Reuben Anderson (MS), Hon. Robert Benham (GA), Hon. George Brown (TN), Hon. Charles Thomas (VA), Hon. Henry Frye (NC) Hon. Richard Mays (AR) with special surprise guests.

*This is an invitation only event

Performance by NEWorks Productions

“Justice is what love sounds like in public.” -Michael Eric Dyson

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

100 Raoul Wallenberg Pl SW

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Education, Part 2 – Race and Society in Nazi Germany and the Jim Crow South

Film: From Swastika to Jim Crow | USA | 2000 | 60 min

Directed by Lori Cheatle

This film explores the encounter between two peoples targeted by brutality and oppression, who were brought together by the war and racism. Having escaped Nazi Germany in the 1930s, Jewish scholars arrived in the U.S. only to face anti-semitism at major universities. Many secured jobs at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in the South where they formed a special bond with students and communities.

Panelists: Dr. Joyce Ladner, Civil Rights activist, educator and author; Hank Klibanoff, Pulitzer Prize-winning journalist, author, and professor, Emory University.

Opening Remarks: Steven Fischler, documentary producer

Moderator - Jill Savitt, Special Advisor to the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

In partnership with the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Dr. Joyce Ladner

Hank Klibanoff

Jill Savitt

Thursday, July 19

National Public Radio, 7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Equal Opportunity in American Sports

Film: 1st & Goal in the Bronx: Grambling vs. Morgan State | USA | 2011 | 60 min

Produced by CBS Sports

The football game at Yankee Stadium on September 28, 1968, was the first time two historically black colleges played in New York City. The game itself was a nail biter down to the wire. But even more critical was the fact that the two teams faced each other just five months after the assassination of Dr. King. That backdrop of cultural revolution, civil rights struggle and urban riots gave it an even larger historical importance. We’ll talk about the forces leading up to the game and its aftermath in the lives of some players, in varsity football, and in American society.

Panelists: Broderick Johnson Sr., Partner, Bryan Cave; Mark Washington, former cornerback, NFL; George Nock, former running back, Morgan State University; Lamont Germany, Heritage Sports Radio Network (HSRN) Ashland Johnson, Human Rights Campaign

Moderator: William Rhoden, sports journalist, author and former player, Morgan State University.

In partnership with National Public Radio

Performance curated by NEWorks Productions

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Broderick Johnson Sr. George Nock William Rhoden

Navy Memorial, 701 Pennsylvania Ave., NW

7:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m.

Civil Rights and Racial Identity

Film: The Loving Generation: Checking Boxes | US | 2018 |10 min

Directed and produced by Lacey Schwartz and Mehret Mandefro

Film: How Jack Became Black | USA | 2018 | 84 min

Directed by Eli Steele

In 1967, the Supreme Court decision Loving v. Virginia overturned all laws outlawing interracial marriage. The four-part documentary, The Loving Generation tells the story of a generation of Americans born to one black and one white parent and provides a fascinating window into the borderland between “blackness” and “whiteness.”

We will screen the first episode which addresses the question: What box do you check on the census form and why?

It will be followed by a trailblazing documentary that opens simply: a multiracial father is stunned when his mixed race son is denied enrollment to an elementary school for refusing to check a “race box.”

The father takes an uncharted journey across America where he confronts and exposes identity politics both personal and national.

Panelists: Anna Holmes, author and executive producer, and Lacey Schwartz, director and producer, The Loving Generation; Eli Steele, director, How Jack Became Black.

Moderator: Adam Serwer, Deputy Politics Editor, The Atlantic

Friday, July 20, 2018

The Raben Group, 1341 G St. NW, 8:30 a.m.

Civil Rights and Civic Education–

A Breakfast Teach-In

In honor of the 50th anniversary of Shirley Chisolm’s election to Congress, the first Black woman to do so, we’ll explore why participation in elections is vital to our democracy, the importance of the upcoming mid-terms elections, the impact of women candidates nationwide.

Speaker: L. Joy Williams, Principal, LJW Strategies, President, Brooklyn NAACP, Chair, Higher Heights for America and host, #Sunday Civics podcast.

In partnership with The Raben Group

Navy Memorial, 7:00pm-9:00pm

Civil Rights and Comedy–

The Unforgettable Dick Gregory

Film: I Am Dick Gregory | USA | 2017 | film excerpt Directed by Andre Gaines

Before Eddie Murphy, Chris Rock and Dave Chappelle, there was Dick Gregory. The comedian, activist, and author broke ground by becoming the first black stand-up comic to perform in major white nightclubs. Gregory used his platform to support the fight for civil rights, ran for President in a write-in campaign in 1968, and devoted decades to promoting health and wellness.

Musical performer: Ayanna Gregory, performing artist, educator and daughter of Dick Gregory

Panelists: Joyelle Nicole, comedian; Christian Gregory, executive and son of Dick Gregory; Franqi French, comedian, producer; Andre Gaines, director; Sylvia Traymore Morrison, comedian/impressionist; Dr. E. Faye Williams, Esq., CEO, National Congress of Black Women.

Moderator: Rock Newman, host, the Rock Newman Show.

Saturday, July 21

Landmark E Street Cinema, 555 11 St. NW

10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

Civil Rights and the Last Years of Martin Luther King

Film: King in the Wilderness | USA | 2018| 111 min

Directed by Peter Kunhardt

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s leadership during the bus boycotts, sit-ins, and historic marches of the Civil Rights Movement is now the stuff of legend. But left out of the history books is much of what happened during the last three years of his life. A conflicted leader, he faced an onslaught of national criticism. His nonviolence was seen as weakness, his anti–Vietnam War speeches as traitorous, and his expanded focus on class and poverty as inflammatory for a nation on the brink of chaos.

Speakers: Taylor Branch, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of the trilogy, America in the King Years, in conversation with Joe West, Partner, Chief Diversity and Inclusion Officer, Duane Morris

Studio Theatre, 1501 14 St. NW Washington, D.C.

5:00 p.m. Tour and talk-Undesign the Redline lobby exhibit with April de Simone, Designing the WE.

6:30 p.m. Closing Night Event

Civil Rights and the Fair Housing Act-50 Years On

Films: House We Live In | US 2003 | 6 min

California Newsreel

Brick by Brick: A Civil Rights Story

US | 2007 | 53 min

Directed by Bill Kavanaugh

In commemoration of the Fair Housing Act of 1968, we examine the history of redlining, and an epic battle for civil rights in Yonkers, NY in the 1980 as the city faced public policies of racial discrimination, the isolation of poor people of color in segregated neighborhoods with failing schools, and an opposing political machine. Our panel will also discuss ways to become better educated and empowered to achieve racial and social justice in housing.

Sponsor Remarks: Hugh E. Rowden, SVP, Community Relations, Wells Fargo & Company

Panelists: Bill Kavanaugh, filmmaker; Michael Sussman, attorney for NAACP in US v Yonkers; Gene Capello, President, Fair Housing Justice Center and Yonkers resident.

Moderator: Heather Raspberry, Executive Director, Housing Association of Nonprofit Developers

In partnership with Designing the WE

About NEWorks Productions

2018 marks our fifteenth anniversary and we are excited to celebrate our journey to becoming one of the nation’s premier inspirational arts producers of music, concert programming, theatrical events, curatorial festivals, educational initiatives, and special events. Our work is produced collaboratively with grassroots and professional artists and with leading humanitarian, educational, arts, and other renowned institutions.

Past and present partners include the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts; Smithsonian's Museum of African American History and Culture; Mann Center for the Performing Arts; Clarice Smith Performing Arts Center; American Cancer Society; Georgetown University; Oberlin College; Ithaca College; the Embassies of India, France, and the People’s Republic of South Africa; Amalfi Coast Music and Arts Festival; Franklin Institute; National Symphony Orchestra; and, the world class Philadelphia Orchestra.

Helmed by CEO Nolan Williams. Jr.–producer, curator, innovator, musicologist, and American songwriter–our signature projects leverage the power of music and the arts to educate, commemorate, uplift and inspire.

For more information, visit neworksproductions.com

Onward and upward, Nolan Williams, Jr.

CEO, NEWorks Productions 202-897-4001 office

Repertoire of Performances Produced by NEWorks Productions

Saturday, July 14

Civil Rights and Religion – Gospel Jubilee Showcase

Jubilee Showcase Medley

Featuring Ralph Herndon, baritone

Monday, July 16

Civil Rights and Education Part 1–HBCUs

Performers-Dem Raider Boys Step Squad and The Lady Raider Step Squad

Directed by Jakari Sherman, former artistic director, Step Afrika!

Wednesday, July 18

Civil Rights and the First Wave of African-American Supreme Court Justices

Hold On – Traditional Negro Spiritual, arr. Nolan Williams, Jr. Featuring Nova Payton and Monique Steele Griffiths, sopranos

I Have a Right (to Vote!) – Nolan Williams, Jr., commissioned by Georgetown University

Featuring Voices of Inspiration and NEWorks House Band

Nolan Williams, Jr., Artistic Director

Eric Ruffin, Associate Director

Andrew Smith, Music Director

Saturday, July 21

Fair Housing Act–50 Years On

World Premiere of American Dream, American Myth Nolan Williams, Jr. and Messiah Ramkissoon, composers for this occasion

Featuring Spoken Word artist Messiah Ramkissoon with the NEWorks Players, Singers and House Band

Student Journalists Fellowship

The Student Journalists Fellowship is an initiative of the March on Washington Film Festival that provides an opportunity for five college-level journalists to learn about the essential role that reporters have in shaping and preserving Civil Rights in a society, while giving them a chance to step into that role themselves.

The fellows will receive in-depth training on social justice reporting through a series of workshops and professional development sessions at major media companies, resulting in a final media project on a Civil Rights topic that the country is faced with today. Students will have the opportunity to pitch their final projects to media outlets around the country. Each fellow will also earn a cash stipend.

The March on Washington Film Festival is proud to invest in the future of journalism and these young journalists:

Angela Cruz, Georgetown University Master’s program

Sierra Farrare, Notre Dame of Maryland

Dylan Greene, University of Maryland, Baltimore County

Julia Kim, University of Maryland, College Park

Zoe Poindexter, Georgetown University Master’s program

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competition

The Festival is proud to continue, for the third year, its short film competition to elevate emerging and student filmmakers from around the world.

Our esteemed judges view both the narrative and documentary finalists’ short films. The films are focused on the Civil Rights movement, the era, or relevant social justice issues. All shortlisted films are recognized and screened during the Festival, with a Grand Prize awarded in four categories - student and emerging, documentary and narrative films.

Grand Prize Winners

Student Documentary: Born to Stay, dirs: Daniela Cruzat, Farrah Lopez

Student Narrative: Riverment, dir: Shayla Racquel

Emerging Documentary: An Act of Worship, dirs: Nausheen Dadabhoy, Sofian Kahn

Emerging Narrative: Pegg, dir: Nardeep Khurmi

Grand Prize and Special Mention winners receive cash awards and prizes including Master Classes and Skype sessions with established filmmakers, professional services and equipment, and a public screening of their films at the Festival.

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

The MOWFF Spiral Now Art Exhibit includes these works:

About Black Art In America

BLACK ART IN AMERICA™ (BAIA) is the leading online portal and social network focused on African-American Art. BAIA amplifies commentary on today's visual arts news from breaking news, podcasts, gallery meet-ups, market trends, and profiling leading and emerging Black visual artists. BAIA also produces fine art shows around the country. www.blackartinamerica.com.

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

Black is Black by Jamaal Barber

Stand Up by Charly Palmer

Madonna by Elizabeth Catlett

Playing to Win by Claudia Gibson- Hunter

“I am where I am because of the bridges I have crossed. Sojourner Truth was a bridge.

Harriet Tubman was a bridge.

Ida B. Wells was a bridge.

Madam C. J. Walker was a bridge.

Fannie Lou Hamer was a bridge.”

-Oprah

Winfrey

For tickets: www.mowff.org/2018-festival-guide

FESTIVAL STAFF

Founder and Chairman

Robert Raben

Executive Director

Samantha Abrams

Artistic Director

Isisara Bey

Producers

Broderick Johnson

John Campbell

Associate Producer

Justin Wilson

Development

John Skic

Elizabeth Roberts

Finance

Lenny Liang

Joshua Meach

Legal

Joe Onek

Administration

Joanne Irby

Marketing and Media Relations

Ryan Daniels

Alex Prysbelski

Website

Charlie Crocker

Graphic Design

Jayson Salomon

Printing

Kevin Jaundoo, Document Technologies Inc.

Program Consultants

Opal Hope Bennett, Student and Emerging Filmmaker Competition

Jada F. Smith, Student Journalists Fellowship

Talent Manager

Torell S. Taylor

Travel

Bernice Cannings, BC Tours & Travel

Photography

Getty Images

Video Director

Richard Butterworth

Cover Art, “Lock My Body”

By Jamaal Barber

Courtesy of the artist, available at shopbaia.com

Art Exhibition Curator

Najee Dorsey, Black Art In America

Graphic Displays

Creative Display Solutions

Book Tables

Politics & Prose

Volunteer Coordinator

Marcus Anderson

Special thanks to Ekene Eze, Griffin Harris, our Festival jurors, volunteers and interns.

FESTIVAL PARTNER:

Uber

Platinum Sponsors

Comcast NBCUniversal

Ford Foundation

Gold Sponsors

AARP

WellsFargo

Public Welfare Foundation

Silver Sponsors

Ariel Investments

21st Century Fox

FedEx

GEICO

HBO

Prudential

Robert Wood Johnson Foundation

Starz

Sundial Brands

The Knight Foundation

Bronze Sponsors

Altria

Bank of America

California Endowment

Catherine B. Reynolds Foundation

Colgate-Palmolive Company

DuaneMorris

Enterprise Holdings

Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz

Human Rights Campaign Foundation

Office of Cable Television, Film,

Music & Entertainment

Planned Parenthood Federation of America

Urban Movie Channel

Williams & Connolly LLP

Vanguard for Freedom:

Katherine Bradley

Daniel Cabrera

David Frederick & Sophie Lynn

Kitty Kelley

Dr. Carol Ludwig, M.D. & Eugene Ludwig

June Raben

Robert Raben

MEDIA PARTNER:

NBC4

List in formation

ONE VOICE CAN MAKE AN IMPACT.

Xfinity On DemandTM CivRightsVoices.com @CivRightsVoices

Comcast NBCUniversal is proud to sponsor the March on Washington Film Festival and its mission to inspire a deeper understanding of our nation’s history.

Diversity & Inclusion is our foundation for innovation and drives our business forward. Throughout 2018, Comcast NBCUniversal celebrates the fifth anniversary of our awardwinning Voices of the Civil Rights Movement series. Discover more than 150 firsthand accounts from civil rights icons, along with hours of powerful historical moments.