Date: June 13, 2008
Contact: Lindsay Gladstone
Governors State University
Phone: (708) 534-7090
Fax: (708) 534-8399
Email: l-gladstone@govst.edu
For Immediate Release
University Park, IL, June 13, 2008 - “King in Chicago,” a 77-minute documentary by Seth McClellan concerning Dr. Martin Luther King and the Chicago Freedom Movement, will be shown at the Bronzeville Film Festival, on June 19, at 5:30 p.m., at the Illinois Institute of Technology, 10 W. 35th St., Chicago. The screening is free and open to the public.
McClellan, of Crete, is a documentary filmmaker and adjunct faculty member at Governors State University. He earned his Master of Fine Arts in Independent Film and Digital Imaging at GSU.
“King in Chicago,” emphasizes Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s understanding of the link between the goals of the Civil Rights Movement and the social injustice of poverty.
”In the national celebration of King's birthday each year, most Americans 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,” said McClellan.
The film uses candid interviews with Jesse Jackson, James Bevel, Michael Pfleger, and others, as well as period photos and stirring traditional music by Rutha Harris to shine a light on the struggle for justice.
“This film provides invaluable context to the national conversation about the corrosive effects of pervasive racism and persistent poverty in the U. S. today,” added McClellan. “I was fortunate enough to document both the optimism and pessimism that are the results of the Chicago Freedom Movement.”
More information is available at www.thorncreekproductions.com.
