Stanley Nelson: Documenting African American Struggles for Freedom and Civil Rights

The University of South Carolina History Center will bring noted documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson to Columbia on March 29 – 31, 2017 for a preview screening of his new documentary, Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities. Leading up to this visit, they will present a film series highlighting Nelson’s work that will take place from January – March 2017 and will include screenings of six additional Nelson films at venues around Columbia such as Allen University, Benedict College, and USC. SC Humanities supported this project with a Mini Grant in December 2016.

Stanley Earl Nelson, Jr. is an American director and producer of documentary films known for examining the history and experiences of African Americans. He has won numerous awards, fellowships, and honors, including a Primetime Emmy for Outstanding Director for Non-Fiction Programming for The Murder of Emmett Till and a MacArthur Fellowship. His work includes A Place of Our Own (2004), Freedom Riders (2010), and Freedom Summer (2014), among many others.

Events in the film series include:

Wednesday, January 11, 2017 | 6:00 p.m.
Screening of The Black Press: Soldiers Without Swords
Featuring speaker Kenneth Campbell
Location: USC School of Journalism and Mass Communications, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-777-2766

Wednesday, January 25, 2017 | 6:00 p.m.
Screening of The Murder of Emmett Till
Featuring Speaker Laura Kissel
Location: McMaster 214, 1615 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-777-2766

Monday, February 6, 2017 | 6:30 p.m.
Screening of Freedom Riders
Part of the Legacy of Race programming
Featuring a Q&A moderated by Bobby Donaldson
Location: The Nickelodeon Theatre, 1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-254-8234

Thursday, February 16, 2017 | 6:00 p.m.
Screening of A Place to Call Our Own
Featuring speaker Patricia Sullivan
Location: McMaster 214, 1615 Senate Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-777-2766

Wednesday, March 1, 2017 | 6:00 p.m.
Screening of Freedom Summer
Introduced by Kent Germany
Talk back with civil rights activist Cleveland Sellers
Location: School of Journalism and Mass Communications, Room 106, 800 Sumter Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-777-2766

Wednesday, March 15, 2017 | 6:00 p.m.
Screening of The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution
Introduced by Susan Courtney
Talk back with former Black Panther Kathleen Cleaver
Location: Gambrell 153, 817 Henderson Street, Columbia, SC 29208
Free and open to the public
Info: 803-777-2766

Wednesday, March 29, 2017 | 7:00 p.m.
Preview Screening of Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Stanley Nelson will introduce the film and participate in a Q&A
Location: The Nickelodeon Theatre, 1607 Main Street, Columbia, SC 29201
Info: 803-254-8234

Friday, March 31, 2017 | 7:00 – 9:00 p.m.
Civil Rights and Media Symposium – Keynote Event Featuring Stanley Nelson

University of South Carolina School of Journalism and Mass Communications
Public screening and discussion with documentary filmmaker Stanley Nelson, Jr. in the historic Booker T. Washington High School Auditorium
Info: https://www.sc.edu/study/colleges_schools/cic/journalism_and_mass_communications/mcrhs/#.WGK6qFMrK70

These events aim to provide a public forum for exploring various aspects of African American history and the broader struggle for civil rights as documented in the films of one of America’s leading documentary filmmakers, and facilitate discussions about this history and how it informs our understanding of contemporary events and issues relating to race, education citizenship, and democracy.

For more information about the film series, contact the USC History Center at 803-777-2766.

The mission of SC Humanities is to enrich the cultural and intellectual lives of all South Carolinians. Established in 1973, this 501(c) 3 organization is governed by a volunteer 22-member Board of Directors comprised of community leaders from throughout the state. It presents and/or supports literary initiatives, lectures, exhibits, festivals, publications, oral history projects, videos and other humanities-based experiences that directly or indirectly reach more than 250,000 citizens annually.