[Archived] Alexandria Black History Museum Offering Free Movies with a Mission

Free Monthly Film Screenings Resume During Black History Month

The Alexandria Black History Museum is continuing its partnership with SankofaSpirit to share its “Movies with a Mission” with Washington, D.C., area audiences. This monthly series, which began in 2009, will resume in February in celebration of Black History Month. The screenings are held at 4:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month through Saturday, April 9, at the museum, 902 Wythe Street.

“Movies with a Mission” are free monthly films from and about Africa and the African Diaspora that seek to inform and inspire dialogue. Screenings will be followed by a discussion and gallery walk. Reservations are requested, as seating is limited. For more information or to make a reservation, please call 703.746.4356. The following films will be offered:

February 12 – “The Lion Mountains: A Journey through Sierra Leone’s History”

This documentary follows a journey to Sierra Leone in West Africa through the eyes of a young British filmmaker. After a long desire to visit the continent of Africa and learn more about his own history, Buckley finally decides to visit the country of Sierra Leone, as it was the center of British West Africa in the days of British imperialism. Buckley is the first member of his family to return to Africa after the momentous upheaval which saw his ancestors uprooted from Africa and transported to Jamaica as slaves. The film looks at pre-colonial Sierra Leone, questioning what happened in the days of the British Empire and how the country changed. It also examines the beginning of European and African trade, the difference between African and European slavery, and some of the effects of Western imperialism and colonial rule. (54 min.)

March 12 – “Good Fortune”

This provocative film explores how massive international efforts to alleviate poverty in Africa may be undermining the very communities they aim to benefit. In Kenya’s rural countryside, Jackson’s farm is being flooded by an American investor who hopes to alleviate poverty by creating a multimillion-dollar rice farm. Across the country in Nairobi, Silva’s home and business in Africa’s largest shantytown are being demolished as part of a U.N. slum-upgrading project. See the gripping stories of two Kenyans battling to save their homes from large-scale development. (73 min.)

April 9 – “Promised Land”

Though apartheid ended in South Africa in 1994, economic injustices between blacks and whites remain unresolved. As revealed in this award-winning film, the most potentially explosive issue is land. The film follows two black communities as they struggle to reclaim land from white owners, some of whom have lived there for generations. Amid rising tensions and wavering government policies, the land issue remains South Africa’s “ticking time bomb,” with far-reaching consequences for all sides. “Promised Land” captures multiple perspectives of citizens struggling to create just solutions. (57 min.)

Founded in 2002, Atlanta-based SankofaSpirit is dedicated to providing cultural and educational programs and services that focus on Africa and the African Diaspora. Through its programs and services, SankofaSpirit encourages people of African descent to reconnect with their great legacy. For more information, please visit www.sankofaspirit.com.

The Alexandria Black History Museum is located at 902 Wythe Street in the heart of the Parker-Gray Historic District and is open from Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. To learn more about the museum and Alexandria’s rich African-American heritage, please visit www.alexblackhistory.org.

For more information, call 703.746.4356.