[Archived] Alexandria Black History Museum Offering “Movies with a Mission” This Fall

Free Monthly Film Screenings Explore Africa and the African Diaspora

The Alexandria Black History Museum is continuing its partnership with SankofaSpirit to share the “Movies with a Mission” program with Washington, D.C., area audiences this fall. The screenings are held at 4:30 p.m. on the second Saturday of each month from Saturday, September 10 through Saturday, December 10, at the museum, 902 Wythe Street.

“Movies with a Mission” are free monthly films 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:

September 10 – “The Will to Survive” Directed by Al Hawkins, “The Will to Survive: The Story of the Gullah/Geechee Nation” focuses on the last remaining intact Geechee community of Hog Hammock in Sapelo Island, Georgia. It has been called the most authentic African American community in the United States, but today, island villagers struggle to preserve their African culture and American property rights. The film allows viewers a rare glimpse into the soul of Sapelo Island, as well as the proud and mysterious Gullah/Geechee people. (60 minutes)

October 8 – “From Florida to Coahuila” This film from Rafael Rebollar Corona explores the African legacy in Mexico by focusing on Africans who escaped from slavery in the United States and made their way to the Spanish colony of Florida. There they intermarried with the Seminoles and eventually moved into Mexico, gradually integrating that culture. A fascinating exploration of a cultural identity that transcends the constraints of political borders! (50 minutes)

November 12 – “Standing on My Sisters’ Shoulders” A missing chapter in our nation’s record of the Civil Rights movement, this powerful documentary reveals the movement in Mississippi in the 1950s and ’60s from the point of view of the courageous women who lived it – and emerged as its grassroots leaders. Their living testimony offers a window into a unique moment when the founders’ promise of freedom and justice passed from rhetoric to reality for all Americans. Interviews and powerful archival footage weave a story of commitment, passion and perseverance and tells the story of the women who fought for change in Mississippi and altered the course of American history forever. (60 minutes)

December 10 – “The Black Candle: A Kwanzaa Celebration” This landmark, vibrant documentary from M.K. Asante uses Kwanzaa as a vehicle to explore and celebrate the African-American experience. Filmed across the United States, Africa, Europe and the Caribbean, “The Black Candle” is a timely illumination on why the seven principles of Kwanzaa are so important to African Americans today. Narrated by Maya Angelou, it traces the holiday’s growth out of the Black Power Movement in the 1960s to its present-day reality as a global, pan-African holiday embraced by over 40 million celebrants. (71 minutes)

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 important 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 or visit www.alexblackhistory.org.