WCTE/Upper Cumberland PBS and ITVS Independent Lens will kick off the new season of Independent Lens Films pop up screenings with The First Rainbow Coalition, which tells the story of a 1960's movement in Chicago that brought together a trailblazing alliance of community groups to confront social issues.
WCTE and Indie Lens pop-up along with Tennessee Tech invite the public to attend a free screening of The First Rainbow Coalition, followed by a community discussion. The screening will be at the Backdoor Playhouse at 805 Quadrangle on the Tennessee Tech campus. The doors open at 5:30 and the screening begins at 6:00 pm.
For more information, visit: www.wcte.org
In 1969, the Chicago Black Panther Party began to form alliances across lines of race and ethnicity with other community-based movements in the city, including the Latinx Young Lords organization, the White Southerners, and the Young Patriots organization. Banding together in one of the most segregated cities in postwar America to collectively confront issues such as police brutality and substandard housing, they called themselves the Rainbow Coalition. The movement created a permanent shift in Chicago politics and an organizing model for future activists and politicians across the nation.
After the screening, join Tom Savage, local NAACP President to discuss themes in the film including the power of civic engagement and multiethnic coalitions. Indie Lens Pop-Up and WCTE aim to spark enlightening conversations that shed light on these issues.
A film by Ray Santisteban, The First Rainbow Coalition premieres on Monday, January 27, 2020, 9:00-10:00 PM CT on WCTE, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
