In 1979, author James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends—Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.
At the time of Baldwin’s death in 1987, he left behind only thirty completed pages of his manuscript.
Now, in his incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin’s original words and flood of rich archival material. I Am Not Your Negro is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
The CLA Change Team invites the UMD community to a screening of the film, to be held on Tuesday, October 17, at 5:15 p.m in Solon Campus Center 120. Pizza will be provided before the screening, with a discussion to follow.
This event is the second of a 6-part film series sponsored by CLA during the 2017-18 academic year. It is a vital part of their efforts to promote practices of "inclusivity, equity, and respect" within their collegiate unit, and as part of a larger, campus-wide effort to work toward Campus Climate Goal #2: "Create a positive and inclusive campus climate for all by advancing equity, diversity and social justice."
Film synopsis courtesy of I Am Not Your Negro Press Kit.