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The documentary film Say It Loud: Knoxville During the Civil Rights Era will be screened at 2:00 p.m. Sunday, February 21. Free and open to the public, the film will be shown in the Hodges Library auditorium.

Scene from a protest, believed to be circa 1956, in front of Rich�s department store in downtown Knoxville that is featured in the documentary "Say It Loud: Knoxville During the Civil Rights Era.� Photo courtesy Knoxville News-Sentinel
Scene from a protest, believed to be circa 1956, in front of Rich’s department store in downtown Knoxville that is featured in the documentary Say It Loud: Knoxville During the Civil Rights Era. Photo courtesy Knoxville News-Sentinel

Featuring rare historic footage of African-American life during Knoxville’s civil rights era, Say It Loud offers a glimpse into the early protests and marches in downtown Knoxville and on Cumberland Avenue during the early 1960s.

The film screening is one of many events surrounding The Big Read, the communitywide reading initiative co-hosted by the Knox County Public Library and UT’s Clarence Brown Theatre. This spring’s program is based on Ernest J. Gaines’ award-winning novel A Lesson Before Dying. It’s the story of two young men who teach each other the lessons they need in order to face their futures—one a disheartened young teacher, the other a man sentenced to death for a murder he did not commit.

The Clarence Brown Theatre will offer performances of the Romulus Linney play based on the novel from February 24 through March 13. A “Pay What You Wish Night” will be held February 24.

Affiliated community events include lectures, book discussions, a concert of spiritual songs and a forum with community leaders. Read more about A Lesson Before Dying and related community events.

 Say It Loud was edited by Louisa Trott and Bradley Reeves from films clips held in the Knox County Public Library’s Tennessee Archive of Moving Image and Sound. Trott is project coordinator for the Tennessee Newspaper Digitization Project at UT. She and Reeves are co-founders of TAMIS.

The Friends of the Knox County Public Library provided funding for the project.

Visit Tennessee Today for a calendar of Black History Month events at UT.

CONTACT:

Martha Rudolph, UT Libraries (865-974-4273, mrudolp2@utk.edu)

David Byrd, managing director, Clarence Brown Theatre (865-974-0964, dbyrd10@utk.edu)