UNC Asheville center to screen civil rights documentaries

UNC Asheville’s Center for Diversity Education will screen four documentaries in a series, “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle,” at 6 p.m. on four Wednesdays beginning later this month. The documentaries will be shown Sept. 30, Oct. 14 and 28, and Nov. 11 in the Highsmith Union Grotto.

The viewings are free and open to the public and will be immediately followed by discussions led by UNC Asheville faculty.

The four documentaries, “The Abolitionists,” “Slavery by Another Name,” “The Loving Story,” and the Emmy Award-winning “Freedom Riders,” include dramatic scenes from the 150-year effort to achieve equal rights for all.

“To create a society that values all its members, it is imperative to study our collective histories,” said Agya Boakye-Boaten, chair and associate professor of Africana studies, who will lead one of the post-screening discussions. “Educating ourselves in our struggles and victories is critical in ensuring mutual understanding of our cultural realities, and the creation of equal opportunity for all.”

Other UNCA faculty who will present after the screenings are Dwight Mullen, of the Department of Political Science, and Darin Waters and Sarah Judson. from the Department of History.

For more, contact dmiles@unca.edu or 828-232-5024.