Daisy Bates: The First Lady of Little Rock

January 15th - Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day - A time to remember and be inspired by history. The fight for Civil Rights continues today.

Community Cinema Vashon Presents their first FREE monthly film event of 2012 on this Sunday Jan 15th - Ober Park Performance Room at 3pm.

Daisy Bates: The First Lady of Little Rock is the story of a seven-year journey of the filmmaker Sharon La Cruise to discover the life of a forgotten civil rights activist named Daisy Bates. Beautiful, glamorous and articulate, Bates was fearless in her quest for justice, stepping into the spotlight to bring national attention to civil rights issues. Unconventional and egotistical, she became a household name in 1957 when she fought for the right of nine black students to attend the all-white Central High School in Little Rock, Arkansas. Her public support culminated in a constitutional crisis --- pitting a president against a governor and a community against itself. As head of the Arkansas NAACP and protector of the nine students, Bates would achieve instant fame as the drama played out on national television and in newspapers around the world. Daisy Bates reaped the rewards of instant fame, but paid dearly for it. Unfortunately, her
name has disappeared from most accounts of this time period. The film explains why and exposes her legacy.
A USA TODAY poll taken on the eve of the dedication of the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial shows that a significant gulf persists between the views of blacks and whites regarding what the civil rights movement has achieved and what remains to be done. Meanwhile, efforts to achieve equal rights for other groups, such as gays, immigrants and the disabled are a reminder that similar issues affect all minorities. Sadly, the occasional hate crime committed against a member of these minorities underscores the need for continued vigilance and attention to the enforcement of civil right laws.
This timely documentary is FREE and all ages are encouraged to attend. It is the hope of the filmmaker that when audiences watch the film that they will be inspired to become leaders in their own communities. This 60 minute film will be followed by a moderated audience discussion about activism on civil rights issues today.
We hope that you will also attend the Martin Luther King Commemorative Service following at 7pm at the Vashon Presbyterian Church.
We invite you to join us on the 3rd Sunday of every month at Ober Park from 3-5pm for an inspirational film and community building discussion. Community Cinema is a ground breaking public education and civic engagement initiative featuring free monthly screenings of films from PBS's Emmy Award-winning series Independent Lens. Community Cinema is on location in more than 95 cities nationally, bringing together leading organizations, community members, and public televisions stations to learn, discuss, and get involved in key social issues of of our time. communitycinema.org.
For more information about this and future film events please connect with ccnw.tv (Community Cinema Pacific NW) or Jane Berg 567-4532.