Bread and Roses: 9.18.18
Date and Time
Sep 20, 2018 6:00 pm
Location
Takoma
235 Carroll St NW, Washington, District of Columbia, 20012
Sep 20, 2018 6:00 pm
Takoma
Bread and Roses returns from summer break with two films about the consequences of unchecked power.
Blacklisting to Black Lives Matter: “The Issue of Mr. O'Dell” and “Paul Robeson: Scandalize My Name”
The Issue of Mr. O'Dell
Directed by Rami Katz; 2018, 35 minutes
Examines the lifelong work of a pioneering civil rights organizer Jack O’Dell, who was a close colleague and advisor of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. in the years before the March on Washington. But after President John F. Kennedy named him the number five Communist in America, O’Dell was eventually forced out of King’s organization. In soft-spoken interviews, O’Dell discusses systemic racism, past and present, and dissects America's troubled history with racial discrimination. The wisdom of the 94-year-old activist speaks to the present as his experiences fighting alongside Dr. King resonate strongly with the Black Lives Matter movement. Shot in sobering black and white, The Issue of Mr. O’Dell illustrates how change begins at the personal level and takes an arduous path to reach the collective consciousness.
Paul Robeson: Scandalize My Name
2007, 35 minutes
Paul Robeson was great at everything he did. And he did a lot: an acclaimed singer, actor, all-American football player, Ivy-league educated lawyer, prize-winning orator. Robeson spoke over a dozen languages in a bass-baritone voice that moved people. But when Robeson used that voice to disagree with the political establishment, people turned on him. This documentary examines Robeson’s life, contributions, dramatic work, and ultimate blacklisting. Bread & Roses is a monthly labor series that features a variety of events focused on workers and organized labor. Each month brings a new topic through interactive discussions, film screenings, and performances. The hope for these events is that attendees walk away with a greater understanding of organized labor, its role in shaping history and current relevance. The name "Bread & Roses" was inspired by a poem/song written by James Oppenheim that appeals for both fair wages and dignified conditions.
Bread & Roses is a monthly labor series that features a variety of events focused on workers and organized labor. Each month brings a new topic through interactive discussions, film screenings, and performances. The hope for these events is that attendees walk away with a greater understanding of organized labor, its role in shaping history and current relevance. The name "Bread & Roses" was inspired by a poem/song written by James Oppenheim that appeals for both fair wages and dignified conditions.
