Rackham will present three recently produced documentaries that focus on the Civil Rights Era.

Film: Adam Clayton Powell (1989), produced and directed by Richard Kilberg and Yvonne Smith

Start/Run time: 3:10-4:04 p.m. (54 mins)

The Academy Award-nominated Adam Clayton Powell delves into the gripping life and career of the most influential and flamboyant civil rights leader in America in the '30s through '50s. Described as a “flawed, but sublime hero,” Powell brought economic improvement to Harlem by leading and organizing a boycott of local shops until people of color were hired. This economic pressure effectively opened up employment opportunities that had not previously existed.

Film: We Shall Not Be Moved (2006), produced and directed by Bernie Hargis

Start/Run time: 4:10-4:55 p.m. (44 mins)

We Shall Not be Moved examines the influential role of the Dexter Avenue Baptist Church in the civil rights movement. This small but historical church in Montgomery, Alabama, was where Dr. King served as pastor while finishing his Ph.D. dissertation in theology. Just two weeks after he turned in his dissertation, Rosa Parks refused to give up her bus seat to a white passenger. In fighting for her rights, Dr. King emerged as the leader of a nationwide movement. Reassessing MLK's role through the lens of the church, the movie argues that without the support and organization of the church, the civil rights movement could have never taken place.

Film: King (2008), produced by NBC News executive producer Knute Walker

Start/Run time: 5:10-6:45 p.m. (94 mins)

This film features a contemporary examination of the life of Martin Luther King. Narrator Tom Brokaw interviews figures such as Bill Clinton and Condoleezza Rice to explore Dr. King's influence on the civil rights movement in the United States. It addresses the issues of multiple factions that developed within the civil rights movement and the stakes of Dr. King's controversial move to openly oppose the Vietnam War.