COOKEVILLE – WCTE/Upper Cumberland PBS and ITVS Independent Lens will kick off the new season of Independent Lens Films pop up screenings with “The First Rainbow Coalition,” which tells the story of a 1960’s movement in Chicago that brought together a trailblazing alliance of community groups to confront social issues.
WCTE and Indie Lens pop-up, along with Tennessee Tech, invite the public to attend a free screening of “The First Rainbow Coalition,” followed by a community discussion. The screening will be at the Backdoor Playhouse at 805 Quadrangle on the Tennessee Tech campus. The doors open at 5:30 p.m. and the screening begins at 6 p.m.
For more information, visit: www.wcte.org.
In 1969, the Chicago Black Panther Party began to form alliances across lines of race and ethnicity with other community-based movements in the city, including the Latinx Young Lords organization, the White Southerners and the Young Patriots organization. Banding together in one of the most segregated cities in postwar America to collectively confront issues such as police brutality and substandard housing, they called themselves the Rainbow Coalition. The movement created a permanent shift in Chicago politics and an organizing model for future activists and politicians across the nation.
After the screening, join Tom Savage, local NAACP President, and Hy Thurman, one of the first Rainbow Coalition members, to discuss events and themes in the film including the power of civic engagement and multiethnic coalitions. Indie Lens Pop-Up and WCTE aim to spark enlightening conversations that shed light on these issues.
A film by Ray Santisteban, “The First Rainbow Coalition” premieres on Monday, Jan. 27, 2020, 9-10 p.m. CST on WCTE, PBS.org and the PBS Video App.
WCTE has served the Upper Cumberland for 40+ years as the region’s premier storyteller and is the only television station in a 75-mile radius of Cookeville. WCTE is a proud strategic partner with educators, health services, government, arts and music organizations across the Upper Cumberland. WCTE is a 501-(c) 3 and is owned and operated by the Upper Cumberland Broadcast Council. WCTE is one of only 350 PBS member stations nationwide.
