On the final day of Black History Month (BHM), Elizabethtown College’s High Library collaborated with the Office of Diversity, Equity and Belonging for a screening of Raoul Peck’s Oscar-nominated documentary, “I Am Not Your Negro,” to bring attention to James Baldwin’s involvement in the Civil Rights Movement. The documentary showing was advertised in the High Library’s James Baldwin exhibit, which is set to be open until the end of the semester and involved a discussion segment at the end.
The documentary was based on Baldwin’s envisioned book that was never fully written and involved personal commentary on race issues in the United States during the Civil Rights Movement. The documentary was especially interesting in the way it used Baldwin’s original words to narrate how race relations progressed, recounting events from the early days of the movement to today’s #BlackLivesMatter.
In many ways, the documentary was a great reminder of how our past is intrinsically connected to our present. One could sense the audience’s changing emotions as they witness the assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King Jr. The documentary was seen by many as a questioning of what the U.S. actually stands for. In several scenes, one could see the struggles of Black people while contrasting it with how millions of white people were living completely care-free.
The screening was open for students, faculty and staff. This attracted a number of different campus members who came to watch a documentary that was produced in 2016 and yet still speaks to everyone in the audience today. There was a lot on people’s minds after watching the documentary and the discussion provided them with the opportunity to share their thoughts with other people who were in attendance for the screening.
The venue where the documentary was shown, the KAV, was purposefully selected. Instruction and Outreach Librarian Josh Cohen said that the KAV allowed attendees to watch the documentary and then move their chairs to sit in a half-circle to discuss the various social commentaries presented.
The location also allowed for students walking by, not knowing that the event was happening, to be greeted at the entrance and invited to come in to enjoy the free screening as well as stay for the discussion afterwards to share their thoughts.
Area Coordinator for Residence Life Eugene Thomas moderated the discussion. Thomas, who had been involved in much of the planning for BHM events, was especially excited for the documentary showing because of his interest in Baldwin’s work. “Others should read Baldwin for his approach in asking the harder question of who we really are as people,” Thomas said. “In asking that question, we begin to understand where we have been and where we can go.”
That last point was of prominent importance in the discussion, as the documentary purposefully showed modern scenes and compared them with scenes from decades ago. One emotional example was seeing a police officer placing their knee on a lady’s neck years ago as well as many other documented videos of police brutality. This led to many people asking whether we really have progressed as a nation if police brutality is still a common occurrence.
The discussion allowed a diverse array of the Etown campus community to share their thoughts. Senior Advisor for Diversity, Equity and Belonging Dr. Kesha Morant Williams; Associate Director of Diversity, Equity and Belonging Darcey Mills; Director of the Center for Community & Civic Engagement Javita Thompson; and Assistant Professor of English Literature Dr. Patrick Allen were some of the people in attendance.
For more information on Etown’s BHM events in February, read the Etownian’s previous Features sections. These articles can be found online: https://etownian.com/section/main/features/
