When learning about the civil rights movement, we often hear about Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.’s “I Have A Dream” speech in Washington D.C., the bus boycotts in Montgomery, or the bombing in Birmingham.
There is no doubt that these events, and many more, forever changed our country. Some of them ended in tragedy, but collectively the demonstrations and the people who led them brought about a sea change for the better in human rights.
Chattanooga’s part in this story remains relatively untold, from the Howard High students’ sit-in at Woolworth’s to the desegregation of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. But a documentary film is helping to change that.
Nine of Chattanooga’s civil-rights advocates shared their experiences for the film “9 United for Equality: Reflections on the Struggle of Civil Rights in Chattanooga”.
The University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and the Tennessee Human Rights Commission (THRC) partnered to create the documentary in order to honor THRC’s 50th anniversary and Black History Month at UTC.
Running approximately 45 minutes, the film will be shown in UTC’s University Center Auditorium on Feb. 24 at 5:15 p.m., with a reception following. The event is free and open to the public.
Visit youtube.com/vDY9mqKszm4 for a preview of the documentary.
— Madeline Chambliss