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Announcement :: Labor |
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Labor Film Series Begins 1/26 with "10,000 Black Men Named George" |
Current rating: 0 |
by Pensacola IWW
Email: iwwpensacola (nospam) yahoo.com |
03 Jan 2005
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THE LABOR FILM SERIES
The Labor Film Series was initially cancelled because of Hurricane Ivan, but as Pensacola gets back on its feet, so does its IWW. The Labor Film Series will begin on January 26, 2005 at 7pm at END OF THE LINE CAFE (610 East Wright St) on |
Ten Thousand Black Men Named George
Directed by Robert Townsend (2002, 95 min.) In the 1920s, the rights of American workers to join a labor union were still considered an open question, and African-Americans were routinely denied their civil and economic rights. So in 1925, when journalist and political activist Asa Philip Randolph and railway car porter Ashley Totten formed the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, it was a bold gesture, which proved to have a major impact in both labor and race relations in America . 10,000 Black Men Named George is a made-for-cable feature which dramatizes the struggle of Randolph (played by Andre Braugher) and Totten (Mario Van Peebles) to organize railway porters -- a demanding and sometimes dangerous job which was held almost exclusively by black men, who were paid low wages for demanding hours -- against the staunch opposition of Barton Davis (Kenneth McGreggor), head of the Pullman Railway Company and a fierce opponent of both unionization and civil rights initiatives.
10,000 Black Men Named George (the title refers to the fact Pullman porters were often called "George" by white passengers, which was considered a racial slur) also features Charles S. Dutton as Milton Webster, a veteran porter who joined the fight to organize; Carla Brothers as Lucille Randolph, Asa's wife who would play a major role in the early years of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters, and Brock Peters as Leon Frey, an early member of the union who would in time betray their cause.
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Upcoming films are:
BREAD AND ROSES
SALT OF THE EARTH
MATEWAN
Times and Locations TBA |
See also:
http://www.angelfire.com/fl5/iww
http://www.iww.org
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This work is in the public domain |
