Rising Up
a documentary on the civil rights era
Produced by William G. Thomas,
Bill Reifenberger, and the University of Virginia
Copyright. All Rights Reserved. 2007
(50 minutes)
Rising Up is a visually stunning documentary film of the African American experience in the civil rights era. The film broadly covers the South, but concentrates on Virginia and follows major events with close, personal stories, including: Samuel W. Tucker's 1939 library sit-in, Irene Morgan's 1946 busing case before the Supreme Court, the school desegregation crisis in 1958-59, the 1960 sit-ins, the violence of Danville and Birmingham in 1963, and the resurgence of black voting and politics in 1965.
What made everyday people decide to take a stand in a time of transition and cultural conflict? This is the question at the heart and soul of Rising Up. In asking it and answering it, the film brings a fresh perspective to the civil rights struggle.
What makes this documentary unique is that it includes recently uncovered local television news coverage of the events combined with interviews of participants seen in these old films. Rare footage from WDBJ and WSLS in Roanoke, Virginia, feature not only local participants but also such regional and national figures as Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Rev. Fred Shuttlesworth, John F. Kennedy, James J. Kilpatrick, Oliver Hill, Robert Zellner, and Roy Wilkins. It includes a rarely seen and remarkable NBC News debate between James J. Kilpatrick, Jr., a leading news editor in the South, and Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., on whether the sit-ins were justified. It features, as well, a rarely seen speech from Rev. Dr. King on the violence at Danville in 1963.
This film is also unique because it is created from the perspectives of young people today. Rising Up is written, directed, narrated, filmed, and edited by a talented group of undergraduate students at the University of Virginia. Their remarkable approach to this history is evident in the visual storytelling and powerful images they assembled. The score includes original works by University of Virginia students and music from Sweet Honey and the Rock™.
Rising Up takes viewers through a series of compelling stories about how everyday Americans were moved to take a stand. Along the way it tells a stirring story of the history of the civil rights struggle, one that will inform, appeal to, and inspire viewers.
For Program Broadcast Information Contact:
Mr. John Felton
Vice-President and General Manager
WCVE Richmond PBS
The Community Ideas Stations
23 Sesame Street
Richmond, VA 23235
jfelton@ideastations.org
804-560-8120