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50 years have passed since Freedom Summer, when more than 700 local organizers and students took segregated Mississippi by storm, registering voters, and creating freedom schools. Freedom Summer put a national spotlight on the violent voter suppression facing Black Americans in the deep south and ultimately led to the passage of the Voting Rights Act. Half a century later, voting rights are under attack again. That’s why Working Films, the NC NAACP, Democracy NC, and many allies are bringing screenings of Freedom Summer to cities across North Carolina this month as part of the Moral Movies film series. With the dismantling of voting rights in North Carolina, the themes in this film resonate all too well. After the screenings representatives from Democracy NC will draw the connection between the fight to end voter suppression on screen and the struggle playing out right here and now in North Carolina. If you're in Wilmington, Durham, Raleigh, Greenville, Charlotte, Greensboro, Fayetteville, or Asheville come join to find out what is being done to defend voting rights and how you can get involved! If you know people in these locations, spread the word! Dates and Locations for all screenings below.   Winston Salem: Monday, June 16th, 6pm The Central Library Auditorium, 660 West Fifth St. Winston Salem, NC 27101 Greensboro: Tuesday, June 24th, 6:30pm International Civil Rights Center and Museum, 134 S Elm St. Greensboro, NC 27401 Greenville: Tuesday June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 131 Oakmont Dr. Greenville, NC 27858 Raleigh: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Ave. Raleigh, NC 27607 Wilmington: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm New Beginning Christian Church, 3120 Alex Trask Dr. Castle Hayne, NC 28429 Fayetteville: Thursday June 26th, 6pm The North Regional Library-855 McArthur Road, Fayetteville, NC 28311-2053 Asheville: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Jubilee! 46 Wall St. Asheville, NC 28801 Charlotte: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Church of Charlotte 234 N Sharon Amity Rd, Charlotte, NC 28211 Durham: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Hayti Heritage Center 804 Old Fayetteville St. Durham, NC 27701

This Friday, June 6th, 2014 will mark a year since our co-founder Robert West passed away. All this week we will be posting tributes to him from his friends, family, and colleagues. Today we are sharing the remarks given by Robert's dear friends Betsy Bilger and Tom Warshauer at his memorial service held last June at the Cameron Art Museum in Wilmington, NC.  Re-reading these remembrances brought smiles to our faces, and we've spent the morning in the office telling stories about our dynamic friend and colleague. We hope that as you read and gain glimpses into Robert's rich life that you too will recall your favorite anecdotes and share those memories of Robert with us in the comments section or on our facebook page.

Remarks for Robert Kyle West By Tom Warshauer

Welcome. I am so gratified to be a part of this community of Robert’s friends and family as we remember our friend and celebrate his legacy. He wanted us to gather here, built by his friend Ren Brown and the location of Ren’s Memorial service. Robert spent his last decade here in Wilmington, and the firehouse in this coastal town and his friend’s home in Windy Point were the places Robert loved as his final home. After he became ill, he didn’t travel. He stayed here and watched the boats, dolphins and birds on the intracoastal, the sunsets over the marsh, and you visited. He loved it here, so it is fitting that we should gather here today, and thank the Cameron Museum for making it possible. He loved you and planned this day for you.  He wanted you to relax into some good music that he selected with his friend Tom Noonan.  He wanted you to think back into his life and your life with him as you hear from speakers he invited to address you today.  He was always in control and is in control of this day too. Robert left no one behind.  He remembered his illustrious family – the 14th great grandson of Pocahontas, a descendant of Robert Pleasants who freed his slaves in 1782 and encouraged Thomas Jefferson and George Washington to do so to.  His Uncle Charles Butterworth worked for the Catholic Workers Movement for social equity. His activism was deeply rooted in his family. So as you listen to stories from these aspects of his life, I believe we will see more clearly how this man we admired and loved was constructed. Robert collected people about him, connected them together and then connected us to the world. When at Robert’s you knew that you mattered, that one person could change the world, because one person sitting with you, Robert, was doing just that. He built a community as he served us with dinner and served us with thought.  He never shied from something difficult. In fact, he preferred something difficult to talking about what you agreed on. He didn’t mind being challenged, or pushed in the pool.  He knew that rigorous thought was honed by challenges, as steel is strengthened by fire. We argued,and we knew it was ok.  So any arguments I may have had with anyone are no match for the arguments with Robert.  I am practiced. His dinners weren’t empty conversation, but places where thinking mattered and good stories prevailed. So today we all try to rise to the occasion to tell the stories Robert would love you to hear and to remember. Today you will hear of Robert’s impact on the world of film and activism on issues critical to our world, you will hear from family about their brother and uncle, and you will hear from friends, in Wilmington and long-time friends from Richmond. You may have heard some before- that’s not new – but today we hear them together and remember your friend, your brother, your uncle, and my good good friend – who challenged me and helped me grow. Memories of Robert West By Betsy Bilger When I say the name Robert West it feels like I am saying a word that is bigger than the individual. The name Robert West is like saying The Fourth of July - we all recognize it as something important. Because he is kind of famous... He is the director of Working Films; he is the guy that lives in the firehouse; he’s the person that kayaks on the Cape Fear River; he is the host of legendary dinner parties…. But then there is the personal experience. And that is the Robert West that unfolds slowly and is revealed when you get to spend time with him and pay attention. Robert has been a regular presence in my life for around 30 years. So, I am really fortunate to have had that time with him. He was first someone I admired; then was a neighbor, a colleague, and a friend. Twice we lived on the same street at the same time. We partnered on projects together, and we went to the farmers market and planned meals together. In fact, I say that Robert was a rhythm in my life. If we were in the same town on Saturday, we were at the farmer’s market. That was true when we lived in Charlotte and in Wilmington. And if one of us was out of town, we picked up provisions for the other. I told people that Robert was the punctuation to my week. Saturday mornings with him was the thing I started to look forward to on Monday. I told Robert before he died that he has been a steady, stalwart friend. And that is a big deal. But he was more than that. He was one of the most generous people I know. Many of us here have been the lucky beneficiaries of Robert’s generosity in the form of his dinner parties. Not only have I been lucky to eat at his table many, many Saturday nights, but he has welcomed friends of mine that he had never met to his house. In fact, he has welcomed friends of friends of mine to dinner. He just welcomed them without hesitation in his non-effusive, authentic way. He was not effusive, but he was generous. He didn’t care about receiving or giving gifts in the traditional sense. But he gave many gifts. One of his gifts was the way he celebrated individuals. He acknowledged them and recognized their worth. Sometimes they were people he barely knew, and sometimes they were people close to him. When I started a new job at a museum in Charlotte he showed up with a carrier of coffee, cream, cups, and sugar for the whole staff.  He wanted to celebrate my new job by giving to those around me so that they thought I was pretty cool. When I worked on projects with him he gave credit to me—even though he was the one who came up with the idea, who found the funding, made the contacts, and facilitated the activities. He was also generous in his honesty. When you were at his house for dinner and it was time for you to leave he would say, "Ok, it’s time for you to go now."  When he was first in the hospital, and he needed time to himself he would again say, "Ok, it’s time for you to go now." He once asked me if that was ok to do, and I told him it made it so much easier to be his guest, because I never had to worry about overstaying or being an imposition. He wouldn’t let you. His honesty pushed him to guide people to unaccustomed and sometimes uncomfortable ways of seeing the world… and also of seeing your own life. I think of myself as a pretty happy person, but he often needled me about having more fun. In fact, in one of the last conversations I had with him, he asked me what I was doing for fun. I am a social studies teacher, and I told him that I was enjoying reading about history and preparing my classes. That didn’t satisfy him, and he said, “Yes, but, what are you doing for fun?” And I said, “Well, Eddie and I are taking lots of walks together.” And he said, “But what are you doing for fun?” And I realized that I wasn’t really taking care of my fun needs. And I am still not very well. And part of that is because he died and I am sad. But you know what—I have had such a great time thinking about and talking about him as this memorial was being planned, I think his final gift to me has been to have fun this weekend. Robert taught me so much through the questions he asked, the way he lived in this world, and the opportunities he made happen and included me in. He could make me so annoyed at times, and at other times we would both be laughing so hard we were in tears.  And, then of course, we shared tears of sadness and concern. First, after watching Judith’s film, A Healthy Baby Girl, and then, last, when he told me he was dying. He was not only generous until death but because of death. I am grateful for all the experiences he offered me, and I am grateful to his family for sharing him with me. Thank you.

Please share your own memories and reflections about Robert with us. If you would like to honor him by contributing to the Robert West Reel Engagement Fund, which we set up with his blessing and encouragement last spring as a way to memorialize his role in founding the organization and his vision for our work, you can do so at www.workingfilms.org/donate.  Thank you!

The Moral Movies Film Series got off to a great start last month with screenings of  the Teacher Salary Project’s American Teacher. Hundreds of people turned out across North Carolina to witness, discuss, and take action in response to the struggles on screen and those faced by public school teachers every day in a state ranked 46th in the country in teacher pay. The screenings were timed just as shocking teacher turnover numbers were released in the wake of a legislative assault on public education. It wasn’t hard for audiences to make the connection between the film to the challenges educators in N.C.are dealing with. After the screenings they composed postcards for state legislators and signed up for the Tar Heel Alliance for Classroom Teachers’ action network. Moral Movies will continue this month with screenings of American Winter, which  follows eight families struggling in the wake of America’s Great Recession and reveals the devastating human impact of rising economic inequality, a shrinking social safety net, and the fracturing of the American Dream. The NC AFL-CIO will co-present this month’s round of screenings. Communications Director and Operations Manager, Jeremy Sprinkle says, “Many working families in North Carolina will be able to relate to the powerful stories of personal loss and struggle told in American Winter because the devastating and long-lasting effects of the recession continue to be felt here. It may be springtime on the calendar, but for all those who are now falling into poverty, it still feels like our economy and policymakers have left them in the cold. We hope American Winter opens people's eyes to the new faces of poverty in America, which increasingly include those of well-educated and once middle-class working families. Only by working together can we build an economy that works for all of us.” American Winter will screen May 29th in seven cities across North Carolina, more details below: Asheville: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Asheville, NC 28801 Charlotte: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm NCAE, 301 S McDowell ST. Suite 1200, Charlotte, NC 18204 Parking is available in the lot beside the building and your parking pass will be validated once you come upstairs Wilmington: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Hannah Block Community Arts Center, 120 S 2nd St. Wilmington, NC 28401 Raleigh: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Kenan Hall at William Peace University, 15 E Peace St. Raleigh, NC Durham: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Full Frame Theater in the center of the American Tobacco Campus, 320 Blackwell St. Durham, NC 27701 Greensboro: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St. Greensboro, NC 27412 Greenville: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Lucille W. Gorham Intergenerational Community Ctr. 1100 Ward St. Greenville, NC 27834

[caption id="attachment_3040" align="aligncenter" width="450"] Film still from Downwind and Downstream: With Power Comes Responsibility. Coal ash impoundments along the Catawba River with the Charlotte skyline in background.[/caption]   Imagine being afraid to drink your water, take a bath, fish, or farm. These are the fears facing communities near the Duke Energy coal ash spill and in areas around other coal-fired power plants in North Carolina. You're invited to Coal Ash Stories, an event featuring four short films focused on coal ash, public health concerns, related policy, and ways that communities are responding. Events are taking place in Wilmington, Raleigh, Durham, Greensboro, Belews Creek, Winston Salem, Charlotte, and Asheville. Come learn about the issues, talk with community members, and find out how you can get involved. The NC screening tour is co-presented by Appalachian Voices, Earthjustice, North Carolina Conservation Network, NC WARN, Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, and Working Films. Contact Kristin Henry, khenry@workingfilms.org, with any questions. Winston Salem Thursday, June 12, 7pm Old Salem Single Brothers Workshop 10 West Academy Street Winston-Salem, NC 27101 Hosted by: Sierra Club Foothills Group Belews Creek Tuesday June 17th, 7pm Pine Hall Ruritan Club 1555 Pine Hall Rd Pine Hall, NC 27042 Hosted by: Appalachian Voices Durham Tuesday, June 17th, 7pm Motorco 723 Rigsbee Ave, Durham, NC 27701 Hosted by: NC WARN, Sierra Club Headwaters Group, Durham People's Alliance Charlotte Wednesday, June 18th, 7pm Area 15 514 E. 15th St., Charlotte, NC 28206 Co-hosted by: Charlotte Environmental Action, Greenpeace NC, The Catawba Riverkeeper Foundation Asheville Thursday, June 19th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville 1 Edwin Place, Asheville, NC 28801 Co-hosted by: Southern Alliance for Clean Energy, Mountain People’s Assembly, Clean Water for NC Greensboro Thursday, June 19th, 7pm Central Library Nussbaum Room 219 N Church St., Greensboro, NC 27405 Co-hosted by: Fund for Democratic Communities, League of Conservation Voters, Blue Ridge Environmental Defense League Raleigh Thursday, June 19th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh 3313 Wade Ave, Raleigh, NC 27607 Co-hosted by: 350.org Triangle, Neuse Riverkeeper Foundation, Sierra Club Capital Group,  League of Conservation Voters-NC, Triangle Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom Wilmington Thursday, June 19th, 7pm Jengo’s Playhouse 815 Princess St. Wilmington, NC 28401 Co-hosted by: Cape Fear Sierra Club, New Hanover NAACP, Cape Fear River Watch      

     

Working Films, the NC-NAACP, and state and local organizations from around North Carolina are partnering to present MORAL MOVIES - a four month series of award-winning films to jumpstart community dialogue and action on social, economic, and environmental issues relevant to the state. The series of free screenings will kick off with American Teacher, a documentary that follows the  lives and careers of four teachers and offers an opportunity to spotlight teacher pay and public education in North Carolina, which recently dropped to 46th nationally in rankings of teacher salaries.

MORAL MOVIES will take place the last week of each month from April through July in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, and Wilmington  (See the schedule below for details on exact locations in each city). In addition to Working Films and the NC-NAACP, collaborating organizations include: The North Carolina Association of Educators, the Tarheel Alliance of Classroom Teachers, the NC AFL-CIO, Democracy NC, the NC Justice Center, The Durham People’s Alliance, The Mountain People’s Assembly, Beloved Community Center, Action NC, Pitt County NAACP, New Hanover County NAACP, and the Black Arts Alliance. Films that are part of the series include: American Teacher - April screenings presented by the NCAE and Tarheel Alliance of Classroom Teachers American Winter - May screenings presented by the NC AFL-CIO Freedom Summer- June screenings presented by Democracy NC Inequality for All- July screenings presented by NC Justice Center Working Films was inspired to pursue this series by the unprecedented civic engagement sparked by the Moral Monday demonstrations that began at the NC state capitol last year. As an organization that has worked nationally for over a decade to use film to raise awareness and catalyze community and civic engagement, we see an opportunity to use great films to inspire community dialogue and citizen action around the critical issues at play in our home state. The series will offer people a way to actively participate and have their voices heard when the legislature reconvenes, even if they can’t make it to Raleigh every Monday to protest. Working Films is co-presenting the Moral Movie Film Series with the North Carolina NAACP, which is nationally recognized as the leader of the Moral Monday / Forward Together movement. Below is a list of all Moral Movies Screenings across the state, organized by city. Asheville Hosted by The Mountain People's Assembly American Teacher: Friday, April 25th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Asheville, NC 28801 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Asheville, NC 28801 Freedom Summer: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Jubilee! 46 Wall St. Asheville, NC 28801 Inequality for All: Friday July 25th, 7pm Ferguson Auditorium at AB Tech, 340 Victoria Rd. Asheville NC 28801 Charlotte Hosted by the NC Association of Educators(NCAE) American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm All screenings will be held at the NCAE, 301 S McDowell ST. Suite 1200, Charlotte, NC 18204 Parking is available in the lot beside the building and your parking pass will be validated once you come upstairs Durham Hosted by the Durham People's Alliance American Teacher: Tuesday, April 29th, 7pm Motorco, 723 Rigsbee Ave. Durham, NC 27701 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Full Frame Theater in the center of the American Tobacco Campus, 320 Blackwell St. Durham, NC 27701 Freedom Summer: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Hayti Heritage Center 804 Old Fayetteville St. Durham, NC 27701 Inequality For All: Thursday July 31st, 6:30pm Durham County Public Library Auditorium, 300 N Roxboro St. Durham, NC 27701 Greensboro Hosted by The Beloved Community Center American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm Joseph M Bryan Jr. Auditorium, 5800 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St. Greensboro, NC 27412 Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 6:30pm International Civil Rights Center and Museum, 134 S Elm St. Greensboro, NC 27401 Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm Central Library Nussbaum Room, 219 N Church St. Greensboro, NC 27405 Greenville Hosted by Pitt County NAACP American Teacher: Tuesday, April 29th, 7pm ECU Mendenhall Student Center, Hendrix Theater, Greenville NC American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Lucille W. Gorham Intergenerational Community Ctr. 1100 Ward St. Greenville, NC 27834 Freedom Summer: Tuesday June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 131 Oakmont Dr. Greenville, NC 27858 Inequality for All: Tuesday July 29th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 131 Oakmont Dr. Greenville, NC 27858 Raleigh Hosted by Action NC American Teacher: Tuesday April 29th, 7pm NCAE Headquarters, 700 S. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27601 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Kenan Hall at William Peace University, 15 E Peace St. Raleigh, NC Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Ave. Raleigh, NC 27607 Inequality for All: Tuesday, July 29th 7pm Community UCC, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC 27607 Wilmington Hosted by The Black Arts Alliance and the New Hanover County NAACP American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. Wilmington, NC 28412 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Hannah Block Community Arts Center, 120 S 2nd St. Wilmington, NC 28401 Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm New Beginning Christian Church, 3120 Alex Trask Dr. Castle Hayne, NC 28429 Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. Wilmington, NC 28412

Working Films, the NC-NAACP, and state and local organizations from around North Carolina are partnering to present MORAL MOVIES - a four month series of award-winning films to jumpstart community dialogue and action on social, economic, and environmental issues relevant to the state. The series of free screenings will kick off with American Teacher, a documentary that follows the  lives and careers of four teachers and offers an opportunity to spotlight teacher pay and public education in North Carolina, which recently dropped to 46th nationally in rankings of teacher salaries.

MORAL MOVIES will take place the last week of each month from April through July in Asheville, Charlotte, Durham, Greensboro, Greenville, Raleigh, and Wilmington  (See the schedule below for details on exact locations in each city). In addition to Working Films and the NC-NAACP, collaborating organizations include: The North Carolina Association of Educators, the Tarheel Alliance of Classroom Teachers, the NC AFL-CIO, Democracy NC, the NC Justice Center, The Durham People’s Alliance, The Mountain People’s Assembly, Beloved Community Center, Action NC, Pitt County NAACP, New Hanover County NAACP, and the Black Arts Alliance. Films that are part of the series include: American Teacher - April screenings presented by the NCAE and Tarheel Alliance of Classroom Teachers American Winter - May screenings presented by the NC AFL-CIO Freedom Summer- June screenings presented by Democracy NC Inequality for All- July screenings presented by NC Justice Center Working Films was inspired to pursue this series by the unprecedented civic engagement sparked by the Moral Monday demonstrations that began at the NC state capitol last year. As an organization that has worked nationally for over a decade to use film to raise awareness and catalyze community and civic engagement, we see an opportunity to use great films to inspire community dialogue and citizen action around the critical issues at play in our home state. The series will offer people a way to actively participate and have their voices heard when the legislature reconvenes, even if they can’t make it to Raleigh every Monday to protest. Working Films is co-presenting the Moral Movie Film Series with the North Carolina NAACP, which is nationally recognized as the leader of the Moral Monday / Forward Together movement. Below is a list of all Moral Movies Screenings across the state, organized by city. Asheville Hosted by The Mountain People's Assembly American Teacher: Friday, April 25th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Asheville, NC 28801 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation of Asheville, 1 Edwin Place. Asheville, NC 28801 Freedom Summer: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Jubilee! 46 Wall St. Asheville, NC 28801 Inequality for All: Friday July 25th, 7pm Ferguson Auditorium at AB Tech, 340 Victoria Rd. Asheville NC 28801 Charlotte Hosted by the NC Association of Educators(NCAE) American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm All screenings will be held at the NCAE, 301 S McDowell ST. Suite 1200, Charlotte, NC 18204 Parking is available in the lot beside the building and your parking pass will be validated once you come upstairs Durham Hosted by the Durham People's Alliance American Teacher: Tuesday, April 29th, 7pm Motorco, 723 Rigsbee Ave. Durham, NC 27701 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Full Frame Theater in the center of the American Tobacco Campus, 320 Blackwell St. Durham, NC 27701 Freedom Summer: Thursday June 26th, 7pm Hayti Heritage Center 804 Old Fayetteville St. Durham, NC 27701 Inequality For All: Thursday July 31st, 6:30pm Durham County Public Library Auditorium, 300 N Roxboro St. Durham, NC 27701 Greensboro Hosted by The Beloved Community Center American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm Joseph M Bryan Jr. Auditorium, 5800 West Friendly Ave. Greensboro, NC 27410 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Weatherspoon Art Museum, 500 Tate St. Greensboro, NC 27412 Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 6:30pm International Civil Rights Center and Museum, 134 S Elm St. Greensboro, NC 27401 Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm Central Library Nussbaum Room, 219 N Church St. Greensboro, NC 27405 Greenville Hosted by Pitt County NAACP American Teacher: Tuesday, April 29th, 7pm ECU Mendenhall Student Center, Hendrix Theater, Greenville NC American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Lucille W. Gorham Intergenerational Community Ctr. 1100 Ward St. Greenville, NC 27834 Freedom Summer: Tuesday June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 131 Oakmont Dr. Greenville, NC 27858 Inequality for All: Tuesday July 29th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Congregation, 131 Oakmont Dr. Greenville, NC 27858 Raleigh Hosted by Action NC American Teacher: Tuesday April 29th, 7pm NCAE Headquarters, 700 S. Salisbury St. Raleigh, NC 27601 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Kenan Hall at William Peace University, 15 E Peace St. Raleigh, NC Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm Unitarian Universalist Fellowship of Raleigh, 3313 Wade Ave. Raleigh, NC 27607 Inequality for All: Tuesday, July 29th 7pm Community UCC, 814 Dixie Trail, Raleigh, NC 27607 Wilmington Hosted by The Black Arts Alliance and the New Hanover County NAACP American Teacher: Thursday, April 24th, 7pm Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. Wilmington, NC 28412 American Winter: Thursday, May 29th, 7pm Hannah Block Community Arts Center, 120 S 2nd St. Wilmington, NC 28401 Freedom Summer: Tuesday, June 24th, 7pm New Beginning Christian Church, 3120 Alex Trask Dr. Castle Hayne, NC 28429 Inequality for All: Thursday, July 31st, 7pm Cameron Art Museum, 3201 S. 17th St. Wilmington, NC 28412

With extreme energy disasters like the West Virginia chemical leak and the exploding tar sands trains fresh on people’s minds, many of us are searching for ways to ensure the safety and health of our communities. The national television broadcast of Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek on April 29th offers an opportunity for you to spark discussion and action among your friends and neighbors about how to forge a sustainable and just future. 

Come Hell or High Water tells the story of a Gulf Coast community threatened by urban sprawl, hurricanes and an unprecedented manmade disaster. Sign up today to host a watch party of Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek when it premieres on April 29th or within 30 days following the television premiere. You can access the film by finding your broadcast on a local station, or watch when it streams for free online through America ReFramed. After you register your event, we’ll provide you with a guide to host a successful party.     

Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek follows the painful but inspiring journey of Derrick Evans, a Boston teacher who moves home to coastal Mississippi when the graves of his ancestors are bulldozed to make way for the sprawling city of Gulfport. Over the course of a decade, Derrick and his neighbors stand up to powerful corporate interests and politicians and face ordeals that include Hurricane Katrina and the BP oil disaster in their struggle for self-determination and environmental justice. This is an inspirational story of how one community banded together to save their land and culture. After watching the film with your friends, family, neighbors and colleagues, have a conversation about how the film moved you and encourage everyone to get involved locally. Sign up to host a house party today!

Come Hell or High Water Watch Parties are a partnership with Working Films’ Reel Power.

“This intimate film tells a gigantic story — about race, about power, about so-called development. But it is also a saga of community, resilience, resistance, and hope. It’s about everything that matters in our society.” – Bill Bigelow, Rethinking Schools

Reel Power collaborating film Come Hell or High Water: The Battle for Turkey Creek will host it’s D.C. premiere at the Environmental Film Festival in the Nation's Capital. The film will be followed by a panel discussion with the filmmaker, the film’s protagonist, Derrick Evans, and special guests Brentin Mock, regular Grist contributor; Reilly Morse, president of the Mississippi Center for Justice; and Leslie Fields, national environmental justice director at the Sierra Club. The discussion will focus on social and environmental justice challenges on the Gulf Coast and will include frontline community leaders working for change through strategic alliances and the use of independent media. If you're in the area, please join us! Sunday, March 30th, 2014 4:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. Carnegie Institution for Science 1530 P St NW, Washington, DC 20005 Free tickets: http://comehellorhighwater.bpt.me/ THE PANELISTS

Derrick Evans is director of Turkey Creek Community Initiatives and a managing advisor to the Gulf Coast Fund for Community Renewal and Ecological Health. Before returning to his native coastal Mississippi community he taught for many years in the Boston Public Schools.

Leslie Fields is national environmental justice director at the Sierra Club. She teaches international environmental law at Howard University and serves as a Commissioner on the Joint Center for Economic and Political Studies’ Commission to Engage African Americans on Energy, Climate and the Environment.

Leah Mahan is an independent filmmaker. She spent a dozen years making Come Hell or High Water and was invited to work on the rough cut at the Sundance Institute Documentary Editing and Story Lab. Her first film was Holding Ground: The Rebirth of Dudley Street.

Brentin Mock writes regularly for Grist about the connections between environmental policy, race, and politics. He was lead reporter on Voting Rights Watch, a reporting partnership between Colorlines and The Nation. Before moving to D.C., he worked from New Orleans with The Lens and Bridge the Gulf.

Reilly Morse is president of the Mississippi Center for Justice. He worked for many years with grassroots leaders in the Turkey Creek watershed and collaborated with the Sierra Club and Lawyers Committee for Civil Rights on legal strategies.

Come Hell or High Water held its national premiere at the New Orleans Film Festival, where it won the Audience Award for Documentary Feature. It will broadcast on PBS’ America ReFramed on April 29th. This date was just chosen, so stay tuned for more details. The community media site Bridge the Gulf places the Turkey Creek story in a broader context, connecting viewers to a network of Gulf Coast community journalists with deep roots in diverse communities and fields who report on pressing social and environmental issues. A redesign of the site will be launched in March and celebrated at the Washington, D.C. film premiere.