Free Screening and Panel Discussion Open to the Public at the Apollo Theater.

December 21, 2009 - On Thursday, January 14, 2010, at 6pm NYC Media and the New York City Commission on Human Rights, in collaboration with the Apollo Theater Education Program, will present a free screening of Fighting for Justice: New York Voices of the Civil Rights Movement followed by a panel discussion at the legendary Apollo Theater in celebration of Martin Luther King, Jr. Day.

Fighting for Justice Screening
Description: Fighting for Justice profiles two New Yorkers, Esther Cooper Jackson and Clifford Alexander, whose contributions helped pave the way toward progress for equal justice for African-Americans, and whose stories begin to tell about New York City’s formative place in the national Civil Rights movement.

Panel discussion
Opening remarks: Patricia L. Gatling (Commissioner and Chair, NYC Commission on Human Rights), Katherine Oliver (President, NYC Media), Jonelle Procope (President, Apollo Theater), and Howard Dodson (Director, Schomburg Center for Research in Black Culture)

Moderator: Keith Brown (senior vice president of news and public affairs, BET Networks)

Panelists:
Esther Cooper Jackson – Civil Rights activist, former managing editor and co-founder Freedomways
Clifford L. Alexander, Jr. – Counsel to President Lyndon B. Johnson during passage of Civil Rights legislation
Dr. Clarence Taylor – Professor of History, Black and Hispanic Studies Department, Baruch College and the Graduate Center, CUNY
Dr. Martha Biondi – Associate Professor of African American Studies and History, Northwestern University
Shola Lynch – Filmmaker, Chisholm ’72: Unbought & Unbossed

The evening will also include a special performance by the C3 Youth Choir from the Christian Cultural Center (Rev. A. R. Bernard, pastor).

“Fighting for Justice explores the important issues of racism and discrimination and the Civil Rights Movement that fought them,” said NYC Human Rights Commissioner Patricia L. Gatling. “On the eve of Dr. King’s birthday, the Commission is launching an online Civil Rights museum with short films and various supporting materials. The films are available on the City’s website www.nyc.gov and preserve stories of individuals whose efforts contributed to NYC’s central role in the Civil Rights Movement. We are extremely grateful to our partner, NYC Media, and also to the Apollo Theater and Tiger Baron Foundation for their financial support.”

“NYC Media is committed to bringing New Yorkers content that is relevant and informative to their lives as well as showcasing our City’s rich and diverse history,” said President of NYC Media Group Katherine Oliver. “We’re thrilled to partner with the NYC Commission on Human Rights for this noteworthy project and are grateful to the Apollo Theater for their support in this effort.”

“We are proud to collaborate with NYC Media and the New York City Commission on Human Rights on this project,” said President & CEO of the Apollo Theater Foundation, Inc., Jonelle Procope. “Aside from the Apollo’s rich history as a cultural icon, it is also a treasured resource in Harlem and remains dedicated to serving the surrounding community in various capacities, including as a town hall. The Apollo stage is the perfect platform through which people can receive information about issues important to their lives.”

Fighting for Justice will air on NYC life (Channel 25) on Friday, January 15 at 8pm. Check your local listings. Additional interviews will also be available online in January at www.nyc.gov/media and www.nyc.gov/cchr.

Location: The Apollo Theater, located at 253 West 125th Street between Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. Blvd and Frederick Douglass Blvd. Nearby subways include the A, B, C, D, 2 and 3. Nearby buses include the M10, M2, M100, and M60.

Note: Doors open at 5:15pm. Seating is limited and available on a first come, first served basis. Program is subject to change. The advance screening and panel is free of charge and open to the public. The Apollo Theater is fully wheelchair accessible.

RSVP: By email (events@tv.nyc.gov) or phone (212-531-5363) by Tuesday, January 12.