(Actually leap year Feb. 29, 1940) Screen Actors Guild member Hattie McDaniel became the first African-American to win an Academy Award, honored for her portrayal of “Mammy” in “Gone with the Wind.” Click on the video below to see and hear McDaniel accept the award. McDaniel's emotional, and inspiringly brief, remarks don't allude to the fact that she and her escort were seated at a table near the kitchen, far from the podium and her fellow "Gone with the Wind" cast members' table. Two months prior, Georgia's segregationist laws prevented her from attending the Atlanta premiere. It would take the Academy over two decades to single out another African-American actor's performance---Sidney Poitier, 1963's Best Actor for his performance in "Lilies of the Field." - Open Culture The DC LaborFest is proud to be a co-sponsor of the Films Across Borders series, October 8 – December 12, 2017. Showcasing international tales of courage, hope, and determination, this careful selection of documentary and dramatic films will captivate you with stories of immigrants and refugees struggling to find a place to call home. Millions of migrants, countless stories, 25+ films, 10 venues. Most screenings are free, but some require RSVP; click below for the October line-up... 12 noon: DC LABOR FILMFEST PREVIEWS 7p: THE TEMP(EST) Coming up this weekend: The Temp(EST), 1 & 7p Saturday; 1p Sunday; details here DC LABOR FILMFEST PREVIEWS 12pm – 1pm AFL-CIO, 815 16th St NW, Washington, DC 20005 FREE (bring your lunch!); RSVP here Sneak previews of the 2016 DC Labor FilmFest offerings, from Concussion to Sherpa, Joe Hill and more. Free Labor FilmFest passes for all attendees plus the LaborFest t-shirt raffle! THE TEMP(EST) 7p; Admission: $15 Adults, $10 Retirees and Youth under 18; order tickets here Silver Spring Black Box Theatre 8641 Colesville Road, Silver Spring, MD Imagine a dystopian world far, far in the future: the Polar Regions have melted, earth’s seas have risen, and the coastlines are threatened. The WalGard Company—an alliance of government, corporate, and religious extremists—supervises a colossal Wall that stands between humans and the toxic waters that could potentially wipe out the human race. Imagination has stagnated and the society has been divided into the workers who must maintain the Wall and their masters. But some workers who have been infected are beginning to see visions of another world, and other possibilities of freedom. Enter the Temp who will begin a new way of “seeing”, a revolution for humankind. Lumina’s THE TEMP(est) is a spirited—and timely—adaptation of Shakespeare’s last great masterpiece which shows us the value of creativity in a world of worker struggles and ecological challenges. As a breach in the Wall threatens the very existence of humanity, the vision of Prospera’s magic, Ariel’s energy, and the young lovers’ optimism points the way to a brave new world. "FORKED" (Book discussion with Saru Jayaraman) WPA MURAL TOUR "CONSERVATIVE COUNTERREVOLUTION" (Book discussion with Tula Connell) Coming up tomorrow: DC LABOR FILMFEST PREVIEWS; THE TEMP(EST) Click below for complete details. |