The celebration of Black History Month at UT continued Tuesday night in the UC Hermitage Room, with a mixed media presentation. Entitled Snapshots of Black History: the broader perspective, the presentation remembered those who helped shape the path of African-American history.
At the entrance of the room was a photo exhibit that included pictures of prominent characters in the civil rights movement. Inside, music from James Brown, Sam Cooke and others played through the speakers.
The main presentation focused on two film excerpts: one from “Unforgivable Blackness: The Rise and Fall of Jack Johnson,” and the other from “At the River I Stand,” the story of the Memphis sanitation workers strike in 1968.
The event was organized by Ann Jefferson, lecturer in history, and students from her Latin American Studies class. Other sponsors included the Departments of History and African Studies, the Global Studies Program and Delta Sigma Theta Sorority.
Jefferson said she “really got to thinking about the importance of knowing each other’s history.”
She asked her students if they would volunteer to put together a presentation for Black History Month.
Brittany Williams, event committee member and sophomore in sociology, volunteered to assist the organization.
“From the start, I was very interested because the idea was to show more of the stuff people don’t really know about black history,” Williams said. “I didn’t know as much as I thought, so I learned things while preparing to educate the campus.”
Jonathan Cleghorn, sophomore in spanish and a member of the committee, said it is important for people to be able to visualize the civil rights movement.
“To actually see the footage from that time period, the things that happened and what led up to it, helps in learning and understanding this movement,” Cleghorn said.
One film excerpt, documenting the fight of Jack Johnson’s victory to become the first African-American heavyweight champion, shows great displays of happiness, followed by riots, over the support of an athlete.
The second, with footage from the Memphis sanitation workers strike, Martin Luther King Jr.’s involvement and his eventual death, shows the determination and frustration of the African-Americans involved.
“With the films, you almost feel like you’re seeing it firsthand,” Williams said. “If someone is just talking to you, it may be hard to really remember these important moments.”
Alayna Wink, undecided sophomore, said she enjoyed the presentation, and it furthered her knowledge of black history.
“I’m very interested in different cultures and enjoyed the different perspectives represented in the film, especially the different views of Martin Luther King Jr.,” Wink said.
Williams said seeing these photos and videos helped make the past more relevant.
“Events like this remind you how important certain things in the civil rights movement were,” she said. “I think we tend to forget sometimes.”