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KING IN CHICAGO

Rent or buy King in Chicago on Amazon or watch on Amazon Prime.

In the national celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday each year, most Americans recall or learn about Dr. King's leadership in confronting southern racism in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. Far less discussed is his prophetic leadership in 1966 confronting northern racism and poverty as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement.

This film emphasizes King's understanding of the link between the goals of the Civil Rights Movement and the social injustice of poverty. Candid interviews with Jesse Jackson, James Bevel, Michael Pfleger, and others, period photos and stirring traditional music by Rutha Harris shine a light on their struggle for justice.

This provides invaluable context to the national conversation about the corrosive effects of pervasive racism and persistent poverty in the U. S. today.


The voices of our interview subjects’ sound cries of alarm and hope as they reflect on the legacy of the Chicago Freedom Movement and Dr. Martin Luther King.

 

MLK

 

 

 

Click here to watch an excerpt:
"how nonviolence works"

Schedule a group educational screening at the Gene Siskel Film Center here.

2008 - theatrical, 77 minutes
2009, 2010 and 2016- TV, 57 minutes
Seth McClellan - director, editor and producer

Premiered on PBS in Chicago (wttw11) and screened for the City of Chicago, Human Rights Commission, in February of 2009. A feature length documentary that screened at 14 film festival across the US and Canada and was shown in many universities.

Broadcast on cable's The Education Channel annually on MLK Day.

In 1966, Dr. Martin Luther King and the Chicago Freedom Movement faced contradictions and complications. Candid interviews, period photos, and stirring music tell their story.