February is Black History Month and PBS’s Independent Lens is featuring the new documentary Spies of Mississippi, which recounts the history of the Mississippi Sovereignty Commission. Founded as a public relations agency, this commission spied on over 87,000 Americans during the 50’s and 60’s.
Make sure you watch this chilling film…
Image courtesy of BrooklynCastle.com
In theaters now, BROOKLYN CASTLE is an amazing documentary about the glorious kids of the I.S. 318 Chess team, the highest ranked junior high chess team in the nation. One of their members, Rochelle Ballantyne is on the way to becoming the first African-American female chess master in the world! See the extended trailer here.
According to the press release:
BROOKLYN CASTLE tells the stories of five members of the chess team at a below-the-poverty-line inner city junior high school that has won more national championships than any other in the country. The film follows the challenges these kids face in their personal lives as well as on the chessboard, and is as much about the sting of their losses as it is about the anticipation of their victories. Ironically, the biggest obstacle thrust upon them arises not from other competitors but from recessionary budget cuts to all the extracurricular activities at their school. BROOKLYN CASTLE shows how these kids’ dedication to chess magnifies their belief in what is possible for their lives. After all, if they can master the world’s most difficult game, what can’t they do?
One of my favorite brands, Brooklyn Industries, not only hosted a free screening, they created this cool t-shirt to help raise funds to keep this incredible program going. I bought one and so should you.
