A library staff member will lead a virtual film discussion every other Tuesday on a movie from either Kanopy or Hoopla
I Am Not Your Negro
An Oscar-nominated documentary narrated by Samuel L. Jackson, I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO explores the continued peril America faces from institutionalized racism.
In 1979, James Baldwin wrote a letter to his literary agent describing his next project, Remember This House. The book was to be a revolutionary, personal account of the lives and successive assassinations of three of his close friends--Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr. At the time of Baldwin's death in 1987, he left behind only thirty completed pages of his manuscript.
Now, in his incendiary new documentary, master filmmaker Raoul Peck envisions the book James Baldwin never finished. The result is a radical, up-to-the-minute examination of race in America, using Baldwin's original words and flood of rich archival material. I AM NOT YOUR NEGRO is a journey into black history that connects the past of the Civil Rights movement to the present of #BlackLivesMatter. It is a film that questions black representation in Hollywood and beyond. And, ultimately, by confronting the deeper connections between the lives and assassination of these three leaders, Baldwin and Peck have produced a work that challenges the very definition of what America stands for.
"You would be hard-pressed to find a movie that speaks to the present moment with greater clarity and force, insisting on uncomfortable truths and drawing stark lessons from the shadows of history." - A.O. Scott, The New York Times
"This Oscar-nominated portrait of James Baldwin uses the author's words to bridge the civil-rights past with our racially incendiary present. It's unmissable and unforgettable." - Peter Travers, The Rolling Stone
If you need help using Zoom, see our guide here or email us at askalibrarian@dppl.org.
The 1501 Ellinwood Street library building is the realization of a longheld dream of the library board, staff and community partners. Located in the heart of downtown Des Plaines, the four story, 82,000 square foot building represents the community's commitment to reading, lifelong learning, and a center for family activities. A grand central staircase and large windows provide a wealth of natural light and illuminate the building at night.
