Director Aviva Kempner and poet Ethelbert Miller had a wonderful screening of Rosenwald at Tuskegee University on February 23 and 24, where Julius Rosenwald served on the board and was inspired by Booker T. Washington to build the schools. Tuskegee President Brian L. Johnson introduced Kempner and the screening was preceded by a Meet and Greet with the President’s staff. Speaking after the screening with Miller and Kempner were Dana Chandler, the archivist at Tuskegee University and Rosenwald’s great grandson Phil Rome.
Left to Right: Ethelbert Miller, Dana Chandler, Aviva Kempner and Phil Rome
At the Robert R. Taylor School of Architecture and Construction Science, Dr. Carla Jackson Bell, dean of the school, hosted an event for Kempner to present the Rosenwald DVD bonus feature “The Legacy of Black Architects at Tuskegee.” Kempner spoke with architecture students about the unique history of building Tuskegee.
In addition, Miller spoke to two English classes, Shakespeare and World Literature, referencing poet Langston Hughes whose own 1931 tour of colleges in the South inspired this current one. One Tuskegee graduate, Guy Trammell, wrote an enthusiastic response to the showing of the film:
“Again, thanks so much for doing this project, and for bringing the film to Tuskegee. I will be ordering a copy for the youth in our program to see this year and will be spreading the word of the DVD package you mentioned. There are many in and from Tuskegee that would be interested.
By the way, the students sitting behind me, during the film showing, were so excited to see their Tuskegee campus in the film! Those early shots had them whispering to each other, “Look that’s the band! . . . . . Look! There’s _______ Hall!” You really made their day! And mine!”
Tuskegee University is the third stop on the Rosenwald Tour, which was generously funded by the Reva and David Logan Foundation. With more support in the future from funders like the Logan Foundation, the tour can continue to more HBCU’s.
Don’t miss Aviva Kempner in New Orleans this month! She will present the newly produced bonus feature on Edith Stern, the daughter of Julius Rosenwald who was so active in civil rights in New Orleans. The bonus feature will screen February 15th at the Longue Vue House and Gardens, co-sponsored by The National Council of Jewish Women.
Kempner is currently touring the film at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) with poet Ethelbert Miller. As part of the program, Miller will talk about poet Langston Hughes, a Rosenwald Fund recipient who used the funds for his own tour of schools in the South in 1931. Hughes’ tour has inspired the Rosenwald Tour. Miller will give presentations at three classes at Dillard. Stay tuned for more tour dates!
Rosenwald Film Screening at Dillard University, Georges Auditorium, 2601 Gentilly Blvd, New Orleans, LA 70122, February 15, 2017 at 6:00PM.
Q&A with Director Aviva Kempner to follow screening. Presented by Brain Food: The Dillard University President’s Lecture Series
Audiences continue to show their love for the ideals and practices covered in ROSENWALD.
February has been a special loving month for the ROSENWALD film as director Aviva Kempner has gone from Temple Israel synagogue in Sharon, Massachusetts to Fisk University in Nashville to the San Diego Jewish Film Festival to Dilllard University in New Orleans on February 15th to screen the film.
Kempner enjoyed returning to the Fisk Library where she had researched the Rosenwald Fund archives for the film. She was so excited to meet a young scholar from the University of Chicago who is doing her PhD thesis on the Fund.
(Left to right) Ethelbert Miller and Aviva Kempner at Fisk University in Nashville, TN.
Poet Ethelbert Miller has accompanied Kempner on the tour to these historical Black colleges under a generous grant from the Reva and David Logan Foundation. Miller is giving sparkling presentations on poet Langston Hughes, who himself had received a Rosenwald Fund grant to tour the South. Hughes’ 1931 tour inspired this modern day 2017 version.
Kempner will present the newly produced bonus feature on Edith Stern, the daughter of Rosenwald who was so active in civil rights in New Orleans. The bonus feature will screen February 15th at the Longue Vue House and Gardens, co-sponsored by The National Council of Jewish Women. As part of the event, Miller will talk about Hughes at three classes at Dillard.
Meanwhile the film is showing in many more places this month and inspiring audience members to give. One couple saw the film in Scottsdale, Arizona and wrote that the film was “FANTASTICLY INSPIRATIONAL” and they decided to re-focus their fund on scholarship.
In these times we should remember that love and support is what Julius Rosenwald was about. Audiences are reacting especially to what Rosenwald said years ago about men with wealth. His modesty lives on in the success and aspirations of those he supported.
“Most large fortunes are made by men of mediocre ability who tumbled into a lucky opportunity, and couldn’t help but get rich.Most people are of the opinion that because a man has made a fortune, that his opinions on any subject are valuable. Don’t be fooled by believing because a man is rich, that he is necessarily smart. There is ample proof to the contrary.” –Julius Rosenwald
Besides raising funds to produce and distribute the ROSENWALD DVD with all the bonus features, the Cielsa Foundation is also fundraising to take the film on a Northern tour. The Atran Foundation just made the first contribution for this future tour.
We thank Atran, Logan Foundation and all our supporters!
On December 5th, 1966, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the Georgia Legislature violated Julian Bond’s constitutional rights by refusing to seat him. Bond, a Negro civil rights worker and official of the Student Non-violent Coordinating Committee, was twice barred from his elected seat in the Georgia House because he supported a committee statement describing U.S. policy in Viet Nam as aggression.
Julius Rosenwald was inducted into the National Museum of American Jewish History on May 18th of this year. Be sure to check out Cory Booker’s erudite remarks at the Only in America Gala on Julius Rosenwald’s legacy, American equality growth, and Langston Hughes’ timeless poem, Let America Be America.
Watch Senator Booker’s full speech here and read more about this event on The Jewish Exponent.
“>Pictured above: Rosenwald school pupil John White (Photo courtesy of Carol White)
Julius Rosenwald impacted lives when he was building schools, when the schools were built, and even still today when much of the school network is long gone. One of the boons of this project has been being able to see how many people are still touched by Rosenwald’s influence today. Not a week goes by without Ciesla being swamped with stories, stories from the past about a grandfather who got his education in a Rosenwald school and went on to become a doctor, stories about Julius Rosenwald’s legacy reaching through time and touching lives still today. We received this week a story about a woman in Mississippi whose great grandfather attended a Rosenwald school in Mississippi. The Rosenwald legacy echoes loudly, you just need to know what to listen for.
Congressman John Lewis last week was honored with the National Book Award for his work March: Book Three. The congressman made reference to his time in a Rosenwald school as a youth and spoke about the nation today, and the future he sees and hopes for. Although Rosenwald may have died many years ago, those touched by his life are still being honored for their exceptional additions to society; and through extension thus honor Julius Rosenwald.
Staunton, VA: Rosenwald screened at Mary Baldwin University last week. The local synagogue and local African-American church co-hosted the screening. This partnership undeniably would have made Julius Rosenwald smile. Rosenwald school alumni from neighboring Waynesboro spoke after the film about their experiences going to a Rosenwald school and being given an opportunity in a time when few opportunities were given to those of color. After the discussion it was formerly decided to start a local Jewish/African-American coalition. Rosenwald would be proud that we still strive to come together in a divisive time.
Photo Courtesy of National Trust for Historic Preservation
The National Trust announced this month that they will be parting ways with Tracy Hayes and Katherine Carey; two people instrumental in the National Trust’s continued involvement with the preservation and support of the Rosenwald School network. It has been stressed that the departure of Tracy and Katherine should indicate no diminishment in the Trust’s continued support of the schools and their continued dedication to restoration and funding of Rosenwald schools. Under the leadership of these two women, the National Trust secured the Rosenwald school’s place on the 11 Most Endangered Historic Places list, partnered with Fisk University in a massive archival effort to preserve Rosenwald artifacts, gathered 2.5 million of grant money for the school, and numerous other accomplishments to the betterment of Julius Rosenwald’s legacy.
Tracy was especially helpful in the making of the Rosenwald film. We hope that the movement to restore the schools continues. In our upcoming DVD release of the film, included will be four hours of extras and a whole section on the measures taken to restore Rosenwald schools.
Last week Aviva Kempner travelled to the University of North Carolina Chapel Hill for a screening of Rosenwald and to deliver a talk on the film. Her remarks were an installment in the Sylvia and Irving Margolis Lecture on the Jewish Experience in the American South. The event was hosted by the Carolina Center for Jewish Studies, a sub department within UNC Chapel Hill that seeks to “unite the general public, students and faculty from various academic disciplines who share a common passion for a deeper understanding of Jewish history, culture and thought.” (CCJS Mission Statement)
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