Spring 2013: 'Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story' film showing and discussion

Friday, Feb. 22, 6-9 p.m.
Wendy Williamson Auditorium

Join us for a special showing of the film "Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story" in celebration of Black History Month. Free and open to the public. The night begins with a reception at 6 p.m. The film starts at 6:30 p.m. and a Q-and-A with co-producer Yvette Johnson will follow.

About the film:
Booker Wright was an African-American restaurant owner who also served double-duty as a waiter in a "whites only" restaurant in Mississippi in the 1960s. He became an unlikely activist for the Civil Rights Movement when he appeared on a network TV documentary reporting on the changing times in his small town. Exploding the myth of who he was and his experience serving the white community, Booker's appearance set off a chain of events that eventually led to his murder.

"Booker's Place: A Mississippi Story" follows director Raymond De Felitta, whose father directed the original 1966 documentary, as he journeys through past and present-day Mississippi with Booker's granddaughter, Yvette Johnson (co-producer), searching for details around Booker's courageous life and shocking murder, while also exploring the impact the film had not only on the local community but also on Raymond's father. Watch the trailer.

This event is co-sponsored by Department of Sociology, UAA Sociology Club, Black Student Union, College of Arts and Sciences, Club Council, Concert Board, Diversity Action Council, Multicultural Center, Office of Campus Diversity and Compliance and Student Activities.

Yvette Johnson will also be available on Wednesday, Feb. 20, from 5-7 p.m., at the UAA Campus Bookstore for a talk.