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Website: http://www.whyiwrite.org
(Contact Sharon Baker
for Underwriting Details at
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A powerful tale of devotion to art
and community...
Face with the literal life and death
struggle of children facing poverty and violence in
Wilmington, Delaware’s tough Riverside neighborhood,
Twin brothers Al Mills and Nnamdi Chukwuocha have
a mission: to awaken the revolutionary spirits buried
deep within the souls of an oppressed people through
poetry and social action.
No one who has witnessed a performance
by the Twin Poets can deny the power of their words.
Their kinetic, socially-focused work has made Al and
Nnamdi two of the most recognizable and respected
poets on the spoken word scene.
They have performed with such legends
as The Last Poets, Amiri Baraka, Sonia Sanchez, and
Lamont Steptoe, and appeared on HBO’s Def Poetry
Jam, at the Nuyorican Poets Café and the Apollo
Theater in New York, at Philadelphia’s Painted
Bride, Delaware’s Grand Opera House, and New
Jersey’s Atlantic City Uptown Complex.
But despite lucrative offers from hip
hop moguls, and the prospect of fame and fortune,
the twins returned to Wilmington to pursue their true
passion for social work. For the past fifteen years
these two wordsmiths have been warriors on the front
lines of a ravaged community, following in the footsteps
of their father, Civil Rights Activist William “Hicks”
Anderson. Their art has become a tool for action,
their words a source of hope and inspiration.
A new documentary film by Hearts and
Minds Film chronicles the amazing story of these two
leaders, as indivisible from each other as they are
from their goals and dreams. Their boundless artistic
energy and their dedication to their community are
a model for all young men to follow.
Tutors, mentors, community activists,
leaders, scholars, summa cum laude graduates, allies,
soldiers, father-figures, artists, teachers, counselors,
historians, social workers, brothers, friends, fathers,
sons.
All of theses titles can be summed into
one name: The Twin Poets.
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Website: In Development
(Contact Sharon Baker
for Underwriting Details at
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Could This Happen Again?
On March 16, 1968, Hugh Thompson, Larry
Colburn and Glen Andreotta were flying a routine scout
mission over the Son My village in the Quang Ngai
Province in Central Vietnam. Trained to flush out
hidden Viet Cong forces from occupied territory, the
men came across a very different enemy that morning
as they flew over an area of the village known as
My Lai.
American troops were systematically murdering hundreds
of unarmed civilians, caught by surprise in a dawn
raid meant to drive Viet Cong soldiers from their
midst. Instead of giving in to the hate, fear, revenge,
and "search and destroy" order of the day,
Thompson, Colburn and Andreotta put their own lives
at risk to stop the massacre at My Lai. Soon after,
Andreotta was killed in action. Thompson reported
the incident, which was subsequently covered up. Years
would pass before America was forced to recognize
what had happened, and the valor of these men.
This timely story of honor and courage in the face
of chaos and brutality is brought to the limelight
as they visit a college campus and interact with students.
Intended as a teaching tool for high school and college
students, "What Would You Do?", features
new interviews with Thompson and Colburn, footage
from their experiences in Vietnam, and discussions
with students about the moral and ethical dilemmas
of war.
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Website: In Development
(Contact Sharon Baker
for Underwriting Details at
)
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The Voices of Democracy...
From the "Boston
Tea Party" to the "Million Man March",
from the Women's Suffragist and Child Labor protests
at the turn of the century to the anti-war and pro-choice
demonstrations of 2004, the fundamental structure
of American Democracy has been inexorably linked to
the tradition of public protest as a means for affecting
social change.
From all corners of the political spectrum, from all
walks of life, millions have put their wealth, reputations,
and even lives on the line to bring their concerns
and demands to the front lines of American consciousness;
to the front pages of the papers; to the front door
of the Nation's Capitol.
The right to dissent,
the responsibility to speak out, the reasonable expectation
of change: these are the hallmarks of the American
Citizen's voice.
- But how deeply have social
movements influenced political policy and overall
society?
- What movements have been effective,
and how did they achieve their goals?
- Whose visions were doomed to
fail, and what were the forces that conspired to
stop them?
- In what ways have the proponents
of social change evolved in their strategies, resources,
technologies and networks as the decades went on?
- How can Americans of all ages
and opinions effectively voice their opinions today?
All of these questions
and many more will be explored in the context of the
greatest social movements in American history, as
Serviam Media and Teleduction, Inc. again collaborate
to create a non-commercial, educational film, companion
website, and community outreach initiative designed
to inform, inspire and empower diverse audiences.
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Website: In Development
(Contact Sharon Baker for Underwriting
Details at
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It's Never Too Late...
"Lost and Found" is a project that is especially
targeted to youth who are low or non-achievers in
school and at-risk for involvement with the criminal
justice system either from substance abuse or minor
criminal behavior. Writing-based, and designed to
meet curriculum standards, the project will utilize
a dramatic, motivational film and companion journal
assignment designed to engage young viewers and help
them to reflect on their lives, set goals and course
correct as needed. Long term objectives include the
publication of the collected writings of project participants.
The core message of the assignment is simple: it
is never too late to start making positive choices,
to realize potential. A 'work-in- progress' companion
website will afford participants the opportunity to
share their writings and life experiences with other
young people and to get hard-and-fast information
about the risks and probable consequences of habitual
drug and alcohol use and trafficking. The website
will also serve as a clearinghouse and source of referral
to established programs and services already available
to kids at-risk.
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| A documentary film about
the life and art of Delaware artist Frank E. Schoonover. |
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