JACKSON, Miss.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The award-winning short documentary film, “A New Day in Mississippi” is scheduled to premiere in Jackson, Mississippi tonight, Tuesday, April 27, 2021. Taking place at the historic Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, located at 528 Bloom St, Jackson, MS 39202, the sold-out event will start with red-carpet arrivals at 6:30pm (CDT) and the program starting promptly at 7:00pm (CDT). The evening will conclude with a conversation with grassroots leaders featured in the film, moderated by film director, Imara Canady.
Tonight’s premiere event will be attended by the Honorable Chokwe A. Lumumba, Mayor, Jackson, MS; Mississippi state representatives Zakiya Summers and De’Keither A. Stamps; Former Jackson Mayor Tony Yarborough; Danielle Holmes, National Organizer for the Poor Peoples Campaign; Sharon Brown, Founder, 1 Flag for All; film director, Imara Canady; and religious, civic, academic and other community leaders from across the region.
WHAT: |
World Premiere of the award-winning film, “A New Day In Mississippi” produced by AIDS Healthcare Foundation |
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WHERE: |
Smith Robertson Museum & Cultural Center, |
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528 Bloom Street, Jackson, MS 39202 |
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WHEN: |
TONIGHT, Tuesday, April 27, 2021 |
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Red Carpet Arrivals 6:30pm |
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Program Begins: 7:00pm |
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Post Show Conversation 7:30pm |
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Post Show Reception 8:00pm |
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WHO: |
The Honorable Chokwe A. Lumumba, Mayor, City of Jackson |
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The Honorable Zakiya Summers, MS State Representative, District 68 |
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The Honorable De’Keither A. Stamps, MS State Representative, District 66 (featured in the film) |
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The Honorable Tony Yarborough, Former Mayor, City of Jackson (featured in the film) |
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Danielle Holmes, National Organizer for the Poor Peoples Campaign (featured in the film) |
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Anita Castille, Vice-President, AIDS Healthcare Foundation (featured in the film) |
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Tracy Jones, National Director of Grassroots Mobilization Initiatives, AHF |
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Sharon Brown, Founder, 1 Flag for All (featured in the film) |
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Numerous other civic, religious and community leaders |
Produced by AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the short documentary features Mississippi-based community leaders chronicling the grassroots advocacy movement that helped to change history for the state of Mississippi, with the ultimate removal of its former state flag that emblazoned a confederate symbol. Filmed on location in Mississippi, immediately following the June 30, 2020 public announcement of the Governor signing into law the bill brought forward that allowed for the removal of the former flag, the powerful 15-minute film continues to be showcased in film festivals across the country, and has been nominated for an award at the Las Vegas Black Film Festival and received the prestigious Hollywood Gold Award earlier this year.
As stated on Wikipedia, the current flag of Mississippi features a white magnolia blossom and the words "In God We Trust" on a red field with a gold-bordered blue pale. This flag was chosen by the Commission to Redesign the Mississippi State Flag and was approved by state referendum on November 3, 2020. Afterward, it was passed by the state legislature on January 6, 2021, and it became the official state flag of the U.S. state of Mississippi on January 11, 2021. It replaces the previous flag that displayed the Confederate battle insignia in the upper left hand corner, which was retired on June 30, 2020. Most recent advocacy efforts to remove the previous flag started in August 2015 when grassroots community leaders mobilized under the “1 Flag for All” campaign, and worked on a ballot initiative, supported by AHF, to bring the issue to the Mississippi voters. The ballot initiative, which failed, motivated the group to continue to build a grassroots swelling of support to keep the issue alive and to bring greater awareness to a broad base of Mississippians around the campaign. The campaign continued until the ultimate victory last year.
AIDS Healthcare Foundation (AHF), the largest global AIDS organization, currently provides medical care and/or services to over 1.5 million individuals in 45 countries worldwide in the US, Africa, Latin America/Caribbean, the Asia/Pacific Region and Eastern Europe. To learn more about AHF, please visit our website: www.aidshealth.org, find us on Facebook: www.facebook.com/aidshealth and follow us @aidshealthcare.
