Documentary film series centered around civil rights, human rights and social justice

The Virginia Museum of History & Culture and The Community Foundation for a Greater Richmond have partnered to showcase a film series centered around civil rights, human rights and social justice in American history.

The Created Equal Film Series was originally established by the VMHC in 2013 to honor museum trustee and Virginia civil rights activist Rev. Grady Powell.

Each screening will be followed by a conversation with a panel of community members. The series is free to the public, but registration is required.

The series includes:

• HEARD: Wednesday, Aug. 24, at 6:30 p.m. – This Emmy® award-winning documentary captures the inspiring stories of individuals who are current and former residents of public housing in Richmond. Hear from them, in their own words, as they survive and overcome the challenges of daily life, give back to their communities, and work to make a better life for those who come behind. The screening will be followed by a conversation with filmmaker David Powers; T.J. Thompson, one of the individuals featured in the film; and other community members.
• THESE THINGS CAN BE DONE: Wednesday, Oct. 12, at 6:30 p.m. – This documentary features often overlooked narrative of women’s suffrage in Virginia brought to life through rare archival footage, photographs, oral histories, radio broadcasts, and interviews with historians, descendants of suffragists, and modern activists. Produced by Boedeker Films and VPM with support from the Commonwealth of Virginia’s Women’s Suffrage Centennial Commemoration in partnership with the VMHC.
• MENDING WALLS: Tuesday, Dec. 13, at 6:30 p.m. – Created by Hamilton Glass in the spring of 2020, Mending Walls RVA sought to establish empathy and connection between individuals through art following the murder of George Floyd. The project, inspired by a conversation with artist Matt Lively, paired 30 artists from different backgrounds to have difficult conversations and create 16 murals across the city of Richmond. The Emmy® award-winning “Mending Walls: The Documentary” was created using footage from these conversations and the creation of these murals and follows the relationship built between the artists and documents a community healing through art.
• RAISED/RAZED: Thursday, February 16, 2023, at 6:30 p.m. – Through the lens of “Raised/Razed,” a recently released documentary from Maupintown Media in association with Virginia Public Media, viewers will learn about the history of Vinegar Hill, Charlottesville’s oldest African American neighborhood, and the impact of the federal urban renewal program on a once-thriving community, all in the name of progress.

The films in this series are presented in part by the support of Virginia Public Media.

VMHC is located at 428 N Arthur Ashe Boulevard in Richmond.

For more information or to register, click here.