CINCINNATI, OH — The National Underground Railroad Freedom Center announced Olympic Pride, American Prejudice as the next film in the Freedom Film Series, in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission and the Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education. The special Work-in-Progress screening of Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, produced by Coffee Bluff Pictures, is scheduled for Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 6:15 p.m. in the Harriet Tubman Theater. A welcome reception will be held in the Grand Hall at 5:30 p.m. The welcome reception and screening are free and open to the public. The Freedom Film Series is sponsored by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies.
The Freedom Film Series reveals stories about the pursuit of freedom past and present, reflecting on struggles and celebrating victories that encourage dialogue and change. The first film in the series, Stories From An Undeclared War, was screened last November.
“It is truly a great privilege to screen this documentary as the world reflects on the 80th anniversary of the 1936 Olympic Games,” says Dr. Michael Battle, executive vice president and provost of the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center. “Of the 18 young men and women profiled in Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, only one is a household name. This film has the power to change that.”
Olympic Pride, American Prejudice is a feature length documentary exploring the trials and triumphs of 18 African American Olympians in 1936. Set against the strained and turbulent atmosphere of a racially divided America, which was torn between boycotting Hitler’s Olympics or participating in the Third Reich’s grandest affair, the film follows 16 men and two women before, during and after their heroic turn at the Summer Olympic Games in Berlin. They represented a country that considered them second class citizens and competed in a country that rolled out the red carpet in spite of an undercurrent of Aryan superiority and anti-Semitism. They carried the weight of a race on their shoulders and did the unexpected with grace and dignity.
Following the Work-in-Progress screening of Olympic Pride, American Prejudice, the filmmakers will engage the audience in a reflective and thought-provoking discussion on their community efforts to help celebrate the 80th anniversary of the 1936 Olympics and connect the story to a broader audience.
“The Center for Holocaust and Humanity Education is excited to join the Freedom Center in the Cincinnati screening of this important film which sheds light on the early years of the Nazi regime and its threat to not only the European Jewish community, but to equality around the world,” says Sarah Weiss, executive director. “We envision this film will serve as a glimpse into the injustices of 1936 Berlin as well as America.”
Other films included in the series include American Pastime in May 2016 and Get on the Bus in June 2016.
The Work-in-Progress screening of Olympic Pride, American Prejudice on Wednesday, February 3, 2016 at 6:15 p.m. is free and open to the public. A welcome reception will be held in the Grand Hall at 5:30 p.m. The Freedom Film Series, in partnership with the Greater Cincinnati & Northern Kentucky Film Commission, is sponsored by Chubb Group of Insurance Companies. To learn more about the Freedom Film Series visit freedomcenter.org