“EYES ON THE PRIZE” CIVIL RIGHTS DOCUMENTARY SERIES TO BE SHOWN AT PETERBOROUGH COMMUNITY THEATRE

CONTACTCarol Nelson603-924-7145movies@pctmovies.com (August 18, 2016 - Peterborough, NH) — Eyes on the Prize, the critically acclaimed, in-depth documentary series on civil rights in America, will be screening weekly at Peterborough Community Theatre September 13 to October 18. The films and post-film discussions are free to the public and are co-sponsored by Peterborough Community Theatre, Mariposa Museum, and New Hampshire Public Television, in partnership with the public television WORLD Channel. To launch the series, Claudette Colvin, who at 15 refused to give up her bus seat to a white person (pre-dating Rosa Parks) and whose lawsuit went on to challenge and end segregation on buses, will participate in a post-screening discussion at the September 13 event. Due to limited seating at Peterborough Community Theatre, a RSVP is required: movies@pctmovies.com.Hailed as “required watching” (New York Magazine) and “indispensable” (Time), Eyes on the Prize recounts the fight to end decades of discrimination and segregation. It is the story of the people—young and old, male and female, northern and southern—who, compelled by a meeting of conscience and circumstance, worked to eradicate a world where whites and blacks could not go to the same school, ride the same bus, vote in the same election, or participate equally in society. It was a world in which peaceful demonstrators were met with resistance and brutality.“With the marking of the 51st anniversary of the Voting Rights Act, and the 61st anniversary of the Montgomery Bus Boycott, our nation’s civil rights history is front and center as part of an essential dialogue. Eyes on the Prize can provide perspective for a new generation and be a touchstone for those who lived through the decades depicted,” stated Carol Nelson, owner of Peterborough Community Theatre.“Claudette Colvin showed that individuals can change the course of history,” said Karla Hostetler, Executive Director of the Mariposa. “We’re honored that she is coming to Peterborough to launch this important series. Her story illustrates “Why Inclusion Matters,” which is the museum’s theme for the year, and why every voice is important. Claudette Colvin chose to stand up for what was right, even when it was dangerous for her to do so. That choice cost her the dreams of an education and becoming a lawyer—yet she helped changed the world. We want to honor her courage and achievement.” The series of six, 60-minute films are presented in partnership by the public television WORLD Channel, one of the four channels offered by New Hampshire PBS (NHPTV PRIME, NHPTV EXPLORE, NHPTV CREATE, NHPTV WORLD). The films revisit key historical moments and explore commonalities with current national events, asking questions and drawing comparisons about the struggle to achieve equality today.EYES ON THE PRIZE DOCUMENTARY SERIES SCREENINGS AT PETERBOROUGH COMMUNITY THEATREEPISODE 1 – Tuesday, September 13 at 7 PMAwakenings 1954-1956Individual acts of courage inspire black Southerners to fight for their rights: Mose Wright testifies against the white men who murdered young Emmett Till, and Rosa Parks refuses to give up her bus seat to a white man in Montgomery, Alabama. Special guest Claudette Colvin, who refused to move to the back of the bus and give up her seat to a white person — nine months before Rosa Parks did the very same thing – will be participating in a post-screening discussion. RSVP required to movies@pctmovies.com.EPISODE 2 - Tuesday, September 20 at 7 PMFighting Back 1957–1962States’ rights, loyalists, and federal authorities collide in the 1957 battle to integrate Little Rock’s Central High School, and again in James Meredith’s 1962 challenge to segregation at the University of Mississippi. EPISODE 3 - Monday, September 26 at 7 PMAin’t Scared of Your Jails 1960–1961Black college students take a leadership role in the Civil Rights Movement as lunch counter sit-ins spread across the South. Freedom Riders also try to desegregate interstate buses, but they are brutally attacked as they travel. EPISODE 4 - Monday, October 3 at 7 PMNo Easy Walk 1961–1963The Civil Rights Movement discovers the power of mass demonstrations as the Reverend Martin Luther King Jr. emerges as its most visible leader. Some demonstrations succeed; others fail. But the triumphant march on Washington, D.C., under King’s leadership shows a mounting national support for civil rights. President John F. Kennedy proposes the Civil Rights Act. EPISODE 5 - Tuesday, October 11 at 7 PMMississippi: Is This America? 1963–1964Mississippi’s grass-roots Civil Rights Movement becomes an American concern when college students travel south to help register black voters and three of them are murdered. The Mississippi Freedom Democratic Party challenges the regular Mississippi delegation at the Democratic Convention in Atlantic City. EPISODE 6 - Tuesday, October 18 at 7 PMBridge to Freedom 1965A decade of lessons is applied in the climactic and bloody march from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama. A major victory is won when the federal Voting Rights Bill passes, but Civil Rights leaders know they have new challenges ahead. To learn more about Eyes on the Prize, please visit WORLDChannel.org. To purchase Eyes on the Prize, visit shopPBS.org.About Peterborough Community Theatre: The Peterborough Community Theatre is a locally owned independent theater that features newly released movies, as well as free documentary screenings. For more information, visit pctmovies.com or facebook.com/pctmovies.About Mariposa Museum: The Mariposa Museum and World Culture Center, located at 26 Main Street in Peterborough, is a non-profit organization dedicated to exploring cultures and fostering understanding across cultural borders of every kind through exhibits, performances, and educational partnerships.For more information, please visit mariposamuseum.org

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