Film Screening and Discussion of Up From the Bottoms

Kansas City (MO)… On Monday, December 10 at 6:00 p.m., the National Archives will host a free film screening of Up From the Bottoms: The Search for the American Dream. Post-film discussion will be led by Dr. Delia Gillis, professor of history at the University of Central Missouri. 

Up From the Bottoms traces the experiences of African Americans, now in their 80's and 90's who migrated north in the 1940s to the war factories in the north, specifically those in Michigan. The film is narrated by Emmy, Tony, and Academy Award-winning actress Cicely Tyson and features interviews with civil rights activist Dick Gregory. Since its release, the film has been incorporated into the curriculum at schools in the state of Michigan as an example of first-person accounts of struggle and sacrifice. This program is presented in partnership with the American Jazz Museum and the Greater Kansas City Black History Study Group.

Reservations are requested for this free program by calling 816-268-8010 or emailing kansascity.educate@nara.gov. Requests for ADA accommodations must be received five business days in advance. 

The National Archives at Kansas City is home to historical records dating from the 1820s to the 1990s created or received by Federal agencies in Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, and South Dakota. For more information, call 816-268-8000 or visit www.archives.gov/kansas-city/.   

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LPM/LE – KC19-02