Georgetown – As Guyana observes Emancipation Day on August 1st, the U.S. Embassy and the Castellani House are presenting a critically acclaimed film about the civil rights movement in the United States. Guyana and the United States share a common bond in the struggle for freedom. In Guyana, the Slavery Abolition Act 1833 ended slavery in the British Empire on August 1, 1834 and Emancipation Day, or Freedom Day, is celebrated annually on August 1 in observance of the abolition of slavery. In the United States, President Abraham Lincoln signed the Emancipation Proclamation on January 1, 1863, as the nation approached its third year of bloody civil war. The proclamation declared “that all persons held as slaves” within the rebellious states “are, and henceforward shall be free.” While slavery no longer exists in both of our great nations, the struggle for equality and civil rights for all racial, ethnic, and gender groups continues.
The film, set in the U.S. in the turbulent 1960’s, depicts true events that ring true today in the civil rights movement. Following the film, there will be a short discussion and Q & A with Dr. Eric Phillips, Executive Member of the African Cultural Development Center (ACDA).
Film Screening
Tuesday, August 4, 2015, at 6:00 p.m.
Castellani House
Admission is free
In accordance with the terms of the license agreement and copyright law, the U.S. Embassy cannot advertise specific film titles in print media. For more information about the film screening, including film titles and summaries, please visit the U.S. Embassy’s website.
