The Willingham Theater partners with RiverRun to present a screening of Olympic Pride, American Prejudice on February 21 at the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center
(Yadkinville, NC) – RiverRun International Film Festival partners with the Willingham Theater yet again to present their second film in their three part FREE film screenings series. This month’s screening features the documentary, Olympic Pride, American Prejudice which explores the experiences of 18 African American Olympians who defied Jim Crow and Adolf Hitler to win hearts and medals at the 1936 Olympic Games in Berlin. The film will be screened at 7 p.m. on February 21 at the Willingham Theater inside the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center located at 226 East Main Street in Yadkinville.
Concessions will be available for purchase in the Welborn Gallery and the screening is FREE
Set against the strained and turbulent atmosphere of a racially divided America, which was torn between boycotting Hitler’s Olympics and participating in the Third Reich’s grandest affair, the film Olympic Pride, American Prejudice 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 were world heroes yet returned home to a short-lived glory. This story is complicated. This story is triumphant but unheralded. This story is a vital part of history and is as relevant today as it was almost 80 years ago.
15 Jun 1936 — Original caption: 6/15/1936-New York, New York- These are the Olympic athletes who will do their stint for Uncle Sam in the big games in Berlin. Left to right rear: Dave Albritton, ans Cornelius Johnson, record high jumpers; Tidye Pickett, woman track star; Ralph Metcalfe, sprinter; Jim Clark boxer and Matthew Robinson, sprinter. In front are John Terry (left) weight lifter and John Brooks, Broadjumper. — Image by © Bettmann/CORBIS
Since the 1936 Olympics was a well-documented event, this film will utilize the wealth of newsreel material, newspaper articles, photographs, personal interviews and never-before-seen footage as well as resources from the personal archival collections of Olympians and organizations in both the U.S. and Germany.
Presented by the Yadkin Arts Council and RiverRun
When: February 21, 7pm
Where: The Willingham Theater, 226 E. Main St., Yadkinville.
Tickets: Admission is FREE and seating is general admission. For more information, check us out at yadkinarts.org, email info@yadkinarts.org, or call 336.679.2941.
Additional information: YadkinArts.org
About the Willingham Theater
The Willingham Theater hosted its first performance in December 2012, just two short years after the Yadkin Cultural Arts Center opened its doors to the citizens of Yadkin County. While many might dismiss the power of a small city theater, we like to prove that we can indeed bring the big city excitement and experience to our small town. Our state-of-the-art theater seats 193 patrons and showcases a variety of engaging performances ranging from music, dance, drama, comedy, and even film. In addition to ample seating, the Willingham Theater has a remarkable state-of-the-art-technology. The Willingham Theater is owned and operated by the Yadkin Arts Council.
About the Yadkin Arts Council
The Yadkin Arts Council and Cultural Arts Center’s mission is to enrich the lives of every citizen of Yadkin County through a broad variety of arts programs that touch, inspire and involve creative spirits of all ages and all backgrounds. Arts open minds, frees imagination and helps people see the world from different perspectives.
The Yadkin Arts Council is a nonprofit 501(C)3 organization dedicated to enriching the lives of Yadkin County citizens through the arts. In September, 2010, the council opened the new Yadkin Cultural Center, providing a home for the arts in Yadkin County. It encompasses the Welborn Gallery, the Willingham Theater, the Center Bistro, classrooms and meeting rooms, staff offices and working artist studios. The Yadkin Arts Council website at yadkinarts.org provides up-to-date information about existing and upcoming exhibits, events and programs and offers forms and rules for artists wishing to submit artwork for future exhibits and juried shows.
About RiverRun
Founded in 1998, the RiverRun International Film Festival is a non-profit cultural organization dedicated to the role of cinema as a conduit of powerful ideas and diverse viewpoints. Year-round programs include the Indie Lens Pop-Up Documentary Series, RiverRun Retro and Films With Class educational programs. Each spring, RiverRun’s Festival screens new narrative, documentary, short, student and animated films, offering both audience and jury prizes in competition categories. The 2019 RiverRun International Film Festival will take place April 4-14 with screenings in Winston-Salem and Greensboro.
