Black History Month Film Series Announced

Black History Month PosterThe Rogers State University Department of Fine Arts will feature three award-winning films in February as part of its 2nd Annual Black History Month Film Series starting Monday, Feb. 5.

The film series will feature “Hidden Figures” on Monday, Feb. 5, “Do The Right Thing” on Monday, Feb. 19 and “Get Out” on Monday, Feb. 26. Each film will be screened at 7 p.m. at the Will Rogers Auditorium on the Claremore campus. Admission is free and open to the public.

The Feb. 5 film is “Hidden Figures,” the 2017 movie telling the story of Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson– three African American women working as mathematicians at NASA. Set in 1960s Hampton, Virginia, the three women use their mathematical skills to help the United States achieve one of the things it wants the most– a victory over the Russians in space—even as they fight against the barriers of racial segregation in the Jim Crow south and struggle for professional recognition from their male colleagues. The film is rated PG.

The Feb. 19 film is Spike Lee’s breakout 1989 film, “Do The Right Thing.” The story is set on the hottest day of the year and explodes on-screen in a vibrant look at a day in the life of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. Featuring a stellar ensemble cast that includes Danny Aiello, Ossie Davis, Ruby Dee, Richard Edson, Giancarlo Esposito, Robin Harris, Samuel L. Jackson, Bill Nunn, Rosie Perez, and John Turturro, Spike Lee’s powerful portrait of urban racial tensions sparked controversy while earning popular and critical praise. This film is rated R.

The Feb. 26 film is the 2017 film “Get Out,” which was hailed as equal parts gripping thrilled and provocative social commentary. The story features on a young African-American man who visits his white girlfriend’s family estate. He subsequently becomes ensnared in the more sinister, real reason for the invitation. At first, Chris reads the family’s overly accommodating behavior as nervous attempts to deal with their daughter’s interracial relationship, but as the weekend progresses, a series of increasingly disturbing discoveries lead him to a truth that he could have never imagined. This film is rated R.