King in Chicago (2008)

In the national celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s birthday each year, most Americans recall or learn about Dr. King's leadership in confronting southern racism in Selma and Montgomery, Alabama. Far less discussed is his prophetic leadership in 1966 confronting northern racism and poverty as part of the Chicago Freedom Movement. This film emphasizes King's understanding of the link between the goals of the Civil Rights Movement and the social injustice of poverty. Candid interviews with Jesse Jackson, James Bevel, Willie Barrow, and many others, period photos and stirring traditional music by Rutha Harris shine a light on their struggle for justice. This film provides invaluable context to the national conversation about the corrosive effects of pervasive racism and persistent poverty in the U. S. today.