Ava DuVernay was honored and awe-struck when she received the call commissioning her to make a film for the new Smithsonian National Museum of African-American History and Culture. Tasked with creating a work of art that would be installed on a continuous loop in the museum for years, she put aside her anxiety at the grand scope of the request and responded affirmatively. Her approach will be to focus on one date, Aug. 28, to tell the story of Black American history.
“I chose to focus on a date that has fascinated me for years. Today. Aug. 28. The date that Emmett Till was murdered in one year. Which is the same date that the March on Washington and ‘I Have A Dream’ occurred in another year. Which is the same date that Katrina made landfall in yet another year. Which is the same date that Sen. Barack Obama accepted the Democratic nomination for POTUS in yet another year. Which is today this year. In my eyes, Aug. 28 tells so much about Black history through the lens of one date. The Smithsonian let me tell this story. And many friends helped. With a Black producing team, cinematographer, camera team, electrical team, production designers, costume designer, composer, casting director, assistant directors and more (yes, there are that many African-Americans proficient in all capacities behind the camera), we made a film quietly over two weekends in early August. Our stellar cast is Don Cheadle, Lupita Nyong’o, David Oyelowo, Angela Bassett, Andre Holland, Regina King, Michael Ealy, Gugu Mbatha-Raw and the legend Glynn Turman. This is a museum exclusive. Debuting with the opening of the illustrious and important @NMAAHC in September! Honored to be a part of it. xo!” DuVernay announced Sunday.
Perhaps it is also fitting that DuVernay and her team completed their work entirely during the month of August. Many Black activists commemorate “Black August” as a number of historic events in the struggle of Black people for justice and equality occurred during this month prior to the murder of Emmett Till that sparked the modern Civil Rights Movement:
August 1619 – Arrival of first African slaves to North America.
August 1791 – First revolt to successfully end slavery in what is now Haiti.
August 1800 – Gabriel Prosser’s rebellion inspired by the Haitian Revolution.
August 1831 – Nat Turner’s rebellion.
August 1851 – Harriet Tubman begins her “Underground Railroad” freedom raids.
August 1887 – Marcus Garvey born.
August 1965 – Watts riots sparked the first of the long hot summers that seem to have continued in recent years.
August 1967 – COINTELPRO initiated by FBI to “disrupt, misdirect, discredit, or otherwise neutralize” Black activism.
August 1978 – Philadelphia police bombing and raid of the MOVE organization.
