Black Panthers Documentary Screens at Hollywood Theatre

Tuesday, September 29, 2015

Hilary Devaney, GoLocalPDX Contributor

Photo courtesy of theblackpanthers.com

Thursday, October 8, the Hollywood Theatre will be presenting a special advance screening of the first feature-length documentary on the Black Panther Party. The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution (2015) follows the movement’s impact on broader American culture and the political and cultural awakening for black people in America while simultaneously examining the painful lessons of a movement’s derailing.

The documentary combines a wealth of historical documents, archival footage, and the voices of the people who were there: police, FBI informants, journalists, white supporters and detractors, and Black Panthers who remained loyal to the party and those who left it. Documentarian Stanley Nelson presents us with the story behind the birth of a new kind of revolutionary culture at a time when America, perhaps now more than ever, is paying attention.

The evening will also serve as a fundraising benefit for NAACP Portland, as all of the Hollywood Theatre’s box office profits from the screening will be donated to the organization.

In addition to the screening, the evening includes a fundraising raffle for NAACP Portland and a post-film panel moderated by Jo Ann Hardesty (president of NAACP Portland) and featuring Kent Ford (co-founder of the original Portland Black Panther Party), Rev. Dr. LeRoy Haynes (Albina Ministerial Alliance Coalition for Justice and Police Reform and former Black Panther), and Adrienne Cabouet and Tessara Gabrielle Dudley (Black Lives Matter).

The Black Panthers: Vanguard of the Revolution will be screened Thursday, October 8, at 7:00pm at the Hollywood Theatre, 4122 NE Sandy Boulevard. $10. Tickets and more info available HERE.

Header photo courtesy of PDX NAACP.