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New McCree Theatre film series offered “because we’re not a free people” yet

Featured photo: Charles Winfrey, executive director of the New McCree Theatre, says many Blacks continue to suffer in many ways, including economically and psychologically.

Written by Tanya Terry

Charles Winfrey, executive director of the New McCree Theatre, selected “Slavery By Another Name” as a film to be presented at the theatre because he feels the history of peonage and sharecropping and how it has affected and still affects Blacks today is a lesson that is much needed.

“Slavery By Another Name” is the story is of the system of forced labor (peonage) imposed upon many, many African Americans following the Emancipation Proclamation and throughout the Jim Crow era.

Douglas A. Blackmon, a Wall Street reporter, wrote the original book the documentary was based on.

“He definitely had a lot of first-hand knowledge about the peonage system.” Winfrey explained. “Some of his ancestors were directly involved in that system as plantation owners and/or on the industrial side.”

The book and documentary depict the life of  Green Cottenham. Cottenham was arrested in 1908 for vagrancy, which was common at the time. Merriam Webster’s dictionary defines a vagrant as one who has no established residence and wanders idly from place to place without lawful or visible means of support.

In “industrial slavery”, Blacks such as Cottenhem were put to work in coal mines or factories following the Emancipation Proclamation.

“You could feel his pain, being subject to that type of torture for so many years, without any degree of compassion, without any human feeling,” Winfrey said.

A discussion will follow the film.

“Discussions are important because it gives you an ability to think. I think the discussion also helps your ability to retain what was in the film. Also, people have different interpretations of what they see. So, it allows participants to come to some sort of consensus of what a particular discussion item in the film might be.”

Winfrey believes one who knows their history can best affect the outcome of their future. When a person doesn’t know their history, they may be doomed to repeat it, according to Winfrey.

“All of the films we select are relevant to our Black history-to our historical experience and conditions…One of the reasons we want to delve into our history is to raise our consciousness about who we are and what we’re about. We’re gone through some grueling experiences historically. We have to know the truth about our history to develop a strong, healthy relationship-self relationship…We decry the lack of Black history being taught, except during that one month of the year…We’re trying to shed truth and light on what we have gone through for the past 400 plus years in this country that leads up to where we are now. We are not a free people…”

For details on this and other New McCree Theatre Film Series features, visit https://www.thenewmccreetheatre.com

Charles Winfrey, executive director of the New McCree Theatre, stands in the theatre where “Slavery By Another Name” will be shown at 2 p.m. Nov. 13.

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