On March 17th, 2013, the filmmakers of ’63 Boycott attended the workshop performance of an opera organized by the Civil Rights Opera titled “Shades of Mississippi”, written and directed by Alan Marshall, at Christ the Mediator Church on Chicago South Side. A really unique idea, the opera was staged as a mass meeting akin to those that took place during the desegregation movement of the 60s. Actors portraying concerned community members spoke up for racial equality and often broke into song, performing right from the audience. Learn more about the Civil Rights Opera.
The filmmakers were able to connect with many of these participants in the 1963 boycott, along with the brothers, sisters, friends and family of boycotters. We met Sylvia Fischer, who helped organize the ’63 Boycott with SNCC and recognized herself in one of our stills, as you see in the video.
Many thanks to former Kartemquin intern Dain Evans for putting this video together. To see more of Dain’s work, visit dainevans.com.