Wake Forest and WSSU bring Black history into conversation through film

Wake Forest University and Winston-Salem State University are collaborating to bring two new documentaries about Black history to the community, followed by a discussion with the filmmakers and people who experienced this history directly. The partnership brings together faculty, staff and programs across both institutions.

The films explore two moments in North Carolina history with broader connections to the civil rights movement. In 1969, Winston-Salem became the first city in the South to establish a Black Panther Party chapter, running free ambulance services, eviction protection and community health programs that reshaped the city for a generation. Six years later, just a few hours east, 20-year-old Joan Little became the first woman in U.S. history to be acquitted for using deadly force to resist sexual assault, sparking a national movement that brought together Angela Davis, Rosa Parks and civil rights activists across the country.

When WSSU proposed the collaboration, Daniel Rose, associate professor in the Department of Behavioral Sciences, helped lead the effort. His research on race, urban sociology and social stratification speaks directly to the histories the films explore. Wake Forest’s Academic Community Engagement (ACE) program provided a natural home for the collaboration. 

ACE Fellow Mir Yarfitz, associate professor of History, helped develop the project, while Walker coordinated support across several Wake Forest programs. Planning brought together an intentionally interdisciplinary group at Wake Forest, including Jennifer Greiman, director of the Humanities Institute and professor of English; Chris Zaluski, assistant teaching professor in the Documentary Film Program; and Christina Soriano, vice provost for the Arts and Interdisciplinary Initiatives. Zaluski and Soriano serve together as co-directors of Wake the Arts.

“What’s especially meaningful about this collaboration is the opportunity to bring together departments, programs, campuses and the broader community to hear directly from people who lived this history,” said Director of Community Partnerships and Experiential Learning Allison Walker.

Screenings of Power to the People, Y’all and Free Joan Little will take place Monday, Sept. 14, at 7 p.m. in Dillard Auditorium at Winston-Salem State University. The event is free and open to both campuses. Following the screenings, filmmakers Tressie McMillan Cottom and Yoruba Richen will join Larry Little, former leader of the Winston-Salem Black Panther Party and retired WSSU professor, for a moderated discussion on the power of community organizing, then and now.

Students in need of transportation to the event may contact the Office of Civic & Community Engagement at .

The Office of Civic & Community Engagement ACE Program, Wake the Arts, and the Humanities Institute serve as co-sponsors for the screening and discussion.