Last night I attended the world theatrical premier of Free Angela at the Schomburg Center in Harlem.
The room was packed with Hollywood and entertainment luminaries including Will and Jada Smith, Ruby Dee, Sonia Sanchez, Amiri Baraka, Harry Belafonte, Hakim Green, and Common, to name but a few.
Along with about 150 others, we watch rapt, as two tumultuous years of Angela Davis’ life, and an equally tumultuous period for Black people in America, played out on the big screen.
The Director, Shola Lynch, used Free Angela to transport viewers into events that my generation was too young to remember, but for many, represented a glimpse into the not too distant past.
Where the struggle for equal rights, equal treatment under the law, and equal opportunity was a daily, hard fought one.
Where the assassinations of Medgar Evers, Malcolm X, and Martin Luther King, Jr., were still freshly etched on the Black psyche.
Where the Black Panthers stood not for militants, but rebellion against the oppressive discriminatory treatment of people of color worldwide.
But the story of Free Angela is not, I repeat NOT about Black people – lest my white readership be shook.
It’s about how this relatively unknown intellectual became a global icon and one of the most recognizable figures of her era.
It’s the story of the lengths the government went to capture, arrest and try a woman they deemed a terrorist threat.
And the remarkable courage of a defense team, Angela Davis, and countless supporters worldwide fighting for her freedom and ultimate acquittal.
I’m just flapping my gums and not getting to the point…which is….
GO SEE FREE ANGELA AND ALL POLITICAL PRISONERS!
The movie comes out this Friday, April 5th to select AMC theaters nationwide.
I say “select theaters” because its a documentary.
And as such, it’s not gong to get the same theatrical run as say, G.I. Joe, or Jackass or The Croods.
You know, quality theatrical fare.
So you may not find it at a theater near you.
But if you don’t see it in your local movie listings, all is not lost!
You can Tugg it!
What’s Tugg?
It’s like on-demand at theaters.
Tugg lets you bring the movies you want to see to theaters in your area by arranging screenings.
Through the Tugg.com website, you can request that a movie be screened at your local theater.
Using Tugg is an easy four-step process:
- Request a screening. Let the folks at Tugg know that you want to see Free Angela and they’ll set you up with the tools to get your screening on and popping.
- Spread the word. Let your folks know that you’re bringing Free Angela to a local theater and to reserve their tickets. Tugg has all the social media plugs you’ll need to spread the word far and wide.
- Meet the threshold. Step 2 is uber importante because if your folks don’t reserve enough tickets, the movie won’t be screened. And that would suck.
- Enjoy the show. No explanation needed.
Now you’ve got to set up an account in order to user the service, but the minor inconvenience is well worth it.
And once you’ve created your event, all you’ve got to do is promote it to your peeps.
How simple is that?
Anyway, now you know Tugg, how to use it, and what you need to do if you can’t find Free Angela on Friday.
Please forgive my gushing like a schoolgirl earlier.
It might have been my proximity to all the superstars at the screening and after party at Red Rooster.
But Free Angela was dope.
So if there’s no local theater showing it, remember: Tugg it!
Stephen Chukumba 