Public Enemy Click on the image above to view a video clip. Special Events THE 2000 JUNETEENTH FILM FESTIVAL PUBLIC ENEMY WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14, 2000, 7 PM $6 ($3 WALKER MEMBERS) AUDITORIUM MEMBERS PAY HALF PRICE! DIRECTED BY JENS MEURER Today they look like sedate people in their forties, but Kathleen Cleaver, Nile Rodger, Jamal Joseph, and Bobby Seale were at the forefront of militant activism in the 1960s as leading members of the Black Panthers. In this film, Seale returns to the places where he and his colleagues were assaulted by the police, and he tells how some of them were killed in front of his eyes. "We weren't violent at all, but within the rules of law, which allowed arms possession," a still-ardent Seale declares. "We fought for better housing and more job opportunities for blacks." Combining contemporary interview footage with stock images from the height of the Panther era, Public Enemy reveals the human beings behind the movement, many of whom were simply dedicated youngsters only 16 years old when they joined the Panthers. 1999, Belgium/Germany/England/France, 90 minutes. THE 2000 JUNETEENTH FILM FESTIVAL, JUNE 12-19, 2000 IT TAKES A VILLAGE: THE STRUGGLE AND LIBERATION OF THE AFRICAN-AMERICAN COMMUNITY The Emancipation Proclamation signed by President Abraham Lincoln on January 1, 1863, freed African slaves in the states that tried to secede from the Union. Some slave owners, however, chose not to inform their slaves of the news. It was not until June 1865--two and one-half years after the signing of the Proclamation--that slaves in Texas learned of their freedom from bondage, upon the arrival of Union troops in Galveston. In the years since, in cities across the United States, June 19 and the surrounding days are observed as a time for African-American communities to come together to share food, stories, and laughter--and to pause and remember the sacrifices and contributions of those who came before us. Juneteenth, now a legal holiday in the state of Texas, has been called by some the "African-American National Independence Day." For the seventh year in a row, this festival celebrates the spirit of Juneteenth by showcasing films that help us remember the past, examine the present, and find hope for the future. The 2000 Juneteenth Film Festival is organized by the Twin Cities Juneteenth Steering Committee, Independent Feature Project/North, the Minnesota Historical Society, the Minneapolis Institute of Arts, Oak Street Cinema, Jungle Theatre, Minnesota Film Board, the African American Adoption and Permanency and Planning Agency (AAAPPA), Twin Cities AFTRA/SAG, the Walker Art Center, and the Weisman Art Museum. Call the numbers below for information on the following 2000 Juneteenth Film Festival events. Monday, June 12, 7 pm, FREE The Short and the Long of It Weisman Art Museum, 612.625.9494 Friday, June 16-Sunday, June 16, 7 pm, $3-6 Shaft Trilogy Weekend The Heights Theater, 612.788.9079 Tuesday, June 13, 7 pm, FREE Don't Believe the Hyper Retrospective Minnesota History Center, 651.296.6126 Sunday, June 18, 2 pm, FREE The Life and Times of Sara Baartman--The Hottentot Venus The Minneapolis Institute of Arts, 612.870.3203 Thursday, June 15, 7:30 and 9:30 pm, $4.50-6 Carmen Jones Oak Street Cinema, 612.331.3134 Monday, June 19, 7 pm, FREE Cool Blue North Jungle Theatre, 612.338.0871 PROMOTIONAL SUPPORT FOR THIS FESTIVAL HAS BEEN PROVIDED BY KFAI COMMUNITY RADIO--90.3 FM MINNEAPOLIS AND 106.7 FM SAINT PAUL.