"I Will Dance" Tour with Joseph East

It was an incredible trip touring I Will Dance on the Southern Circuit. All of my hosts, as well as the people I was given the opportunity to meet, were welcoming and generous. Below are my top 10 highlights, in no particular order:

1. “I WILL” Cards

At the end of each showing, we handed out cards and invited everyone in the audience to share their stories by writing down a personal commitment. Seeing what people wrote on their cards always touched and inspired me. Here are a few: I WILL live cage free. I WILL strive to be the best I can be. I WILL stand up and stand out. What’s YOURS? 

                      

                                       

2. Central BBQ in Memphis: “Go where the locals go”

I asked them what the best thing on the menu was, and without hesitating the employee said, “you have to try the pork sandwich.” I did. And my tastebuds were happy.

3.The Kentucky Bed and Breakfast

It was unique and antique, with an illuminated stained-glass bed hanging, a trombone on the wall and homemade quiche for breakfast. What’s not to love?

4. The Diversity

One thing I loved about the tour was the wide range of screening venues and audiences. In downtown Memphis, we screened at the beautiful Halloran Centre in their state-of-the-art theatre. The very next venue was an old simple church in a small town. Some audiences were primarily students of color while others were older and white. Every experiences was unique (and terrific!).

5. The Civil Rights Museum

I had an extra day in Memphis, so I decided to spend part of it at the National Civil Rights Museum at the Lorraine Motel where Martin Luther King Jr. was assassinated. To stand in that spot was an unforgettable, emotional experience.

                             
                       

6. Live Music

Remember the old church? As part of the pre-film reception, my hosts went all out by including a live jam session! One bucket-list item crossed off the list…

7. Heartwarming reactions

During a Q&A, one woman grabbed the mic and talked about the courage of the kids in I Will Dance to stand up for what they believed in. Choking back tears and with resolve in her voice, she said, “I want to dance with those kids on the bridge.” The showing was only a couple hours from Selma, where the kids are from and her interest in putting her feet to their cause means more than I can simply express.

8. Seeing friends

Since several showings were within a few hours of Selma, some of the film’s subjects joined for showings and Q&As. Their unique voices and perspectives were a HUGE addition to the experience for the audiences and a big support to me.

9. Feet in the Ocean

When I arrived in Bonita Springs, FL, I had about an hour before the screening, and I knew exactly how to spend it.

10. Meeting Future Storytellers

At the showings, I had the pleasure to meet young people who want to tell stories– to become editors, journalists, directors and more. They are the future, and if the story of I Will Dance inspired any one of them to create, question or dream more, the trip was more than worth it for them alone.

Danielle Beverly from Old South visits Indie Memphis

Filmmaker Danielle Beverly of Old South:

My first stop on The Southern Circuit with Old South was Memphis TN. A dear pal paired me with her Aunt Bess to host me in her Southern memorabilia-filled home. I walked in and was greeted by Monique LeMannequin. Monique and I set a spell and I told her that I was excited to screen that evening hosted by the local film society Indie Memphis. Monique was a great listener, but didn't say much.

Aunt Bess was a gas. After ferrying me to the theatre to do a tech check with great Blu Ray projection at Malco's Studio on the Square, we then hit the town.

Flashback for vintage clothes, the zoo to see the pandas, The Stax Museum, and great food at a Mexican tapas joint across the street.

Stax was a personal mecca, as I worked for years in a record store. This was a meaningful opportunity to learn more about this important place, and the people who made its history, including Otis Redding who left us so young, but with an incredible catalog of music to enjoy forever.

The screening itself was wonderful. A goodly sized audience who had great shares and questions. We continued the conversation out in the lobby. One of my favorite reflections so far from the tour came from a man who offered his one sentence insight: "From kudzu to can do!" Might have to use that as the official logline. Or make t-shirts!

Yvonne Welbon of The New Black - East Tennessee State University, Indie Memphis, and Auburn University

From producer Yvonne Welbon of The New Black:

Working with a small team I oversee The New Black’s Empowering Equality outreach and engagement campaign focused primarily on LGBT, faith and African-American communities. In collaboration with our partner organizations (e.g., Human Rights Campaign, ACLU, Gay-Straight Alliance Network), our national campaign launched in 2013 with a number of initiatives and piloted a series of activities geared toward fostering dialogue, bridge-building and inspiring action. We have focused on three key areas as part of an overarching public education effort. They included 1) Faithbased Initiatives; 2) Institutional and Organizational Development; and 3) Grassroots Organizing encompassing political and legislative advocacy and increasing media visibility. The goals of Southern Circuit Tour align with many of our goals, including our strong desire to reach our goals with communities in the South.

East Tennessee State University 

The first stop on my tour was the Mary B. Martin School of the Arts at East Tennessee State University (ETSU). With The New Black Empowering Equality campaign, our goal is to support the development of diversity and inclusion practices within colleges, universities, corporations, and nonprofit organizations committed to developing and sustaining diverse, inclusive environments.

Working with the fabulous ETSU team that included Associate Dean Anita DeAngelis, Assistant Director Heidi Ehle and RTVF Director Shara Lange I experienced a full day of activities that included a classroom visit, small group critiques, a faculty/staff dinner, the screening of the film and a reception. The team at ETSU garnered quite a bit of press for the event. The film screening was written about in East Tennessean, A! Magazine, The Kingsport Times-News, and Johnson
City Press.

Yvonne Welbon presenting a case study of The New Black to Professor Tammy Hayes RTVF Writing Class. 

Professor Tammy Hayes RTVF Writing Class

Professor Shara Lange arranged a small group critique session with students

Post screening Q & A

The Reception

Indie Memphis

The New Black screened at Malco Studio on the Square in Memphis. The screening attracted a crowd that included members of OutLaw 901, the #1 LGBT Guide to Memphis TN. Members from Cathedral of Praise Church of Memphis decided to bring their Wednesday night Bible Study to the screening. Overall the audience mix helped to create an amazing post screening discussion moderated by Whitney, the Founder of OutLaw 901.

New Black Producer, Yvonne Welbon with members of Cathedral of Praise Church of Memphis

Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art, Auburn University 

My last stop on the Southern Circuit Tour was the beautiful Jule Collins Smith Museum of Fine Art at Auburn University. The screening was open to the public and included students and community members. The audience Q& A focused on topics that ranged from Alabama’s stance on Marriage Equality to the many issues addressed in the film. One young woman in the audience said that the film allowed her to think deeply about the issues in the film and had moved her to shift her position to one that was more open to acceptance. The Q& A moved from the theater to the atrium where we

enjoyed live jazz , good food and great conversation.

Producer, Yvonne Welbon; Museum Curator of Education, Scott Bishop; Audience members Kirk Swiss and Virginia E. O'Leary, Ph.D.; Professor Emerita, Auburn University

Marta Cunningham, Valentine Road - Memphis, TN & Clinton, SC

From Filmmaker Marta Cunningham of Valentine Road:

Coming to the South with the festival put on by South Arts Southern Circuit has been exhilarating! Valentine Road is needed in the South, and I am lucky enough to have been asked Teresa Hollingsworth to accompany the film on the tour.

We started out in Memphis, where one man, so moved by the film, came up after the Q&A at and just gave me the biggest hug with tears in his eyes, and thanked me. He told me how hard it had been for him as a child, growing up gay in the South. He was hopeful for the future, but was conflicted about children coming out early without support, remembering his own horrible stories of violence. He agonized over the time he spent hiding, trying to fit in and wanting to be accepted. Towards to end of our conversation about his own turmoil, he realized that a life in the closet does not guarantee your safety. He now lives out and proud in Memphis. Truly poignant.

Before leaving Memphis, I of course had to try the much talked about Dry Ribs. I ended up closing down the famous Rendezvous and walked through downtown admiring the gorgeous architecture and prominent history. I could not help but think about being on the same street, less than a mile away from the Lorraine Motel and Memorial, where Martin Luther King was killed. I must come back another time to pay tribute. Memphis has not seen the last of me.

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I hopped on a plane and quickly headed to another place I have never been to, Clinton, South Carolina. The minute I picked up my car and headed down the highway through Greenville, I knew I wanted to film there. What a gorgeous landscape!

The screening at the Presbyterian College screening blew me away. The professors engaged their students, some eager to come and others unsure due to the subject matter. Their professors asked them to confront their preconceived notions and come watch the film. It was a full room. The Q&A was inspired and could have gone for hours. A few of the professors wrote to me and said that their classes should be required to watch Valentine Road. These discussions with college students and young adults are the reason I made this film. They are excited for change and they are making it happen. It's wonderful. I definitely want to know more about South Carolina. It will have to be another time though. Off to Pompano Beach!

Katie Damien, My Toxic Backyard - Johnson City & Memphis, TN

The latest updates from filmmaker Katie Damien, touring her film My Toxic Backyard on the Southern Circuit:

Day 5
Soaking up as much of the Florida sun as I can before heading to Johnson City Tennessee tomorrow. Excited to meet the folks at ETSU.

Day 6:

East Tennessee State University turned their screening into an interactive event complete with student lead environmental groups with booths and a selfie station where people could pose in front of a giant poster!  And they drew one of the largest crowds they've ever had for a screening at nearly 200 people. Another successful screening!

Day 7:

Flew into Memphis with just enough time to have some amazing food at a restaurant in an alley, in a basement. I had to circle the block before I could find it, but it was worth it! Can't wait for the screening tomorrow.

Day 8:

Great screening at a real movie theater in Memphis! Saw the national civil rights Museum. It was very moving. What a city.