Dayton Live Presents John Lewis Film

DAYTON LIVE invites the Miami Valley to join in a nationwide watch, in collaboration with over 60 of the nation's arts and cultural institutions, of the riveting new documentary John Lewis: Good Trouble, which looks at the impact of Representative John Lewis' life and work. Then, on Sept. 21, join a live, interactive online panel discussion about Lewis' history and impact on the social justice struggles of today.

Representative John Lewis of Georgia - Freedom Rider, Congressman, and Presidential Medal of Freedom honoree - served the cause of social justice for decades, both as an elected representative and as a groundbreaking activist who fervently believed in getting into "good trouble, necessary trouble" for the cause of racial equality. The film John Lewis: Good Trouble celebrates Lewis' 60-plus years of activism and legislative action on civil rights, voting rights, gun control, health-care reform, and immigration, through rare archival footage and exclusive interviews with the late Congressman.

The film is available for rent now from Magnolia Pictures at http://bit.ly/GoodTroubleDaytonLive. When renting the film through the special link, $5 of your $12 rental fee will be donated to Dayton Live.

This special rental of the documentary also includes two extra features: A film of an interview Congressman Lewis gave to Oprah Winfrey shortly before his death earlier this year, as well as a one-hour panel, recorded in July, between the documentary's director, Dawn Porter, and two of Lewis's fellow original Freedom Riders, Dr. Bernard Lafayette and Dr. Rip Patton.

After screening the film, audiences are invited to join a live, interactive online panel discussion about Lewis' history and impact on the social justice struggles of today on Sept. 21. Panelists include film director Dawn Porter; Ras J. Baraka, Mayor of Newark, N.J.; Khalil Gibran Muhammad, Professor of History, Race and Public Policy at Harvard Kennedy School and Director of the Institutional Antiracism and Accountability Project; and Lonnie G. Bunch III, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution, who worked extensively with Lewis to establish the Smithsonian's National Museum of African American History and Culture.

The free virtual conversation takes place at 7 p.m. on Monday, Sept. 21, 2020 on Zoom. Registration is available at http://bit.ly/GoodTroubleZoom.

The online conversation and coordinated effort amongst the country's performing arts centers is produced by the New Jersey Performing Arts Center (NJPAC) of Newark, N.J. This event is part of NJPAC's ongoing initiatives designed to offer both a greater understanding of current racial disparities and a forum for learning about the actions all citizens can take to advance the cause of equality.

"As a Freedom Rider, as a member of Congress, as a human being, Representative Lewis fought for social justice throughout his life," said Ty Sutton, Dayton Live's President & CEO. "Participating in the streaming of John Lewis: Good Trouble is one way Dayton Live can use its resources to make sure Black voices are heard right now. What makes this streaming opportunity different is the interactive panel on Sept. 21. Participants will learn even more about Representative Lewis' life and how his experiences are shaping today's social movements."

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