Kissimmee Film Screening, Oscar Mack versus the Ku Klux Klan

1904 Michigan Avenue,Kissimmee FL 34744

29 April, 2023

Description

Event: The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program presents: Oscar Mack Versus the Ku Klux Klan Event date: April 29, 2023 at 1:00 pm Event Location: Solid Rock Church, 1904 Michigan Ave, Kissimmee, FL 34744 Hybrid Zoom event: https://bit.ly/3HDa6TM The Samuel Proctor Oral History Program in partnership with the Osceola County NAACP bring local history to its source! The 1920s in Florida saw some of the most severe racial violence in the United States, in an era already known as the low-point for race relations. Two years after the Ocoee massacre, the bloodiest day in American political history, and one year before the destruction of Rosewood by a White mob, one Black man stood up to the Ku Klux Klan in Jim Crow Florida. Black WWI Veteran Oscar Mack received a federal appointment as Postmaster in Kissimmee, a job that would come at a price. When White police, angered by his prominence, came after Mack, he used his military training to defend himself. Newspaper reports conflict about what followed. What happened to Oscar Mack? One hundred years later, interviews with Mack’s descendants reveal the true story. Follow the journey of Oscar Mack and his family as he escapes death and travels throughout the country trying to create a new life. Curtis Michelson discovered the puzzle of Mack’s life as a citizen historian in 2013. He brought the story to Professor Julian Chambliss, and they began to co-research Mack’s life with UF students. Michelson, Dr. Chambliss, and SPOHP conducted interviews with descendants of Mack and other families. These interviews inform the production, created by filmmaker Deborah Hendrix. Mack’s story demonstrates the economic basis of racial violence and the necessity of Black resistance to White supremacy. The Life of Oscar Mack aims to reveal the truth and bring closure to everyone affected by this story of bravery and resilience. Sponsors: Samuel Proctor Oral History Program, Bob Graham Center for Public Service, the Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, African American Studies, Black Student Union, George A. Smathers libraries, The Cotton Club Museum and Cultural Center, Inc. Lincoln High School Alumni Association, Office of the Chief Diversity Officer, UCLA Latino Policy and Politics Institute, UF Center for the Study of Race and Race Relations, Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority Inc., Omega Psi Phi Fraternity Inc., All Y'all Social Justice Collective, Putnam Alliance for Equity and Justice, Engage Florida.