Classic Black Cinema Series: Take A Giant Step

551 South Tryon Street,Charlotte NC 28202

11 July, 2021

Description

Enjoy a classic Black film at the Gantt Center for the price of admission ($9), or free for members! Take A Giant Step (1959) Spencer Scott has two problems; he suffers the normal anguish of a teen-ager in the process of growing up with "misunderstanding parents" and is also a black boy in a predominately-white New England town. He is accepted by his white-boy classmates because of his athletic ability, but their parents object to his color. As a Black adolescent navigating a White world, he receives advice from his parents that is often ambivalent. On one hand, they teach him racial pride and self-respect, but they simultaneously advise him to compromise with his white friends and suffer their lack of understanding. One day, he is expelled from school for violently protesting his history teacher's remarks about the shortcomings of black people during the Civil War. Exhausted of the white perspective, he wanders into the black section of town and encounters four prostitutes at a bar. About Classic Black Cinema Series A film series specifically designed as a vehicle to expose the community to the vast artistic value black film has had throughout the years. The goal is to appeal to as diverse a population as possible and further the appreciation of Black cinema. Curator and host, Felix Curtis, came to Charlotte from the Oakland/San Francisco Bay area where he curated The San Francisco Black Film Festival and Black Filmworks, the annual film festival component of the Black Filmmakers Hall of Fame, where he later served as Executive Director. The Harvey B. Gantt Center for African-American Arts + Culture is a multi-disciplinary arts institution in the heart of Charlotte, North Carolina. Founded in 1974 and named for Charlotte civic leader and former mayor Harvey Bernard Gantt, the Gantt Center’s mission is to present, preserve and celebrate excellence in the art, history and culture of African-Americans and those of African descent. Designed by Philip Freelon, co-designer of the new Smithsonian National Museum for African American Art and Culture, the Gantt Center features fine art exhibits from around the world. Visit ganttcenter.org for more information. Harvey B. Gantt Center (Gantt Center) reserves the right to cancel an event due to low enrollment, inclement weather or other circumstances which would interrupt or diminish the overall program experience. If the Gantt Center cancels an event, registrants will be offered a full refund.