We're Back: Blog posts and tweets will resume shortly, screenings too

Even the most tireless of activists get tired sometimes and Dare Not Walk Alone is no exception. We had to take a couple months off, to regroup, recharge our batteries, and map out the future of the project (not to mention keeping up with days jobs to pay the rent, which an indie film seldom does).

Admittedly, we feel a bit wimpish for taking a break, particularly when we think of the tireless efforts of civil rights campaigners in the early sixties, like the young woman pictured here in St. Augustine, Florida, in 1964. (She is one of the St. Johns County foot soldiers who bravely faced down violent opposition and helped pass the first civil rights act 45 years ago last month, as documented in the film.)

But we also had to ask ourselves some serious questions. Like: Is there still a role for an NAACP award nominated indie film about race in America? Will screening the film help move us forward, closer to the more perfect union of which President Obama speaks and the beloved community of which Dr. King spoke so eloquently?

We think the answers are Yes and Yes. We sat out the Prof. Gates arrest thing but say what you will about the incident and its aftermath, surely it proved we are not yet in a post-racial state of communal harmony.

Now we are set to tour the film in a number of Southern states next month. We will be posting details here shortly. Director Jeremy Dean will be on tour with the film.

Thanks Orlando Sentinel! Rooting for Dare Not Walk Alone

Under the headline "A great Florida film to root for in the NAACP Image Awards Thursday" the Orlando Sentinel film critic Roger Moore had these kind words:

"Dare Not Walk Alone is up against the great Katrina documentary Trouble the Water in the best documentary category at the NAACP Image Awards, airing Tuesday night on BET. but Jeremy Dean's terrific film has a shot."

As previously noted in this blog, Trouble the Water is indeed a fine film and it is already "Oscar Nominated." That has put it on the radar for many people who might otherwise have overlooked it, and that's a good thing. The localized events of Hurricane Katrina, dealt with in Trouble the Water, drew attention to broader American issues and struggles. Likewise, by focusing on the racial conflict in St. Johns County, Dare Not Walk Alone seeks to draw attention to problems encountered across America. We are really looking forward to meeting the folks from Trouble the Water in Los Angeles this week.

Here is what I posted in reply to Roger's piece in the Orlando Sentinel. I'm not sure if all of it appears on the site:

Thanks for the kind comments Roger. To say that Jeremy and the rest of us on this project are thrilled that the film is up for this award would be a huge under-statement. The sense of history this year is almost intoxicating: the Image Awards ceremony is being held on the very same day that the NAACP was founded, 100 years ago (the same day that Lincoln was born, 100 years earlier).

The struggle to create a just and equal society has been long and hard, but it is not over yet. Yes, we have elected the first African American president, and we the people can take pride in that. But even as we take some time this month to honor the brave and heroic achievements of past campaigners for equality, we need to be thinking hard about how we can accomplish the difficult work that still needs to be done.

Dare Not Walk Alone has always been about both of these things, seeking to convey both the raw heroism of those who stood up to segregation and the reality of the present, where injustice still lingers, even as a heart-felt desire for reconciliation begins to emerge. It is our hope that the film will turn that desire into action and a renewed effort to achieve Dr. King's "beloved community." It is not too far out of reach.

Stephen Cobb
Executive Producer