Join us for a free screening of FROM SELMA TO STONEWALL: Are We There Yet? The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Special Guests Rev. Dr. Tommie Lee Watkins, Jr., an openly gay Episcopal priest in Alabama who was interviewed for SELMA, and Rev. Gilbert Caldwell, Executive Producer of SELMA and a lifelong activist in the Civil Rights Movement from the 1964 Mississippi Freedom Summer to the Million-Man March of 1996 as well as a retired United Methodist minister. More details on the documentary here.

(What follows is excerpted from Black Enterprise. Original article.)

Civil Rights and LGBTQ equality movements; are the two similar, or are they fundamentally different? Do they have the same goals? Why are they often in conflict with one another?

A new documentary, From Selma to Stonewall, explores these questions through the journey of two unlikely friends; Gil Caldwell, an 80 year-old, black, heterosexual, retired preacher and civil rights leader and Marilyn Bennet, a 52 year-old, white, lesbian activist and author.

The film is a powerful new documentary that begins by looking at the Civil Rights Movement in Selma and the LGBT Rights Movement that was galvanized at the Stonewall riots, then delves into some of today’s most explosive and discussed subjects: racial injustice, police brutality, transgender discrimination, LGBTQ homelessness, and where those issues intersect.

Together Caldwell and Bennet visit important landmarks for both movements, such as Selma, Alabama—where Caldwell marched with Martin Luther King along with thousands of others—and the Stonewall Inn in New York City, a gay bar and the site of the historical 1969 Stonewall riots that is often referred to as the trigger for the LGBT liberation movement.

“Reverend Gil Caldwell and I want this film to be a catalyst for bringing diverse groups together at the same table on equal footing to recognize our shared humanity and fight for justice,” says the film’s director Bennett, a video biographer and non-profit consultant with a long career in social justice, working with LGBTQ equality and the church.

FAQs

Is there a cost for this event?

No, this event is FREE!

Are there ID or minimum age requirements to enter the event?

No, there is no age requirement.

What are my transportation/parking options for getting to and from the event?

NJ Transit to Asbury Park station. Then walk a few blocks north to Asbury Avenue, then a few blocks east to Trinity Church. Street parking is ample and free.

How can I contact the organizer with any questions?

Please email racialjustice@trinitynj.com with any questions.

Are we meeting inside a church?

No, the screening and discussion will occur in the church gym.