Join Us: Edwin Harleston Film Screening & Q&A | Oct. 9
Join us for a special screening of TENACITY, a compelling film exploring the lives and legacies of Edwin Augustus Harleston (1882–1931) and Elise Forrest Harleston (1891–1970).
Trained at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston, Edwin Harleston was a portrait artist and early civil rights activist in Charleston, SC. Together with his wife Elise, a professionally trained photographer, they established The Harleston Studio, dedicated to producing portraits that challenged the misrepresentation of Black Americans in early 20th-century culture.
With original music by Harl Fleming (1916–2007), Edwin’s nephew, this film takes us deep into the artistry, struggles, and triumphs of Teddy and Elise as they pursued their dreams.
The film highlights Harleston’s connection to Fisk University, where shortly before his death, he assisted Aaron Douglas in painting the historic murals in Cravath Hall—an exchange between elder and younger artists that left a lasting mark on American art history.
Special Review:
“The Harleston story, delivered in near-perfect detail, is not just another ‘overdue’ exploration of silenced African American talent and determination; it is a challenge, a warning, to never allow socially-imposed marginalization or overt discrimination to rob us of beauty and genius offered by all groups, ethnicities, and identities. The disciplined, energetic inquiry makes this film a masterclass in asking the right questions of the right people to tell a full, nuanced story.”
— Millicent E. Brown, PhD, U.S. History professor (retired), Civil Rights activist
