During February 2025, the Office of Mission Integration and Institutional Belonging hosted a powerful three-part Black History Month Film Series that explored the intersections of Black labor, resistance, and triumph. Each screening was followed by dialogue that invited participants to reflect on history, justice, and collective resilience.
The series opened with Farming While Black, an inspiring documentary that illuminated the rich agricultural legacy of Black farmers in the United States. Attendees engaged with stories of historical struggle, systemic barriers, and a renewed movement reconnecting Black communities to the land. The film emphasized how farming has served not only as a livelihood, but also as an act of resistance, healing, and community restoration.
The second screening, 10,000 Black Men Named George, highlighted the groundbreaking leadership of A. Philip Randolph, Milton P. Webster, and Ashley Totten in forming the first Black-led labor union in the United States. The film traced the courageous fight of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters as they challenged racial and economic injustice in early twentieth-century America, offering a compelling narrative of organizing, perseverance, and solidarity.
The series concluded with The Killing Floor, a gripping historical drama centered on Black workers’ struggle for union rights within Chicago’s meatpacking industry. The film powerfully depicted the harsh realities of labor exploitation and the pursuit of dignity and justice, leaving participants with a deeper understanding of the enduring legacy of labor activism within Black history.