RUX LIVE: Rural-Urban Solidarity Project Premieres Aug. 5 + 8

That’s a wrap!

To learn more about the Rural-Urban Solidarity Project films + producers, and to request a screening near you, click here.

Join us on August 5th and August 8th for the premiere screenings of the Rural-Urban Solidarity Project, a film series documenting the widespread racial justice actions of rural Kentuckians in response to the killing of Breonna Taylor in Louisville, and celebrating the legacy of Black Kentuckians across the state. The film series hopes to uplift these stories and inspire greater connection, solidarity, and interdependence across generations + institutions in Kentucky.

RSVP to a premiere near you!

Saturday, August 5th

Tuesday, August 8th

Featured Films + Panelists

Covington - Words I Speak: Solidarity + Resiliency: Expressions of Northern Kentucky solidarity and resilience are captured through storytelling, interviews, photos, and videos featuring the urban river cities of Covington and Newport, and the rural flavor of Elsmere. The segment offers a look back at the past, a context for the Black Lives Matter interruption, and aspirations for transformative changes in the future. Produced by Pamela Mullins and Tony Gordon. With panelists Robin Williams, Chris Brown, Serena Baker-Owen, and Virinda Garland Doddy.

Harlan - Film Synopsis: Harlan County propelled Kentucky to a top 5 coal-producing state in the mid century, and is home to families deeply affected by those extractive systems and the political stereotypes that go with them. Harlan County is also home to the Eastern Kentucky Social Club– a beloved gathering space, annual homecoming for Black Appalachians, and treasure in Black Kentucky history. The Harlan segment highlights the resilience of the Black people in Harlan County: the stories of what they endured, how they overcame these obstacles, and how they stayed strong as a community through it all. Produced by Shaylan Clark, with Appalshop and Josh Mauser (Kertis videographer).

Murray - Ghosts of a Lost Cause: The murder of Breonna Taylor and the failures of the criminal justice system that followed thrust Kentucky into the 2020 Movement for Black Lives, and required us to reckon with persistent racial disparities in social and economic conditions and outcomes. Resistance in Louisville triggered resistance in small communities such as Murray, for the first time in a generation. This segment documents the stories of ordinary citizens who chose to fight in an advocacy desert against the “good ol’ boy” network. The segment explores the quintessential questions - What does it mean to be a Kentuckian? Whose voices and lives matter? What happens when we silence the voices of citizens seeking justice? Produced by Gerry James and Sherman Neal II, videography by Seth Hawkins and Curtis Franklin, with assistance from Josh Mauser (KERTIS). With panelist Rev. Rhondalyn Randolph.

Paducah - Preserving the Past to Build a Better Future: Betty Dobson runs the Hotel Metropolitan, a hotel-turned-museum that hosted superstars like James Brown, Etta James, and Louis Armstrong during their stays in Paducah, Kentucky. In this segment, she talks about Paducah as an epicenter for Black Kentuckians in the early 1900s, the 8th of August (a local version of the Juneteenth holiday), and the importance of preserving and sharing Black history — especially the killings of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd — to create a better future. Produced by Betty Dobson and Taylor Killough with support from Kasper Brightside and Chelsae Ketchum (KERTIS). Edited by Wesley Bacon. With panelist Rhonda McCorry.

Download + share the fliers for the series!

Thank you to our sponsors + partners!

KERTIS Creative, Appalshop, Kentucky Historical Society, The LEE Initiative, Kentucky Foundation for Women

Covington: Life Comes From It (via Tides Foundation), Kentucky Foundation for Women, Telecommunications Board of Northern Kentucky

Harlan: Appalshop, Eastern KY Social Club, Higher Ground in Harlan

Paducah: Hotel Metropolitan

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