The University of Memphis Meeman Matters Newsletter of the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media April 2019

WHAT’S Documentary examines INSIDE issues, activism in Memphis Accreditation renewed once more ❱❱ 2

Ad award named for Utt ❱❱ 3

Students earn online news honors ❱❱ 3

Waters joins Institute ❱❱ 3

JRSM awards a big hit ❱❱ 4

WUMR gives PHOTO BY WILL SUGGS radio skills for Journalism student Caleb Suggs interviews professor Otis Sanford as part of the documentary students ❱❱ 5 Once More at the River: From MLK to BLM. The film premiered in January 2019. BY WILLIAM SUGGS Museum and found colleagues to collab- Jemele Hill orate at the UofM. They included journal- packs in a The documentary film “Once More At ism professor Joe Hayden and Department crowd ❱❱ 6 The River: From MLK to BLM,” which exam- of History chair Aram Goudsouzian. “Ev- ined activism in Memphis since the Civil erything happened pretty quickly,” Coche Rights Movement, premiered on Jan. 22 to said. She decided on the theme in late 2016, 'A Spy in a full house at the UofM’s UC Theatre. and by early February 2017, the group had Canaan' gets Roxane Coche, the film’s director and one submitted its first grant proposal. notice ❱❱ 7 of its producers, said the idea for the docu- Faculty and students of the University of mentary came in 2016 upon the realization Memphis’ departments of Journalism and Student ad that the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther Strategic Media and History helped produce King, Jr.’s assassination was approaching. the film, which also received a grant and team scores “Social justice and civil rights are such support from organizations including the high ❱❱ 8 an important topic that I decided to pitch National Civil Rights Museum and Human- the idea for a full-length documentary in- ities Tennessee. stead of a single class,” Coche said. Coche talked to the National Civil Rights ❱❱ CONTINUED PAGE 8 FROM THE CHAIR Meeman Matters Department again gets top April 2019 marks with reaccreditation Vol. 3, Issue 3 n late April, I flew to Chicago for memphis.edu/jrsm the meeting of the Accrediting David Arant, Ph.D. Council for Education in Jour- A publication of the I Chair, nalism and Mass Communication. Department of Journalism and The accrediting council reviewed Journalism and Strategic Media, 300 Meeman, the report of a four-person site Strategic Media University of Memphis, 3711 team, which visited our campus in Veterans Ave., Memphis, TN, January. After spending four days After measuring many indi- 38152. examining our faculty, students, cators of learning outcomes, the budget and facilities, Professor Joe faculty reviews them each year Foote, the site-team leader, con- to see how well our curriculum is cluded that our department was preparing our students for the me- Department Chair “playing in the big league.” The dia professions. When we discover David Arant council affirmed the site-team’s weaknesses, we implement cur- finding that our undergraduate ricular changes to strengthen our Assistant Chair programs were in full compliance programs. Sandra Utt on all nine standards and voted for In addition to ACEJMC accredita- our reaccreditation. The Department tion of all three majors, our public Administrative Asst. of Journalism and Strategic Media relations program undergoes a Teri Hayslett has been accredited by ACEJMC since separate examination as part of its 1971 and undergoes a reaccredita- Public Relations Society of Amer- Faculty tion process every six years. ica certification. In February a Robby Byrd, Tori Cliff, Teri Del I appreciate the reviewers’ affir- two-person PRSA site team spent Rosso, Pam Denney, Matt mation of what I already know: we three days with our public relations Haught, Joe Hayden, Tom have a talented, hard-working and faculty and students. The Universi- Hrach, Melissa Janoske, Kim dedicated faculty leading dynamic ty of Memphis is one of only a few Marks, Michael Robinson, Otis programs that are graduating excel- public relations programs that has Sanford, Ruoxu Wang, Jin Yang lent media professionals equipped earned both ACEJMC accreditation for success in their jobs. As part of and PRSA certification. Adjunct faculty our assessment, we measure student Two of our professors, assistant Brittany Block, Audrey Chaney, outcomes. Each semester we ask chair Sandy Utt and internship co- Casey Hilder, Megan Mallicoat, outside professionals to review the ordinator Matthew Haught, led the Joel Nichols, Andrea Wiley portfolios of our graduating seniors. yearlong self-study of our under- We survey recent graduates about graduate programs that yielded in Graduate assistants job placement and perceptions of a 200-page analysis of all aspects of Louis Asser, Javari Burnett, how prepared they are for their me- our undergraduate programs. I am Dana Cooper, Addie James, dia positions. grateful for their leadership of our Garrett Pilgrim, Will Suggs As part of program assessment, assessment program. we also survey internship supervi- After teaching for 35 years at the Institute for Public sors to learn how well the students University of Memphis, Dr. Utt is Service Reporting are prepared for their work. Our stu- retiring this semester. Her dedica- Marc Perrusquia, Katrina Smith, dents are getting excellent intern- tion to the department and to the David Waters ships in Memphis and throughout advertising program are without the nation. This year our students equal. We will miss her. The only Daily Helmsman have had great internships in Mem- good thing about her departure Candy Justice, Chris Sheffield, phis (for example, AutoZone, Inter- is that we have hired an excellent Sharon Whittaker national Paper, Commercial Appeal, replacement to teach advertising ALSAC/St. Jude) and beyond Mem- for us, Joel Nichols. I’ve asked Dr. Meeman Matters Editor phis (including Chicago, New York, Haught to assume that Dr. Utt’s Tom Hrach Spain and Cambodia). For many role as assistant chair. [email protected] students, these internships turn into David Arant is chair of the Department permanent positions. of Journalism and Strategic Media.

2 I MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 NEWS BRIEFS AEJMC SOUTHEAST COLLOQUIUM

Retiring Sandra Utt Grad student takes high honor gets name on ad award at conference; two others present In honor of the decades of ser- Three graduate journalism stu- vice to the Department of Journal- dents were recognized on March 8 ism and Strategic Media, Sandra at the 2019 AEJMC Southeast Col- Utt was honored with the naming loquium in Columbia, South Caro- of an award in her name. lina, for their research work, and Utt, who is retiring in spring one student took a top award at 2019, is now the namesake for the the conference. Outstanding Advertising Student Garrett Pilgrim was recognized award, which is given each spring for submitting the top student re- to the best student in the advertis- search paper in the Visual Com- ing major. The award is now the Dr. munication Division. He present- Sandra Utt Outstanding Advertis- ed his research paper titled “Holy ing Student Award. Smokies! Information Design, Hu- mor, and Trail Safety.” Students take awards The paper examined the role hu- UofM graduate student Garrett Pilgrim for online news reporting mor can play in creating informa- is recognized for his research by the tional graphics to educate people University of South Carolina’s Tom Six UofM journalism students about how to safely enjoy national Reichert at the AEJMC Southeast were honored for their online mul- parks. Colloquium on March 8. timedia reporting work on April Also presenting research was 27 in Nashville as part of the 2018 Jordin Howell. Howell presented Tennessee AP College Contest. her research paper titled “Out of designs on how to convey the seri- Recognized as finalists were Alex the Shadows: Female Representa- ousness of hurricane warnings. Talley and Maisa Jabi for “March to tion in ‘Shadow of the Tomb Raid- Also participating in the con- the Polls: Activists Focus Energies er.’” The research examined how ference at the University of South on November’s Midterm Ballot” in the main character Laura Croft of Carolina were faculty members the online multimedia package cat- the new Tomb Raider video game Matt Haught and Tom Hrach. egory. In the online investigative/ is portrayed much differently Haught presented research about in-depth reporting category were than in earlier games. visual communication degree cap- Jurnee Taylor and Collins Peeples The third student, Will Suggs, stones and Hrach presented work for “With Few Options, Homeless presented his research paper from his book about the Kerner Women in Memphis Struggle with “Come Wind or High Waters: Commission report. Lack of Shelter.”As top online Re-imagining Hurricane Reorga- The UofM will host the same re- multimedia journalists were Bailey nization.” The research offered gional research event on March 19 Clark and Kim Rix for “Memphis some new insights into graphic to 21, 2020. Skaters Look for a Way to Bring Creativity Back to the Sport.”

2 advertising students Top journalist joins UofM reporting institute earn national honors Award-winning Memphis jour- mercial Appeal. Jennifer Nichols and Cynthia nalist David Waters The Institute was started in Castor, two advertising seniors, joined the staff of 2018 to provide independent in- were honored Feb. 13 at American the Institute for vestigative reporting and in-depth Advertising Federation’s “Building Public Service Re- explanatory journalism on issues Bridges for Our Future Luncheon” porting on March 1 of importance while also provid- at the Roosevelt Hotel in New York as assistant direc- ing hands-on training to UofM City. tor. students. Sponsored by the AAF, the Most Waters, 60, joins Waters work, along with the Promising Multicultural Students the institute after WATERS work of the rest of the Institute, is program recognizes the top 50 ad- a 35-year career in published in The Daily Memphian, vertising students in the country. journalism mostly at The Com- an online news publication.

MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 I 3 Awards event recognizes top scholars, students, future media professionals The annual JRSM Awards event creativity; Julia Gerber for outstand- attracted about 150 people to the ing web designer; Hira Qureshi and Penny Hardaway Athletics Hall of Reagan Andrews, honorable mention Fame Building on April 17 and fea- outstanding web designer; Logan Pe- tured awards top scholars and stu- terson for outstanding multimedia dents in the department. storyteller; Lydian Kennin and Pau- Recognized as top scholars were line Kopf for honorable mention out- Paul D’Ambrosio and Dana Cooper as standing multimedia storyteller; Ally outstanding graduate students; Jen- Cool for Outstanding Media designer nifer Nichols and Cynthia Castor as of the year; Saira Sikandar, Logan Pe- the Dr. Sandra Utt Outstanding Ad- terson, Keely Grady and Corrine Bald- vertising Students; Kix Patterson and win for honorable mention outstand- Ally Cool as the outstanding creative ing media designer; Chelcee Arnold mass media students; Catherine Le- PHOTOS BY CURT HART for PR Rookie of the Year Memphis; vasseur and Nick Lingerfelt as the Sandra Utt recognizes Cynthia Castor Madison Michael for PR Rookie of the Otis Sanford Outstanding Journalism with the Dr. Sandra Utt Outstanding Year Lambuth; Julia Baker for Journal- Students; Regina Hayes as outstand- Advertising Student award after giving ism Rookie of the Year; Jasmine Abuan ing Memphis public relations stu- the same award to Jennifer Nichols. for Advertising Rookie of the Year; Ja- dent; Hannah Fanning as outstand- cob Simmons for Creative Mass Media ing online public relations student; Rookie of the Year; Elizabeth Porter Ryan Woods as outstanding Lambuth for Ron Spielberger Advertising Cre- public relations student. ative Achievement Award and out- Recognized for student leader- standing researcher; Kirtland Jenkins ship were Julia Mendez as Ameri- for Outstanding Media Plan; Walter can Advertising Federation Student Whitsett for Outstanding Experien- Chapter Leadership Award; Nick tial Marketing; Nuha Abdelwahab, Lingerfelt as The Daily Helmsman Nikalen Billington and Ahsiahna Ford Editor-in-Chief Spring 2019; Mor- for best logo; Cole Creasy and Madelyn gan Perkins as Meeman 901 Strat- Fraser for Best Print Advertising; Fari- egies Leadership 2018-19; Kimber- Catherine Levasseur is recognized za Mayores for Best Outdoor Advertis- ly Rodriguez as NABJ Ida B. Wells by Joe Hayden with the Lurene Kelley ing; Shyla Harrah for Best Outdoor Award for Outstanding Leadership Video Story Award. Advertising runner-up; John Watkins, 2019; Kasha Austin as PRSSA Mem- Jennifer Nichols and Julia Mendez for phis Leadership 2019; and Caleb Investigative Journalism Award; Caleb Best Ad Campaign; John Watkins for Suggs as Tiger News Leadership. Suggs for 1st place Lurene Kelley Video best copy writing. Achievement awards went to Caleb Story Award; Catherine Levasseur for Student media awards went to Sa- Suggs for the CCFA Dean’s Academic 2nd place Lurene Kelley Video Story brina Davis for The Daily Helmsman Achievement Award; Dana Cooper for Award; William Sanders for 3rd place Reporting Newshound Award; Blake the Graduate Dean’s Creative Achieve- Lurene Kelley Video Story Award; Fussell for The Daily Helmsman Best ment Award; Cynthia Castor and Jenni- Chelcee Arnold for Public Relations News Reporting; Louis Asser for the The fer Nichols for the AAF Most Promising Textbook Award 2019; Haley Wildridge Daily Helmsman Reporting Best Feature Multicultural Student; William Sand- for best press release and best long fea- Writing Award; Liaudwin Seaberry Jr. ers for 1st place Elinor Kelley Grusin ture; Sara Owens for best case study for The Daily Helmsman Best Newcom- Excellence in Writing Award; Reagan and best visual PR; Ashley Shaller for er Award; Jessica Holmes and Amber Andrews for 2nd place Elinor Kelley internship work. Dean for the Tiger News - Outstanding Grusin Writing Award; Anna Turman Other awards went to Dakota Dedication Award; Ryan Coleman for for 3rd place Elinor Grusin Writing Smith for The Saul Brown Press-Scim- the Tiger News - Broadcast Achievement Award; Catherine Levasseur for 1st itar Award For Outstanding Photo- Award; other Tiger News awards went to place Marc Perrusquia Investigative journalism; William Sanders for The William Suggs, Morgan Perkins, Ayan- Journalism Award; Nick Lingerfelt for Saul Brown Press-Scimitar Award na Washington, Ben Sawyers, Sabrina 2nd place Marc Perrusquia Investiga- For Outstanding Newspaper Report- Davis, Erin Cooper, Matthew Burnham, tive Journalism Award; Raven Cope- ing & Editing; Jacob Rice for Nathan Lauren Wright, Tyler Bennett, Joshua land for 3rd place Marc Perrusquia Josel Memorial Fund for journalistic Vinson, Zack Boyd and Raven Moore.

4 I MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 Q&A: WUMR great student media option for real journalism at UofM While most journalism students in the Department of Journalism and Strategic Media focus their attention on student media such as The Daily Helmsman and Tiger News, there is another option. Zack Boyd, journalism student who graduated in the spring semes- ter, took a different path in his UofM academic career. Boyd, 25, spent his time working at the campus radio station, WUMR 92 FM, and currently serves as the sports director. Boyd started working at the sta- tion in fall 2013 working as an on- air personality and also volunteered his time helping out the station, which is located on the ground floor of the Theatre Building Boyd talked about his time work- ing there and how the station bene- fits journalism students. Q: What got you involved with the radio station? A: “(A classmate) told me, ‘Yeah, we’ve got a radio station on cam- pus that you can come and do radio PHOTO WILL SUGGS broadcasts. You just come in. You Journalism student Zack Boyd works his shift as sports director for WUMR want to sit in and listen to the show? 92 FM, the campus radio station at the UofM. Then you want to come in the next time, and you want to get involved? fer over to podcasting? the phone. It was a big development We can do that.’” A: “Yeah. You have to hear your for me to kind of get out of.” Q: Why do you think a lot of voice and how you sound behind Q: For students who might be journalism students don’t take the microphone. I know that (Jour- interested, but not necessarily in part in the radio productions? nalism and Strategic Media) has sports, what can they do at the ra- A: “It’s lower in the pecking order a studio on the second floor and dio station? as far as journalism or communica- they offered a class, but you can A: “They want more students to tion types of skill sets. I feel like they go to the station and start there as join whether you’re into sports or tend to forget that we do have a ra- well. It’s important to hear your you just want to get broadcasting dio station that journalism students voice and hear how you fluctuate experience. They have DJ spots for can get on-air experience with. And different tones and how you say students available to come in and then I feel like with students — you different things so that when you learn how to run the board, play mu- have to be committed to doing this. go back into it, you can do it a lit- sic, being able to talk on air, and all Students don’t get paid for sports tle bit differently. You’ll be a little of this in like two hours, or however unless it’s my position, so those stu- more professional about it.” long depending on your schedule. dents are volunteering their time to Q: Overall, what are the biggest It’s open to students, and it’s open go to the station and perfect their things that working at the radio to their schedule. You don’t have to craft.” station has given you as a profes- be a sports broadcaster to join the Q: There are students interest- sional, skill-wise? radio station.” ed in podcasting. Do you think A: “Gathering information, con- that participating and getting sistency, getting out of your shell, — INTERVIEW CONDUCTED experience in radio would trans- talking for more than 30 seconds on BY WILLIAM SUGGS

MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 I 5 Jemele Hill talks career, Twitter fame at First Amendment Lecture BY OLIVIA STEWART

Sports journalist Jemele Hill in- spired UofM students with her passion and perseverance for jour- nalism during her remarks at the Eighth Annual Norm Brewer First Amendment Lecture on March 12 at the University Center. Hill, a 21-year veteran of jour- nalism, is known for her work with ESPN and her role as co-anchor on “SportsCenter” with Michael Smith. But it was a tweet she made about President Donald Trump on Sept. 11, 2017, calling him a “white suprema- cist” that made her a national figure. That tweet and another tweet about an NFL team owner played a role in her being suspended and then later parting ways with ESPN. But she said she had no regrets about her leaving the network in late 2018 be- cause journalists sometimes have to say things that are unpopular. “Tell the truth bravely, even if it makes people uncomfortable,” Hill said. PHOTOS BY TOM HRACH The lecture attracted a crowd fill- Jemele Hill listens to questions during her presentation during the eighth annual ing more than 450 chairs set up in Norm Brewer First Amendment Lecture on March 13 at the UC ballroom. the UC Ballroom. The annual lecture is named for the late Memphis jour- addition to writing for The Atlantic, nalist Norm Brewer to discuss issues she went into business with her best in journalism. friend Kelley Carter and is producing It was on the morning of Oct. 10, a podcast titled “Unbothered.” 2017, when Hill’s career took an un- “She took a huge blow to her ca- usual twist when she became the reer in front of the entire coun- subject of a tweet from Trump. It try and somehow turned it into an read, “With Jemele Hill at the mike, amazing, positive opportunity,” it is no wonder ESPN ratings have Whitney Waits-Easley of Brighton, People line up to ask questions after ‘tanked,’ in fact, tanked so badly it Tennessee, said after the speech. Jemele Hill’s presentation. is the talk of the industry!” “That, to me, is really inspiring and The dispute immediately blew two weeks in fall 2017. Hill departed proves how important determina- up. Hill said she saw her name on ESPN in 2018. tion is in this field.” every TV screen when she went to “ESPN and I were two people that Rolling Stone recently named Hill her favorite steakhouse that night. loved and respected one another one of 20 women who are shaping Hill continued to tweet about so- but had no business being togeth- the future. Hill’s podcast “Unboth- cial issues including a tweet encour- er,” Hill said about her decision to ered” debuted on Spotify on April 8. aging fans to boycott advertisers leave. “I needed the freedom to cre- “I left feeling inspired to chase my who support the Dallas Cowboys af- ate without corporate interest.” dreams and to be confident enough ter that team’s owner said he would The social media crisis and sus- to tell the truth. Jemele Hill is a great bench any player who refused to pension ended up being a blessing in example of what a journalist should stand for the national anthem. That disguise, and Hill said she was able to be and I hope I can compare to her led to her suspension from ESPN for find work that truly inspired her. In one day,” Waits-Easley said.

6 I MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 ‘A Spy in Canaan’ brings positive attention to new Public Service Reporting Institute BY WILLIAM SUGGS

The creation of the Institute for Public Service Reporting at the Uni- versity of Memphis has brought new attention to Marc Perrusquia’s 2018 book “A Spy in Canaan,” which tells the hidden story of Memphis civil rights photographer Ernest Withers. The book, which came out in March 2018, has been well received by critics and reviewers. Perrusquia, who heads the Institute, discussed his book and the issue of FBI surveillance with Jour- nalism and Strategic Media faculty on March 29 saying that the story of With- ers is one that needs to be told. “This whole history of the FBI spying on Americans – there’s quite PHOTO BY TOM HRACH a bit known generally about it,” Marc Perrusquia discusses his book “A Spy in Canaan” with the faculty and Perrusquia said. “But when you get students in Journalism and Strategic Media on March 29. down into the specifics in differ- ent communities about what they “There was a file on (Withers) dogged research and a bold lawsuit were doing, there are these hidden from the late ’70s,” Perrusquia said. backed by the Commercial Appeal,” secrets that have been tucked away “In that file there was a background referencing the lawsuit that Per- for decades and no one really knows report that referred to Earnest as rusquia and The Commercial Appeal what was going on. So, I was able to having formally been designated had to file in 2010 against the FBI in pull the cover off a lot of this and ‘ME338-R’ which is an informant order to gain access to files that the write about this hidden history. number, a source number, that’s FBI would not release. This book tells of how Withers assigned directly to him.” The book has gotten national served as an FBI informant tasked Perrusquia said that type of infor- publicity after reviews appeared in with keeping tabs on civil rights ac- mation should have been redacted but The New York Times and The Wall tivists and leaders in Memphis from never was, possibly from human error. Street Journal. the late 1950s and into the 1960s. He was then able to obtain other docu- Yet the book’s greatest weight Because Withers was well-known in ments that linked the informant num- remains in Memphis because it is the movement, he was able to get ac- ber to photographs and information about a Memphis man who chose to cess that others could not. But what provided by Withers to the FBI. work for the FBI to spy on people in was not known until Perrusquia’s Withers was a valuable asset to the Memphis. The point of this book is reporting was that Withers was FBI in Memphis because Withers, a not to attack or defend Withers or paid by the FBI as an informant. black man acquainted with the Civil the FBI but point out reasons for the Perrusquia, 59, came to the Uni- Rights Movement and African Amer- actions of the government. versity in July 2018 after more than ican community, could move around “You have to understand the pe- 30 years at The Commercial Appeal, and gather information with much riod and the time,” Perrusquia said. which is where he began his initial more ease and less suspicion than “It was the Cold War and a lot of the reporting on Withers. any member of the mostly white FBI. leaders and citizens were freaked Perrusquia said the inspiration The information that Perrusquia out about Communism. It seems for the book and investigation came provides in his book exposes long- kind of funny in a way looking back when he was told by a source in kept secrets about the government’s now, but these were deep-seated 1995 that Withers had worked with role in the Civil Rights Movement. fears that a lot of Americans had.” the FBI as an informant. He later ob- Aram Goudsouzian, chair of the “A Spy in Canaan” was published by tained files via a public records re- UofM Department of History, called Melville House Publishing. It is avail- quest from the FBI confirming that the book, “a triumph of investigative able for purchase at mhpbooks.com Withers was an informant. reporting, the product of the author’s and amazon.com and in bookstores.

MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019 I 7 HOT DOGS — ANY WAY. ANY DAY. Student ad team scores high at district MOBILE, Ala. — The University of The UofM team developed an ad- Memphis National Student Adver- vertising strategy based around the tising Competition team finished tagline “Any Way. Any Day.” The fifth at the annual regional compe- goal was to promote hot dogs as a tition conducted on the weekend of delicious food made any way or at April 12 and 13. any time of the day. Students from around the South Even though the UofM was not compete every spring with winners the top school, it was only a few going onto the national competition. points from the winner. The com- The UofM is in District 7. Student petition finished with Alabama PHOTO BY RUOXU WANG teams are scored on their presenta- 64; LSU 63; ETSU 61; MTSU 60; and The NSAC team from left: T’Yanna tions. This year’s client was Wiener- Memphis 59, with others following. Woods, Julia Mendez, Walt Whitsett, schnitzel, a chain of hot dog restau- Winners of the district competi- Liz Porter, Kirt Jenkins, Dr. Sandra rants, and the goal for the teams was tions around the country compete Utt, Peyton Whitehead, Kathleen to come up with a plan to convince in the national competition, which is Blackwell, John Watkins, Cassidy Cock- the public to eat more hot dogs. set for June 6-7 in Hollywood, Florida. rell, Cynthia Castor and Jennifer Nichols.

that still exists in Memphis as well as Documentary the motivation young people possess to keep striving for equal rights. highlights links “I think they’ll benefit by under- standing that it’s OK to be an activ- from King’s life to ist,” Sanford said. “To get involved, to let your feelings be heard, to exer- Black Lives Matter cise your First Amendment right to ❱❱ CONTINUED FROM PAGE 1 peaceably assemble and to protest, there’s nothing wrong with that.” Coche said that a total of 28 people Coche said a teaching guide pro- were interviewed for the documentary. duced with the help of the UofM “We interviewed ‘activists’ in the College of Education is available large sense of the term,” Coche said. on the documentary website, “Some people called themselves or- oncemoreattheriver.com, and oth- ganizers rather than activists. Others er schools across the country are may be journalists or professors.” being asked if they would be inter- The film also utilized interviews ested in screening the film for their with politicians and anyone who local areas. was interested in the fight for social Suggs said that the documentary is justice. Some interviewees were old in the process of becoming available to enough to have marched with King the general public for free, so that any in 1968 while others were not even tion of this documentary,” Suggs educational institution or community born then. said. “All it does is showcase and put organization that requests use of it will “Ultimately, we wanted to focus on display what Memphis has been be able to do so. on their story to uncover how activ- through and where it started, and “People can request viewing ism has evolved in the city, and how it does that through not just the im- across the country,” Suggs said. it has shaped it, too,” Coche said. ages in the past, but the people that “Anyone who wants to educate peo- Caleb Suggs, a journalism stu- lived through them.” ple or inform their community can dent and one of the documentary’s Nearly 300 people attended the use this around the country and producers, said this documentary premiere. Otis Sanford, a journal- probably even around the world just highlights Memphis history be- ism professor at the University of to show people not just what’s going cause it is Memphis history. Memphis, said that the documentary on in Memphis, but things they can “Memphis history is the founda- serves as a portrayal of the activism do in our world to make it better.”

8 I MEEMAN MATTERS I APRIL 2019