Fred Kudjo Kuwornu

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presents Fred Kudjo Kuwornu Inside Buffalo The Story of unsung African American Heroes of the 92nd Division in World War II Reconstructing for the first time an important piece of African American history and placing it within the context of Civil Rights history, Inside Buffalo tells the story of the 92nd Buffalo Division, the all African- American segregated combat unit that fought with outstanding heroism in Italy during the Second World War. They were called "Buffalo Soldiers," these men fought two wars at the same time, one against the Nazis, the other against racial discrimination. and those who survived found that their contributions went unnoticed upon their return to United Stated of America. Director Fred Kuwornu, an Italian filmmaker of African heritage, searches out little-known aspects of the story, including details of the friendships forged between African American soldiers and the Italian partisan fighters and villagers they liberated from fascist rule. It is a 2008 meeting with Spike Lee - who was shooting "Miracle at St. Anna" on location in Tuscany that inspired Kuwornu to start this very personal voyage of discovery culminating in the powerful documentary. The last living African- American soldier awarded the Medal of Honor in WWII, Vernon Baker, recounts vividly his war- time experiences and the heroism of his unit. Fred Kudjo Kuwornu is a filmmaker, activist, media producer and educator, who was born and raised in Italy and is currently based in Brooklyn. His mother is an Italian Jew and his father is a Ghanaian surgeon who has lived in Italy since the 1960s. Kuwornu holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Mass Media from the University of Bologna. He started his career as a DJ and producer. Later in his youth, he moved to Rome where he began working as a television writer for the Italian public network RAI. Kuwornu is the writer and director of three award-winning documentaries: 18 Ius Soli (2011), Inside Buffalo (2010), Blaxploitalian (2016). This event is free and open to the public. colorado.edu/frenchitalian .

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