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News :: Miscellaneous |
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"The Killing Floor" Draws Big Crowd |
Current rating: 0 |
by Mike Lehman
(No verified email address) |
07 Feb 2001
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In recognition of Black History Month, the first movie in film series being sponsored on the U of I campus by Socialist Forum, "The Killing Floor", drew more than 125 people to the lounge at Allen Hall on Monday night, Feb. 5. |
The movie, starring Alfred Woodard, Moses Gunn, and Damien Leake, was set in the struggles to organize stockyard workers in Chicago in 1918-1919. It examines the race and class conflicts that workers faced from the point of view of a black immigrant from Mississippi. Tensions escalate when forces of racism stir up trouble among the hard-pressed workers and ultimately result in the 1919 Chicago race riot.
Clarence Lang, a UI historian and member of the Black Radical Congress, introduced the film and led an interesting discussion after the film on the issues of race and class that were raised by the film. This discussion was recorded by the IMC and is available for listening at the IMC.
A detailed study, by Rick Halpern, of the relationship between race relations and unionization in Chicago's meatpacking industry is available the from the UI Press at the link below.
Watch the IMC website for announcements of the dates of future movies in the Socialist Forum Film Series, coming soon. |
See also:
http://www.press.uillinois.edu/f97/halpern.html
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