On October 5, the African American Steering Committee (AASC) and Women’s Steering Committee (WSC) presented a screening of Director Kathleen Dowdey’s documentary, Get in the Way: The Journey of John Lewis. The film has been released on the 50th anniversary year of the historic march for voter’s rights in Alabama that that proved a turning point in the Civil Rights Movement and launched Lewis’ legacy.
After a welcome by WSC Co-Chair Mary Lou Belli, the standing room only audience in the Guild’s Los Angeles headquarters theater viewed the story of the acclaimed civil rights activist, from his role as a student participant in the Selma to Montgomery March that came to be known as “Bloody Sunday,” to his rise to revered U.S. Congressman and outspoken human rights advocate. Get in the Way: The Journey of John Lewis is the first biographical documentary the civil rights legend who was beaten and jailed over 40 times, but still devoted himself to a life of nonviolent challenges to discrimination and injustice.
Following the screening and an introduction by AASC Co-Chairs Jeff Byrd, Oz Scott and Carl Seaton, Dowdey was joined on stage by the film’s Executive Producer Charles Floyd Johnson, Congresswoman Maxine Waters (D-CA) and Civil Rights Activist Peggy Preacely, who discussed its making and its importance in a conversation moderated by Director Donna Brown Guillaume who also served as a consulting producer on the project.
In addition to Get in the Way: The Journey of John Lewis, Dowdey’s filmography includes the documentaries A Celtic Trilogy, Blue Heaven and Dawn’s Early Light. She has been a DGA member since 2004.
ABOUT THE COMMITTEES:
The African American Steering Committee (AASC) was born of a desire to address the specific needs of the African-American members of the Directors Guild. One of the primary goals of the Committee is to establish a productive line of communication between African-American members and the creative community. The Committee meets monthly to plan events throughout the year celebrating the achievements of African-Americans, as well as forums with industry executives to proactively address what can be done to hire more African-Americans.
The Women's Steering Committee (WSC) was created to advance the professional interests of its members, and to heighten their visibility and career opportunities in the entertainment industry. The WSC currently promotes diversity through sponsoring networking events, screenings and seminars. The Committee fosters relationships between the members to provide support, mentoring and networking opportunities.