Movie Night: A Place at the Table

Hudson, R. & Houston, B. (Directors). (2000). A Place at the Table: Struggles for equality in America. [Video/DVD]. Montgomery, AL: Southern Poverty Law Center.

Inspiring and true, A Place at the Table chronicles the lives of American freedom fighters whose stories are little-known, but whose efforts have paved the way for equality and justice in the face of extreme prejudice. Unsung heroes and their brave deeds, such as house slave Elizabeth Freeman’s momentous court battle winning her freedom, suffragette Sara Bard Field’s cross-country journey for women’s rights, and Nisqually Indian Billy Frank Jr.’s fight for Native American land rights, toppled barriers in education, voting, employment, housing, and other areas of discrimination. A history of American champions of justice, A Place at the Table is filled with men and women who, when told by society to “stay in their place,” insisted that “their place” was at the American table as full-fledged participants in democracy. Description written by Southern Poverty Law Center. Resources include a video, DVD, and teacher’s guide. See short discussion guide at http://www.realartways.org/education/placeattable.pdf