Hbcu Rising: Documentary Captures Authentic Southern History

Though Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) are becoming more prevalent, few documentaries can be found examining the purpose and sealing the significance of HBCUs. Director Stanley Morgan sought to change that in creation of his latest film, “Tell Them We Are Rising: The Story of Black Colleges and Universities.”
The movie will officially air Monday, February 19, 2018 at (9PM est) on PBS. Southern University was able to view an exclusive screening of the film as a part of the Homecoming festivities last Thursday afternoon.
The 90-minute film revolved around a detailed timeline surrounding the evolution and advancement of black colleges, dating back to 1862.
Morgan himself has a rooted history in black colleges. His parents attended Howard University and Talladega College, before he ultimately went to Morris Brown College.
The screening began with raw images revealing how black people have always thrived on gaining knowledge, dating back to when it was widely denied during the period of enslavement.
As the vision of black schools became a reality, the documentary featured Booker T. Washington and W.E.B. DuBois, and how their opposing ideas of blacks and education ultimately impacted the future of what HBCUs looked like.
The film goes on to highlight how the Civil Rights Movement affected HBCUs by placing the spotlight on Southern University.
Fred Prejean and the families of Denver Smith and Leonard Brown were on hand during the exclusive screening to watch the film relive the Southern protests they were involved with. An exclusive video managed to catch the tragic campus shooting of Smith and Brown on tape.
The film ended showcasing outgoing seniors and incoming freshmen gave their perspective on why HBCUs were the best decision for them, while in contrast showing the closure of Morris Brown and the current, eroded condition of its campus.
The documentary is a great example for a direction that other HBCUs should take based on its history. In a statement left by Morgan on the film’s webpage, he notes: “If education is a cornerstone of society, then HBCUs are the groundwork for advancing justice in America.”
Morgan joined an esteemed panel that included Southern University Alumni Federation President Preston Castille, Jr., who gave his perspective on the future of black schools. He mentioned that Trump may be the best thing that can happen to HBCUs, citing an uptick in enrollment applications across HBCU campuses since his election.
He also referenced the ‘Imagine 20,000’ campaign, a vision of expanding and modernizing Southern’s campus in order to increase enrollment to 20,000 students.
Prejean used the panel as an opportunity to dismiss some misconceptions regarding the Southern University protests. He stressed that even though students were protesting, they were still learning as if they were in class. He also noted that prior to the day of the shooting, students and police were on the best of terms.
After the movie, a promotion team was on hand to announce a crowd-sourced digital yearbook that would be published in conjunction with the premiere of the film February 19. Any former or current HBCU students are able to visit HBCUrising.com and submit an entry for the archive.