'Mighty Times: The Children's March' to Premiere in Birmingham in Celebration of the Historic Civil Rights March of 1963

'Mighty Times: The Children's March' to Premiere in Birmingham in Celebration of the Historic Civil Rights March of 1963

Presented by HBO Family, Bright House Networks, and the Southern Poverty Law Center in Partnership with Birmingham Pledge Foundation

BIRMINGHAM, Ala., May 12 /PRNewswire/ -- HBO Family, Bright House Networks, the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) and the Birmingham Pledge Foundation will present a special premiere of the SPLC's teacher version of MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH based upon the Academy Award(R)-winning film, at an invitation-only event at UAB's Alys Stephens Performing Arts Center on May 23. The 2004 Oscar(R) winner for Documentary Short Subject, MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH unveils the never-before-told account of the children's contribution to the Civil Rights Movement. It focuses on a group of Birmingham citizens, many of which participated in the march when they were children, who brought segregation to its knees. Several of the original child marchers will be among the special guests at the May 23 event as will filmmakers Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston. Among the opening speakers will be Dr. Lawrence Pijeaux, Executive Director of the Birmingham Civil Rights Institute, and Richard Cohen, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center.

In the spring of 1963, Birmingham, Alabama, was the "do-or-die" battleground for the Civil Rights Movement. Heavy intimidation by Birmingham authorities left the Movement floundering. Using word-of-mouth under a veil of secrecy, more than 4,000 black schoolchildren organized themselves to desert classrooms at exactly 11 a.m. on "D-Day," May 2, 1963, touching off a week of mass demonstrations and rioting that shocked the nation and rocked the world. Police tried to stop them. Yet, the children prevailed.

A film based on the Oscar(R)-winning documentary by filmmakers Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston, MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH, the SPLC's teacher version offers a rare glimpse into the 1963 Birmingham children's march from the ground up - how they really felt to get hosed down the street and spend two weeks in jail while rescuing the Civil Rights Movement from the brink of defeat. More than 100 eyewitnesses contributed to the storytelling, with appearances by notable participants Harry Belafonte, Dick Gregory and Andrew Young.

"This film is empowering," said Richard Cohen, President and CEO of the Southern Poverty Law Center." It demonstrates that citizens, including children, can change history by confronting social injustices. It is our hope that THE CHILDREN'S MARCH will inspire youth to take stands on vital human issues affecting their communities and their lives, most especially racism and the devastating impact of discrimination upon our society."

The Southern Poverty Law Center, founded in 1971, is a nonprofit organization that combats hate, intolerance and discrimination through education and litigation. Its Intelligence Project tracks the activities of hate groups and works to curb extremism. Its litigation team, known for its legal victories against white supremacists, handles innovative cases that fight discrimination and protect society's most vulnerable members. Its award-winning Teaching Tolerance education programs help foster respect and understanding in classrooms and in communities around the country. Teaching Tolerance is now one of the nation's leading providers of anti-bias resources, both in print and online at tolerance.org. Its award-winning magazine is distributed free twice a year to more than 500,000 educators, and its innovative multimedia kits, such as that for THE CHILDREN'S MARCH, are provided at no charge to thousands of schools and community groups. SPLC's Teaching Tolerance initiative has distributed over 12,000 educational kits for THE CHILDREN'S MARCH, each containing a teacher's guide, DVD or videotape, to educational institutions across the country.

The Birmingham Pledge Foundation, co-host of the event, promotes the signing of the Birmingham Pledge as a way to recognize the dignity and worth of every individual and to share with the world the community's commitment to eliminate racial prejudice. More than 102,000 people from around the world have signed the pledge.

HBO and its cable affiliate Bright House Networks have partnered on several Birmingham premieres of HBO civil rights-themed films including FOUR LITTLE GIRLS, UNCHAINED MEMORIES: THE SLAVE NARRATIVES and SOMETHING THE LORD MADE.

MIGHTY TIMES: THE CHILDREN'S MARCH is a HBO/CINEMAX Documentary, produced and directed by Robert Hudson and Bobby Houston; directors of photography, Geoff George and Geoff Zimmerman; associate producer, Andrew Ellison; editors, Mark Brewer and Sean P. Keenan; production supervisor, Anthony Ellison; composer, Don Davis; narrators, Samuel L. Jackson and Sam Elliott. For Southern Poverty Law Center: executive producer, Richard Cohen. For HBO Family: supervising producer, Dolores Morris; executive producer, Sheila Nevins. The documentary will air on HBO Family during Black History Month in February 2006.

Academy Award(R) and Oscar(R) are registered trademarks and service marks of the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.

Source: HBO Family

CONTACT: Pat Conner of HBO, +1-404-239-6640; or Robert Smith of Bright
House Networks, +1-205-238-3080; or Lisa Harris of Birmingham Pledge
Foundation, +1-205-254-3022; or Penny Weaver of SPLC, +1-334-956-8314

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