Press conference at SF State, © Associated Press.
SAN FRANCISCO—What do the youth-led protests of the 1960s reveal about the zeitgeist of our current day? Join directors Abby Ginzberg and Frank Dawson for a screening of their film AGENTS OF CHANGE, the untold story of the racial inequities on college campuses during the late 60s that led to protests for more relevant and inclusive education. The striking similarities between this pivotal time and our current day confirms how much work still remains to be done. This program is part of the de Young Museum’s Free Saturdays celebration of the exhibition,
Soul of a Nation: Art in the Age of Black Power 1963–1983. Saturday, February 1, 12 noon–2 pm de Young Museum 50 Hagiwara Tea Garden Dr. San Francisco, CA 94118 The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco are committed to offering services that make its collections, exhibitions, and programs accessible to all visitors.
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Synopsis AGENTS OF CHANGE looks at a pivotal moment when our nation was caught at the intersection of the Civil Rights, Black Power, and Anti-Vietnam War Movements. The film examines the racial conditions on college campuses across the U.S., focusing on two seminal protests: San Francisco State in 1968 and Cornell University in 1969. At San Francisco State, students and their supporters which included faculty and the increasingly influential Black Panther Party, launched the longest student strike in U.S. history. Struggling for themselves and the generations of students to come, Black, Latino and Asian student groups worked together to form the Third World Liberation Front. Their efforts birthed the first College of Ethnic Studies in the nation and ignited similar actions across the country. Told through the voices of past student activists and organizers, AGENTS OF CHANGE unfolds with rich archival footage, compelling interviews, and a dynamic soundtrack. Today, nearly half a century later, many of the same demands are surfacing in campus protests across the country, revealing the present intersections Americans find themselves. This film is supported by California Humanities through a California Documentary Project Grant.
