Black History Month: Filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman says we don't need one

Filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman not only questions why we relegate Black History Month to the bleakest part of the winter, he maintains that black history is a part of American history that doesn't need to be recognized by its own month. To promote his argument, Hassan set off across the...

By Susan Froyd

February 22, 2012

Audio By Carbonatix

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Filmmaker Shukree Hassan Tilghman not only questions why we relegate Black History Month to the bleakest part of the winter, he maintains that black history is a part of American history that doesn't need to be recognized by its own month.

To promote his argument, Hassan set off across the country campaigning for his theory by wearing a sandwich board and holding a petition, filming all the way, tongue firmly in cheek.

The finished result, More Than a Month, aired on PBS stations nationwide in February as part of the Independent Lens series, no doubt is setting off conversations everywhere about contemporary race and politics. Denver's as ripe a place as any for that kind of dialogue, and so we'll get a more communal look at the film at 7 p.m. tonight at the Denver FilmCenter, in conjunction with RMPBS's Community Cinema program.

The screening is free; get more details at the RMPBS website. A preview follows.

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Susan Froyd started writing for Westword as the "Thrills" editor in 1992 and never quite left the fold. These days she still freelances for the paper in addition to walking her dogs, enjoying cheap ethnic food and reading voraciously. Sometimes she writes poetry.

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