Roots & Shoots California partner the Skirball Cultural Center has an exciting exhibition coming up, with an opportunity for Roots & Shoots groups to get involved! Groups in the LA area are invited to display or teach about projects they have done relating to the Civil Rights Movement, as part of their upcoming exhibition Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968.

Enjoy the exhibition from November 19, 2009- March 7, 2010. Featuring nearly 170 unforgettable images by more than thirty-five photographers, Road to Freedom: Photographs of the Civil Rights Movement, 1956–1968 tracks a crucial episode in American social and political history. Poignant and deeply affecting, the photographs in this exhibition portray historical turning points such as the Montgomery bus boycott (1956), the Freedom Rides to the Deep South (1961), the March on Washington (1963), the Selma-to-Montgomery march (1965), the assassination of Martin Luther King, Jr. (1968), and the Poor People's Campaign (1968). Some of the photographs have never been displayed to the public. On view are images by recognized names such as Bob Adelman, Morton Broffman, Bruce Davidson, Doris Derby, Larry Fink, James Karales, Danny Lyon, Builder Levy, and Steve Schapiro, as well as by press photographers and amateurs. Visitors will have the opportunity to experience the power of these images firsthand and learn more about the photographs' pivotal role in shaping public opinion, promoting solidarity, and raising awareness of injustice.

The photographs are complemented by sound recordings of music and speeches, artifacts, and other archival materials that provide historical context. The Skirball has added a new section to the exhibition that documents the struggle for civil rights here in Los Angeles; among the local events portrayed are the picketing of the Kress Store in Pasadena (1960) and the Watts Riots (1965). The exhibition also includes a documentary film, produced especially for the Skirball's presentation of Road to Freedom, that illuminates the unified efforts of the Jewish and African American communities to achieve justice for all during the Civil Rights movement.

Read the press release about this exhibition here!

And the fun doesn't stop there. Throughout the school year, the Skirball hosts teen open-mic nights in conjunction with changing exhibitions. This open-mic night will tie in with the Road to Freedom: Photography from the Civil Rights Movement, 1956-1968 exhibition. This open-to-all events gives teens a chance to share their writing, music, or spoken word pieces exploring topics related to the Civil Rights Movement in a public setting.

It's going to be fantastic, and Los Angeles Area Roots & Shoots groups are invited to participate! To receive details about the open mic, please e-mail emahon@skirball.org or call (310) 440-4737.

For more information about other events at the Skirball Cultural Center, check out their calendar here!