Upcoming Webinar – Behind the Lens: Telling Civil Rights Stories Through Film
Tuesday, June 24 | 1:00-1:30 PM ET
Join us for a live conversation about the power of film to amplify untold and underrepresented stories from the Civil Rights Movement.
This special session features Emmy-winning producer Opal H. Bennett, who leads the March On! Filmmaker Competition, and Christine Swanson, acclaimed director of FANNIE, The Clark Sisters: First Ladies of Gospel, and Albany Road. Swanson, a former March On! competition winner, will share her experience translating truth into film.
Moderated by Kim Callinan, Executive Director of March On!, this conversation will take audiences behind the scenes of crafting powerful visual narratives that move hearts and inspire change.
March On! 2025 Festival: The Right to Be Well
The March On! Festival returns this fall from September 16–21 with this year’s powerful theme: March On! Health: The Right to Be Well.
This year, the festival explores health as a civil rights issue, examining how history has shaped medical mistrust, limited access, mental health disparities, and unequal care that continue to affect communities today. Through film, music, art, and conversation, we will bring attention to often-overlooked stories, including disability justice, gendered health experiences, the politics of rest, and medical ethics.
The week will feature bold storytelling, live performances, and powerful discussions with artists, changemakers, and scholars who are using their voices to inspire action.
Unsung Heroes Trivia Challenge
How well do you know the trailblazers who shaped the Civil Rights Movement? This month, we honor two powerful voices—Staceyann Chin and Vivian Malone—whose courage and conviction opened doors and sparked change.
Staceyann Chin: Art as a Weapon for Justice
Staceyann Chin is a poet, playwright, and activist who uses art to challenge injustice. Her work blends personal truth with political urgency and includes performances, memoirs, and a sanctuary for LGBTQ+ communities in Jamaica.
Trivia Question:
Which project features Staceyann Chin in honest, intergenerational dialogue with her daughter Zuri as they challenge societal norms together?
A. MotherStruck!
B. Living Room Protest
C. Crossfire
D. A Mother Apart
Click here to find out.
Vivian Malone: Breaking Barriers at the Schoolhouse Door
In 1963, Vivian Malone became the first Black graduate of the University of Alabama. After facing down segregation, she built a career in public service and civil rights advocacy through roles at the U.S. Department of Justice and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
Trivia Question:
What career path did Vivian Malone pursue after graduating, where she continued her fight for justice through public service?
A. Public School Teacher
B. Civil Rights Lawyer
C. EPA and Department of Justice Leader
D. Alabama State Legislator
Click here to find out.
Help Champion the Stories that Move the Movement: Volunteer at March On!
Do you believe in the power of storytelling and the arts to advance civil rights, amplify underrepresented voices, and spark meaningful change? Join us at the March On! Festival, September 16-21 in Washington, DC and help make the convening happen.
We’re calling on passionate, dedicated individuals to volunteer and help us create an unforgettable festival experience. As part of the March On! Team, you’ll help gather artists, civic leaders, activists, and audiences together in community spaces.
No experience needed. Just your enthusiasm and commitment to the cause.
Final Deadline: Submit Your Film by Friday, June 27
This is your last chance to be part of the March On! Filmmaker Competition.
Submissions close Friday, June 27 at 11:59 PM ET.
This annual competition elevates the voices of student and emerging filmmakers who are using their craft to spotlight modern civil rights and social justice issues. Films must center on themes tied to the modern Civil Rights Movement or the challenges and activism shaping our world today. Selected winners will receive one of eight prizes, including cash awards, production gift cards, and all-access passes to this year’s festival.
Deadline to submit: Friday, June 27
Finalists will be notified by Friday, August 1
Click here to review eligibility and submission guidelines
Tell your story. Make it heard. Submit your film today.
Why Storytelling Matters in the Fight for Social Justice
Earlier this year, Kim Callinan officially stepped into her role as Executive Director of March On!, building on years of support and engagement since first attending the festival in 2017.
In her first message, Kim reflects on the power of storytelling to drive change—reminding us that one courageous act, like Darnella Frazier’s video of George Floyd’s murder, can spark a global movement. She also calls attention to today’s challenges, from book bans to silenced voices, and affirms the urgent role March On! plays in lifting up truth through art, memory, and cultural resistance.
March On!: Stories That Move
June 2025 Cultural Roundup
In a time when key aspects of American history are being challenged or erased, March On!: Stories That Move is our new monthly roundup spotlighting books, films, and art that tell the untold and mistold stories of the Civil Rights Movement.
This inaugural edition features standout book releases from May and June 2025, including:
- Joy Goddess by A’Lelia Bundles
A stunning biography of A’Lelia Walker, daughter of Madam C.J. Walker, and a cultural icon of the Harlem Renaissance. - The Battle for the Black Mind by Dr. Karida L. Brown
A powerful chronicle of Black educational resilience from Reconstruction to today. - Yet Here I Am by Jonathan Capehart
A personal and political reflection on identity, activism, and justice in America. - Erased by Anna Malaika Tubbs
A sharp examination of how American patriarchy has obscured the role of Black women in history. - Mother Emanuel by Kevin Sack
A 200-year history of Charleston’s Emanuel A.M.E. Church, marked by resistance and grace. - Bibb Country by Lonnae O’Neal
A family memoir that unearths land, legacy, and injustice through an investigative lens.
