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The Milly Project tells the long-buried story of Milly Sawyers, an enslaved Black woman in Springfield, Missouri, who won her freedom in court around 1835—years before the Dred Scott decision. Unearthed by archivist Connie Forbis Yen and journalist Giacomo Bologna in 2018, this production honors Milly as a bold freedom fighter and a foundational figure in the city’s history. (NR, 64 min.) Join us at Moxie Cinema, Sunday, March 30th for this special event. This FREE screening event is made possible by generous collaboration with Kendra Chappell, writer and director of “The Milly Project”. A brief mixer with complimentary refreshments begins at 5:30 pm and precedes the film which begins at 6 pm. A panel discussion will immediately follow the screening. The Milly Sawyers Center "MSC" co-directors Charity Jordan Rex and Kunti Bentley invite you to attend the Milly Project screening, MSC’s inaugural event. This event is free to the public. Tickets available to reserve now.The Milly Sawyers Center (MSC) is a new multidimensional education initiative with a mission of creating a community where everyone belongs through deeper cultural, social, and civic connections.
The Milly Project Panelists
Kendra Chappell - Writer and Director for The Milly Project
Monica Horton - City Council Member
Adora Lorae - Actress, played Milly in the stage production
Kathleen Seale - Archivist and Coordinator of Rolla and Springfield Research Centers for State Historical Society of Missouri
Connie Yen - Director of Greene County Archives and Records Center
Darline Mabins, Executive Director Multicultural Business Association, will be the moderator for the evening.
Synopsis: Milly is a newly unearthed account of an enslaved Black woman in Springfield, Missouri who won her freedom, circa 1835, through litigation in Greene County Court not long after the court was created and shortly before the Supreme Court would decide Dred Scott. The yellowed handwritten court manuscript remained shelved and boxed until the archivist freed Milly Sawyers again. Archivist Connie Forbis Yen and ( Jack) Giacomo Bologna, newspaper reporter, unleashed this piece of history in 2018 and we feel obligated and honored to enter the life of a woman who was diligent and bold enough to proclaim and imagine freedom and her inalienable rights. This is a blood story about our national, state, and local history. This is a story about skin. This is a story about a heroine, a freedom fighter, and a founder of the city of Springfield, Missouri, Milly Sawyers. The cast of nine consists of four white actors and five Black actors who respectfully and specifically identify as black, bi-racial or multi-racial. The film director, also a cast member, is a white female and the writer/ theater production director is a white female. The focal point of this ensemble production is a founding black matriarch of Springfield, Mo. Our hope is that Milly Sawyers will soon be publicly recognized.
[The Milly Project]
Cast: Adora Snead, Amari Snead, Brandon Compton, Ethan Gambriel, Emalee Flatness,, Imari Stout, Jon Herbert, Lizabeth Chappell, Victoria Fernald
Director: Kendra Chappell, Lizbeth Chappell
Screenwriter: Kendra Chappell
Cinematographer: Joe Batty
Editor: Jasmine Stack
Genre: History, Biography, Performing Arts
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Event Venue & Nearby Stays
305 S Campbell, Suite 101, Springfield, MO, United States, Missouri 65806
Tickets
