Événement

Two Schools in Hillburn - Film Screening and Q&A with the Film Maker

The Historical Society of Rockland County Invites You to Join Us for a Special Screening of

"Two Schools in Hillburn"
followed by a discussion with the filmmaker, Joe Allen

When: Thursday, March 15, 2018, 7:15 sharp

Where: HSRC, 20 Zukor Road, New City

Admission: $FREE (reservations required)

"Two Schools in Hillburn," the documentary by Joe Allen that premiered in 2017, explores one of the most important moments in the history of civil rights and education in New York State.

It was in the tiny village of Hillburn, Rockland County, in 1943 that Jim Crow laws forcing "colored"--African American, Native American, and other--children to attend a rundown, ramshackle schools while white children got to go to new, well-equipped schools were struck down. Thanks to the brave efforts of the families of 49 children who attended Brook School and a young NAACP attorney, Thurgood Marshall, who came to Hillburn, the practice ended, and families of children attending Brook were able to send them to Hillburn School.

This took place more than a decade before Marshall gained notoriety by winning the Supreme Court case Brown v. the Board of Education , which tore down the legal grounds for separate-but-equal Jim Crow laws.

The film tells the story of what Rockland and Hillburn were like during that time and looks at the key participants and events. The screening will be followed by a Q&A with Joe Allen, the maker of this important film.

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Please join us at the HSRC's History Center, 20 Zukor Road, New City, NY, for this special evening film screening and discussion. As a courtesy to the speaker, please arrive early to avoid interruptions. The event will begin promptly at 7:30. Latecomers with reservations may forfeit their seats. Walk-ins will be admitted only if space permits.