The world changes according to the way people see it, and if you alter, even by a millimeter, the way… people look at reality, then you can change it. — James Baldwin

Last week, in observance of Black History Month, NGAAP Charlotte hosted a private screening of the new documentary film I Am Not Your Negro.

I Am Not Your Negro is an American documentary film directed by Raoul Peck. Based on James Baldwin’s writing and narrated by actor Samuel L. Jackson, the film explores the history of racism in the United States through Baldwin’s reminiscences of civil rights leaders Medgar Evers, Malcolm X and Martin Luther King, Jr.  Nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, the film is an advanced seminar in racial politics that “will make you rethink race.”

Watch the trailer for I Am Not Your Negro.

We were fortunate to have in our presence civil rights icon Dorothy Counts-Scoggins. It was her courage and dignity when integrating Charlotte’s Harding High School in 1957 that inspired Baldwin to repatriate from France to America and begin work a manuscript that would eventually become I Am Not Your Negro.

The intimate, invitation-only screening launched NGAAP Charlotte’s 2017 Learning Forum series. Our giving circle is working to deepen our knowledge of issues of race and community and to promote collaborative leadership. We believe that with conscious Black leaders and effective Black-led organizations, Charlotte can emerge as a healthy, safe and prosperous community for all of our families to live, work and flourish.

Turnout at the event was fantastic: 50 passionate, compassionate and powerful leaders with a vision for changing the world.