Join the SCAD Museum of Art’s Evans Center for African American Studies for a screening of Spencer Williams’ 1944 film Go Down, Death! After the screening, SCAD cinema studies professor Chad Newsom leads a presentation on the history of “race” filmmaking.

The story of African American filmmaking extends back to the earliest years of cinema history. Working independently, Black filmmakers established themselves in what was known as the “race film” industry, and these innovators left a rich and fascinating legacy. Explore this history and draw connections to works on view in the exhibition Aaron Douglas: Sermons.

This event is free and open to the public.

RSVP to jdiaz@scad.edu.

About the presenter
Chad Newsom is a professor of cinema studies in the department of art history at SCAD, where he teaches film history classes. Interested in forgotten stories of cinema’s past — movies, stars, and the theaters where audiences encountered those phenomena — he is currently researching the local history of film exhibition and Savannah’s African American movie theaters.

About the Evans Center
Established in 2011, the SCAD Museum of Art’s Walter and Linda Evans Center for African American Studies celebrates the imaginative breadth and expressive legacy of African American art and culture. Through experimental public programs, immersive workshops, riveting lectures, and topical symposia, the Evans Center immerses students and community members in the rich tapestry of Black expression.