Press Release

February 3, 2015 | By Cole Hatcher

Ohio Wesleyan Libraries to Host Civil Rights-Themed Film Screening Feb. 18

Event to Feature Free Viewing of ‘Slavery by Another Name,’ Followed by Human Trafficking Discussion

DELAWARE, Ohio – Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries will host a free screening of the film “Slavery by Another Name” followed by a discussion of slavery and modern-day human trafficking.

The screening will begin at 5 p.m. Feb. 18 in the Bayley Room on the second floor of OWU’s Beeghly Library, 43 Rowland Ave., Delaware. The discussion, guided by Ohio Wesleyan faculty members Barbara Terzian and David Eastman, will begin at 7 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

Based on the 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning book by Douglas A. Blackmon, “Slavery by Another Name” challenges the belief that slavery ended with Abraham Lincoln’s Emancipation Proclamation of 1863. The documentary spans eight decades, from 1865 to 1945, revealing the interlocking forces in the South and the North that kept hundreds of thousands of African Americans trapped in “neoslavery” through new forms of forced labor.

Discussion leader Terzian, Ph.D., is an associate professor of history and a specialist in U.S. legal and women’s history. Her research focuses on Ohio’s constitutional history in the 19th century, particularly as it affected African Americans and women. Discussion leader Eastman, Ph.D., is an assistant professor of religion who teaches courses in New Testament, Christian history, and western religions. He is a strong advocate for improving the situation of children around the world, especially through efforts to eliminate human trafficking.

As an alternative to attending the screening, a free streaming copy of “Slavery by Another Name” is available online at createdequal.neh.gov/films/slavery-another-name. Advance screening is encouraged but not required prior to the discussion.

The Feb. 18 OWU event is part of a grant-supported series titled “Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle.” The Ohio Wesleyan University Libraries received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities to present the film-and-discussion series, which seeks to bring diverse communities together to explore the history of civil rights and the changing meanings of freedom and equality in America. In addition to “Slavery by Another Name,” the series includes “The Abolitionists,” “The Loving Story,” and “Freedom Riders,” which kicked off OWU’s program in 2014.

Deeply grounded in humanities scholarship, these films tell a remarkable story about the importance of race in the making of American democracy; the power of individuals to effect change; and the historical contexts in which Americans have understood and struggled with ideas of freedom, equality, and citizenship. The documentaries address events from the 1800s through 1965 in the United States. Each of the films was produced with NEH support and each highlights individuals who challenged the racial, social and legal status quo of deeply rooted institutions, from slavery to segregation.

“Created Equal: America’s Civil Rights Struggle” is made possible through a major grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities as part of its “Bridging Cultures” initiative, in partnership with the Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History.

Contact Catherine Cardwell, OWU director of libraries, at (740) 368-3246 or cacardwe@owu.edu with questions about local events.

Founded in 1842, Ohio Wesleyan University is one of the nation’s premier liberal arts universities. Located in Delaware, Ohio, the private university offers 86 undergraduate majors and competes in 23 NCAA Division III varsity sports. Ohio Wesleyan combines a challenging, internationally focused curriculum with off-campus learning and leadership opportunities to connect classroom theory with real-world experience. OWU’s 1,750 students represent 46 U.S. states and territories and 43 countries. Ohio Wesleyan is featured in the book “Colleges That Change Lives,” listed on the latest President’s Higher Education Community Service Honor Roll with Distinction, and included in the U.S. News & World Report and Princeton Review “best colleges” lists. Learn more at www.owu.edu.