Film (Room 121: 30 mins)
This content is related to Keynote 3: Jennifer González.
Lessons of the Hour by Isaac Julien
In Lessons of the Hour (2019), Sir Isaac Julien presents an immersive portrait of abolitionist Frederick Douglass, who obtained freedom from chattel slavery in 1838 and became one of the most important orators, writers, and statespersons of the 19th century. Courtesy of the artist, we will be screening a single channel version of this 10 channel video installation, a nonlinear narrative that melds Douglass’s life and work with excerpts from several of his speeches, literary works, and personal correspondence. The most photographed American of his era, Douglass understood that portraiture could challenge racist tropes and advance the freedom and civil rights of Black Americans and subjugated people around the world. (text adapted from MOMA)