With Empowerment Week only days away, the City of Birmingham is gearing up for what will be a memorable week of commemoration. During the week’s festivities Walden Media, the Hallmark Channel, Proctor and Gamble and Wal-Mart, together will sponsor the first public screening of “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” at the Alabama Theater on Thursday September 12, before it premieres on the Hallmark Channel later in the month.
As a part of the “Read it Forward” initiative, the Birmingham Public Library has issued all 4th graders in the Birmingham City Schools a copy of the book “The Watsons Go to Birmingham” which has been turned into a film produced by Tonya Lewis Lee.
Over 800 Birmingham City School Students will be the first to see the movie at the historic theater.
Mayor Bell recently read an excerpt of the book to students at Martha Gaskins Middle School and encouraged them to not only read the book, but learn something from it.
“It is very important that we make sure our youth are participating in the 50th year commemoration. It is critical that they understand how far we have come and that this generation continues to understand that they ARE 50 years forward. Brave men and women of the movement paved the way for all of us, but especially the children to have a brighter future,” said Mayor Bell.
The event is near capacity, but a few free tickets are still available and can be reserved at eventfarm.com/meetthewatsons. The premiere is set to begin at 6p.m. #50yearsforward
