Virtual Screening: Tangled Roots and Q&A
Tune-in to watch the film and an Q & A with filmmaker Samatha Knowles and KY. Rep Attica Scott
Greetings Original Thinkers,
Over the past few years it has felt as though our country has been pushed deeper into a clearer divide. As schools and organizations have stepped into adopting Critical Race Theory as part of their curriculum, the voices of the opposition have grown louder and more defiant. It is consequential that we as a country, especially those of us in positions of power and privilege educate ourselves and acknowledge the systemic injustices that are designed to keep marginalized communities oppressed.
In 2018, a viral video of a high school wrestler being forced to cut his dreadlocks before a meet was met with national outrage, shining light on a form of oppression black people faced for something seemingly innocuous - their hair. Our virtual film screening this weekend will focus on the journey of Kentucky Representative Attica Scott, the only black woman in Kentucky legislature at the time of filming, as she fights to dismantle these discriminatory systems. Aptly titled Tangled Roots, we learn the history of these harmful laws and follow Rep. Scott’s journey to raise awareness, garner support from her fellow representatives and rally communities to give a voice to those who have been impacted by them. Following the film, I’m joined in conversation with Rep. Scott, as well as Samantha Knowles, the young filmmaker behind Tangled Roots who recently was recently featured by Queen Latifah’s Queen Collective.
I hope you’ll check it out as this story is so thoughtfully told - over the course of 19 minutes, viewers will certainly go on a journey of anger, inspiration, disappointment and hope. This work is far from being over, and voices like Rep. Scott’s will only continue to lead the charge.
The screening is available to view today, Thursday, July 8 from 10a MT until Sunday, July 11 at 11:59p MT. It’s available on a pay-what-you-can basis, as we hope that it will be accessible to as many folks as possible. Proceeds will go to pay the filmmaker and cover streaming costs.
Thanks for reading - see you [virtually] this weekend.
All my best,
Laura
